The Brandon Wheat Kings are set to begin their regular season today. They will be up against the Moose Jaw Warriors in the first game taking place in the WHL's Regina bubble.

Local forward Ben McCartney says they're a young team and they'll have to put their best foot forward to start off the season in the win column. He describes where his head is at.

"It's unbelievable that we have the chance to experience a bubble and play some games but I have to go in there and be grateful with a confident mindset," McCartney explains. "It's been twelve months since I played (competitively) but at the end of the day, you have to be ready when the puck drops. So, I'll go in there with confidence and I'll be ready to go."

McCartney says the experience of the bubble has been nice. He says they are set up in dorms and he is in a four-person suite that allows him to see his teammates, which he notes is integral for building chemistry.

The Macdonald, Manitoba native is entering his fourth season with the Wheat Kings and is coming off of a year where he scored at a point per game pace, with 61 points in 61 games. McCartney has totalled 114 points in his WHL career and says this year he wants to become more of a leader in the locker room.

"I've learned a lot from the previous leaders in the past, they rubbed off on me and I looked up to them," says McCartney. "I know the young guys look up to the 19 and 20-year-olds this year and I just want to show them the culture that I've learned in the past. When they're 19-20 they can teach the young guys the culture and I think the Brandon Wheat Kings culture is one of the most important parts of the hockey club. I'm proud of it."

McCartney is very confident in the group they have noting their defensive core is filled with veterans and they have a ton of skill up front. He adds despite being under a new head coach, it's still a familiar face on their bench.

"This is my fourth year having Donny (Don McGillivray) on the bench. I'm really happy that he's in the head spot now," McCartney explains. "I've been with him, I trust him, and he's been really good. Our practices have been very hard and fast, with all the guys getting into it early. I've always had a really healthy relationship with him, so I'm excited to get this going."

McCartney and the Wheat Kings will get their first taste of action today against Moose Jaw with puck drop set for 4 p.m.