While the Wheat Kings season is over, some former players are just starting their playoff runs.

Four former members of the Brandon Wheat Kings are hoping to lead their respective teams in the 2012 National Hockey League playoffs that began Wednesday night on three fronts.

Former Brandon co-captain Brayden Schenn stole the spotlight on opening night, by scoring once and setting up two others in the Philadelphia Flyers come from behind 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. For the 20-year-old Saskatoon product, last night's game was his Stanley Cup playoff debut.

A former first round bantam draft choice of the Wheat Kings and a member of the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup Host Team, Schenn scored twelve goals and 18 points in 54 games for the Flyers during this, his rookie season in the NHL.

Other former Wheat Kings hoping to have the opportunity to sip from Lord Stanley's Cup this spring are Jason Chimera of the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues' right-winger Ryan Reaves and Jordin Tootoo of the Nashville Predators.

Tootoo and the Predators opened up their best of seven opening round playoff series last Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Detroit Red Wings.

Reaves and Chimera meanwhile got things going in their respective divisions last Thursday night. While Reaves and the Blues played host to the San Jose Sharks, Chimera and the Capitals were in Boston to battle the defending Stanley Cup Champion Bruins.

A former draft choice of the Edmonton Oilers, Chimera scored 20 goals and 39 points in 82 games for the Caps this season while Reaves, who played from 2004-2007 in Brandon, had three goals, four points and 124 penalty minutes in sixty games for the Blues.

One of the most popular players to ever wear the Wheat Kings' jersey, Tootoo scored six goals and 30 points in 77 games this past season and enters post-season play having played in 486 NHL games. Nominated by the Predators for this year's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, Tootoo played four seasons with the Wheat Kings from 1999-2003.