(Courtesy of Perry Bergson, The Brandon Sun) — Macoy Erkamps has enjoyed a season he won’t soon forget.

The captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings has set career highs in every offensive category and plus-minus in his overage season. He also signed a professional contract with the Ottawa Senators after being named Brandon’s most inspirational, top graduating and most community-minded player.

“Everything has worked out this year,” Erkamps said this past weekend as the Wheat Kings battle Seattle in the Western Hockey League Championship series. “It’s been an exciting year obviously for me.”

A 21-year-old product of Delta, B.C., the fifth-year player was one of three Wheat Kings to play in all 72 games in the regular season.

Brandon’s coaching staff urged him to jump up into the play, and the results were startling. Erkamps went from previous career highs of five goals and 30 assists in 2012-13 to 13 goals and 58 assists this season, finishing second in league scoring by a defenceman, two points behind teammate Ivan Provorov.

But he said it wasn’t easy.

“(The coaching staff) stressed it last year but I was kind of out of my comfort zone,” Erkamps admitted. “I think coming into this year one of the biggest things I focused on was making that pass and taking two hard strides up the ice and I think that’s benefited me in all situations. I think it helps with the gap in the defensive zone, and obviously when I get a chance and I’m up there on the rush if I can put one in or pass it to one of my teammates for a goal, I’m happy to do it.”

It certainly hasn’t hurt that he’s paired with Provorov, the WHL defenceman of the year. But the Russian blue-liner credits Erkamps with much of his success too.

“We have good chemistry,” Provorov said of Erkamps. “He’s a great player, competes hard, a great leader, great captain. It’s nothing but fun to be playing with him.”

The six-foot, 198-pound Erkamps certainly didn’t jump into the play at the expense of his own end, tying for fourth in the WHL with a plus 47 plus-minus rating. He also plays a key leadership role on an older team full of players with big-game experience. He last served as captain in bantam and peewee, but John Quenneville, whose brother Peter was captain a year earlier, said Erkamps has been terrific all season.

“He’s an older guy, he’s played a lot of games and he’s got a lot of experience,” Quenneville said. “I think he’s done a good job.”

Erkamps’ fine play didn’t go unnoticed. After attending rookie camp with the St. Louis Blues last September on a free-agent tryout, the defenceman signed with the Senators. The deal was announced on April 1, a day after the Wheat Kings had squared their quarter-final series 2-2 with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

“When it happened it was a huge moment for me and my family in my life,” Erkamps said.

“I couldn’t have done it without the guys in that room. I think they all helped me do that. There’s not one guy in there that I can’t thank. I don’t know if I’ve got to experience it as well as I might have thought because there are just so many highs going on with this team right now.”

As Brandon battles with the Thunderbirds in the league championship during the final month of his junior hockey career, Erkamps can’t help but be reflective on a five-year career in which he played 341 regular-season games.

A former second-round bantam pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Erkamps was acquired with Reid Duke on Sept. 30, 2014 by Wheat Kings head coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon in a multi-player deal.

He admits that it was a shock to be traded even farther away from Delta. Little did he know that know that life-changing experiences lay ahead in Brandon.

“I would have never thought that,” Erkamps said. “I know my parents, when I got that news it was kind of a shock. I don’t know how they were feeling but once they saw the team that we had and the success that we had last year by all means it was the right decision for me to come here. I couldn’t be happier.”

It’s funny where life leads sometimes and Erkamps has embraced the unexpected adventure.

He has a pretty good sense of how he’ll look back at his time in Brandon one day in the future after his career is over.

“I would tell you that this city is hockey crazy in playoffs,” Erkamps said. “I don’t think that I’ve ever seen an atmosphere like it. I can’t say enough about the guys on this team. I couldn’t ask for a better team to spend my last year in junior here with. Not only have I enjoyed the ride, I know my family has.

“Kelly has made it a great atmosphere for all of the guys in the room and I’m real excited to see what happens in this final series.”

Erkamps and the Wheat Kings arrived in Seattle on Sunday and will be taking a 2-0 series advantage into game three Tuesday night.