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The Swift Current Broncos will be heading west a little earlier this season.

The WHL's new schedule has the Broncos on the road to play US Division teams in October as opposed to their usualy late November or early December road swing.

"We wanted to get away early in our schedule," said Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb. "We still pretty much have the same amount of home games as we did the year before, but when you're in a farming community you'd rather play on the road and let those guys get the crops off."

The other benefit is a long trip early in the season helps bring the team together and introduce their young players to the WHL.

Mark Lamb Interview"I think it's really good to get out there the weather is going to be good," Lamb said. "It's good for our young guys. We're going to have a young team... the new guys coming into the league also to get out and see those other real nice communities and nice buildings to play in early."

Western swings have given the Broncos difficulty in recent years as they've often been hit by the injury bug or lost players to World Juniors during the trip before Christmas.

This is the first year the WHL has implemented a new computer scheduling system. Lamb noted there are some kinks to work out but it has been very successful in the Ontario Hockey League and he is confident it will work here as well.

The next big day for the Broncos is the NHL draft on Sunday. Defenceman Dillon Heatherington is ranked anywhere from a late first round to a mid-second round pick.

"He's impressing everybody right now," Lamb said. "Look at how he plays against the top players. He's been doing that since he was a 16-year-old. Whenever the games get harder later in the season or playoffs he's always a top player. We like everything about Heatherington and a lot of guys are seeing that now. I really think he'll play in the NHL some day."

Other Broncos on the draft radar include Colby Cave, Levi Bews, Eetu Laurkainen and Jay Merkley.

The Broncos will kick off the 2013-14 season with a home-and-home against the Regina Pats beginning at the Brandt Centre on Thursday, September 19th.  The Broncos Home Opener is slated for Saturday, September 21st.