Experiencing growing pains in his first year as a pro, Michael Ferland is back in Brandon hoping for permission to play the rest of the season with the hometown Wheat Kings.

According to Wheat Kings play-by-play announcer Bruce Luebke, Ferland and his agent are trying to work out an agreement with the Flames that will see him suit up Friday for Brandon against Moose Jaw.

The highly-touted power forward has suited up for just seven games this season in Abbotsford, registering no points and 10 penalty minutes. Demoted earlier this month to the Utah Grizzlies of the East Coast Hockey League, he collected one assist and five penalty minutes during a three-game stint.

Ferland amassed 96 points in 68 games last year for Brandon it what most thought would be his final year in junior.

A fifth-round pick of the Flames in 2010, the six-foot-two, 208-pounder only started playing competitive hockey at age 14.

“It came down to trying to come back for another year of junior,” Ferland, 20, told Luebke after a Boxing Day skate with the Wheat Kings. “It’s only going to get harder to crack Abbotsford’s lineup with the team they have...

“I’m just excited to get back to playing some hockey games here.”