Micheal Ferland  Micheal Ferland (born April 20, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes. Ferland was drafted by the Flames in the fifth round, 133rd overall, at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Ferland made his NHL debut in the 2014 NHL season. Micheal Ferland was born April 20, 1992, in Swan River, Manitoba. He is the middle of three children, with an older sister and a younger brother, raised by his mother Dianne, who worked as a dietary aide at a nursing home in Swan River. Ferland played house league hockey from ages 8 to 15 before earning the attention of the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings; he was given a try-out and earned a place with the team. Dianne struggled to fund her son's hockey dream; she required support from charities such as KidSport and the Manitoba Métis Federation to help pay for his equipment. Dianne also credited her eldest daughter, Samantha, who was never able to play competitive sports herself as the family was unable to support more than one child in the sport. When Micheal made the midget Wheat Kings team, the parents of his Swan River teammates helped pay his enrollment fees. At age 17, Ferland joined the major junior Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He scored 9 goals and 28 points in 61 games during the 2009–10 regular season. He also appeared in 15 playoff games for Brandon, and played an additional five in the 2010 Memorial Cup. The Calgary Flames selected him with their fifth round pick, 133rd overall, at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Ferland remained with Brandon for the following two seasons where he recorded 56 points in 2010–11 then finished ninth in WHL scoring with 96 points in 2011–12. Ferland began his professional career in 2012–13. The Flames assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, to begin the season, but he arrived to training camp in poor condition and struggled with Abbotsford. After seven games, he was demoted to the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies for just three more games before the Flames returned him to the Brandon Wheat Kings. His stay with the Wheat Kings was similarly short as Brandon traded Ferland to the Saskatoon Blades; as he struggled, the 20-year-old Ferland became discouraged and considered quitting hockey entirely.