2020-21 WHL Season Preview: Regina Pats
As the 2020-21 WHL Regular Season comes to fruition, we preview each of the Clubs that will compete in an unprecedented divisional format featuring a 24-game schedule.
General Manager: John Paddock
Head Coach: Dave Struch
2019-20 Record: 21-34-6-2, 50 points
2019-20 Divisional Finish: Fifth Place
2019-20 Top Scorers: RW Austin Pratt (20-37–57); LW Carson Denomie (21-29–50); LW Robbie Holmes (19-29–48)
2020-21 – 20-year-olds: Denomie; D Kyle Walker (5-9–14); G Roddy Ross (20-21-4-3, 3.17, .908)
2020-21 Season Opener: Friday, March 12 – Prince Albert Raiders at Regina Pats
Last Game: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 – ICE (6) at Pats (2)
Overview: It isn’t the start anyone envisioned, but the WHL’s first exceptional status player, Connor Bedard, will finally get to make his highly anticipated WHL debut this Friday.
The 2005-born phenom was selected first overall in the 2020 WHL Draft after having been granted exceptional player status by BC Hockey earlier this year. A product of North Vancouver, Bedard has dominated at every level he has ever played, including a four-game stint in Sweden with HV71’s Under-20 squad this winter, in which the 15-year-old registered four points (2G-2A) in four games.
To say the debut of Bedard is highly anticipated is a mild understatement.
During his WHL Draft year, the 5-foot-10, 179-pound forward racked up 84 points (43G-41A) in 36 games as a 14-year-old with West Van Academy’s U18 squad in the CSSHL.
Though Bedard isn’t the only piece to the puzzle for the Pats, it’s tough to ignore history in the making, particularly for a franchise with arguably the richest and deepest history in all of Canadian junior hockey. Bedard will do just that on Friday when he becomes the first exceptional status player to suit up in a WHL regular season contest.
Key Players: There’s more to the Regina Pats than simply Connor Bedard, and a lot of that actually starts at the other end of the rink with goaltender Roddy Ross.
A prospect of the Philadelphia Flyers and a product of Meadow Lake, Sask., Ross returned to his home province after a trade during the 2020 WHL Draft. Selected by the Flyers in the sixth round (169th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-3, 184-pound Ross is set to provide a stabilizing presence for the Pats, joining the Regiment after establishing a record of 36-26-5-5 with a 3.03 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 74 appearances over two seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
On the blueline, 19-year-old Ryker Evans leads the way alongside 20-year-old Kyle Walker. Evans enjoyed a welcome breakout during the 2019-20 season, improving his point total from 11 points (1G-10A) in 2018-19 to 31 points (7G-24A). As for Walker, he brings 163 games of WHL experience on the backend.
Up front, Bedard will be supported by a veteran squad that includes recently minted captain Logan Nijhoff. A 19-year-old product of Comox, B.C., Nijhoff scored a career year in 2019-20, tallying 34 points (16G-18A) in 61 games. Carson Denomie, 21, returns to the Pats after finishing second in team scoring a year ago.
Tidbits: The Brandt Centre will be the home for the Regina Pats, as usual, during the 2020-21 WHL Regular Season, but what isn’t so usual is the fact it will also serve as the home away from home for six other Clubs as the WHL’s East Division is set to play 84 games in the WHL Hub Centre beginning Friday, March 12… After briefly departing the Club following the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, Phil Andrews is back as the play-by-play voice of the Pats, as announced by the Club on March 4…