Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase: Lethbridge at Regina
This week’s Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase heads to the Brandt Centre where two Eastern Conference foes in the Lethbridge Hurricanes (33-18-5-5) and the hosting Regina Pats (18-40-1-2) will face off at 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT on Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, and Sportsnet Pacific.
Entering Friday, Lethbridge holds down the second spot in the Western Hockey League’s Central Division, sitting just two points back of the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Hurricanes are coming off a 5-4 overtime road victory against the league-leading Prince Albert Raiders, led by centre Dylan Cozens, a projected top pick in the 2019 NHL Draft who ranked third among North Americans in Central Scouting’s midterm report, who finished with two goals and one assist.
Also providing offense for the Hurricanes was fellow forward Jake Elmer, who tallied both the game-tying and game-winning goals, while also adding an assist on Cozens’ second period marker. In 61 games this season, Elmer has recorded 34 goals and 34 assists for 68 points, trailing Cozens by seven points for the team lead.
Meanwhile, Hurricanes first-year netminder Carl Tetachuk turned aside 25 shots to pick up his fourth win in his past five starts to improve to 18-9-1-1 on the season. Tetachuk, who is eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft, was the WHL’s Rookie of the Month for February after wrapping the month with a 7-3-1-1 showing alongside a 2.83 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
As for Regina, the rebuilding squad enters Friday looking to snap a two-game losing skid. The Pats are coming off a 5-2 defeat to Red Deer in which former Rebels right-wing Austin Pratt picked up one assist to push his team lead to 48 points, including 23 goals and 25 assists. The Pats will look to return to the win column Saturday, as they did in their most recent matchup with the Hurricanes. The early February contest saw the Pats come away with a 2-1 shootout victory as centre Blake Allan, who was acquired from the Kootenay ICE in January, notched his lone goal of the season. Forwards Ty Kolle, traded from Lethbridge to Regina earlier this season, and Sergei Alkhimov, selected 47th in the 2018 CHL Import Draft, provided the two shootout goals to push the Pats to victory.
Saturday marks the fourth and final meetup between the two squads in 2018-19, with Lethbridge looking to build on its 2-0-0-1 season-series record. Catch all the action Saturday on Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, and Sportsnet Pacific when the puck drops at 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT.