2021-22 Pats Opening Day Roster
Regina, Sask. — The 2021-22 Western Hockey League season gets underway for the Regina Pats tonight in Prince Albert, as the Regiment kick off the new season with a home-and-home.
The Pats roster this season has 20 returning players from the ‘Hub’ season and 13 players who were selected by the Pats in the WHL Prospects Draft.
The breakdown by age is: four 2001-born players, seven 02’s, seven 03’s, six 04’s and three 05’s.
See below for an individual look at each player.
Forwards
#13 – Zack Stringer
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2003 | 5-9-14 in 23 GP | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) | Trade from LETH | Lethbridge, AB |
A former first-round Bantam Draft selection by the Hurricanes, Stringer has accumulated 52 points (17G, 35A) in 79 career games to date and was a big-time off-season acquisition by the Pats. He just spent time at Minnesota Wild rookie camp, where he was a free agent invite. Stringer put up seven points in just four pre-season games, immediately getting an opportunity to play with Connor Bedard. In the 2017-18 Telus Cup, Stringer was named the top forward.
#18 – Cole Dubinsky
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2002 | 5-9-14 in 21 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2017 Draft (Rd 4, 79) | Ardrossan, AB |
Dubinsky had himself a pre-season, leading the WHL in points with 10, alongside Connor Bedard. His points-per-game have improved every season, jumping to 0.67 last season with 14 points in 21 games. Dubinsky is a veteran of 131 career WHL games to date, after making his debut as a 16-year-old in December of 2017. Dubinsky played midget with Delta Hockey Academy.
#19 – Zack Smith
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2001 | 7-8-15 in 20 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | Signed | Saskatoon, SK |
Smith was undrafted and listed by the Pats in 2019. Last season, he contributed strongly with 15 points in 20 games and was the Pats Most Sportsmanlike Player. He is the younger brother of former Spokane Chief & current New Jersey Devil Ty Smith. Before suiting up for the Pats, Smith 77 games for the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs.
#21 – Cole Carrier
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2002 | 1-1-2 in 18 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | Trade from KEL | Strathcona, AB |
Carrier was acquired from the Kelowna Rockets in 2020 and put up six points in 18 games immediately following the trade. After a tough bubble season, Carrier is looking to build off an impressive pre-season that saw him score five goals in six games, four of which came short-handed.
#22 – Carter Chorney
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2001 | 4-8-12 in 24 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | Trade from SC | Sherwood Park, AB |
Chorney played for the Spokane Chiefs and Swift Current Broncos before joining the Pats in 2019 following a trade. He has racked up over 180 games at the WHL level, recording 57 points in those games.
#23 – Sloan Stanick
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2003 | 1-5-6 in 24 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | Trade from EVT | Rapid City, MB |
Stanick was acquired from the Everett Silvertips when he was a prospect, along with two picks in 2019. He is a product of the Yellowhead Chiefs program, where he put up 10 goals and 14 points in just 10 games last season, before joining the Pats for all 24 games in the hub (six points).
#25 – Zane Rowan
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2004 | 1-5-6- in 8 GP | Sioux Falls Power (U-16) | 2019 Draft (Rd 3, 61) | Torrence, CA |
Rowan recorded 25 goals and 41 points in 58 games for the Sioux Falls Power last season while serving as team captain. The year prior he had 36 points in 53 games for the U-14 L.A. Jr. Kings in 2018-19 and was then selected by the Pats in the third round of the bantam draft.
#26 – Jakob Brook
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2002 | 0-0-0 in 1 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | Trade from PA | Roblin, MB |
Brook has had an unfortunate string of injuries that have limited him to just nine games since being acquired at the 2020 WHL trade deadline from Prince Albert. While a rookie with the Raiders, he won the WHL championship in 2018-19, and before that a WHL Bronze Medal. Brook’s older brother Josh played over 200 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors and is now with the Laval Rocket, while his younger brother Aidan plays for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
#27 – Borya Valis
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2004 | 51-37-88 in 60 GP | Colorad Thunderbirds (U-16) | Signed | Denver, CO |
The 6-foot-1, 180 lb. forward had a monster season with the Colorado Thunderbirds U-16 AAA team last year, potting 51 goals and 88 points in 60 games. Valis played on the top line with Connor Bedard at times in the pre-season, scoring two goals.
#29 – Logan Nijhoff
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2001 | 10-7-17 in 24 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2016 Draft (Rd 8, 165) | Comox Valley, BC |
Nijhoff returns to the Pats after spending time with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent camp invite. Last season he was named the 80th captain in Pats history and won the Mike Kartusch Community Service Award & Rick Rypien Memorial Award (unsung hero). In 174 career games, Nijhoff has registered 74 points.
#37 – Easton Armstrong
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2003 | 1-1-2 in 23 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2018 Draft (Rd 10, 214) | Los Angeles, CA |
Armstrong, the son of former NHLer Derek Armstrong, came up through the Los Angeles Jr. Kings program, and was drafted by Regina in the 10th round of the bantam draft in 2018. The aggressive forward provides lots of energy and sandpaper.
#42 – Drew Englot
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2002 | 2-4-6 in 24 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | Trade from LETH | Candiac, SK |
Englot rejoins the Pats after spending time at his first NHL camp, following a free agent invite from the Edmonton Oilers. Acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2019, Englot recorded 12 goals for the Pats in his first WHL season in 2019-20. Prior to that, he was a two-time SMAAAHL champion with Notre Dame Hounds (2017-18 & 2018-19) and won a Telus Cup Gold Medal in 2017-18. Englot will serve as an assistant captain again this season.
#43 – Tanner Howe
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2005 | 1-1-2 in 8 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2020 Draft (Rd 4, 73) | Prince Albert, SK |
Howe played in the hub as a 15-year-old, scoring his first WHL goal against Brandon on April 25. A fourth round pick by the Regina Pats in the Bantam Draft, Howe suited up for his hometown Prince Albert as well last season before joining the Pats, but only got to play five games due to COVID. The year prior, he led the Pirates bantam AA team in scoring with 75 points, which ranked just outside the top-10 in the league.
#52 – Braxton Whitehead
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2004 | 1-1-2 in 18 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2019 Draft (Rd 3, 66) | Palmer, AK |
Whitehead began the 2020-21 season playing for the Notre Dame Hounds midget AAA team, where he put up seven points in six games, before joining the Pats in the hub in the spring. He was drafted by the Pats in 2019 and then signed a year later after a playing for the Pittsburgh Elite U-15 team.
#57 – Matteo Michels
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2005 | 22-33-55 in 58 | Bishop Kearney Selects | 2020 U.S. Draft (Rd 1, 18) | Colleyville, TX |
Michels signed with the Pats on Sept. 14 following a strong showing in camp. The speedy youngster is a dual citizen who came up through the Dallas Stars elite program.
#98 – Connor Bedard
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2005 | 12-16-28 in 15 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2020 Draft (Rd 1, 1) | North Vancouver, BC |
As the first WHL player to be granted exceptional status, Bedard did not disappoint in the Hub season, leading all WHL rookies in points (28), goals (12) and assists (16), despite playing in just 15 games. He then went on to star for Canada at the IIHF U-18 World Championships in Texas, where he registered seven goals and seven assists to help his country win gold. Bedard, at 15, was the youngest gold medallist in U-18 history. In the pre-season, Bedard picked up right where he left off, leading the WHL in points with 10 and in goals with six.
Defenceman
#3 – Luke Bateman
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2002 | 1-5-6 in 22 GP | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) | Trade with SEA | Kamloops, BC |
The towering 6-foot-5 defence man was acquired from the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2021 WHL draft this summer. Originally drafted in the 4th round of the WHL Bantam Draft by the Thunderbirds, Bateman will provide stability to the backend with the ability to kill penalties and shut down opposing players with his strength.
#4 – Tom Cadieux
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2002 | 1-2-3 in 17 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | Trade from TC | Saskatoon, SK |
Cadieux was acquired from the Tri-City Americans in October of 2020, after being a second round selection by them in the 2017 bantam draft. He has played in 113 career WHL games to date and is the only right-shot defenceman on the Pats.
#5 – Jacob Dewitt
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2004 | 0-2-2 in 6 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2019 Draft (9, 186) | Sicamous, BC |
Dewitt dressed in seven games with the Pats in the hub, and was a ninth-round selection by the Pats in 2019. 2019. Dewitt is a graduate of the Pursuit of Excellence prep program in Kelowna.
#11 – Stanislav Svozil
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2003 | 1-2-3 in 30 GP | HC Kometa Brno (CZE) | 2020 CHL Import (15th) | Prerov, CZE |
Svozil, 18, was recently selected in the third round (#69 overall) by the Blue Jackets in the 2021 NHL Draft. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Columbus on August 20. Originally drafted by the Pats in the 1st round (15th overall) of the 2020 CHL Import Draft, Svozil heads to Regina with 71 career games of pro experience in his home country, after playing two seasons with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga. The 6-foot-1, 182 lb. defenceman represented the Czech Republic at several international tournaments, most recently at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championships and 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships.
#28 – Jake Johnson
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2003 | 0-1-1 in 9 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2018 Draft (Rd 10, 201) | Scottsdale, AZ |
Played 14 games for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL last season before joining the Pats in the hub. Johnson is a shot-blocking machine and will be counted upon to kill penalties, along with Bateman.
#40 – Parker Berge
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2003 | 1-3-4 in 23 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2018 Draft (Rd 8, 157) | Edmonton, AB |
Berge played his first full season with the Pats in the hub season, after playing for the Northern Alberta X-Treme Prep program the year prior, where he tallied 28 points in 36 games.
#41 – Ryker Evans
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2001 | 3-25-28 in 24 GP | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2016 Draft (Rd 10, 209) | Calgary, AB |
Evans, 19, was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the second round (#35 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft and recently attended their main camp, where he impressed management. Originally drafted by the Pats in the 10th round of the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, Evans suited up in one pre-season game for the Kraken, playing this past Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers, where he skated 20:39 and registered two hits and two blocks. With the Pats, Evans has compiled 70 points in 131 games over two and a half seasons (11G-59A) and will look to finish out his WHL career with a bang in his final season.
#44 – Layton Feist
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2004 | 5-4-9 in 21 GP | Regina Pats(WHL) | 2019 Draft (Rd 1, 17) | Dawson Creek, BC |
Feist made his debut at 15 years old in January of 2020 after being a first round selection by the Pats in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft. He led all rookie Pats defencemen in points (9), goals (5) and assists (4) last season in the hub and was invited to Canada’s National Men’s U-18 summer development camp with Connor Bedard and Matthew Kieper.
Goaltenders
#30 – Matthew Kieper
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2004 | 3-2-1 / 3.59 G.A.A / .893 SV% | Regina Pats (WHL) | 2019 Draft (Rd 3, 63) | Winnipeg, MB |
A third round WHL Bantam Draft pick by the Pats in 2019, Kieper got to play in seven games as a 16-year-old last season in the hub. He was subsequently added to Canada’s National Men’s U-18 summer development camp with Connor Bedard and Layton Feist. In the 2018-19 season, he was the U-15 MVP & Goalie of the Year for the Winnipeg Sharks, while posting a 2.06 GAA and .931 SV%.
#33 – Spencer Welke
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2002 | 0-2-0 / 5.03 G.A.A / .859 SV% | Regina Pats (WHL) | Signed | Yorkton, SK |
Welke is a graduate of the Prince Albert Mintos program and has played two games for the Pats in each of the last two seasons. He played his bantam hockey with the Yorkton Terriers, winning a SBAAHL title in 2016.
#35 – Keegan Maddocks
| Year | 2020-21 Stats | 2020-21 Team | Acquired | Hometown |
| 2003 | 0-1-0 / 3.31 G.A.A. / .900 SV% | Victoria Royals (WHL) | 2018 Draft (Rd 8, 165) | Langley, BC |
Maddocks was acquired by the Pats from the Victoria Royals this past summer, but hasn’t gotten into any game action yet due to an injury. He was the top U-16 goaltender at Delta Hockey Academy 2018-19 after posting a 2.02 G.A.A. Last season he played in just two games for the Royals.
