Pats revamp with four trades ahead of New Year’s Eve
By The Western Hockey League | Cami Kepke
Regina, Sask. – New year, new look for the Regina Pats.
The Queen City squad has made four trades in 24 hours, highlighted by a swap with the rival Saskatoon Blades.
The Pats have traded the rights to Washington Capitals prospect Alex Suzdalev and a 2025 WHL Prospects Draft sixth-round pick for rookie centre Zach Moore, Slovakian defenceman Sam Barcik, the rights to 16-year-old defender Dayton Deschamps, 2025 fourth-round pick and a first and third-round pick in the 2026 draft.
Suzdalev, a Swedish/Russian dual citizen, has two goals and an assist in 13 appearances for Mora IK in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest league in Sweden, but is expected to return to the WHL in the new year.
The 19-year-old was selected by the Capitals in the third round, 70th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and signed his Entry-Level Contract one month later.
The Pats followed the move by sending blueliner Parker Berge south of the border to Everett in exchange for veteran Silvertips defender Ty Gibson and a 2025 second-round pick.
Berge is tied for third in goals among WHL defencemen with 10 and sits fourth in points (37).
The Edmonton, Alta. product suited up for 183 games for the Pats over parts of four seasons, tallying 15 goals and 59 assists.
Gibson is on pace for a career-best season with two goals, 14 assists and a plus-3 rating in 37 games with the Silvertips the season.
The Victoria, B.C. native racked up 10 goals and 46 assists in 187 games over four seasons with Everett. Gibson was originally selected by the Silvertips in the third round, 64th overall in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft.
The shuffle continued as Regina also acquired 5-foot-11 defenceman Tyson Buczkowski, a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2026 conditional third-round pick from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for forward Borya Valis.
Valis ranks second in goals on Regina with 13 lamp-lighters and third in points with 33.
Buczkowski has two goals, seven assists and a plus-22 rating in 36 contests with the B.C. Division-leading Cougars this season.
The Saskatoon, Sask. product has previously represented Canada Black at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and was a first-round draft pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
Finally, obtained Haper Lolacher from the Moose Jaw Warriors in return for a 2025 conditional seventh-round pick.
Regina (13-18-3-2) hosts Moose Jaw (20-14-0-2) in New Year’s Day action at 4:00 p.m. CST at the Brandt Centre.
