PREVIEW: Pats begin six game U.S. road trip in Spokane

PREVIEW: Pats begin six game U.S. road trip in Spokane

Regina, Sask. – The Regina Pats begin their lengthy U.S. road trip tonight against the Spokane Cheifs.

WHL REGULAR SEASON GAME #22 | Regina Pats (9-9-2-1) at Spokane Chiefs (10-10-0-0)

PREVIEW

The Regina Pats begin a challenging six-game, 11-day U.S. Division road trip tonight as they visit the Spokane Chiefs for the first time this season. Regina enters the matchup on a four-game point streak (3-0-1-0) and has been one of the Eastern Conference’s hottest teams over the last month, winning eight of their last 13 contests to climb into seventh place with 21 points.

The Pats are coming off a dramatic 2–1 comeback victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. Trailing 1–0 entering the third period, Cohen Klassen drew Regina even at 6:38 before Keets Fawcett buried the game-winner on the power play with just 35 seconds left—securing the club’s fifth comeback win of the season. Goaltender Matthew Hutchison played a pivotal role against his former team, stopping 31 shots as Regina outshot Moose Jaw 37–32. The Pats finished the night 1-for-4 on the power play and a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs look to bounce back after a tough 7–1 loss to the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday, which halted their two-game winning streak. Spokane is coming off a strong 2024-25 campaign in which they finished third in the Western Conference with 93 points—their first 90-point season since 2012–13—and advanced to the WHL Championship for the first time since 2008.

Tonight marks the first and only meeting of the season between the Pats and Chiefs. Spokane edged Regina 4–3 at the Brandt Centre on October 13, 2024. The Pats’ last win over the Chiefs came on December 14, 2022 (4-3 SO), while their last victory in Spokane dates back to January 9, 2016.

Regina’s recent surge has been fueled by balanced scoring and improved special teams. The Pats have outscored opponents 56–46 over their last 13 games and feature four players already in double digits in goals—Caden Brown (15), Keets Fawcett (14), Julien Maze (10) and Zach Lansard (10). Last season, Regina had only five players reach the 10+ goal mark total.

The Pats’ special teams have been equally impactful. The penalty kill has been perfect over the last three games (9-for-9), while the power play has struck at a scorching 45% clip over the last five contests (9-for-20).

WHO TO WATCH

With 10 goals through 21 games, Zach Lansard has already set a new career high, surpassing last season’s total before the midway point of the schedule. The St. Anne, Man. product recently saw his seven-game point streak come to an end on November 15, but his offensive consistency remains one of Regina’s biggest storylines. Lansard has produced 14 points over his last eight games (5G–9A) and continues to be a key driver of secondary scoring during the Pats’ recent surge.

One of the WHL’s breakout performers this season, Keets Fawcett has erupted for 14 goals and 23 points in just 19 games—already eclipsing the 10 goals he scored across 63 games last year. The Grimshaw, Alta. native has been red-hot over the past month, recording 11 goals and seven assists in his last 13 contests. He also carries 13 points over his last seven outings (7G–6A) and scored Saturday’s dramatic game-winner against Moose Jaw.

COMING UP

The Regina Pats continue their U.S. road trip on Friday, November 21 against the Tri-City Americans…the Pats will then head to Kent, WA and take on the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday, November 22nd.