Whitehead joins history books, playing in 250th WHL game
Regina, Sask. – Regina Pats 20-year-old forward Braxton Whitehead became the 25th player in franchise history to play 250 WHL games with the Pats on Saturday, March 1.
The Palmer, Alaska product became the first player since Sam Steel reached the milestone during the 2017-18 season. Whitehead is just the 12th player since the year 2000 to do so, joining Adam Brooks (317), Brett Leffler (309), Jordan Weal (283), Logan Pyatt (273), Kyle Deck (266), Garrett Mitchell (264), Colten Teubert (263), Sam Steel (258), Jordan Eberle and Dyson Stevensen (252).
With eight games left in the 2024-25 regular season, the 5-foot-10, 163 lb. right-shot forward will finish with 259 games, which would place him 19th in team history.
“Playing for the Pats for the last five years has been amazing,” said Whitehead. “I honestly didn’t know it was my 250th WHL game until earlier that day. It was super special. Sam Steel was the last one to do it, and he had a fantastic career in the WHL, and I’m sure he will have a great career in the NHL. It was a big honour.”
Only four players have played 300 games with the Pats. Frank Kovacs owns the franchise record for games played, dressing in 352 contests with the Pats from 1987-1992. Kovacs’ record is impossible to beat with the WHL’s regular season schedule at 68 games. Even if a player joined the Pats at 16-years-old, and played in all 68 games until the end of his 20 year-old season, he would finish with 340 games.
Over 30 players across the WHL have played over 250 games this season, but it doesn’t look like any of those players will reach the 300 game mark.
Whitehead began his career during the 2020-21 COVID-19 shortened season, playing in 18 games. He followed with 58 games in 2021-22, 67 in 2022-23 and 52 in 2023-24. Whitehead missed 16 games last season with a upper-body injury suffered during a game in October. He missed six weeks before returning to the lineup in December and finishing with 52 points (17G-35A) in 52 games.
“It’s funny because me and Babs [John Babcock] calculated it the other day, and I think I could only get to 296 WHL games,” said Whitehead. “If there wasn’t the COVID-19 shortened season [in 2020-21], and I would have played a full season, then I would have been able to hit 300.”
Despite two setbacks in his career, Whitehead has been able to stay healthy throughout his WHL career. After the 2021-22 season, the then 17-year-old had an appendectomy, which is a surgical procedure to remove the appendix, which is located in the lower right abdomen.
“Having my appendix removed was one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to go through, I lost a lot of weight,” Whitehead explained. “In the offseason, I really tried to do a lot of body maintenance workouts. During the season I’ve just tried to just hit the cooldowns after games and practices, and doing a lot of stretching to keep me in shape.”
That has allowed Whitehead to stay on the ice, as he is on pace to finish the season with 64 games played.
“It’s much more fun to play when you’re healthy and not have to worry about reinjuring yourself,” said Whitehead. “I’ve been very fortunate to not go through any injuries this season. Last year was really tough, so I’m glad I’ve stayed healthy.”
Whitehead has called Regina home for each of the last five seasons, and has served as a leader inside the dressing room for each of the teams last three seasons, wearing a letter as an alternate captain.
“It’s really weird,” said Whitehead as his WHL career closes on March 22 versus Brandon. “On Tuesday, we went to Prince Albert for the last time and I’ve probably played there 15 times in my career. Every single time you walk out on to those rinks for the last time, you go wow. It is sad walking out of those places for the last time. I’m going to try to take it all in and who knows, maybe one day I’ll be back in a coaching role, but that’s too early to say.”
The final stretch for any 20-year-old in junior hockey is always an emotional one. For Whitehead, he says he will try to soak it all in before he steps off the ice at the Brandt Centre for the final time, looking back at all his favourite memories.
“During my 18-year-old season, we had a pretty awesome playoff run even though it only lasted one round,” Whitehead recalled. “Playing in game seven against Saskatoon in that atmosphere was something else, and something I’ll never forget. Scoring my first goal in Regina during the bubble was pretty memorable. And a lot of the friends I’ve made along the way are really going to float into my heard. Those are relationships I’ll have forever. I’ll miss those for sure.”
