PREVIEW – Warriors and Pats collide in NYE clash
LAST GAME… Brandon scored three goals in the third period last Saturday and went on to beat the Warriors 5-2 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. Connor Schmidt and Pavel McKenzie had one goal each, Rilen Kovacevic, Aiden Ziprick, and Casey Brown had one assist each, and Brady Smith made 28 saves. Moose Jaw was 1-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Degagne called up… 16-year-old defenceman William Degagne has been called up by the Warriors. In 22 games this season with the Saskatoon Blazers (SMAAAHLU18), he is second in team scoring with nine goals and 28 points. Degagne was drafted by the Warriors in the second round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
Career year for Kov… 20-year-old Rilen Kovacevic is saving his best for last. In his final year in the WHL, he has 20 goals, 16 assists, and 36 points in 29 games. He has already posted career highs in goals and points and is one assist shy of tying his career-high set last year (17). Since November 2, Kovacevic has 18 goals and 25 points in 17 games.
Close Encounters… In 33 games this season, the Warriors have gone into the third period tied 11 times, the second most in the WHL. In these games, Moose Jaw has posted a record of 2-7-1-1.
Shots… In 33 games this season, the Warriors have been outshot by the opponent 24 times, the most in the WHL. In those games, they have a record of 3-19-1-1. Moose Jaw has outshot its opponents in seven games; in those games, they have a record of 3-2-2.
Opposition Preview… The Regina Pats enter today with a record of 9-18-4-2. They are 3-5-2 in their last ten games and coming off a 5-2 loss to Saskatoon last Saturday. Julien Maze leads the Pats with 20 assists and 27 points, Zackary Shantz has nine goals and 22 points, and Tye Spencer has nine goals and 21 points.
2024 – 2025 vs. Regina… This is the fourth of eight meetings this season between the Warriors and Pats and their second game in the Friendly City. Moose Jaw is 2-0-1 against Regina, they are 1-0 at home and 1-0-1 on the road. The Warriors are 2-for-14 on the power play (14.3%) and have allowed two goals on seven penalty kills (71.4%).
Lynden Lakovic leads the Warriors with two goals and five points against the Pats, Rilen Kovacevic has three and four goals, and Brayden Schuurman and Aiden Ziprick have one goal and three points each. Josh Banini is 1-0 with a 2.93gaa and a .900sv%,
Zackary Shantz leads the Pats with two goals and four points against the Warriors. John Babcock has three assists, and Tye Spencer and Anthony Wilson each have one goal and two points. Ewan Huet is 1-0 with a 2.80gaa and a .909sv%, and Kelton Pyne is 0-1-1 with a 4.08gaa and a .877sv%.
O’Leary moving up… Mark O’Leary is entering his fourth full season as the Warriors’ Head Coach. He took over the reins in January 2020. In 312 games on the bench, he has a record of 159-127-15-11. He is third in games coached in franchise history; Tim Hunter is second with 356. His 157 wins rank second on the team’s all-time list.
NHL Players to Watch… Warriors Connor Schmidt and Lynden Lakovic were two of the 55 WHL players named to the NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch list for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Lakovic received an “A” rating while Schmidt received a “W” rating.
Streaking
- Ethan Semeniuk has 1-1-2pts in the last three games
- Lynden Lakovic has 10-9-19pts in the last 14 games
- Pavel McKenzie has 5-4-9pts in the last 11 games
- Aiden Ziprick is on a 6-game point streak (2-6-8pts)
- Rilen Kovacevic is on an 8-game point streak (7-7-14pts)
Milestone Watch
- Brady Ness is six games away from 100 for his career
- Pavel McKenzie is four games away from 100 for his career
- Landen Ward is seven games away from 100 for his career
- Owen Berge is six games away from 100 for his career
- Rilen Kovacevic is six games away from 200 for his career
