Blades to face Pats in First Round of 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien

The 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien will provide another showcase opportunity for Connor Bedard ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft, as he prepares to lead his Regina Pats against the Saskatoon Blades beginning Friday, March 31.

The first-round series was confirmed Friday after the Blades defeated the Pats 3-2. Saskatoon sits as the third seed for the First Round of the 2023 WHL Playoffs, while Regina enters the post-season as the sixth seed.

The series will mark the first WHL Playoffs meeting between Saskatoon and Regina since 2006, a First Round affair captured in six games by the Blades. Despite their geographic proximity, the two sides have met only three times in the WHL Playoffs over the past 30 years, with Saskatoon winning two of the best-of-seven affairs.

The Blades are enjoying one of the best regular seasons in Club history, entering the final weekend of the regular campaign with a 46-15-4-1 record and 97 points. Saskatoon has a shot at its first 100-point season since the 2010-11 campaign.

Regina is into the playoffs for the first time since hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup, and have done so thanks in large part to Bedard, who holds a near 40-point lead in the WHL scoring race with 70 goals and 72 assists.

The Blades won four of the six meetings to this point in the season including Friday’s triumph, though the two sides have split the four meetings to have taken place since the conclusion of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in January.

Saskatoon’s scoring leader is veteran forward Trevor Wong, and he leads all skaters in scoring during the season series too with 15 points (7G-8A) including a hat-trick in Regina March 5. Toronto Maple Leafs draftee Brandon Lisowsky has also scored six goals for the Blades in his six games against the Pats.

Bedard, meanwhile, leads Regina with five goals and nine points versus Saskatoon, while Washington Capitals prospect Alexander Suzdalev, the WHL rookie scoring leader, has seven points in the season series as does Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Stanislav Svozil.

Rookie netminder Austin Elliott has three of the four wins in goal for the Blades, with running mate Ethan Chadwick earning the other Saskatoon win..

Pats netminders Drew Sim and Kelton Pyne each have a win to their name in the season series, though it’s been Sim in goal for much of the head-to-head matchup; the Tees, Alta. product has appeared in five of the six games.

The Blades will close out their regular season schedule Saturday, March 25 with a road contest versus the Moose Jaw Warriors (7:00 p.m. MT, Moose Jaw Events Centre).

The Pats, meanwhile, will return home for their regular season finale Saturday, March 25 against the Prince Albert Raiders (7:00 p.m. MT, Brandt Centre).

Game 1 of the first-round series between the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats is scheduled for Friday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m. MT in Saskatoon (SaskTel Centre). The series will shift to Regina for Game 3 on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. MT (Brandt Centre).

2023 WHL PLAYOFFS PRESENTED BY NUTRIEN – SERIES C SCHEDULE

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