McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective: Regina Pats
A small contingent of Regina Pats players prepared for their challenge just like any night.
The protective gear was on, a game plan visualized, and the competitive juices were flowing.
But as Ephram McNutt, Reese Hamilton, Ellis Miyette and Keets Fawcett stepped into the Western Pizza kitchen, they found themselves slinging a different kind of sauce.
The teammates found themselves at odds as they each created a unique ‘Pizza for Purpose’.
Hamilton’s ‘Reese’s Pieces’ concoction, a pie topped with alfredo sauce, spinach, chicken, bacon, mozzarella and BBQ sauce, was voted the fan favourite and made Western Pizza’s menu for the month of February, with all proceeds supporting the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
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Pats defenceman Reese Hamilton steps into the kitchen to create “Reese’s Pieces Pizza” @wpizz.
This five-minute video takes you start to finish as Hamilton creates his custom pizza as part of Pizza for Purpose, a charity pizza-making contest.
Vote for your… pic.twitter.com/tM5SmJHJmC
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) January 26, 2026
It’s a new twist on the team’s annual ‘Have a Heart Night’.
The 28th edition of the campaign saw all Pats players head out to Western Pizza locations across the Queen City to help out with everything from taking orders to delivering pizza to fans’ doors.
“The excitement on customers’ faces when they meet their favourite players never gets old,” Western Pizza owner Spiro Bonis said. “Bringing people together over great pizza while supporting a meaningful cause truly is a winning combination.”
Every delivery fee and tip collected during the event goes directly to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada to support critical research and life-saving programs.
The team proudly presented a $4,500 cheque for the 2025-26 edition of the event, bringing the year-over-year fundraising total to a staggering $81,000.
“Have A Heart Night has become a true tradition for our organization and our community,” Pats CEO Gordon Pritchard added. “For 28 years, our players, partners at Western Pizza, and our fans have come together to support an incredibly important cause.”
Outside of fundraising efforts, the Pats have also teamed up with the Heart and Stroke Foundation to gain real-life skills.
Regina is the first major junior team in Canada to complete the Foundation’s CardiacCrash course, which teaches participants to recognize the signs of cardiac arrest, perform CPR and properly use an AED.
After all, the only heart-stopping action they like to see is the metaphorical kind that’s delivered by highlight-reel goals and saves at the Brandt Centre.
The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming environment in communities close to our 23 teams in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Each club has the creative freedom to allow its players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate about. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.
Through McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective, we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club throughout the season.
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