Bedard era almost certainly ends for Pats, WHL

It seems certain Connor Bedard will be in the NHL next season.

For Connor Bedard, part of his heart will always be in Regina.

On Wednesday, the Regina Pats 17-year-old phenom centre met the media for a season ending availability as the players cleared out of the locker room. The atmosphere for the scrum for Bedard had the vibe of a farewell.

In his three seasons with the Pats, the North Vancouver, B.C., product appeared in 134 career regular season games posting 134 goals and 137 assists for 271 points to go with a plus-48 rating in the plus-minus department. That included recording 71 goals and 72 assists for 143 points to go with a plus-39 rating for this past regular season. His goal and point totals were tops in the WHL and his assist total equaled Prince George Cougars star centre and Saskatoon area product Riley Heidt for the league lead.

Bedard proceeded to have a monster post-season series posting 10 goals, 10 assists and a plus-eight rating in the WHL Playoffs as the Pats fell in seven games in a best-of-seven first round series to the Saskatoon Blades. The Blades claimed a 4-1 victory in a series deciding Game 7 on Monday at the SaskTel Centre before a sellout crowd of 14,768 spectators.

Connor Bedard topped the WHL with 143 points this season.

Bedard, who was skating through his only appearance in the WHL Playoffs, picked up an assists on the Pats lone goal in Game 7 and was in on 20 of the 26 goals the Pats scored in the series. Barring something unforeseen, Bedard will be the first overall selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft set for June 28 to 29 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, and he will be skating in the NHL next season as an 18-year-old.

“I’ve had so much fun these last three years here whether there’s more or not,” said Bedard. “The people are so nice and for me, I love it here.

“I’m super grateful that I got to play here.”

With Bedard in their lineup, the Pats finished sixth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and 11^th overall in the league with a 34-30-3-1 record. He was asked if he had second thoughts about not asking for a trade to one of the league’s top five teams, and Bedard said he had always intended to stay in Regina.

Connor Bedard led the WHL with 71 goals this season.

“I don’t have any regrets staying here,” said Bedard, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds. “I just love being here and love playing here and I never want to leave.

“I just got so much support from the whole city and everything. To see kids are looking up to me and everything, that is pretty special.”

When it came to dealing with the fact the 2022-23 campaign was over, Bedard said it was still tough to take.

“It is sad no matter what,” said Bedard, who was the first player to be granted exceptional player status to play full time in the WHL at age 15. “Obviously, I’m not sure of the future or anything.

“I’m just kind of saying my thank yous to everyone whether I will be back next year or not. It is always tough to leave a group of guys you were with all year.”

Connor Bedard had 20 points in the Pats seven post-season games.

Due to Bedard’s outstanding season, it came as no surprise on Wednesday when he was named the player of the year for the East Division. He will find out on May 10 if he takes home the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the player of the year for the entire WHL.

At this past world juniors held in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B., Bedard set numerous Canadian team records helping Canada take the gold medal final 3-2 in overtime over Czechia this past January 5 in Halifax.

Bedard was named the most valuable player at world juniors along with picking up accolades being named the event’s best forward and a tournament all-star.

His tallies for assists (14) and points (23) were new Canadian records for a single world juniors along with setting a new record for points in a tournament by any player aged 18 or younger. In 16 career games played at world juniors, Bedard set new Canadian career records at the event for goals (16) and points (36).

Connor Bedard has 271 career regular season points in 134 games.

“What he has done all year is outrageous,” said Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock. “To have 19 points in six games in playoffs like who does that?

“In the last 10 days or so, I’ve had more people from the league just sort of side conversations they had never seen anything like it what he is able to do. I had an NHL scout say to me after the game on Saturday like he has so much determination to get it done. If you want to rate the determination on a scale of 10 like everything else, he is 11.

“It has been great to have a front row seat to see him for this season.”

Bedard has the respect of his foes from the WHL Playoffs in the Blades.

Connor Bedard enjoys playing in Regina.

“I’m such a massive fan of Connor Bedard,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne. “He is a winner. He is a worker.”

Sonne had a short friendly chat with Bedard in the handshake line following Game 7. The Blades bench boss told the ultra-talented centre he will be cheering for him.

“We’re both from the lower mainland in B.C.,” said Sonne, who is from Maple Ridge, B.C. “We’ve heard about him since he was 12 and 13.

“He’s done a lot of people proud in the province of British Columbia, and I’ll be continuing to cheer for him the rest of his career. Unless, we are playing against him, and then I will try and shut him down. Huge fan, incredible talent, he is the real deal.”

Blades star left-winger Jake Chiasson, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers, said Bedard deserves the praise that comes his way.

Connor Bedard (#98) celebrates one of his 10 post-season goals.

“I have a lot of respect for Connor (Bedard),” said Chiasson, who is from Abbotsford, B.C. “Being from the geographical area, you kind of tend to lean towards those guys a little more than other province guys just with similarities.

“What Connor (Bedard) did for this league is great. It made it exciting.”

Chiasson said a lot of people were looking forward to the series between the Blades and the Pats. The attendance figures backed that observation up as the Pats sold out each of their three home games with 6,499 spectators packing into the Brandt Centre for each of those contests. The Blades drew 47,729 spectators total for their four home dates of the set.

Chiasson said it was a good experience for his Blades to play Bedard and the Pats in the post-season.

“You’ve seen for a while he has been selling out buildings, and I can only imagine how much that does for the league,” said Chiasson. “I’m just really grateful to be able to play against him, to go head-to-head with him.

Connor Bedard is slated to go first in the NHL Entry Draft.

“I’m sure he is going to have a long good career coming up here. It was definitely a moment to look back on playing him in a series of a playoff round.”

Blades hard working right-winger Vaughn Watterodt said he marvels at what Bedard can do on the ice.

“He (Bedard) is amazing,” said Watterodt. “He is a special player.

“He is going to do special things. It was fun to play against him.”

Bedard’s humility once again showed through during his final presser when he was asked about the NHL Draft Lottery, which is set for May 8. That lottery will determine which NHL club will select first overall in the NHL Entry Draft.

“It is a long time until that,” said Bedard.  “For (NHL Draft) lottery day, I will watch it as a fan, and if I am fortunate enough to go one, that’s awesome, but there are so many great players in the draft.”

It was brought up that it seemed inevitable that Bedard will go first overall in the NHL Entry Draft. Bedard tried to play it off that wasn’t a for sure thing.

Connor Bedard skates off the ice after a Game 7 loss on Monday.

“If I get that honour, it would be unreal,” said Bedard. “I’d be super grateful to kind of the people that have helped me with that, but it is a long time away.

“For me, it is just kind of focusing on what I can do now to improve myself as a player and everything. That would be unbelievable, but we will see what happens obviously.”

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Blades persevere 4-1 past Bedard, Pats in Game 7

Saskatoon claims series deciding contest in front of sellout

The Blades celebrate a third period goal from Vaughn Watterodt (#18).

The Saskatoon Blades finally got past a formidable foe in Connor Bedard and his gritty Regina Pats.

On Monday playing before a sellout and SaskTel Centre CHL post-season record crowd of 14,768 spectators, the Blades gutted their way through 39 scoreless minutes before downing the visiting Pats 4-1 in a series deciding Game 7 in their WHL first round playoff series. The win allowed the Blades to take the best-of-seven set 4-3.

“It was amazing,” said Blades gritty veteran right-winger Vaughn Watterodt, who had a goal and was a plus-two in the plus-minus department for the Blades on Monday. “We have a real special group of guys.

Vaughn Watterodt had a goal for the Blades on Monday.

“I’m really proud of the boys. This is only one step. It was fun.

“It was a great series. It was a big learning lesson for us. I’m just really proud of the boys and how we persevered.”

The Blades entered the series as favourites having finished fourth overall in the WHL standings with a 48-15-4-1 record and were rated 10^th in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Pats finished sixth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 34-30-3-1 mark. Still, Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock said his squad believed they could take the series.

Drew Sim (#33) makes one of his 36 saves in goal for the Pats.

“We expected to win as anybody should and would,” said Paddock. “We came so close.

“I think it makes it harder right now, because you were right there.”

Saskatoon advances to face the Red Deer Rebels in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Rebels finished fifth overall in the WHL regular season standings and topped the Central Division with a 43-19-3-3 record. They eliminated the Calgary Hitmen in five games in a best-of-seven first round series.

Connor Bedard (#98) is pinned by Aidan De La Gorgendiere.

Following the first round of the playoffs, home ice advantage and seeding is determined just by standings points. As a result, the Blades, who were second in the East Division, will have home ice advantage against the Rebels. Game 1 of that series is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

Before focusing on Red Deer, Blades head coach Brennan Sonne marveled at all the twist and turns his squad experienced in the seven-game series victory over the Pats.

“It was a crazy series,” said Sonne. “That was the craziest series I had ever been a part of going down 2-0 at home, two overtime games after that, three total overtime games, right down to Game 7, one goal lead with two minutes left or whatever it was.

Part of the sellout crowd of 14,768 cheer on the Blades.

“That was as entertaining and as crazy as it gets.”

As for Monday’s Game 7 battle between the Blades and Pats, the two sides went through a feeling out process to start the contest as the shots on goal were tied 1-1 after the first 5:30 of the opening frame. After that point in time, the two clubs went back up and down the ice for the rest of the stanza.

The Pats best scoring chance came shortly after the midway point of the frame off a rush by Bedard, who is the Pats 17-year-old phenom centre. Bedard seemingly skated through three Blades players to get in alone on Saskatoon netminder Austin Elliott.

Egor Sidorov (#19) shields the puck in the offensive zone.

The Pats captain tried to shoot between the legs of Elliott, but Elliott stoned the North Vancouver, B.C., product to huge cheers from the SaskTel Centre faithful. Right after that chance, the Blades went back the other way, and Saskatoon star centre Trevor Wong was stoned in close by Pats netminder Drew Sim.

After the first period concluded, the game remained scoreless with the Blades holding a 15-9 edge in shots on goal thanks to the play of Elliott and Sim.

The Blades controlled play for most of the second. Early in the frame, Wong wired a shot on the Regina net but the puck hit the crossbar and post and stayed out.

Jake Chiasson scored the winning goal for the Blades.

The Pats proceeded to have a huge chance to go in front first. Bedard jetted down the right wing of the Saskatoon zone below the icing line. He centered a pass to linemate Tanner Howe, who was alone at the left side of the Blades goal.

Howe was stopped in close by Elliott, but a net scramble ensued. It seemed everyone on the ice converged on the crease and crashed into the Pats goal before the officials blew the play down. The officials went to a video review to confirm no goal was scored.

The Blades finally broke through on the scoreboard with 13.3 seconds left in the second on a goal from an unassuming source. Holding the puck by the right boards in the Regina zone, Blades star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky smartly drifted the puck towards the Pats net, and it was deflected home by Saskatoon utility player Spencer Shugrue to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

The Pats were unable to score on this mad scramble in the second.

“It was a very important goal,” said Sonne. “It was a very import time, especially based on that period.

“It was really important that we got something out of all that work. That is how we’re build. That is who we are.”

At the 7:56 mark of the third, the Blades extended their lead to 2-0, when star left-winger Jake Chiasson got in close to the left side of the Regina net and snapped home a shot for his second tally of the post-season.

The Pats didn’t go away. With 6:10 remaining in the third, Bedard fired a point shot at the Saskatoon net creating a scramble. Pats star import offensive-defenceman Stanislav Svozil was able to bat home the puck during the scramble to cut the Blades lead to 2-1.

Spencer Shugrue, left, celebrates scoring for the Blades.

Bedard picked up an assist on Svozil’s tally for his final point of the WHL post-season. In the seven game series, Bedard recorded 10 goals, 10 assists and a plus-eight rating in the plus-minus department. The North Vancouver, B.C., product was in on 20 of the Pats 26 goals in the series.

“He (Bedard)probably did more than I thought he would do,” said Paddock. “What he has done all year is outrageous.

“To have 19 points in six games in playoffs like who does that? In the last 10 days or so, I’ve had more people from the league just sort of side conversations they had never seen anything like it what he is able to do. I had an NHL scout say to me after the game on Saturday like he has so much determination to get it done.

Connor Bedard had an assist for the Pats.

“If you want to rate the determination on a scale of 10 like everything else, he is 11. It has been great to have a front row seat to see him for this season.”

With 2:10 remaining in the third, Watterodt rushed in to the left side of the Regina net and snapped home a key insurance goal to give the host side a 3-1. Wong added an empty-net goal just 21 seconds later to round out the 4-1 final.

During the final 30 seconds of the contest, Blades captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere held the puck behind his own net passing it back and forth a couple of times to Chiasson. The Pats didn’t rush the Blades players allowing the remaining time to expire.

Trevor Wong had a goal for the Blades on Monday.

As the final 30 seconds ticked away, the crowd at the SaskTel Centre rose to their feet to salute the Blades on the series win.

“It was unreal to just be able to celebrate with the boys and just listen to how loud the building was,” said Watterodt. “It was amazing.”

Elliott stopped 25 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Sim turned away 36-of-39 shots to take the setback in net for the Pats.

Looking back over the seven-game series with the Pats, Watterodt thinks his team’s overall depth allowed his squad to pull things out at the end and advance in the post-season.

The Blades celebrate their seven games series victory over the Pats.

“I think all our lines played great this series,” said Watterodt. “Everyone contributed.

“That just shows the type of team we are and how we need to play moving forward.”

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Game 7 showdown to close epic Bedard and Pats/Blades series

Connor Bedard has an incredible 19 points in six post-season games.

Connor Bedard is having the time of his life in his first and only run through the WHL Playoffs.

The Regina Pats 17-year-old phenom centre and captain has seemingly tasted the best of what WHL post-season hockey can bring in his team’s best-of-seven first round playoff series with the Saskatoon Blades. The series is tied 3-3 and will be decided in Game 7 on Monday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

With the host Prince George Cougars posting a 5-4 overtime victory over the Tri-City Americans in Game 6 on Sunday to take that series 4-2, the only first round series that still hasn’t been decided in the WHL Playoffs is the one between the Pats and Blades.

The Blades entered the series as favourites having finished fourth overall in the WHL standings with a 48-15-4-1 record and were rated 10^th in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Pats finished sixth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 34-30-3-1 mark.

Egor Sidorov has eight points in six post-season games.

The series has seen big swings including the Pats winning the first two contests and the Blades claiming three straight contests taking Games 3 to 5. The Pats posted a 5-3 victory in Game 6 before a sellout crowd of 6,499 spectators at the Brandt Centre to force a series deciding Game 7. At one point in the series, three straight games were decided in overtime.

“It has been some of the most fun hockey I’ve ever been a part of just the intensity,” said Bedard. “Every play, every little mistake matters so much.

“I think for me finally getting that experience obviously last year with disappointment of not making it and getting here now it has been a lot of fun.”

During the regular season, Bedard topped the WHL in goals (71) and points (143) to go with a plus-39 rating in the plus-minus department. His 72 assists equaled Prince George Cougars star centre and Saskatoon area product Riley Heidt, who turned 18-years-old in March, for the league lead.

So far in the post-season, Bedard has been magical. The North Vancouver, B.C., product has been in on 19 of the Pats 25 goals recording 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points to go with a plus-10 rating. His goal and point totals in the post-season lead the WHL.

Stanislav Svozil has 12 points in six playoff games.

Barring something unforeseen, Bedard will be the first overall selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft set for June 28 to 29 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Even with that in his future, Bedard is looking forward to Game 7 against the Blades like child getting a much wanted gift on Christmas Day.

“It is my first ever Game 7, but I think I’ve been in a lot of those types of situations with world juniors and that stuff,” said Bedard. “It is definitely different.

“We’ve played them six times in nine days. It was definitely different. For me obviously, my first time will be on Monday.”

Bedard added it only seems right that the series between his Pats and Blades goes to a Game 7.

Trevor Wong has eight points in six post-season games.

“It has been such a back and forth series,” said Bedard. “It really does deserve to go to a Game 7.

“They are a great team. I think for us to be playing the way we are with them I think it should end in a Game 7 with just how tight everything has been. We’ll watch video and what not and see where we can do better and see where we did well.”

The Pats enter Game 7 with star import defenceman Stanislav Svozil sitting second in WHL post-season scoring with 12 points coming off three goals and nine assists to go with a plus-nine rating. Pats star import right-winger Alexander Suzdalev is third in WHL post-season scoring with 11 points coming off three goals and eight assists to go with a plus-five rating.

Star import right winger Egor Sidorov and star centre Trevor Wong lead the Blades in post-season scoring with eight points each. Sidorov has his eight points coming off five goals and three assists to go with a plus-four rating, while Wong has his eight points coming off two goals and six assists to go with a plus-one rating.

Alexander Suzdalev has 11 points in six post-season contests.

Star offensive-defenceman and 21-year-old captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere tops the Blades in blue-line scoring with seven assists to go with a minus-three rating. The Blades have been trying to match up De La Gorgendiere against Bedard.

Drew Sim has gone the distance in goal for the Pats in the series posting a 3-3 record, a 3.37 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Ethan Chadwick has seen the bulk of work for the series in the Blades net posting a 3-2 record, a 3.23 goals against average and a .847 save percentage. Chadwick has remained between the pipes for the Blades since replacing Austin Elliott in the second period of Game 2.

Since March 5, the Pats and Blades have gone head-to-head nine times between the regular season and playoffs, and the Blades have won five of those encounters. Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said there will be no secrets in Game 7.

“Our focus is us,” said Sonne. “We’ve now played this team nine times in the last however many weeks.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere has seven assists in the playoffs.

“We know each other well. We know what they’re bringing. They know what we’re bringing.

“It is all about the war. For only half the game (in the Game 6 loss on Saturday), we brought that. That is our main focus.”

In the Blades 4-2 victory in Game 5 at the SaskTel Centre, they got out to a fast start jumping out to a 2-0 lead by the 5:26 mark of the first period recording the contest’s first six shots on goal. Saskatoon never trailed in that encounter.

Sonne wants his squad to repeat that effort but with being a touch better.

“I want 60 minutes of Blades hockey, and we’re good,” said Sonne. “If we do that, then we’re fine.

“We did a really good job in Game 5. It was about 90 to 95 per cent. We need 100, because our season is on the line and family is on the line and I sure hope we get it.”

Drew Sim has been the workhorse in goal for the Pats.

Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock said both clubs had played each other so well that the series deserved to go to a Game 7. After talking to some scouts, Paddock believes the Pats and Blades have delivered a treat of a series to the fans.

“From scouts’ scuttlebutt that have seen other games or who have seen all these games, I think it has been the best series that has gone on in the league,” said Paddock. “I think that in itself it signifies what is going on.”

The Pats last played in a Game 7 on April 2, 2018 when they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current in a first round series. The Broncos advanced on to win the WHL championship. Regina as the host squad played in the title game of the Memorial Cup tournament that year falling 3-0 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, who claimed the CHL title.

The Blades last played a Game 7 on April 1, 2009 when they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the SaskTel Centre in a first round series. The Hurricanes were then swept by the Calgary Hitmen 4-0 in Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Ethan Chadwick has been the Blades main goalie in the playoffs.

If the Pats win on Monday, they will advance to play the Winnipeg Ice in an Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

The Ice finished first overall in the regular season with a 57-10-1 record and were rated third in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.

If the Blades win on Monday, they will advance to play the Red Deer Rebels in an Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

The Rebels topped the Central Division and finished fifth overall in the WHL standings with a 43-19-3-3 record.

Bedard expects Game 7 between the Pats and Blades to be a classic, because the players on both sides have a huge desire to keep playing.

“Both teams want it really bad,” said Bedard. “Both teams are going to be out there giving it their all playing as hard as they can.

The Pats and Blades are set for one last showdown on Monday.

“I think both teams are going to be desperate and really wanting that win.”

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Bedard lifts Pats to Seventh Heaven with Game 6 win

Blades host series deciding Game 7 on Monday

Connor Bedard had a goal and three assists for the Pats on Saturday.

REGINA, Sask. - Connor Bedard is a miracle worker.

So far in a best-of-seven WHL first round playoff series, the Saskatoon Blades have to be wondering if the Regina Pats 17-year-old phenom centre is human. It might be accurate to say Bedard is not a god, but he appears to be somewhere in between.

On Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 6,499 spectators at the Brandt Centre with the host Pats facing elimination from the WHL Playoffs, Bedard set up the Pats first three goals and scored the winner in a 5-3 over the Blades in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series. With the win, they even the set 3-3 and force a series deciding Game 7.

Connor Bedard does a fly by after scoring for the Pats.

The Blades, who had won three straight before falling in Game 6, will host Game 7 on Monday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

During the six games so far in the series, Bedard has 10 goals, nine assists and a plus-10 rating in the plus-minus department. The North Vancouver, B.C., product has been in on 19 of the Pats 25 goals of the series.

“I think that might have been our best game of the series overall probably that and Game 1,” said Bedard referring to the Pats 6-1 victory to open the set on March 31. “It feels good to have that, but obviously, we know the job is not done here.

“We have to go in their barn Monday and get a win.”

The Brandt Centre faithful cheer a Pats goal.

The Blades entered the series as favourites having finished fourth overall in the WHL standings with a 48-15-4-1 record and were rated 10^th in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Pats finished sixth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 34-30-3-1 mark.

In Game 6 on Monday, the Pats took a 3-2 lead into the third period. Just 64 seconds into the third, the Blades evened the score at 3-3, when star centre Trevor Wong tipped home a point shot from 19-year-old veteran defenceman Charlie Wright. The tally was Wong’s second goal of the contest.

Connor Bedard has 19 points in six post-season games.

That set the stage for Bedard to have another heroic moment. Just 55 seconds after Wong tied the contest, Pats star import defenceman Stanislav Svozil hit Bedard with a stretch pass to spring him on a break into the Saskatoon zone.

Bedard snapped home a shot glove side in Blades netminder Ethan Chadwick to put the Pats up 4-3, and the Regina side never trailed in the contest again.

“I liked our game basically from start to finish,” said Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock. “That doesn’t mean it was easy or we were far superior, because it is two teams that are obviously going to Game 7.

“That says a lot about the series. I liked our game from the start.”

Zackary Shantz scored a goal that caused controversy.

While Bedard had another sensational game, the other biggest memory from Saturday’s contest came after the Pats scored a controversial insurance goal with 8:36 remaining in the third. Pats left-winger Riley Ginnell had the puck deep in the left side of the Saskatoon zone and passed the puck across the face of the net to linemate Zackary Shantz.

Ginnell’s pass deflected off Shantz’s skate into the Saskatoon net to put the hosts up 5-3. The officials went to a view reviewed and waved off the goal saying it was kicked in.

Following that ruling, the officials elected to look at the video again, and after the second review, the officials ruled that Shantz’s tally was indeed a good goal.

Jayden Wiens scored to give the Blades a 1-0 lead.

“The refs told me that they called back down because there was a new angle, and then they couldn’t determine from that angle whether it was a distinct kicking motion,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne. “That is what I was told.”

Access Communications was showing the game to their provincial network on television on their own channel. Michael Ball was doing the play-by-play work for the Access Communications broadcast, and he wrote on Twitter someone with the WHL asked to look at the replay angles that the broadcast crew had. According to Ball, after the officials saw the video Access Communications had the no goal ruling was reversed to a ruling of a goal.

Trevor Wong scored twice for the Blades on Saturday.

Sonne found it challenging to talk about the situation around Shantz’s goal.

“You’re asking me to comment about or have an opinion about things that absolutely really nothing to do with me aside from the fact that why did it even get into that situation to begin with,” said Sonne. “The rest of it that is for the league to decide whether that is the look they want or if that is the process they want to go through.

“It is up to management to have those discussions. Me, I’m in charge of why it even got there in the first place. I don’t really have a comment about it.

“I want to just focus on what I do.”

Alexander Suzdalev sets to snap home a goal for the Pats.

Paddock said he wasn’t sure what had happened during the reviews of Shantz’s goal.

“I’m just sort of guessing, but that speaks to not the inadequacy but of the video replay in this building or in the league,” said Paddock. “They are all supposed to be up to a standard.

“Obviously, something else happened. He (the referee) wasn’t going to listen to me. Something else happened, so somebody upstairs reviewed it whatever five or eight minutes again for the 14^th time, and they changed it.

“I don’t have an explanation. You would have to ask them, but no, that was strange.”

Pats mascot K9 works his way through the Brandt Centre faithful.

Ultimately, Shantz’s goal stood and the 5-3 score held up as the game’s final outcome.

The Blades actually opening the game’s scoring on a goal from hardworking centre Jayden Wiens at the 9:42 mark of the first. The Pats evened the score at 1-1 just over five minutes later when star import right-winger Alexander Suzdalev one-timed home a Bedard set up pass from a bad angle at the right side of the Saskatoon goal.

At the 5:04 mark of the second, the Pats jumped ahead 2-1, when Suzdalev received another pass from Bedard and snapped home a midrange shot for a power-play goal.

A couple of fans show signs supporting Connor Bedard.

Bedard proceeded to follow up with what might have been his best assist of the contest at the 12:45 mark of the second. Holding the puck along the left board deep in the Saskatoon zone, Bedard made a seeing-eye pass from that spot across the front of the Blades net to linemate Tanner Howe, who one-timed home a shot to increase the Pats advantage to 3-1.

“I can’t really put it into words anymore,” said Paddock about the magic that Bedard can make on the ice. “The assists were because he sees the ice so well.

“The play he made to Howie (Tanner Howe) for the goal there was no way to describe it. It was major league.”

Connor Bedard quarterbacks the Pats offence.

Bedard said his teammates did an outstanding job of burying goals on Saturday.

“When guys are open, I obviously try to find them,” said Bedard. “There were a lot of nice finishes from our guys tonight, so they make it easy when they can put the puck into the net like that.”

The Blades didn’t go away. With 2:26 remaining in the third, Wong wired home a setup pass from Blades star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky from a bad angle at the right side of the Regina net to cut the Pats lead to 3-2.

That set the dramatics in the third, where Wong tied the game only for Bedard and Shantz to score for the Pats to pull out victory.

Tanner Howe had a goal for the Pats on Saturday.

“I think today we were a lot more physical and played our style of game,” said Howe. “We didn’t let them get set up, and I thought that was huge.

“We played hard.”

Drew Sim stopped 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Pats. Ethan Chadwick turned away 15 shots to take the setback in net for the Blades.

Stozil finished the contest with three assists.

Sonne didn’t like the start his Blades had to Saturday’s game, and he is looking for his team to have a big response in Game 7 as they face elimination from the post-season for the first time.

“It (Saturday’s game) was not to our standard,” said Sonne. “I think the players agree on that.

The Pats celebrate their win on Saturday.

“Then about halfway through the second we started playing. You can’t play half a game. For us, that is our focus.

“Now, our family is on the line. Our season is on the line. It should be a level of competitiveness, passion (and) desperation that shows that.”

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Blades enter hostile territory with Brandt Centre faithful

Pats aim to ride energy of raucous home crowd

The Pats and Blades resume their playoff series in Tuesday.

The Saskatoon Blades won’t be taking any sledgehammers to the ice for the resumption of their playoff series with the Regina Pats.

Entering their best-of-seven WHL first round playoff series with the Pats, the Blades had the role of favourites having finished fourth overall in the WHL with a 48-15-4-1 mark and being rated 10^th in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Pats finished sixth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 34-30-3-1 record.

In the first two games of the series played at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, the Pats claimed a 6-1 victory in Game 1 on Friday and 6-5 triumph in overtime in Game 2 on Sunday. Pats 17-year-old phenom centre Connor Bedard was in on eight of the Pats 12 goals posting five goals, three assists and a plus-four rating in the plus-minus department. The North Vancouver, B.C., product was named the WHL’s player of the week for the week end on Sunday.

The series resumes in Regina with Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively at 7 p.m. each night at the Brandt Centre. The Pats home rink can be one of the toughest buildings to play in during the WHL Playoffs, especially if the Regina faithful believes their team can do something special.

Going into the atmosphere, the Blades will be viewed as WWE villains by the Pats faithful. With that in mind, Blades head coach Brennan Sonne doesn’t think his club has to do anything out of character.

Connor Bedard has eight points in two post-season games.

“I don’t think that is on our mind,” said Sonne. “We’re not going to be Triple H or anything like that – The Undertaker.

“That is my era – “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. I think we’re just going to go in there and try and be as gritty and competitive as we can.”

The sledgehammer was the preferred weapon of Triple H to use in the storybook world of the WWE Universe. Sonne prefers to see his squad display more of that playoff battle they showed in their overtime loss in Game 2, where they outshot the Pats 47-19.

“There are a whole bunch of different words you can use a lot of synonyms – grit, desperate, playoff mode, competitive,” said Sonne. “Whatever one you want to use, that is our main focus.

“That is the main thing we have to bring now. There are adjustments we need to make obviously special teams wise here and there. The main thing is us being gritty like we were tonight.”

The experience of what lies ahead isn’t lost of the Pats best player, who is also the best junior aged hockey player in the world. Bedard can’t wait to get on the ice to see the Brandt Centre’s post-season atmosphere.

Vaughn Watterodt has a goal and three assists in two playoff games.

“I’m pretty fired up,” said Bedard, who squad could be playing before a sell out crowd of 6,499. “I’ve watch some highlights and games from obviously the runs that the Pats have had in their great history.

“For us, it is a lot of guys that haven’t experienced that in our own building. We’re super excited for that. Our fans have been unreal all year, so we’re pretty grateful for them every night.

“We’re pretty excited to see what they bring when they come on Tuesday.”

Tuesday’s game will mark the first time the Pats have played at home in the post-season since falling 3-0 in the title game of the 2018 Memorial Cup 3-0 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on May 27 of that year. The experience of playing at home in the post-season will be a new one for all the current Pats.

“It is going to be my first experience playing in a playoff game at the Brandt,” said Bedard. “We’re pretty excited for that.

“We’re focused on what we have to do and how we’re going to play. Obviously, the fans are always going to give you an extra kick when you are playing in front of them for sure.”

Blades RW Egor Sidorov and Pats RW Ty Spencer battle for the puck.

Pats all-time great head coach and general manager John Paddock has seen a number of memorable nights in the post-season at the Brandt Centre including the Pats journey to the WHL Championship Series in 2017, where they fell in six games to the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Pats topped the WHL standings in 2016-17 with a 52-12-7-1 record and had a huge home backing when they advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2015 and 2016.

Paddock is expecting the atmosphere for Tuesday’s game will also be a memorable one.

“It will be loud and good,” said Paddock. “It is an old arena that basically needs to be replaced, but the seating capacity of it and how it was built is as good as there is in junior hockey.

“You can get 6,400 people in there in a tight area, so it is a great building to play in. It is a great building for fans to be in when it is a full house for sure.”

As for the Blades, Sonne said his side is just focused on getting a win on Tuesday to start extending the series. He said his team gained some belief with how they played in Sunday’s overtime loss.

Intensity between the Pats and Blades could continue to heat up.

“We’re just saying ‘that’,” said Sonne. “‘That.’ If we can outshoot a team 47-19 with that kind of work and compete, why would we panic?

“That is how I feel. Let’s do that. That is what we need to do, and we will be OK.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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