Sam will always be the “Man of Steel” for the Pats

Sam Steel will always be one of the Pats all-time greats.

    If you made any type of joke about how Sam Steel wasn’t the best interview subject, you automatically felt bad about it, because he was that good of a guy.

    During his time with the Regina Pats, the star centre’s actions always spoke way louder than his words. When it game to talking to the media in post-game interviews, he was more of a quiet person, but his skills in that department greatly improved as his WHL career progressed.

    With the Pats, the Sherwood Park, Alta., product morphed into a superhero. He became “The Man of Steel” with all the big plays he made for the Pats.

    In 258 career regular season games with the Pats, Steel piled up 123 goals, 215 assists for 338 points and a plus-78 rating in the plus-minus department. His career assists total rates sixth all-time and points total 10^th all-time in the history of the Pats.

Pats captain Sam Steel (#23) breaks past a Titan defenceman Adam Holwell.

    Steel, who stands 6-feet and weighs 184 pounds, appeared in 44 career WHL playoff games with the Pats collecting 18 goals, 39 assists and a plus-18 rating. At the Memorial Cup tournament that wrapped up on Sunday in Regina, Steel topped the tournament in scoring with two goals and 11 assists in five games.

    He claimed the Stafford Smythe Trophy as tournament MVP and was named to the event’s all-star team at forward.

    Steel played with great skill and a great heart. You could see his passion for the game on a nightly basis.

Sam Steel plays to honour his late older brother Patrick.

    The 20-year-old plays to honour his older brother, Patrick, who suddenly passed away at age 18 on November 9, 2011. Patrick was a forward in the junior A ranks with the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, and he was found dead in his billet family’s home due to an undetected heart problem.

    From that tragedy, Sam paid tribute to Patrick assuming the mantra: Finish the play.

    Sam Steel became an easy player to cheer for. He also did everything right on and off the ice.

    I have had some friends in Regina who grew up in Moose Jaw cheering for the Warriors, who are the Pats bitter rivals. Those friends admitted that their children have grown up cheering for the Pats, and it feels wrong expect for the fact they look up to Steel so that makes everything OK.

Sam Steel makes a pass in the offensive zone.

    One friend, who has been a lifelong Warriors fan, has brought her son out to numerous Pats fans functions to see Steel. That friend told me it was impossible to hate Steel.

    At those functions, Steel will be the first player to arrive, sign autographs for every young fan that comes to meet him. He will have short visits with the young fans and show genuine interest in their lives. After two hours has elapsed and he has fulfilled every autograph request, he is the last Pats player to leave.

    It is like he is too good be true, but that is who he is.

    On the ice, you almost don’t know where to start with all the big games he had. Steel was part of a core group of players that included Adam Brooks, Chase Harrison, Connor Hobbs and Tyler Brown who helped the Pats win five series in the WHL playoffs from 2015 to 2017 and advance to the WHL Championship series in 2017 falling in six games to the Seattle Thunderbirds. Together, they were the boys next door.

    To show how magical a time it was for the history Regina major junior franchise, the Pats won a total of three playoff series from 1994 to 2014.

From left, Sam Steel, Nick Henry and Cale Fleury celebrate a goal.

    During the 2016-17 campaign, Steel was named the MVP of the WHL and topped the CHL in scoring with 50 goals and 81 assists. On March 14, 2017 when the Pats locked up first place in the WHL regular season standings with a 5-4 win over the Saskatoon Blades at the Brandt Centre, Steel had a chance to take a rip shot on goal on a two-on-one break for his 50^th tally of the season, but he made a beauty setup pass to defenceman Josh Mahura for a goal near the end of the second period.

    When you saw Steel make plays like that, you realized why the Anaheim Ducks selected him in the first round and 30^th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

    In the second of the 2017 WHL playoffs, the Pats were in Swift Current trailing the host Broncos 3-1 in Game 6 needing a win to force Game 7. Brown, who was the Pats star goalie, made a big breakaway stop on Broncos captain Glenn Gawdin to keep the Pats in the game, and Steel sparked the offence.

Sam Steel (#23) drives hard to the net for the Pats.

    With 1:24 to play in the second period, Steel sent a beauty pass across the face of the Broncos goal to a pinching Mahura, who scored to cut the Broncos edge to 3-2. Few players could have made the pass on that play that Steel did down low around the Swift Current net.

    From that spark, the Pats tied things up at 3-3 before the second period ended and pulled out a 5-3 victory. Steel netted two goals in the Pats 5-1 victory in Game 7 of that series with the Broncos held in Regina.

    Steel kept piling up the memorable games this season being named the team’s captain at the start of the campaign in which the Pats were celebrating their 100^th anniversary and hosting the 100^th Memorial Cup. He appeared in 54 regular season contests with the Pats posting 33 goals, 50 assists and a plus-27 rating.
    On Jan. 5, he helped Canada win gold at world junior hockey championships in Buffalo, N.Y.

Sam Steel sits sixth all-time in career assists for the Pats.

    The Pats finished seventh overall in the WHL with a 40-25-6-1 record. Regina fell in a tough seven-game first round series to the Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL at 48-17-5-2 and won the league championship.

    Steel had big moments in that series. With the Pats facing elimination in Regina in Game 6 on March 31, Steel had a goal and two assists to power the Pats to a 7-2 victory to force a series deciding Game 7.

    In Game 7 on April 2 in Swift Current, Steel had helpers on both Pats goals as they dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to the Broncos. The Pats embarked on a 45-day layoff to prepare for the Memorial Cup.

    At the Memorial Cup, no one is going to forget the night Steel piled up five assists in a 6-5 round robin victory over the Broncos on May 23. He equaled the record for most assists in one game at the Memorial Cup dating back to when it started to be played in a tournament format in 1972.

Sam Steel sits 10th all-time in career points for the Pats.

    He shares that mark with Dan Hodgson of the Prince Albert Raiders from 1985 and Jonathan Drouin of the Halifax Mooseheads from 2013.

    In the tournament’s semifinal clash with the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs, Steel had the winning goal and an assist in a 4-2 victory. He picked up his assist setting up Jake Leschyshyn for an easy empty-net tally with 5.2 seconds to play.

    The Pats ultimately fell 3-0 in the Memorial Cup title game to the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The Titan claimed their first CHL championship with their victory over the Pats.

    While the Pats were heavily outplayed in the first two periods of that contest, Steel rang a shot off the goalpost in the second period and was robbed by the glove had of Titan netminder Evan Fitzpatrick in the third period.

    Coming out accept the Stafford Smythe Trophy from CHL president David Branch, Steel had tears in his eyes and was fighting to keep his composure. It was heartbreaking to see him like that.

Sam Steel looks to fire a shot on goal on the power play for the Pats.

    With a three-year NHL entry-level contract signed with the Ducks, it is unlikely Steel will return to the WHL for an overage campaign. That trophy presentation was likely that last thing he took part in wearing a Pats jersey as an active player.

    During the post-game media scrum, Steel talked about how great it was to be part of the city of Regina and how proud he was to be a member of the Pats. The reality of what happened still hadn’t sunk in.

    “I’m not sure what to think right now,” said Steel. “It is just tough.

    “Unbelievable group of guys. Even when we lost out and we were going through the training process, there was not one guy who complained.

Sam Steel, left, received the Stafford Smythe Trophy from David Branch.

    “I think it showed this tournament. We made each other proud for sure. I couldn’t be happier with the group of guys.”

    During a media availability on Tuesday, Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock said Steel has been a main part of his memory during his time with the team. Paddock became the Pats head coach and general manager before the start of the 2014-15 campaign, which was Steel’s 16-year-old rookie season with the club.

    “Four years have flown by,” said Paddock. “I think the ultimate compliment for him was he was a no maintenance guy.

    “It doesn’t matter how good he is to us, but it matters that you never have to worry about him. You need that kind of guy.

    “It is hard, but it is time. It is time for him to move on, and it is time for him to play pro. We still have a good core of guys, but he is sort of the easy guy to poster child that kind of guy in the organization, because that is what he was for us.”

The spectators at the Brandt Centre give Sam Steel one final ovation.

    Every team in the major junior ranks wishes they had a poster child type player like Steel, who could do it all. The Pats have to count themselves as being a pretty lucky team.

    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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Host Pats have a realistic shot to win Memorial Cup

The Pats are hoping to hold a lot of goal celebrations at the Memorial Cup.

    The Regina Pats are looking to be a nightmare for the sports purist.

    Way back on April 2, the Pats were eliminated from the WHL playoffs falling 3-2 in Game 7 of a first round series with the Swift Current Broncos. The Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-17-5-2 record, advanced to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions.

    The Pats went on a lengthy wait for the Memorial Cup championship tournament to start in Regina. As the host club, the Pats would experience life after death.

    On Friday, they play the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs to open the 100^th edition of this legendary as event at 8 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. When the Pats hit the ice, they will have gone a span of 45 days between games.

    Thanks to their lengthy rest period, the Pats are in position to be a migraine headache for every other team in the tourney. For the sports purist, the Pats had the easy route to the four-team tournament, because they didn’t slug it out deep in the WHL post-season.

    Regina isn’t your average team that bows out in the first round of the post-season.

    The Pats finished seventh overall in the WHL with a 40-25-6-1 regular season record playing out of the league’s ultra-competitive East Division. The clubs in the six-team East Division were so strong that the Saskatoon Blades missed the playoffs finishing sixth with a 35-33-3-1 record.

    Only six players remain on the Pats roster from their dynamic team that advanced to the WHL Championship series falling in six games to the Seattle Thunderbirds, but all six players are good ones.

Sam Steel had another stellar season for the Pats.

    Star captain Sam Steel had a sound season piling up 33 goals, 50 assists and a plus-27 rating in the plus-minus department in 54 regular season games. The other returnees include feisty centre Jake Leschyshyn, skilled right-winger Nick Henry and gritty left-winger Robbie Holmes.

    Josh Mahura had another stellar year on the back end leading all Pats defencemen in scoring with 22 goals and 47 assists in 60 regular season games. Liam Schlioler was sound as a defensive defenceman.

    Before the start of the season and throughout the campaign, Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock built a roster that was worthy of hosting major junior hockey’s championship tournament.

    Overage centre Matthew Bradley came to the Pats in an off-season deal with the Medicine Hat Tigers and piled up 37 goals and 42 assists appearing in all the Pats 72 regular season games.

    Overage right-winger Cameron Hebig came the Pats in a blockbuster trade with the Blades hours before the WHL trade deadline on Jan. 10. Hebig had career highs in goals (41), assists (49) and plus-minus (plus-13) appearing in 66 regular season games split between the Blades and Pats.

    On defence, the Pats picked up Cale Fleury in a trade with the Kootenay Ice. Fleury had 12 goals, 39 assists and a plus-17 rating in 68 regular season games split between the Ice and Pats.

    Czech import Libor Hajek was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Blades on Jan. 9 and the standout rearguard 12 goals and 27 assists in 58 regular season games split between the Blades and Pats.

    The Pats are going to start 17-year-old rising star Max Paddock in goal to open the Memorial Cup. In 33 regular season appearances, Paddock posted a 19-7-2 record, a 2.90 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.

Max Paddock will start the Pats first game in goal at the Memorial Cup.

    Regina also has standout coaching under John Paddock, assistant general manager and assistant coach Dave Struch and assistant coach Brad Herauf.

    Last year, sports purists expressed their disappointment when the host Windsor Spitfires won the Memorial Cup after being eliminated in the first round of the OHL playoffs. The Spitfires fell in a seven-game series to the London Knights and became the first club to fall in the first round of a league playoffs and rebound to win the Memorial Cup. Windsor took out the Erie Otters 4-3 in last year’s Memorial Cup title game.

    Regina has the pieces to win the Memorial Cup as the host team.

    The Pats are hoping the history from Windsor a year ago repeats itself, which would make the sports purist feel even more ill.

Beware the beasts from the OHL and QMJHL

The smile says Regina bound 🐶😃

With their six-game #OHLChampionship Series victory @BulldogsOHL have advanced to #MCMemorialCup.

DETAILS: https://t.co/mdM6hGfryc pic.twitter.com/ATsnm8UP8w

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) 15 May 2018

    Saskatchewan hockey fans might want to put the notion of a Memorial Cup championship final between the Swift Current Broncos and host Regina Pats on hold.

    After the Broncos won the WHL championship, a number of hockey fans from Saskatchewan started dreaming about the possibility of the Broncos meeting the Pats in the event’s championship final on May 27 and that was understandable. The last time two Saskatchewan teams participated in the Memorial Cup was back in 1989 in Saskatoon, where the Broncos downed the host Blades 4-3 in overtime in the championship game.

    Now is the time to remind everyone the Memorial Cup hasn’t been kind to representatives from the WHL in recent years. A WHL team has only won it all once in the last nine Memorial Cup tourneys with the Edmonton Oil Kings victory in 2014 in London, Ont.

    At last year’s Memorial Cup, the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds went 0-3 and were outscored a combined 18-3 in those contests.

    Until the WHL clubs can reverse the results on the ice, the teams to watch out for in the Memorial Cup have to be the OHL and QMJHL representatives. This year, the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs and the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan are the representatives from Eastern Canada.

    The Bulldogs open the Memorial Cup on Friday taking on the host Pats (8 p.m., Brandt Centre). Hamilton topped the OHL’s Eastern Conference and finished third overall in the circuit’s regular season standings with a 43-18-4-3 record and advanced through the playoffs with a 16-5 record. The Bulldogs took out the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in six games in the OHL’s Championship series.

    Robert Thomas, who is an 18-year-old centre, was acquired by the Bulldogs from the London Knights and piled up 24 goals and 51 assists in 49 regular season games split between both clubs. Defenceman Benjamin Gleason quarterbacked the power play on the back end recording nine goals and 39 assists in 63 regular season games.

    Kaden Fulcher, who is a 19-year-old veteran, is the go to guy in goal for the Bulldogs posting a 32-17-6 record, a 2.86 goals against average, a .899 save percentage and three shutouts in 55 regular season games.

    Acadie-Bathurst opens play at the Memorial Cup on Saturday against the Broncos (2 p.m., Brandt Centre).

    The Titan finished second overall in the QMJHL’s regular season standings with a 43-15-8-2 record and went 16-4 in the playoffs. The Titan took the QMJHL Championship series in six games with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

    Centre Antoine Morand, who turned 19 in February, topped the Titan in scoring netting 26 goals and 50 assists in 66 regular season games. Defenceman Olivier Galipeau was acquired in a trade by the Titan from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and he is a talented offensive rearguard piling up 25 goals and 49 assists in 67 regular season games.

    Evan Fitzpatrick carries the load in goal for the Titan after being acquired in a trade with the Sherbrooke Phoenix posting a 26-12-5 record, a 2.90 goals against average, a .893 save percentage and one shutout in 46 regular season appearances.

    When Red Deer, Alta., hosted the Memorial Cup in 2016, the OHL champion Knights downed the QMJHL champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 3-2 in overtime in the CHL title game.

    It would be par for the course if the Bulldogs and Titan met in this year’s Memorial Cup championship game on May 27.

NEXT STOP: Regina! #OurTime #NotreTemps pic.twitter.com/knGl1Ns2YQ

— xy - Titan AcadieBathurst (@ABTitan) 13 May 2018

Monday was a great day for Skinner

Stuart Skinner lifts the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    Swift Current Broncos goaltender Stuart Skinner might grow fond of Mondays.

    On Sunday night, Skinner, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds, made 31 save to back the Broncos to a 3-0 win over the Everett Silvertips in Game 6 before a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex. The Broncos capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup taking the best-of-seven WHL Championship series 4-2.

    On Monday, Skinner signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers selected Skinner in the third round and 78^th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

    Skinner was acquired by the Broncos in a trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 56 regular season games split between the Broncos and Hurricanes, Skinner posted a 30-21-4 record, a 3.07 goals against average, a .905 save percentage and six shutouts.

    In the Broncos run to the WHL title, Skinner posted a 16-10 record, a 2.20 goals against average, a .932 save percentage and six shutouts. Skinner’s six shutouts in one WHL post-season equals a league record set by Dustin Slade, who backstopped the Vancouver Giants to a league crown in 2006.

    On top of the contract, Skinner was named the WHL goaltender of the week on Monday and the CHL goaltender of the week on Tuesday.

    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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Pats fans are still a good bunch

The Pats still have a huge following of supportive fans.

    It was a case of never believe all the noise you see or hear on social media or sports talk radio.

    If you believed everything you saw or heard on those lines, you would think the fans of WHL’s Regina Pats are one of the most uptight groups ever, if their team isn’t winning. With the Pats slated to host the 100^th Memorial Cup from May 18 to 27, the scrutiny on the team seems to be more heightened than ever.

    The heightened attention comes in a season following a campaign in 2016-17 where the Pats finished first overall in the WHL with a 52-12-7-1 record and advanced to the WHL Championship Series for the first time since 1984. The Pats fell in last year’s best-of-seven league championship set 4-2 to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

    Last season, I saw the Pats play live more than any other hockey team mainly due to the run they had. This season, I made my first season to the Brandt Centre on Sunday, when the Pats played host to the Swift Current Broncos.

    I thought I was going to walk into a facility where everyone was super critical of the team. To my surprise, everyone was super supportive of the home side, except for the sizable contingent of fans that came to support the Broncos among the sellout crowd of 6,484. Sunday’s game marked the eighth sellout of the season in Regina.

Fans filled the Brandt Centre on Sunday, but the Pats couldn’t get them going.

    When I walked into the Brandt Centre, it maintained its reputation as being one of the friendliest stops on the WHL circuit. The rink and game staff were super accommodating and the fans were pretty upbeat.

    On a personal front, it seemed like everyone was happy to see me, and they wondered where I was all season. I explained that due to mainstream media cuts I had been pretty much found myself stapled to Saskatoon.

    The fans that were at the rink cheering on the Pats were positive, and you could feel an upbeat vibe.

    Anytime the Broncos scored, the host faithful responded with a “Go Pats Go” chant.

    Due to the fact the Broncos slowly went ahead 3-0 and posted a 4-1 win, the efforts of the Pats fans were dampened and their engagement fell off. Outside of one spectator that shouted verbal criticisms towards Pats overage left-winger Jesse Gabrielle, no one was visibly getting on the case of the players on the host team.

    During the second intermission, I had a group of Tyler Brown supporters come up and talk to me about the overage netminder, who was dealt to the Saskatoon Blades in a blockbuster trade before the WHL trade deadline on Jan. 10. They expressed how much they missed the Winnipeg, Man., product.

Tyler Brown is missed by a number of Pats fans.

    That was cool to hear, because without Brown’s efforts, the Pats wouldn’t have advanced to last year’s WHL title series. Before Brown was traded, he took way to much criticism on social media and provincial sports talk radio for the fact the Pats had hovered around .500 for much of the campaign.

    At the moment, the Pats sit in the first wildcard spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 26-22-5 record.

    Most of those at the rink seemed pretty understanding of the situation the Pats are in. They know the Pats roster only contains six players that were full-time regulars with the team last season in star captain Sam Steel, forwards Jake Leschyshyn, Nick Henry and Robbie Holmes along with defencemen Josh Mahura and Liam Schioler. Leschyshyn missed the entire post-season in 2017 with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee.

    The fans at the rink grasped that Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock and his staff is trying to get a host of players who have come from a wide variety of backgrounds to come together as a team.

    The fans at the rink knew that the group of players that hit the ice for the Pats last season was a special one, and it might be a long time before the world’s oldest major junior franchise comes to the rink with a comparable group again.

    Guys like then captain Adam Brooks, offensive defenceman Connor Hobbs, speedy Austin Wagner, Dawson Leedahl, Filip Ahl, Braydon Buziak, Chase Harrison and Sergey Zborovskiy along with Brown and the holdovers still on this year’s club, were more than just a team. In 2016-17, they were the boys next door.

    In a way, they felt like part of your family, if you were a Pats supporter. Everyone on the team and the fans were all in the Pats run together last season.

Captain Sam Steel and company have a good following in Regina.

    One very veteran rink attendant was really nostalgic about that group and said it would be very long time before you see something like that in Regina again. He had a lot of warm feelings for that Pats team.

    The bar they left is extremely high.

    With that said, not all the fans that are critical of the Pats on social media or sports talk radio are harsh to the extreme of being a jerk.

    I have typed back and forth with at least a couple of Pats fans on social media who have well thought out criticisms and observations of the team, and you can tell they try to make them in a respectable fashion. While they have their criticisms, they are still good fans.

    While the Pats, who host the Prince Albert Raiders at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Brandt Centre, have taken heat for how their season is gone, caution should be used in grading how severe that heat is.

#PackTheHauser is a great idea

The Raiders want their rink packed for a clash with the rival Blades.

  On Friday night there is going to a fairly big WHL tilt happening in Prince Albert.

    At 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser, the Prince Albert Raiders host the Saskatoon Blades in a match that could play out to have big playoff implications. The Blades sit in the second wildcard spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 25-24-2-1 record to sit three points ahead of the Raiders, who are 20-20-8-2. The Raiders have two games in hand.

    In one of their many efforts to boost attendance in their home rink, the Raiders been trying to get the fires going in their traditional rivalry with the Blades. One of the latest attempts has been posting a video on Twitter where various Raiders players talk about the lift they receive when they play in front of a packed home rink.

    The post contained the hashtag phrase #PackTheHauser, which has been used for big local hockey games in Prince Albert in the past.

Mascot Riley and a superfan cheer on the Raiders in Prince Albert.

    The Art Hauser Centre seats 2,580 and has the capacity for 786 in standing room. When it is full, it has one of the best atmospheres in the league.

    I worked in Prince Albert for three seasons from 2001 to 2004 covering the whole sports scene in that centre including the WHL’s Raiders. Back in those days, the games against the Blades were circled on the calendar. With the two squads in a tight playoff race, it would be great to see the excitement of the past recreated now.

    While the Raiders get a boost from their home supporters, I think it is safe to say it gets the Blades pumped up for games in Prince Albert too. Those in the blue and gold love it when they can put the Guess Who’s “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” on ice.

    As per tradition, the Prince Albert game staff plays that song at the end of contests when the Raiders beat the Blades. Actually, that tradition extends to the male and female AAA levels of hockey as well.

    For a game in early February, this clash should have a playoff feel to it.

    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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Brain cramps do in Blades, Pats cash in with 7-3 win

Sam Steel (#23) and Evan Fiala (#47) were part of Wednesday’s drama.

    The Saskatoon Blades need to play just a little bit smarter.

    For one of the few times this season, the Blades hurt themselves with unforced errors that piled up. The errors prevented “the Bridge City Bunch” from having a chance to have any success against the Regina Pats on Wednesday night at the Brandt Centre.

    The Pats, who are hosting the Memorial Cup in May, cashed in on the Blades mistakes to the tune of a convincing 7-3 victory before 5,454 spectators.

    The bulk of the problems for the Blades came in the second after Pats winger Nick Henry scored at the 4:43 mark of the frame to give the host side a 3-1 edge.

    Shortly after that goal, Blades 18-year-old defenceman Jake Kustra took a tripping penalty by hacking down one of the Pats players along the boards. It was a penalty that didn’t need to be taken, but the Blades killed that infraction off.

    That kill was followed by Saskatoon left-winger Gage Ramsay getting dinged for playing without a helmet. His helmet came off with the play deep in the Regina end, but the 19-year-old decided to drive to the net instead of skating to the bench.

    By now, everyone in the WHL should know you have to skate immediately to the bench, if your helmet comes off during play, and Ramsay was penalized during a moment when his side wasn’t even on the defensive.

    Things continued to pile up on the ensuing kill. Veteran Blades right-winger Josh Paterson crossed the red-line with the puck, but he didn’t clear it into the Regina zone. Instead, he had the puck stolen from him by Pats captain Sam Steel.

    Steel transitioned the play up ice to offensive defenceman Josh Mahura to create a two-on-one. Mahura fed a nice pass across the front of the Saskatoon to goal to left-winger Jesse Gabrielle, who scored on the backdoor chance to give the Pats a 4-1 edge at the 10:51 mark of the second.

Gage Ramsay took a costly penalty by playing without a helmet.

    The Blades went back to the kill a short time later, when rookie defenceman Randen Schmidt took an interference penalty behind the play.

    The Pats scored on that ensuing power play to go up 5-1 on a snipe from left-winger Jared Legien, and things got worse from there for the visitors.

    Blades captain Evan Fiala proceeded to drive Legien hard into the boards behind the Saskatoon net, which started a scrum. Steel skated in to face Fiala, and Fiala got his stick up and cross checked Steel in the face. Fiala then ended up in a fight with Pats centre Matt Bradley.

    Bradley came away with a fighting major.

    Fiala was accessed a major for fighting, a major for cross checking and a game misconduct. The cross checking major will trigger an automatic review by the WHL office for a possible suspension on Fiala.

    At that point, the Blades were done in with their self-inflicted damage.

    Saskatoon did try to battle back. Right-winger Max Gerlach scored inside of the final minute of the second and added his second of the night 32 seconds into the third to cut the Pats lead to 5-3.

    Just 41 seconds after Gerlach’s second goal, Pats right-winger Cameron Hebig scored on a point drive through a screen to put the hosts up 6-3. Hebig would get his second of the night short-handed at the 12:31 mark of the third.

    Mahura and Czech import defenceman Libor Hajek had singles for the Pats in the first period, while Chase Wouters had the lone reply for the Blades in the opening 20 minutes.

    Steel had five assists to surpass 300 points in his WHL career. In 237 career regular season games, Steel has 107 goals and 196 assists for 303 points.

    The Sherwood Park, Alta., product seems to have developed some good chemistry playing with Hebig, who was acquired by the Pats in a deal with the Blades before the WHL’s trade deadline on Jan. 10.
    Hebig, who had an assist to go along with his two goals, went past 200 points in his WHL career. In 244 career regular season games split between the Blades and Pats, Hebig has 91 goals and 111 assists for 202 points.

    The Pats were 3-for-6 on the power play, while the Blades were 1-for-7 with man advantage. Saskatoon has won four of the six head-to-head meetings with Regina this season.

    Overage netminder Tyler Brown made 38 saves to take the setback in goal for the Blades. Brown was acquired by the Blades in a deal with the Pats that included Hebig before the WHL’s trade deadline on Jan. 10. Brown has made two starts for Saskatoon, but the Blades had less than stellar efforts in both those outings resulting in lopsided losses.

Cameron Hebig scored twice for the Pats.

    For the Blades, it would be good to get Brown his first win with the team to ensure the results of his first two starts don’t become some sort of mental hurdle.

    Ryan Kubic turned away 26 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Pats, who improved to 25-20-5 to sit in the first wildcard spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a six point edge over the Blades. Saskatoon has a game in hand on Regina.

    The Blades fell to 23-23-2-1 to sit in the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with a four point edge over the Prince Albert Raiders (18-20-7-2). The Raiders have two game in hand on the Blades.

    Wednesday’s encounter provided a lot of footage for Blades head coach Dean Brockman and his staff to use for teaching purposes. 

    It is hard to give any opponent in the WHL multiple gifts and expect to come out on the winning end of things.

    The Blades return to action on Friday, when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings (13-27-5-2) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

Blades take part in impressive school visit

Jackson Caller, left, and Evan Fiala speak to students on Monday.

    On Monday, the Saskatoon Blade captain Evan Fiala and his defensive partner Jackson Caller made one of the more serious school visits I have ever seen.

    Fiala and Caller visited Silver Heights School along with Saskatoon Police Service officers Mike Johnson and Kelly Rainville as part of Project Face-off. With this program, those four visited East Hastings in Vancouver, B.C., which is one of Vancouver’s roughest neighbourhoods.

    The four shared their experience of their visit and talked about the importance of making correct decisions in life and surrounding yourself with good supportive people. They mentioned a few of the people they met in the East Hastings neighbourhood weren’t your stereotypical “bad guys.” They said a number of the people in East Hastings were persons who once had good lives and ended up in that position due to a major life setback.

    Besides that observation, they talked about the disgusting settings some of the people were living in, which included seeing really large rats.

Mike Johnson, left, and Kelly Rainville talk to school students.

    Before the four spoke, they showed a video of them touring East Hastings to the students.

Fiala and Caller told the students they were able to stay on their paths to the WHL due to focusing on hockey and hanging out with friends that had similar aspirations. They said that helped give them the discipline to stay away from people who wanted to do something not wise and other possible not wise situations.

    In this now the 19^th season I have covered the WHL, I have seen a few school visits, but this is the first one I went to involving the Blades. The stories and the subject matter was heavy, but it was delivered in an impactful way.

    After the presentation, four little girls came up to Fiala. One played hockey with one of the local Huskies Prospects teams, and she excitedly said she wanted to follow through with her dream of playing for the Saskatoon Stars Female Midget AAA team on day. It was a pretty sweet moment considering Fiala’s younger sister, Joelle, is one of the Stars star forwards.

    The Blades made tonnes of these community appearances over the season and worked hard to stay connected with the community. Monday’s visit to Silver Heights School was a perfect example of that.

Back in the Express with Johnston

Kieran Johnston will run at the K of C Indoor Games.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with an advancer story for the Knights of Columbus Saskatchewan Indoor Games that was focused around Kieran Johnston.

    The 22-year-old is in his second season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Track and Field team. Johnston told a story about what it was like to race Ashton Eaton, who won the decathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Eaton would win the decathlon title again at the 2016 Olympics.

    Johnston raced Eaton at the 2015 K of C Indoor Games and admitted to be star struck.

    Besides talking about that race, Johnston discussed how he stepped away from sports all together for a time and came back once he realized he missed the sports. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Evan Hardy Collegiate shared what his hopes were with the Huskies this season.

    The story on Johnston can be round right here.

    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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“Man of Steel” will make admirable Pats captain

Soft-spoken centre leads Regina in Memorial Cup season

Sam Steel was named the Pats captain for the 2017-18 season.

    Sam Steel’s actions always speak louder than his words.

    When you watch the Regina Pats superstar centre on the ice, his special talents for the game of hockey are obvious. If you try to get him to talk about himself during a scrum or an interview session, his modesty is a great as his actions on the ice.

    Steel plays with a great passion on the ice, and he is a great supporter of his teammates. When it comes to talking, Steel is very soft spoken, because that is just who he is.

    His interview skills have improved as his WHL career has gone on, but it is truthful to say most of the other members of the Pats are likely better in the talking department. While Steel is quiet, he exudes a vibe of being a great guy and a very well-mannered person, and that is noticed among media members in Regina and elsewhere on the WHL circuit.

    It is safe to say media members enjoy reporting on Steel’s exploits, and you want to see him succeed. You find a way to work with the fact he is soft-spoken.

    It is almost common to blurt out after a Pats win with both excitement and dread something along the lines, “Sam Steel scored four tonight!”

    The excitement come from seeing a great guy do something special. The dread comes from the fact you are trying your best to phrase questions to encourage him to talk.

Sam Steel controls the puck in the offensive zone.

    You also don’t want to give the impression to Steel that he might be a bad interview subject for fear of hurting his feelings, because he is a nice guy. You realize that is who he is.

    During a press conference in Regina on Wednesday, the Pats named the 19-year-old Steel as captain for the 2017-18 campaign, where the franchise will celebrate its 100^th anniversary and host the 100^th Memorial Cup running from May 18 to 27, 2018. Steel had been an assistant captain the previous two seasons.

    For Steel to succeed as a captain, he just has to be who he is and try not to be someone he is not.

    At times, it seems there is a public perception that the captain of the team has to be the fiery guy that always raises the roof in the dressing room.
    Barret Jackman, who was the Pats captain when the franchise hosted the Memorial Cup in 2001, was the heart on the sleeve fiery guy that could put up points, penalty minutes and was always game to say something in the dressing room. That also isn’t the only way to lead.

    Steel is one of the ultimate examples of the lead-by-example type player. He is the Pats most talented player, and he is the team’s hardest worker. Over three seasons, he has built a reputation of being able to lift the club with an outstanding play at a critical time.

    Just being who he is, Steel inspires others to be better.

    When the Medicine Hat Tigers won the WHL title in 2007 and ultimately lost the Memorial Cup title game to the host Vancouver Giants 3-1, Kris Russell led the Tigers as a lead-by-example captain. He made the game look easy as an offensive defenceman, who was also sound defensively.

Sam Steel looks to set up one of his teammates in the offensive zone.

    As a 19-year-old in the Tigers 2007 WHL championship campaign, Russell piled up 32 goals, 37 assists and was a plus-14 in the plus-minus department in 59 regular season games, and he was named that season’s WHL player of the year, the WHL’s Defenceman of the Year and the CHL’s Defenceman of the Year award winner.
    Russell was never a vocal shouter, but he calmly said things when they needed to be said and talked more one-on-one with teammates. He took a genuine interest in the personal lives of his teammates and was very positive and encouraging with them.

    If the Tigers were running away with a blowout win on the scoreboard, Russell turned away chances to boost his statistics and often told coaches to give more ice time to younger guys, who always seemed to be working hard in practice.

    When younger guys at the WHL level see an older player do these types of things, they become motivated to go to the rink every day, and they try that much harder because someone is investing in them.

    Now that Steel is the captain of the Pats, it would be a safe educated guess to predict his leadership style with the Pats will mirror what Russell did with the Tigers. 

    Last season, Steel was named the WHL’s most valuable player and he led the entire Canadian Hockey League in scoring with 50 goals and 81 assists in 66 regular season games. He has been inspiring his teammates with his actions for some time now including last season’s run to the WHL Championship series.

Pats centre Sam Steel circles around the net in the offensive zone.

    Steel will have great help in the leadership department as well. The Pats named 18-year-old centre Jake Leschyshyn, 19-year-old defenceman Josh Mahura and overage centre Matthew Bradley as assistant captains. All three are quality persons.

    Both Steel and Mahura have signed NHL entry-level contracts with the Anaheim Ducks and will be attending Ducks training camp. The fact the Pats named Steel captain and Mahura an assistant captain likely mean both will play in the WHL this season.

    Due to being drafted out of the major junior ranks, Steel, who was a first round selection, and Mahura have to play in the WHL, if they don’t make the NHL club as 19-year-olds. They could still stick in the NHL, but with them being named to the Pats leadership, the odds are way greater they will be playing in the major junior ranks.

    The Pats made a good choice in naming Steel captain. If the past is any indication, he will continue deliver with passion in big moments and continue to speak softly while doing it.

de Wit hat trick powers Pats past Blades

Jeff de Wit in action last season for the Pats.

    Jeff de Wit’s hat trick helped push the Regina Pats past the Saskatoon Blades 5-3 in an exhibition tilt on Thursday night at the Brandt Centre in Regina.

    The 19-year-old centre’s third marker at the 9:37 mark of the third period gave the Pats a 4-2 lead and ultimately held up as the game winner. Rookie 17-year-old Russian import Igor Zamula and 16-year-old centre Tristen Robins potted singles for Regina.

    Overage centre Cameron Hebig, 18-year-old defenceman Jackson Caller and centre Gage Ramsay, who turns 19 in October, replied with singles for the Blades.

    Nolan Maier, who is a 16-year-old from Yorkton, went the distance in goal for Saskatoon making 36 saves.

    Max Paddock, who is a 17-year-old from Brandon, Man., started in goal for the Pats turning away 22-of-23 shots fired his way. Kurtis Chapman, who is a 19-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., entered the contest at the 9:46 mark of the second period and stopped 12-of-14 shots sent in his direction. Paddock is the nephew of Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock.

    Thursday’s game was the first pre-season contest for both the Pats and Blades. The Pats return to action on Saturday, when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. The Blades will stay in Regina and face the Swift Current Broncos on Friday at 3 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.

“Willo” nears 100-point plateau for Huskies

Kaitlin Willoughby, front centre, might celebrate some milestones.

    With university classes set to begin next week, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey teams have started skating at the Rutherford Rink, and women’s team star forward Kaitlin Willoughby begins the campaign nearing a few career milestones.

    The 22-year-old Prince Albert product has piled up 41 goals and 51 assists in 106 regular season games, and her total of 92 points ranks fifth all-time on the Huskies career list one behind the 93 compiled by Julie Paetsch, who played from 2009 to 2012. Besides being on the verge of passing Paetsch, Willoughby is set to become the fourth player in the history of the Huskies women’s team to record 100 career points.

    Cara (Wooster) Muench, who played from 2010-13, sits third on the Huskies all-time career scoring list with 100 points, Danny Stone, who played from 2008 to 2013, is second with 106 points and Breanne George, who played from 2007-12, tops the list with 149 points.

    Willoughby is third on the career goals list with 41 sitting behind Stone’s 57 goals and George’s 86 goals. On the career assists list, Willoughby sits fifth behind Paetsch’s 60, George’s 63, Muench’s 64 and the 66 helpers complied by Julia Flinton, who played from 2011-16.

    The Huskies women’s team opens their regular season on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink against the University of Regina Cougars. The two squads meet again on Oct. 7 in Regina at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

    The Huskies men’s team opens their regular season on Oct. 6 traveling to Regina to face the U of Regina Cougars at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre. The two squads meet again on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

Tuer memorial service set for Tuesday

    The memorial service for long time hockey builder Graham Tuer is set for Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Queensbury Convention Centre in Regina.

    Tuer died at the age of 87 in a Regina hospital on Aug. 29. He entered hospital after suffering two heart attacks.

    Tuer was born in North Battleford on May 23, 1930 and spent more than 50 years in and around arenas in Western Canada in various roles with various teams, leagues and organizations. He had been with the Pats as a scout and their liaison with Hockey Regina since 2015, and served with the team earlier in his hockey travels.

    Besides the Pats, Tuer had roles in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Kelowna Rockets and NHL Central Scouting. He had a huge positive impact on many people in the sport.

    He will be missed by countless numbers of people, and a lot of fond memories will likely be shared at his memorial service.

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

Pats might stumble at the start of 100th anniversary season

The Pats salute their fans after falling in the WHL finals.

    The Regina Pats had a dream season in 2016-17, but they might not have a dream start in 2017-18.

    Last season, the historic Pats, who are the oldest major junior hockey franchise in the world, hit heights they haven’t seen for a long time. They topped the WHL’s regular season standings for the first time since 1974 posting a 52-12-7-1 record.

    They were rated first in the Canadian Hockey League’s top 10 rankings for most of the campaign and topped the final ratings released on March 22.

    They made their first appearance in the WHL’s Eastern Conference championship series since 1993 and knocked off the Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-2 in a best-of-seven set. The Pats made the WHL Championship series for the first time since 1984, but fell 4-2 in the best-of-seven set to the Seattle Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds import centre Alexander True scored the overtime winner in Game 6 of the WHL title series to give his side a 4-3 victory in that contest.

    While the WHL title eluded the Pats, they had a roster that seemed full of super heroes last season, who delivered tonnes of thrills. When the Pats embark on their 100^th anniversary season in 2017-18 which will see them host the 100^th Memorial Cup championship tournament in May of 2018, they might start the campaign minus as many as 11 faces from last year’s powerhouse squad.

    That number doesn’t include backup goalie Jordan Hollett, who was traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers in May.

The Pats lost superstar captain Adam Brooks to graduation.

    The Pats open rookie camp on Monday in Regina with registration for rookie players.

    Superstar captain Adam Brooks, skilled left-winger Dawson Leedahl and sound defensive defenceman Chase Harrison were all lost to graduation due to being overage players last season. It was inevitable they would leave big holes.

    In theory, Filip Ahl and Sergey Zborovskiy could return both taking up spots as an import player and an overage player. Ahl had a standout lone WHL season in 2016-17 collecting 28 goals and 20 assists in 54 regular season games, but he has signed a one-year professional contract Orebro HK in his home country of Sweden, which means he is out of the picture for next season.

    Zborovskiy, who is from Russia, has an NHL entry-level contract inked with the New York Rangers, and he can be assigned to any of the farm clubs the Rangers have in the minor professional ranks due to being a 20-year-old.

    With those developments, the Pats selected two players in the CHL Import Draft at the end of June in Russian defenceman Yegor Zamula, who is entering his 17-year-old season, and Finnish forward Emil Oksanen, who is entering his 19-year-old season. Both have big shoes to fill in trying to replace Ahl and Zborovskiy.

Jake Leschyshyn is still recovering from an ACL tear injury.

    Another questionable returnee is star defenceman Connor Hobbs, who is entering his overage season. Hobbs has an NHL entry-level contract signed with the Washington Capitals, and he looks more than ready to play at the next level. If he doesn’t make the Capitals, Hobbs can be assigned to any of Washington’s minor league affiliates.

    The Pats could be without WHL scoring champion Sam Steel, who had 50 goals, 81 assists and a plus-49 rating in the plus-minus department in 66 regular season games last season. The superstar centre has an NHL entry-level contract inked with the Anaheim Ducks, and he appears to be ready to play in the NHL.

    With Steel going into his 19-year-old season, the Ducks have to assign him back to the Pats, if he doesn’t make the NHL squad.

    Offensive defenceman Josh Mahura is in the same boat as Steel. Mahura also has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Ducks, but entering his 19-year-old season, the talented rearguard has to be assigned back to the Pats, if he doesn’t make the Ducks NHL roster.

Nick Henry (#21) is recovering from a torn labrum injury.

    Mahura has only played one full campaign since returning from a serious knee injury that sidelined him for 70 regular season games in 2015-16, when he was still with the Red Deer Rebels. The Pats acquired Mahura from the Rebels on WHL trade deadline day back on Jan. 10. Odds are high Mahura will be back with the Pats for another WHL campaign, but he might not be in Regina at the start of the season.

    Centre Jake Leschyshyn, who was selected in the second round and 62^nd overall in June’s NHL Entry Draft by the Las Vegas Golden Knights, is still recovering from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees in a WHL game on Feb. 3. It is touch and go as to whether he will be ready when the Pats open their regular season on Sept. 22 with a match against the Wheat Kings in Brandon.

Austin Wagner (#27) is healing from a torn labrum and dislocate bicep injury.

    Right-winger Nick Henry, who had a spectacular rookie campaign with the Pats, underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in late June. Henry, who was selected in the fourth round and 94^th overall in last June’s NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, could be out four to sixth months, which means a possible return could occur near the end of October or the end of December.

    Speedy left-winger Austin Wagner, who is entering his overage season, underwent major surgery in early June to repair a torn labrum and dislocated bicep tendon. He is expected to take about six months to recover, which means his return might happen in mid to late December.

Sam Steel (#23) might stick with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.

    Wagner does have an NHL entry-level contact signed with the Los Angeles Kings, but it is uncertain the Kings will trigger the first year of that deal by bringing him into the professional ranks due to his injury situation. He might be returned to the Pats but would still miss a sizable chunk of the WHL campaign.

    The injuries to Henry and Wagner show what a grind the WHL playoffs can be and how much heart the Pats had to get to the point they were two wins away from winning their first league title since 1980.

    At the moment, the Pats are looking at possibly opening their regular season schedule without any returning players from their top two lines last season and the starting centre from their third line. It should also be noted that teams hosting the Memorial Cup often get players returned to their rosters by NHL clubs who might normally be kept in the professional ranks.

Connor Hobbs might stay in the pros in the Washington Capitals system.

    NHL clubs regularly return players to major junior teams hosting the Memorial Cup championship tournament, because those returnees gain experience playing important post-season games in May. That traditional development might see the Pats get Hobbs, Steel and Mahura back on their roster.

    Regina holds the major junior rights to standout centre Tyson Jost, who will enter his 19-year-old season. Jost played last season with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks men’s team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and he appeared in six NHL regular season games after signing an NHL entry-level contract on March 29 with the Colorado Avalanche. He scored one goal during his six games with the Avalanche.

    Due to signing with the Avalanche, Jost can’t return to the Fighting Hawks next season, but the Avalanche can assign him to an AHL affiliate because he was drafted from the junior A ranks in British Columbia.

Goalie Tyler Brown might have to keep the Pats in games early in 2017-18.

    The Avalanche selected Jost in the first round and 10^th overall in 2016 NHL Entry Draft, and they are expected to give Jost every chance to stay with the big club for the upcoming season.

    The Pats still have two big keys in their favour in the fact John Paddock is still the club’s head coach and general manager and Dave Struch is still an assistant coach and assistant general manager. Paddock has the skill to quickly strengthen the Pats via the trade route.

    In May, he already started doing just that acquiring star centre Matthew Bradley, who is entering his overage season, in a deal with the Medicine Hat Tigers in a deal that saw Hollett move to “the Gas City.” Bradley recorded 34 goals, 43 assists and a plus-23 rating in 70 regular season games with the Tigers last season.

    Struch has built a reputation for being a stellar coach who is strong at building up a player’s confidence.

The Pats want to enjoy more post-season celebrations like this in 2018.

    The Pats will return star netminder Tyler Brown as an overager. The Winnipeg, Man., product will provide the ability to keep the Pats in games during the early going as the rest of the club’s roster takes shape.

    As the 2017-18 season progresses, the Pats might build a roster that is as equally as good as the one from last season and be a contender for a WHL league title and a Memorial Cup title as CHL champions.

    At the moment in the early going, it looks like the rest of the WHL will be looking forward to encounters with a Pats team that will be weaker than the squad that hit the ice last season.

    Fans in Regina will have to be patient at the start of the 2017-18 campaign, if it is bumpy, and they might get a better appreciation for how special 2016-17 was.

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