Pats Roster as of Aug. 31

Pats Roster
As of August 31, 2009

goalies (4) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Dawson Guhle G 5.11 160 15-Oct-92 Daysland, AB
Damien Ketlo G 6.01 180 26-Jan-91 Fort Fraser, BC
Linden Rowat G 6.02 181 27-Jun-89 Cochrane, AB
Derek Tendler G 5.11 201 01-Jan-92 Regina, SK

defencemen (10) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Myles Bell D 6.00 185 19-Aug-93 Calgary, AB
Tyler Borstmayer D 6.03 188 23-Feb-93 St. Brieux, SK
Brandon Davidson D 6.01 185 21-Aug-91 Taber, AB
Matt Delahey D 6.03 210 25-Sep-89 Moose Jaw, SK
Shamus Graham D 5.10 160 16-Jan-92 Fort Sask., AB
Dominic Perrault D 6.03 210 27-Aug-91 Regina, SK
Alex Pym D 6.01 200 04-Mar-91 Winnipeg, MB
Jay Slobozian D 6.00 175 23-Jan-92 Dauphin, MB
Travis Sparrow D 6.03 190 17-Feb-91 Vanscoy, SK
Colten Teubert D 6.04 193 08-Mar-90 White Rock, BC

forwards (17) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Clarke Breitkreuz LW 6.00 166 11-Nov-91 Springside, SK
Mitch Czibere C 5.11 185 15-Feb-89 Fort Sask., AB
Jordan Eberle RW 5.10 184 15-May-90 Regina, SK
Dominick Favreau C 5.10 175 15-Jan-92 Martensville, SK
Lucas Froese C 5.10 165 26-Nov-92 Grunthal, MB
Jason Gardiner LW 6.01 193 10-Oct-91 Winnipeg, MB
Joel Harnden RW 5.10 160 1993 Stony Plain, MB
Graham Hood LW 6.02 198 27-Jan-92 Martensville, SK
Tomas Hricina LW 6.02 198 31-May-90 Kosice, SLO
Brett Leffler RW 6.01 189 19-May-89 Wynyard, SK
Brayden Metz C 6.00 185 28-Apr-90 Regina, SK
Garrett Mitchell RW 5.11 181 02-Sep-91 Regina, SK
Kyle Mulder RW 6.01 175 13-Jun-91 East St. Paul, MB
Michal Poletin LW 6.03 210 09-Jun-91 Kosice, SLO
Andrew Rieder C 5.11 155 07-Aug-92 Regina, SK
Matt Strueby C 6.01 186 20-Sep-89 Regina, SK
Jordan Weal C 5.09 160 15-Apr-92 North Vancouver, BC
on August 31, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Pats reassign 4

Pats Reassign Four
2009-08-31

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats returned from their weekend tournament in Edmonton and were greeted with a Monday off, but the front office was busy, reassigning four players:

(C) Chandler Stephenson – Saskatoon Contacts (SMAAAHL)
(LW) Michael Sagen – Saskatoon Contacts (SMAAAHL)
(D) Koltyn Miller – Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
(D) Tyler Pavkovich – Fraser Valley Bruins (BCMML)

The Pats will be on the ice for a 2:30 practice tomorrow afternoon at the Brandt Centre. Their next exhibition action will be this Friday, September 4th in Brandon while the first home exhibition game will come on Wednesday, September 9th at 7pm with the Wheat Kings coming to town.
on August 31, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Pats go winless in Edmonton (St. Albert)

From Greg Harder's Slap Shots....

Pats winless in Edmonton

By Greg Harder Sun, Aug 30 2009 COMMENTS(0) Slap Shots
Leader-Post staff

The Regina Pats returned home as the lone winless club in a six-team field at the Edmonton Oil Kings pre-season invitational tournament in St. Albert, Alta.
Regina wrapped up the three-day event on Sunday by dropping an 8-7 shootout decision to the Swift Current Broncos. That contest was preceded by a 4-3 setback against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday and a 4-0 loss to the host Oil Kings on Friday.
In the final analysis, head coach Curtis Hunt said the Pats “got what we deserved.”
“The end result out of these three games is what it should be based on the entire package,” said Hunt, who nonetheless felt his team improved each game. “We’re starting to see the make-up of what we believe can be a good hard-working well-rounded hockey club. There’s lots of holes. It’s easy to pick the holes but we’re striving to see the improvements right now. Our third game was by far our best game in terms of work ethic, but obviously the defensive side of things has to improve.”
Regina played catchup for most of Sunday’s contest as the Broncos opened up two-goal leads on five different occasions. The Pats sent the game into overtime with late goals by Matt Strueby and Michal Poletin. After a scoreless overtime session, Justin Dowling potted the winner in the shootout.
Poletin finished the night with two goals and one assist, plus another goal in the shootout. Strueby, Jordan Weal and Graham Hood each had a goal and an assist. Tomas Hricina and Andrew Rieder had the other goals.
Starting goalie Derek Tendler allowed five goals on 14 shots while Dawson Guhle stopped 11 of 13 in relief before allowing two goals on three chances in the shootout.
Jordan Peddle scored twice for the Broncos, who got singles from Mike Brown, Jordan Evans, Eric Doyle, Dowling and Dillon Wagner. Goalie Chad Ketting allowed four goals on 19 shots before Alexandre Sirard stopped 12 of 15, plus two of three in the shootout.
“We’re looking for that consistent 60-minute effort,” said Hunt. “That was something we did have tonight. We didn’t quit. We were down two goals numerous times. We pushed the pace through the extra session and their goaltender was excellent. In my mind we probably deserved a win because of the territory and the scoring chances. (They didn't get it) but it was a good first step.”
On Saturday, Regina took a 3-2 lead into the third period against Medicine but gave up two unanswered markers in the final frame.
Defenceman Alex Pym had a goal and an assist for the Pats, who also got goals from Poletin and Hricina. Guhle, who signed with Regina on Friday, stopped 11 of 12 shots. Veteran Linden Rowat allowed three goals on eight shots in relief.
Emerson Etem scored twice for the Tigers, who were outshot 30-20. Mike Forsyth and Kale Kessey added singles.
Regina’s next pre-season action is Friday in Brandon against the Wheat Kings. Brandon visits the Brandt Centre on Sept. 9 for the Pats’ exhibition home-opener.
on August 30, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Story and summary from the 3rd game

From the Oil Kings website....

SWIFT CURRENT WINS SHOOTOUT IN GAME 6

St. Albert: August 30, 2009

The Regina Pats and the Swift Current Broncos were hoping to get their first win in Game 6 of the Edmonton Oil Kings Pre-season Invitational Tournament presented by Elite Sportswear and Awards.

The Broncos score first on a breakaway. Mike Brown goes upstairs on Regina goaltender Derek Tendler. It doesn’t take Swift Current long to strike again. Andy Blanke drives the net, Jordan Peddle tips in his centering pass, and it is 2 – 0. Regina comes back to score less than a minute after that. Michal Poletin beats Bronco goalie Chad Ketting to make it 2 – 1. The Pats tie it up at 2 before the half way point of the frame. Jordan Weal goes in alone, dekes and sticks the back hand under the bar. The Broncos Brown gets another break away and is hooked going in. He gets a penalty shot, elects to shoot, but Tendler makes a pad save to keep the score 2 – 2.

Period two starts with five goals in just over seven minutes. Swift Current gets goals from Jordan Evans, Peddle with his second of the game, and Eric Doyle. Regina replies with markers from Tomas Hricina and Andrew Rieder. Add it all up, and the Broncos are up 5 – 4. Things settle down, until the Pats take back to back penalties. The Broncos Justin Dowling has a shot goes off a defenseman, and in, to make it 6 – 4. Regina gets it back to within one. Poletin feeds Graham Hood in the slot for the quick one timer. The period ends 6 – 5.

The Broncos get the two goal lead back in the third when Dane Muench finds Dillon Wagner alone in the slot. He whips one past Regina’s second goalie, Dawson Guhle. The Pats get back within one on a blast from the high slot from Matt Strueby, its 7 – 6. Regina pulls even when Poletin scores his second of the game with just over two minutes to play. The third period ends with the score tied seven all, and so does overtime. We have a shootout.

Swift Current goalie Alexandre Sirard is the hero stopping 2 of 3 Pat shooters. The Broncos win 8 – 7, after a 2 – 1 win in the shootout.

The Edmonton Oil Kings can close out the Pre-season Tournament with three straight wins when they take on the 0 - 2 Medicine Hat Tigers, at 7:00 pm tonight.

Game 6 – Regina Pats 7, Swift Current Broncos 8 (2-1 Shootout)

First Period
1. SC - Brown ES, 4:20
2. SC – Peddle (Blanke) ES, 6:17
3. REG – Poletin (Hood) ES, 6:53
4. REG – Weal ES, 9:38
Shots on Goal: REG 12 / SC 9

Second Period
5. SC – Evans (Sullivan, Dowling) ES, 3:14
6. SC – Peddle (Hoban) ES, 3:41
7. REG – Hricina (Metz, Czibere) ES, 4:02
8. SC – Doyle (Evans, Wagner) PP, 6:32
9. REG – Rieder (Strueby, Stephenson) ES, 7:05
10. SC – Dowling (Hewett, Molle) PP, 14:43
11. REG – Hood (Poletin, Bell) ES, 17:57
Two Period Totals: REG 21 / SC 21

Third Period
12. SC – Wagner (Muench, Luhning) ES, 5:43
13. REG – Strueby (Stephenson) ES 10:49
14. REG – Poletin (Weal) ES, 17:45
Three Period Totals: REG 30/ SC 25

Overtime
No Scoring

Final Shot Totals: REG 34/ SC 27
REG – Tendler 9/14 Guhle 11/ 13
SC – Ketting 15/19 Sirard 12/15

Shootout:
SC – Hoban Goal, Dowling Goal, Doyle X
REG – Poletin Goal, Weal X, Hricina X

For more information, contact Oil Kings Manager, Communications Kelly Row at krow@oilkings.ca or (780) 231-2819
on August 30, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Pats fall to 0-2 in pre-season

From edmontonoilkings.ca
TIGERS WIN GAME 3 OF TOURNAMENT

St. Albert – August 29, 2009

Game 3 of the Oil Kings Pre-season Invitational Tournament presented by Elite Sportswear and Awards featured the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Regina Pats. Both teams were coming off opening day losses and looking to rebound. The Pats were shut out 4 – 0 by the Oil Kings, while the Tigers fell 5 – 2 at the hands of the Moose Jaw Warriors.

The Pats score first on the power play in the opening period. Tomas Hricina’s point shot finds its way through a screen and past Tiger goalie Tyler Bunz. The first ends 1 – 0 with the shots on goal even at eight.

The second period begins with a scrap, as Thomas Carr of the Tigers, and Regina’s Matt Delahey go toe to toe. Still in the first minute, the Tigers take an additional penalty, and the Pats capitalize with the man advantage. Alex Pym walks in from the point and goes top corner on Bunz to make it 2 – 0. The Tigers get on the board late in the frame. Emerson Etem sets up Kale Kessey for a one timer, its 2 – 1. Regina gets it back in less than a minute, when Michal Poletin scores to make it 3 – 1. The gates are open; the Tigers Emerson Etem scores a man up and the period ends 3 – 2 for the Pats.

The Tigers tie it up early in the third. After a great break out, Mike Forsyth ends up tapping in a feed from Curtis Valk. It is all even at 3. In the scrum after the goal, Regina takes a penalty, and the Tigers capitalize. Etem scores his second of the game to make it 4 – 3 the Hat, and that is your final.

The Oil Kings Pre-season Invitational features two more games today. The Red Deer Rebels play the Moose Jaw Warriors at 3:00 pm. The Oil Kings take on the Swift Current Broncos at 7:00 pm. The Tournament wraps up with two more games Sunday. The full schedule is available at oilkings.ca.

Game 3 – Regina Pats 3, Medicine Hat Tigers 4
First Period
1. REG – Hricina (Pym, Miller) PP, 2:53
Shots on Goal: REG 8 / MH 8

Second Period
2. REG – Pym (Metz) PP, 1:01
3. MH – Kessey (Etem) ES, 12:56
4. REG – Poletin (Weal, Pavkovich) ES, 13:40
5. MH – Etem (King, Shinkaruk) PP, 15:27

Two Period Totals: REG 24/ MH 15

Third Period
6. MH - Forsyth (Valk) ES, 4:35
7. MH – Etem (Collins, Carlson) PP, 5:49

Final Shots on Goal: REG 30/ MH 20
REG - Guhle 11/12, Rowat 5/8
MH – Bunz 29/30
on August 29, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Pats lose tournament opener

Edmonton Oil Kings link

OIL KINGS WIN TOURNAMENT OPENER

St. Albert – August 28, 2009

The Edmonton Oil Kings 3rd Annual Pre-season Invitational Tournament is underway at Servus Credit Union Place in St. Albert. The hosts were up against the Regina Pats Friday night. The Oil Kings failed to convert on four power plays in a tight checking first period. The team’s best chance came late in the period while a man up. Robin Soudek set up Clayton Cumiskey on the door step but he failed to convert. At the other end, Oil King goalie Cam Lanigan was solid stopping Graham Hood on a breakaway. Late in the frame he robbed Matt Strueby in close. The first period ends scoreless.

One of the Oil Kings young guns opened the scoring in the second. Keegan Lowe’s point shot found it’s way past Regina goalie Damien Ketlo to make it 1 – 0. The Oil Kings made it 2 – 0 on the power play after a wild goal mouth scramble. TJ Foster had a couple whacks at it before Michael St. Croix finally stuck it in.

“I thought Foster and St. Croix had some good chemistry tonight,” says Head Coach Steve Pleau. “Both guys are smart hockey players. They make good reads and move the puck around well.”

Regina started the third period with a brief two man advantage but the Oil Kings penalty kill held tight. Four minutes into the third, Lanigan robbed Hood again on a set up at the top of the crease. Midway through the period, the Pats had another power play chance. Tomas Hricina tipped a point shot but Lanigan was able to get a pad on it. Edmonton put it away on a power play goal by Garrett Thiessen and an even strength marker by Robin Soudek. The night belonged to Lanigan who back stopped the team to a 4 – 0 win. The Oil Kings tender made stops for the shut out.

“Lanigan was our best player tonight,” says Pleau. “He settled down after training camp and made some great saves.”

Lanigan credits the Oil Kings new Goaltender Coach, Lyle Mast, with his improved focus.

“We sat down and discussed going back to the basics,” says Lanigan. “He got me concentrating on the puck, not just to see it, but to stop it.”

The Oil Kings Invitational continues tomorrow, with three games on the schedule. The Regina Pats and Medicine Hat Tigers play at 11:00 am. The Red Deer Rebels play their only tournament game at 3:00 pm against the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Edmonton Oil Kings return to the ice at 7:00 pm against the Swift Current Broncos. The tournament continues Sunday with Regina and Swift Current playing at 3:00 pm. The weekend concludes when the Oil Kings face Medicine Hat at 7:00 pm.

Game 2 – Edmonton Oil Kings 4 Regina Pats 0

First Period
No scoring
Shots on Goal: ED 10 / RP 6

Second Period
1. EOK - Lowe (Foster, St. Croix) ES, 3:11
2. EOK – St. Croix (Foster, Stephenson) PP, 6:03
After 2 Periods: ED 22/ RP 16

Third Period
3. EOK – Thiessen (Wruck, Rachinski) PP, 13:36
4. EOK – Soudek (Thiessen, Wruck) ES, 16:33
After 3 Periods: ED 32/ RP 25
EOK – Lanigan 32/ 32
RP – Kelto 16 /18, Tendler 12/ 14
on August 29, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

A great find by Rod Pedersen

Jordan Eberle plays a big role in this commercial.

on August 28, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Hunt article from the Leader-Post

Link

Head coach Curtis Hunt looks forward to seeing Regina Pats face the competition

By Greg Harder, Leader-PostAugust 28, 2009

LUMSDEN — Curtis Hunt won’t be admiring the view in his first game back behind the bench of the Regina Pats.

Hunt has bigger concerns as the WHL club opens the pre-season this weekend at a tournament in Edmonton with games against the host Oil Kings (Friday), Medicine Hat Tigers (Saturday) and Swift Current Broncos (Sunday).

“I’m excited to see us against the competition moreso than anything,” said Hunt, who’s back in Regina after a year in the Ottawa Senators’ organization. “You have days where you feel great about your group and you have days where you’re wondering about your group. Getting a chance to see other opponents, getting away from pounding each other, that’s what I’m probably most excited about. I think our guys have competed very hard (in camp), but I saw some fatigue in the Blue-White game. Usually when the legs go, the brain follows. We’re working on that mental toughness side of the game every day.”

Although the Pats haven’t had much time to work on systems, Hunt is curious to see which players show a high hockey IQ and pick up on things quickly. He also wants to continue evaluating personnel and experiment with some line combinations while also working towards some tough decisions at every position, especially between the pipes.

Even more important than any of that, Hunt is adamant that each player adopts the prescribed work ethic — describing it as a “relentless doggedness.”

“I heard a great quote from (Canadian Olympic coach) Mike Babcock about what he’s looking for from his players; he wants 200-feet players,” said the Pats’ bench boss. “That’s what we’re looking for. Guys who are committed at all costs to getting back, never giving up on anything in the D zone, never giving up on anything in the offensive zone. That’s the starting point. Without work ethic and the right attitude every day, I don’t care what you do, you’re dead.”

---

When the Pats wrapped up training camp on Thursday, they also said good-bye to the town of Lumsden — perhaps for the last time.

While expressing delight with the hospitality they've received over the years in Lumsden, the Pats would love to hold next year’s training camp at home — either in the Brandt Centre or the adjacent Co-operators Centre, a new six-rink multi-plex which is slated to be fully operational in the New Year.

“It makes good sense for both parties,” said GM Brent Parker. “We wouldn’t have to travel and Evraz Place wouldn’t have the additional expenses of having to pay for our ice and our training camp outside the building.”

Evraz Place officials recently gave Parker a guided tour of the new facilities along with Pats owner Russ Parker and WHL commissioner Ron Robison. Although there’s still a potential scheduling conflict with the annual Royal Red horse show, Parker is hoping something can be arranged.

“It’s certainly an impressive building that is going to really impact the hockey community in the city and would be a great facility for us to have training camp,” said Parker. “We’ve talked a little bit about maybe having a pre-season tournament and things we can do there together to generate some revenue for both parties. That’s our goal. We’re going to do everything we can to find a way to make that work.”

EXTRAS: All 35 players made the trip to Edmonton, including D Matt Delahey (New Jersey), D Colten Teubert (L.A.), RW Garrett Mitchell (Washington) and RW Jordan Eberle (Edmonton). They don't leave for NHL camps until next weekend. RW Brett Leffler and G Linden Rowat are not slated to attend NHL camps.

gharder@leaderpost.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post
on August 28, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

My guesses as to the Pats' depth chart

This is how I view the Pats' depth chart (as many others would view it):
lw c rw
Hricina Weal Eberle
Poletin Strueby Leffler
Hood Metz Mitchell
Gardiner Favreau Rieder
Breitkreuz Froese Mulder



ld rd g

Pym Teubert Ketlo
Delahey Bell Tendler/Guhle
Davidson Borstmayer
Slobozian Miller

Keep in mind that I didn't include Rowat or Czibere as I believe they will be the odd players out. Perrault and Sparrow aren't included as I personally don't think they have had great camps. And I also didn't include Guhle in the chart just because he hasn't fully committed to the Pats (I will add him if/when he plays this weekend).

I really hate putting Weal and Eberle on the same line just due to the fact it feels as though the team will be putting "all its eggs into one basket" so to speak. I would like to see Hricina with Eberle (at C as he has been playing it a lot in camp) and Leffler as the top line.... grit along with goal scoring. The second line I would personally like to see Poletin with Weal and Mitchell (I feel as though Mitchell is ready for a break out season). That would leave a slight problem for Strueby as he would be a 3rd line grinder and I don't know how he would do with Hood and Metz as his wingmen. The 4th unit could be a mish-mash of players like Gardiner, Favreau, Rieder, Mulder, Breitkreuz, Froese. Dare to dream.

Edit: now that Guhle has committed I added him to the depth chart.

KS
on August 27, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Some notes from Greg Harder...

.... on his Slap Shots blog.

Pats set to open pre-season (news and notes)

By Greg Harder Thu, Aug 27 2009 COMMENTS(0) Slap Shots

The Regina Pats departed Thursday morning for Edmonton, where they’ll take part in a pre-season tournament on the weekend. Regina is slated to meet the host Oil Kings on Friday, the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday and the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday.
After more than 50 cuts, the Pats’ roster is starting to take shape, with 35 players still in the fold: Four goalies, 12 defencemen and 19 forwards. That means two goalies, four defencemen and up to five forwards are still on the chopping block.
Head coach Curtis Hunt will mix up his lineup for each game to get a look at everyone, including the four players headed for NHL camps: D Matt Delahey (New Jersey), D Colten Teubert (L.A.), RW Garrett Mitchell (Washington) and RW Jordan Eberle (Edmonton). Eberle’s presence in Oiltown usually causes a stir in the local media, so this trip shouldn’t be any different, especially with Edmonton’s rookie camp just around the corner. Regina’s four NHL campers are expected to leave next weekend (Sept. 4-5).
— As a follow-up to a post from a couple days ago, G Linden Rowat and RW Brett Leffler are indeed no longer scheduled to attend NHL camps. They took part in summer development camps with the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, but those teams didn’t extend invitations to their main camps. As a result, Leffler and Rowat will have to put their entire focus into their final WHL campaign in hopes of earning pro contracts next summer. Both are more than capable of doing so.
— Assuming Delahey returns from New Jersey — which appears to be the case, but is far from certain — the Pats will have five 20-year-olds competing for just three openings (Delahey, Rowat, Leffler, Mitch Czibere and Matt Strueby). Although Rowat remains the team’s most-proven and reliable commodity between the pipes, the Pats may not be deep enough as a team to use a 20-year-old goalie unless he’s a huge difference maker. With three other netminders who have significant upside knocking at the door, the Pats may have no choice but to go in that direction. That said, they won’t give Rowat away — or any of their other goalies, for that matter. Either way, GM Brent Parker will be looking to maximize that depth. He won’t want a repeat of last year’s goalie dilemma, which dragged out until November when the Pats finally sent Jeff Bosch to Moose Jaw for Neal Prokop — a deal they’d like to have back. Prokop was eventually traded to Tri-City for F Jason Gardiner, who’s currently out with a knee injury.
— Rookie G Dawson Guhle — the subject of a story in today’s Leader-Post — is tentatively slated to play on Saturday against Medicine Hat. But first the Pats’ brass needs to meet with the family in hopes of receiving a full commitment from the 17-year-old prospect. Guhle apparently wants to make sure he’s choosing the right course before playing in a game and forfeiting his NCAA eligibility. He’s reportedly being heavily pursued by the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. The Pats are extremely high on the young netminder and believe he should be playing in the best league. Based on my conversation with him Wednesday, it appears that Guhle wants to be here as well. I would be surprised if it doesn’t happen.
— D Aaron Enns was a late cut following Tuesday’s Blue & White game. Why? According to the Pats, he was looking for some sort of assurance that he’d be on the team this season before he played in the pre-season, thus losing his NCAA eligibility. Although he was in the mix, the Pats couldn’t guarantee he’d crack the top eight blueliners, so they returned him to the BCHL. Regardless, I get the impression that Enns would have had a tough time beating out the likes of Brandon Davidson, who has positioned himself well to make the team if he has a strong pre-season.
— As expected, the Brandt Centre will still be under construction when the Pats play their home pre-season opener on Sept. 9 against the Brandon Wheat Kings. However, there are now rumblings that the 1,000 new seats being installed on the east end may not be totally complete in time for the Pats’ regular-season opener on Sept. 19 against Brandon. Meanwhile, there are some other positive changes to report in the Brandt Centre. For one, the team’s dressing room is undergoing renovations while new coaches offices have been built across from the dressing room, adding more space to the existing room for training purposes.
on August 27, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Metz at home with WHL's Pats

Faceoff.com Link

Metz at home with WHL's Pats
Greg Harder, Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, August 27, 2009

LUMSDEN, Sask. - Brayden Metz is getting a second chance to make a first impression with the Regina Pats.

Calling it a low-risk, high-reward wager, the Western Hockey League club has opened the door for Metz to come home and resurrect his junior career in the same city where it began - well, almost began.

Labelled a can't-miss prospect during his minor hockey days in Regina, Metz's stock dropped slightly heading into the 2005 bantam draft, allowing the Pats to grab him in the second round (21st overall). But the down-ward trend soon continued when Metz failed to crack the Pats' lineup at age 16 and was subsequently dispatched to the Chilliwack Bruins. Two seasons later, he was dealt to the Moose Jaw Warriors, followed by a demotion to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Melville Millionaires.

Now Metz has come full circle with the Pats, who added the 19-year-old centre to their protected list in the spring and invited him to compete for a job in training camp.

"It's strange (to be back) but it's everything a guy has ever wanted," offered Metz, whose team opens the pre-season Friday night in Edmonton against the Oil Kings. "To be successful on a team is one thing but to play for your hometown is another. If I get that chance I'm going to make the most out of it."

The turning point in Metz's career may turn out to be his brief stint last season in Melville, where he posted 15 points in 18 regular-season games.

"Going to the SJ was a big confidence boost for me so hopefully I can bring that and some of my strengths and help out the team," said Metz. "(In Moose Jaw and Chilliwack) they were more relying on me to be a grinder and whatnot. I was young. No excuses. But going back to Melville, I found myself as a hockey player."

Metz's future is now tied to his past. Once projected as a front-line centre, the Pats are giving him a chance to fulfil that potential by auditioning the six-foot, 182-pounder for a job on one of the team's top two lines.

"He's as skilled a player as we've got in camp," said Parker, who ranked Metz's pure talent in the top three with Jordan Eberle and Jordan Weal. "A big thing for Brayden is he has matured. You have to play within the team concept to get opportunities offensively. I think he's starting to understand those things. I thought he was outstanding in the playoffs last year in Melville, but he has to play with skilled guys. He's not going to be a penalty killer, a checker, a third- or four-line guy. He needs to be given an opportunity to play in a skilled role. If he makes the most of it, then there's a spot here for him."

Regina Leader-Post
on August 27, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

A few more camp thoughts...

I've been pondering what to write about this years' projected line-up. I've heard people saying that the team is going to be bad, won't be able to score goals, etc. I really can't agree with anyone that says that. If anyone has any sense they would just look at last years statistics.... The Pats lose 52 goals (that includes Bartley, Robertson, MacAngus, Prokop, Cerveny, Dudas and Doucet). They may lost 2 of their top 10 scorers.

The Pats brass has a few choices to make this season and they are probaly going to be some tough choices. The overage situation and the goalie situation.

The overagers is going to be a tough one to figure out. I think Matt Delahey is a lock for one of the spots so that leaves 2 spots for four other players. One would think Brett Leffler would also be a sure thing coming off a 33 goal season. Okay now there is 1 spot for 3 players. Each one brings their own integral part to the club. Matt Strueby could provide the Pats with some secondary scoring after potting 25 goals and 50 points. Mitch Czibere brings a defensive side to the game, has the speed and I've heard that he is a huge leader-type player. Then we've got the 2 spotter Linden Rowat in net who in my opinion was not fairly criticized for his play last year (I did criticize him at times but I have learned what to expect game in and game out).

My picks as hard as they may be would be Delahey, Leffler and Strueby. I think Rowat would be a wanted commodity as a few teams are in need of a veteran goalie. Czibere I think could add a lot of leadership to any team looking to make a run.

Now onto the goalie situation: I explained Rowat in the overager situation and I think he will be playing somewhere else before long. So that would leave 3 goalies that could play in the league: Ketlo, Guhle and Tendler. Ketlo would be the obvious choice to start as he has played the most games and did alright for the team last year. Now the battle goes to the 17 year-olds.... In camp both Guhle and Tendler have done fairly well and in my honest opinion neither one has really taken the lead. I would consider them pretty much equivalent. So now it gets a little stickier. Tendler is a homegrown talent that has nothing left to prove in Midget is ready to get lots of playing time in the WHL and eventually become the teams starter. Guhle is attempting to throw a monkey into the wrench with his play; he is ready. His only "problem" is that he hasn't fully commited to playing in the WHL and could just as easily go play in the AJHL and have a long career somewhere else (we will see this weekend, if he plays or not).

With the defence it's a little murky as well as Teubert, Delahey, Pym and Bell are definite locks for the top 4 spots (unless a deal is made). After watching camp I think Perrault, Sparrow and Miller are on very thin ice and should really be looking over their shoulders as Slobozian (looks fully recovered), Borstmayer, Davidson have really pushed for spots in the top 6. Graham & Pavkovich I don't think are ready.

Forwards are a whole new thing. I'm thinking (hoping and praying) that Eberle gets returned to the Pats for his sake and the Pats. Weal will have another great year. Now they need the rest of the team to step up and help out. Hricina, Poletin, Leffler and Mitchell look to round out the top 6.

I'm going to take a stab at my projected lines for the start of the season in my next post.

KS
on August 27, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

"Guhle the Goalie"

Leader-Post link.

Guhle the Goalie's got natural talent

By Greg Harder, The Leader-Post August 27, 2009 10:59 AM

There's not much separating the four goaltenders fighting for two jobs with the WHL's Regina Pats, but Dawson Guhle has at least one thing that sets him apart.

A cool nickname.

The 17-year-old puckstopper is affectionately known as 'Guhle the Goalie' -- not to be confused with Olie the Goalie, a handle owned by long-time NHL netminder Olaf Kolzig. Guhle's version of the moniker has followed him around for as long as he can remember.

"I've heard 'Guhle the Goalie' many times," he said with a laugh. "At the (Alberta midget AAA) all-star game last year, a guy I didn't even know was like 'Guhle. Guhle the Goalie. Bet you haven't heard that one before.' I'm like, 'Yeah, I've heard it a few times.' Pretty much every team I play on I end up getting that nickname. But it's fine with me."

Nickname or no nickname, Guhle has come to the Pats as advertised, adding to an already hot competition between veteran starter Linden Rowat, returning backup Damien Ketlo and fellow top prospect Derek Tendler.

Guhle has had a strong camp and appeared to help his cause during Tuesday's Blue & White intrasquad game, stopping 17 of 19 shots in 30 minutes of work. In fact, head coach Curtis Hunt singled him out after the game for weathering an early storm that propelled Team Blue to a 6-4 victory.

"It has been going really well; I'm feeling pretty confident out there," said Guhle, a finalist for top-goalie honours in the Alberta midget AAA ranks last season after posting a 2.02 GAA. "I didn't feel too much pressure (coming into camp). I wasn't drafted or anything, so I feel a little bit like an underdog. You just come in and do your thing and hopefully impress them. Usually if you're loose and feeling good, you play better."

Guhle has impressed the Pats with his poise and calm demeanor -- as well as his performance.

"The more you watch him and the longer he has been here the better he seems to be getting," said GM Brent Parker. "He has soooo much upside, so much untapped potential. He hasn't had a lot of coaching (as a goalie). What he has accomplished to this point has really just been on athleticism and God-given talent."

It's serving him pretty well so far.

"He has been as good as anybody (in camp)," added Parker. "I think all the goaltenders have performed quite well. From the outside, people would have looked at (Guhle) as a long-shot. From our standpoint, we knew what he was capable of and feel he has as good a chance as anybody to win one of those two jobs. He has shown us nothing to indicate he's going to take a step back at any point in time. We really think the sky is the limit for him."

Guhle hasn't yet made a full commitment to the Pats, but they're optimistic -- and very hopeful -- that he'll do so in time to see action this weekend at a pre-season tournament in Edmonton. The seven-game exhibition season will likely determine which goalies stay and which ones go.

"You just have to go out there and do your thing; don't put too much pressure on yourself," added Guhle. "At the end of the day it's not your decision. You have to go out there and do your best and prove to them you can play on the team. All of them are great goalies and it's a great competition. At this level you have to expect that competition."
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post
on August 27, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Mike Sillinger to retire

From TSN.ca

ISLANDERS' SILLINGER EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT
TSN.CA STAFF

8/26/2009 12:38:59 PM

After 17 NHL seasons with 12 clubs, it appears that journeyman forward Mike Sillinger is ready to call it a career.

The New York Islanders and general manager Garth Snow have called a news conference for Wednesday afternoon where it is expected that Sillinger will announce his retirement.

The Regina, Saskatchewan native, 38, played 1,049 NHL games since being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round (11th overall) of the 1989 Entry Draft. His most prolific season came in 2006-07 with the Islanders when he had 26 goals and 33 assists.

Overall, he compiled 240 goals and 548 points. He was traded 10 times during his career, including twice in one day in July, 2003.

In addition to the Red Wings and Islanders, Sillinger suited up for Anaheim, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Florida, Ottawa, Columbus, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Nashville.

Edit: It's official. Silly has called it a career.


Regina's Mike Sillinger retires after long NHL career

By Greg Harder, Leader-PostAugust 26, 2009 9:35 PM

REGINA — Mike Sillinger couldn't be more at peace with his decision to walk away from the NHL — while he still can.

The veteran centre has been on the limp for nearly two years due to chronic hip problems which required three surgeries — two on the left, one on the right — and will likely force him to undergo a replacement procedure later in life. As a result, Sillinger felt the time was right to announce his retirement on Wednesday, realizing the wear and tear of 17 pro seasons had caught up to him and might affect his quality of life down the road.

"It's the most logical decision to make," offered the 38-year-old Regina native, who has a titanium ball and joint in his left hip. "If I continue playing, best-case scenario, I sneak through another year. Worst-case scenario, I'm having a hip replacement before I'm 40 years old. There's no way a 40-year-old should have a hip replacement. I've had a great career and I have to move forward. It's a sad day but it's the start of a new beginning for our whole family. Am I going to miss hockey? Of course. Am I happy with my decision? There was no decision. My decision was made easy for me, but I'm content with what I'm doing. I really feel solid that I gave it all I had for all those years."

Asked what he'll miss most, Sillinger was quick to mention "the guys in the locker room." He also loved going to work each day.

"The locker room was my office," he said. "I was at the rink early, I was the last one to leave. I enjoyed going to the rink. It's something I'm going to miss a lot."

As for a career highlight, Sillinger named three: Winning a gold medal with Canada at the 1991 world juniors in Saskatoon, winning a Calder Cup title the next year in his first pro season with the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings, and playing his 1,000th NHL game on Nov. 1, 2007, with the New York Islanders.

Sillinger will also have the distinction of retiring as an NHL record-holder — he's the only player in league history to suit up for 12 different teams. Asked if he's hoping the record will soon fall, Sillinger laughed, adding that he chooses to look at the positive. His skills were always in demand.

"I like that record," he said. "It's something I took a lot of pride in. I think that's why I lasted so long. I always had a positive attitude. The day you feel sorry for yourself in the National Hockey League is the day someone is going to take your job. You're playing a game and you're playing the best players in the world. Who wouldn't want to be in your shoes? As far as being on 12 teams, 20 teams, 50 teams, I don't care. I was a piece of the puzzle everywhere I went."

Known as an effective two-way centre — and one of the league's premier face-off man — Sillinger's skills were typically a hot commodity at the annual trade deadline. But he was also coveted for his presence in the locker room.

"Everyone has to find their niche because there's such a fine line between making it and not making it," he noted. "I broke in with the right team (because Detroit was so deep). What it made me was not only a complete player but a complete package. I took a lot of pride in being a great teammate. I learned that in Detroit playing with the (Steve) Yzermans and (Paul) Coffeys and the list goes on the Hall of Famers that I played with. Those guys were not only great hockey players but they were great people. That's what I tried to mould myself after."

Like fine wine, Sillinger also got better with age. A scoring star with the WHL's Regina Pats, it wasn't until later in his career that Sillinger hit his stride offensively, recording a career-high 32 goals and 63 points in 2005-06 — at age 34.

"I really realized during the lockout (in 2004-05) that this isn't going to last forever so you want to cherish it," he added. "I'm really, really thankful for playing such a long time and at such a high level. I'm going out on top. Yeah, I haven't won a Stanley Cup — that's the ultimate goal — but I played over 1,000 games and had a lot of great accomplishments and every year I got better. I think that's because I didn't take the game for granted."

gharder@leaderpost.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post
on August 26, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Poletin's play says it all

By Greg Harder, The Leader-PostAugust 26, 2009

Michal Poletin doesn't speak any English, so he's letting his play do all the talking.

The Czech rookie scored twice in the Regina Pats' annual intrasquad game on Tuesday, leading Team Blue to a 6-4 win over Team White at Lumsden Arena. The Pats selected Poletin in the first round (59th overall) of this summer's CHL import draft, hoping he had the right makeup for a smooth transition to the North American game.

So far, so good.

"From Day 1 I think he has gotten better," Pats head coach Curtis Hunt said of the 6-foot-3, 210-pound winger, who was the captain of the Czech under-18 team this spring. "It's not easy to come across (from Europe) ... but he continues to work hard. I think he's going to get better every day."

It didn't hurt that Poletin was the beneficiary of some generous stickwork from linemate Jordan Weal, the runner-up for WHL rookie-of-the-year honours last season. With the score knotted 2-2 late in the second period, Weal broke free of a defender with a spin-o-rama move, then dished off to Poletin, who quickly deposited a short-handed marker past goalie Jesse Rogers.

Just 36 seconds later, Weal set up Poletin again at point-blank range, giving Team Blue a 4-2 lead after 40 minutes.

"Certainly when you play with a player of that calibre, if you get in the right areas, they have that ability to find you," said Hunt, who also gave credit to Poletin for his finishing touch. "He has a heavy shot, he handles the puck (well). His strength is really from the circles down, protecting the puck, making nice little plays. He reads the situation extremely well, where to be, where to get himself. He has some work to do to get himself (used to) the pace. Other than that, I'm very, very pleased with him."

Brayden Metz, Myles Bell, Dayton Reinboldt and Devon Allenby (empty netter) had the other goals for Team Blue, which got three assists from Weal. Tomas Hricina, Lucas Froese, Tyler Borstmayer and Garrett Mitchell (penalty shot) replied for Team White.

Hunt elected to split playing time between four rookie goaltenders, with the starting assignments going to Derek Tendler and Dawson Guhle. They allowed two goals apiece in 11/2 periods of work, with Tendler stopping seven of nine shots and Guhle shining with 17 saves on 19 shots.

Asked if Tuesday's contest made the muddled goalie picture any more clear, Hunt smiled and replied: "No."

"The two goalies that started, Guhle and Tendler, obviously we wanted to see them square off against each other," he added. "All the goals were good goals, probably breakdowns in other areas of the team game. It's what we wanted and what we knew we had coming in, a tough decision. We just want to make sure we make the right one."

Cory Nygaard picked up the win in relief with 16 saves on 18 shots. Rogers took the loss with 11 saves on 14 shots.

EXTRAS: The Pats made the following cuts after the game: Rogers and Nygaard; D-men Ty Ariss, Hudson Friesen and Rhett Holland; and, forwards Dyson Stevenson, Reinboldt, Shaq Merasty, Garrett Lockeridge, Matthew Hildebrandt, A.J. Fossen, Aiden Crowther, Thomas Cardinal, Ryan Baskerville, Tayler Balog and Allenby.
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

Leader-Post link.
on August 26, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Updated roster

Training Camp Roster
After Blue & White Game August 25, 2009

goalies (4) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Dawson Guhle G 5.11 160 15-Oct-92 Daysland, AB
Damien Ketlo G 6.01 180 26-Jan-91 Fort Fraser, BC
Linden Rowat G 6.02 181 27-Jun-89 Cochrane, AB
Derek Tendler G 5.11 201 01-Jan-92 Regina, SK

defencemen (12) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Myles Bell D 6.00 185 19-Aug-93 Calgary, AB
Tyler Borstmayer D 6.03 188 23-Feb-93 St. Brieux, SK
Brandon Davidson D 6.01 185 21-Aug-91 Taber, AB
Matt Delahey D 6.03 210 25-Sep-89 Moose Jaw, SK
Shamus Graham D 5.10 160 16-Jan-92 Fort Sask., AB
Koltyn Miller D 6.02 176 10-Mar-91 Redvers, SK
Tyler Pavkovich D 5.11 170 10-Mar-93 Abbotsford, BC
Dominic Perrault D 6.03 210 27-Aug-91 Regina, SK
Alex Pym D 6.01 200 04-Mar-91 Winnipeg, MB
Jay Slobozian D 6.00 175 23-Jan-92 Dauphin, MB
Travis Sparrow D 6.03 190 17-Feb-91 Vanscoy, SK
Colten Teubert D 6.04 193 08-Mar-90 White Rock, BC

forwards (19) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Clarke Breitkreuz LW 6.00 166 11-Nov-91 Springside, SK
Mitch Czibere C 5.11 185 15-Feb-89 Fort Sask., AB
Jordan Eberle RW 5.10 184 15-May-90 Regina, SK
Dominick Favreau C 5.10 175 15-Jan-92 Martensville, SK
Lucas Froese C 5.10 165 26-Nov-92 Grunthal, MB
Jason Gardiner LW 6.01 193 10-Oct-91 Winnipeg, MB
Joel Harnden RW 5.10 160 1993 Stony Plain, MB
Graham Hood LW 6.02 198 27-Jan-92 Martensville, SK
Tomas Hricina LW 6.02 198 31-May-90 Kosice, SLO
Brett Leffler RW 6.01 189 19-May-89 Wynyard, SK
Brayden Metz C 6.00 185 28-Apr-90 Regina, SK
Garrett Mitchell RW 5.11 181 02-Sep-91 Regina, SK
Kyle Mulder RW 6.01 175 13-Jun-91 East St. Paul, MB
Michal Poletin LW 6.03 210 09-Jun-91 Kosice, SLO
Andrew Rieder C 5.11 155 07-Aug-92 Regina, SK
Michael Sagen LW 5.10 150 13-Mar-93 Kenaston, SK
Chandler Stephenson C 5.09 155 22-Apr-94 Saskatoon, SK
Matt Strueby C 6.01 186 20-Sep-89 Regina, SK
Jordan Weal C 5.09 160 15-Apr-92 North Vancouver, BC
on August 25, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Blue and White re-cap

As I was typing out the scoring summary I noticed that Greg Harder had it on his Slap Shots blog along with some tidbits and new "cuts".... It's way easier to use his.

Blue & White results
By Greg Harder Wed, Aug 26 2009 COMMENTS(0) Slap Shots

LUMSDEN — Czech rookie Michal Poletin scored two goals on Tuesday to lead Team Blue to a 6-4 win over Team White in the Regina Pats’ annual intrasquad game at Lumsden Arena.
Both of Poletin’s goals came on pretty setups by Jordan Weal, who finished with three assists. Brayden Metz, Myles Bell, Dayton Reinboldt and Devon Allenby (empty netter) had the other goals for Team Blue. Tomas Hricina, Lucas Froese, Tyler Borstmayer and Garrett Mitchell (penalty shot) replied for Team White.
Mitchell’s penalty-shot marker brought Team White within a goal with 1:35 remaining but Allenby iced it with 33 seconds on the clock, scoring into an empty net.
With veterans Linden Rowat and Damien Ketlo getting the night off, the Pats split playing time between four rookie goalies.
The starting assignments went to top prospects Derek Tendler and Dawson Guhle, who dominated the midget AAA ranks last season and are duelling for a job in the Pats’ muddled crease. They allowed two goals apiece in 1 1/2 periods of work, with Tendler stopping seven of nine shots and Guhle shining with 17 saves on 19 shots.
Cory Nygaard picked up the win in relief with 16 saves on 18 shots. Rogers took the loss with 11 saves on 14 shots. Both goalies were re-assigned following the game, joined by D-men Ty Ariss, Hudson Friesen and Rhett Holland; and, forwards Dyson Stevenson, Reinboldt, Shaq Merasty, Garrett Lockeridge, Matthew Hildebrandt, A.J. Fossen, Aiden Crowther, Thomas Cardinal, Ryan Baskerville, Tayler Balog and Allenby.
Edit: Aaron Enns (D) was designated for assignment as well.
That leaves the Pats with 36 players: Four goalies, 13 defencemen and 19 forwards. They’ll trim that to about 25 for the start of the regular season.
Several veterans got the night off, including D Colten Teubert, RW Jordan Eberle and all five 20-year-olds: LW Matt Strueby, C Mitch Czibere, RW Brett Leffler, D Matt Delahey and G Linden Rowat. LW Jason Gardiner and C Dominick Favreau sat out with knee injuries.
The team has one more day of practice before heading to Edmonton on Thursday for a pre-season tournament. Regina will meet the host Oil Kings (Friday), Medicine Hat Tigers (Saturday) and Swift Current Broncos (Sunday). Those are the first of seven pre-season games for the Pats, whose exhibition home-opener is Sept. 9 against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Here's the summary from the Blue & White game:

Blue 6, White 4
Intrasquad Game
LUMSDEN — WHL Tuesday night:
First Period
1. Blue, Metz (Miller) 5:17 (pp)
2. White, Hricina (Enns) 14:31 (pp)
Penalties — Graham Blue (holding) 2:40, Stephenson White (holding) 5:07, Friesen White (tripping) 6:53, Hood White (boarding) 8:28, Graham Blue (holding) 10:27, Weal Blue (hooking) 12:46.
Second Period
3. Blue, Bell 3:51 (pp)
4. White, Froese (Fossen) 7:16
5. Blue, Poletin (Weal) 16:29 (sh)
6. Blue, Poletin (Weal) 17:07
Penalties — Froese White (hooking) 2:15, Allenby Blue (holding), Friesen White (delay of game) 2:20, Lockeridge Blue (hooking) 15:01.
Third period
7. White, Bortsmayer 8:33 (pp)
8. Blue, Reinboldt (Balog) 13:54
9. White, Mitchell 18:25 (ps)
10. Blue, Allenby (Weal) 19:27 (pp) (en)
Penalties — Crowther (hooking) White 3:47, Enns White (tripping) 6:01, Weal Blue (interference) 7:27, Borstmayer White (hooking) 15:26, Bench White (too many men) 18:11, Enns White, Sparrow Blue, Breitkreuz White, Metz Blue (fighting) 19:59.
Shots
Blue 4 10 10—24
White 12 13 12—37
Goal — Blue: Guhle (19-17) and Nygaard (18-16) (10:00 second); White: Tendler (9-7) and Rogers (14-11) (10:00 second).
Power play (goals-chances) — Blue: 3-8; White: 2-5.
Referees — Sheldon Dean, Nathan Wieler; Linsemen — Chad Marshall, Sean Dufour.
on August 25, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

2009 Blue and White Game

Line-ups


TEAM BLUE
35 Dawson Guhle
31 Cory Nygaard


3 Ty Ariss
4 Alex Pym
5 Shamus Graham
6 Myles Bell
27 Koltyn Miller
36 Travis Sparrow
44 Tyler Pavkovich


10 Tayler Balog
11 Michael Sagen
15 Joel Harnden
19 Jordan Weal
20 Devon Allenby
21 Andrew Rieder
22 Dayton Reinboldt
23 Garrett Lockeridge
25 Michal Poletin
26 Brayden Metz
28 Shaq Mirasty
34 Ryan Baskerville



TEAM WHITE
33 Derek Tendler
35 Jesse Rogers


2 Justin Slobozian
3 Brandon Davidson
4 Rhett Holland
5 Dominic Perrault
6 Aaron Enns
27 Hudson Friesen
36 Tyler Borstmayer


10 Garrett Mitchell
11 Graham Hood
15 Kyle Mulder
18 Aidan Crowther
19 Chandler Stephenson
21 Thomas Cardinal
22 Tomas Hricina
24 Lucas Froese
25 AJ Fossen
26 Dyson Stevenson
32 Matthew Hildebrandt
34 Clarke Breitkreuz
on August 25, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

More on Stephenson and Balog

From Greg Harder and the Leader Post.... Link

Chandler Stephenson, Tayler Balog looking to future with Regina Pats

By Greg Harder, Leader-PostAugust 25, 2009

REGINA — Chandler Stephenson and Tayler Balog haven't yet played a game for the Regina Pats, but they're already attached at the hip as the future of the WHL franchise.

The 15-year-old forwards were much-ballyhooed when the Pats selected them with their first two picks in the 2009 bantam draft -- Stephenson fifth overall and Balog 28th. The dynamic duo had previously joined forces last year as summer hockey linemates with the Saskatoon AAA Huskies. Then, after being drafted by the Pats and reunited in training camp, they were together again on Monday to sign their first WHL contracts.

The Pats hope it's the start of a long and prosperous marriage.

"We think they'll be cornerstones for our franchise," GM Brent Parker said during a media gathering to announce the signings. "We look at them as guys who hopefully will play together (on the same line). Chandler is a guy who sees the ice and dishes the puck and Taylor can just flat-out score. He goes to the net and has great speed. They're both great skaters, they both shoot the puck well. They played together in spring hockey and put up huge numbers. We anticipate if they can continue to develop and grow that they'll be able to do that at the next level as well."

Stephenson and Balog realize they've enjoyed a rare connection -- one they're eager to continue.

"I hope to play with him on the Pats," offered Stephenson. "It would be really cool because we already know each other's games."

Stephenson, a 5-foot-9, 163-pound centre, would seem to be the ideal complement to Balog, who -- at 6-foot-0, 180 -- is viewed as a future power forward. However, despite all their raw potential, they both have plenty of work to do in the midget AAA ranks -- with the Saskatoon Contacts and Tisdale Trojans, respectively -- before they're ready for primetime in 2010-11.

Like a lot of young players, Parker said, Balog needs to focus on consistency and learn how hard he needs to work every night to succeed at the WHL level. Stephenson's biggest challenge may be adapting to his defensive responsibilities.

"You have to play well defensively to play in this league and have the consistency level of being there every night," said the veteran GM. "You can't afford to take any time off."

Parker is impressed with what he has seen so far in camp, noting that both players have been getting better and better.

That said, the experience has still been an eye-opener.

"You have to be ready all the time for everything that comes at you," noted Balog, who's from Weyburn. "It's faster out there so I have to be faster out there too. And (he has to work on) being more physical, not shying away from the hits, taking the body all the time. I'm a big guy so I need to start using that a little bit more."

When it came time to talk contract, the Pats didn't have to be sold on the talents of their young blue-chip prospects. Likewise, there was no major sales pitch required to recruit Balog and Stephenson, who've been committed to Regina from the start.

They made it official Monday by signing on the dotted line.

"It felt real good," added Stephenson, a Saskatoon native. "It's an honour to be playing for the Pats. The coaching staff and the organization are really great. The guys are treating me really well. I'm like family pretty much to these guys. I can't wait to play here."

gharder@leaderpost.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

----------
Official Presser from ReginaPats(dot)com

Pats Sign Top Two Draft Picks
2009-08-25

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats are proud to announce that they have signed their first and second round picks from the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft to a Standard Players Agreement.

Chandler Stephenson was the Pats first round pick, taken 5th overall in the WHL Bantam Draft. With the Saskatoon Generals this past season, Stephenson amassed 72 points in 46 games. He was also an AP with the Saskatoon Blazers of the SMAAAHL last season, playing in 9 games picking up two goals and an assist, and was with the club during the Mac’s Midget Tournament over the holiday season. His brother, Colton Stephenson is currently a forward with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

C - Chandler Stephenson
Born – Apr 22nd, 1994
Hometown - Saskatoon, Sask.
5’9” 155lbs.
08-09 Saskatoon Generals (Stn Bantam) GP-46 G-49 A-61 PTS-110 PIM-72

Tayler Balog was the Pats second round pick, taken 28th overall in the WHL Bantam Draft. The Kipling, Saskatchewan native played with the Weyburn Crescent Point Wings of the South Sask. Minor Hockey League this past season, and picked up 76 points in 26 games.

C – Tayler Balog
Born – April 21st, 1994
Hometown - Kipling, Sask.
6’1” 170lbs.
Weyburn (SSMHL) GP-26 G-44 A-32 PTS-76 PIM-34

Regina Pats General Manager, Brent Parker, “We are excited to have these two young players committed to our organization and feel they will be an important part of our future. Both kids will have a tremendous impact in our league.”

Stephenson and Balog will take part in the Prairie Mobile Communications Blue and White game tomorrow night in Lumsden. It’s a 7pm puck drop at the Lumsden Arena.
on August 25, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Blue & White game tonight!

Just a reminder for anyone that has decided to check out the Pats present and future.

Note: I just posted from my phone and it worked!

KS
on August 25, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Hunt gets to know his new players

From today's Leader-Post.... Link

Hunt gets to know his new players

By Greg Harder, Leader-PostAugust 25, 2009

The Regina Pats practised on a fog-covered ice surface at their camp in Lumsden on Monday.

The Regina Pats practised on a fog-covered ice surface at their camp in Lumsden on Monday.
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post, Leader-Post

Curtis Hunt is playing catchup.

Coming off a year in the Ottawa Senators' organization, Hunt is the first to admit he missed a lot in his brief time away from the WHL's Regina Pats. As a result, the veteran head coach has been busy renewing old acquaintances in training camp as well as making new ones.

"Everything is about relationships," offered Hunt. "They went through an experience (last season), as I did. For some of them it was a little bit of a breakout and some of them maybe not as favourable. It's nice to have that familiarity so you know names and faces and you have an idea. But when you lose a year in terms of seeing them develop, to continue the relationship, it makes things fresh on both sides."

There are just eight players on the roster who played under Hunt in 2007-08, mixed with a collection of newcomers and rookies. Hunt is somewhat familiar with last season's rookies -- including Jordan Weal -- since they were briefly in camp with him two years ago.

However, missing a year for players this age means you've missed a lot.

"You try as quickly as possible to get to know them, firstly just the names and after that what makes them tick as a player," added Hunt. "Some guys like a pat on the butt, some guys like a kick on the butt. It's important for (assistant coach) Shaun (Sutter) and myself to understand what they need for them to be their best. It's kinda the beginning stages (of the relationship)."

- - -

The Pats are developing some southern comfort.

The WHL club invited an unprecedented five Americans to training camp this year. Goaltender Jesse Rogers, a native of San Ramon, Calif., was the only one to survive the weekend cutdown, but that won't stop the Pats from looking south again.

"There are 22 teams in our league and we have to expand our horizons in terms of where we're looking for players," said GM Brent Parker. "We were more active in the States last year than we've ever been. We probably had 25 or 30 kids on our (bantam) draft list. We got one (goalie Darrin Robinson of Colorado in the 10th round). We had two or three others we really liked that got plucked right in front of us."

The Pats' efforts are being complemented by a U.S.-based scout who was hired last season, covering the entire Western U.S. Due to his presence, Parker expects the number of Americans on the Pats' radar to grow.

"Let's be honest, there are more Americans playing hockey (than ever before) so we'd be foolish not to look," he added. "We'll be even more active down there this year."

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EXTRAS: Ex-Pats Jamie Heward and Garth Murray are expected to begin skating with the team this week in preparation for the upcoming NHL season. Heward, who may elect to retire and get into coaching, typically uses the time to improve his conditioning and lend a hand with the Pats. "Any time we can give Jamie a chance to talk to our defencemen, I think it's nothing but beneficial," said Hunt ... Watch for another Pats alumnus, Mike Sillinger, to do some work with the team this season in a yet-to-be-defined consultant/coaching role. Sillinger is expected to retire after 16 seasons in the NHL ... LW Jason Gardiner, acquired in the off-season from Tri-City, is slated to miss about 10 days with a hyperextended knee. He'll sit out tonight's Blue & White intrasquad game at Lumsden Arena.
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post
on August 25, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Day 5.....

From Greg Harder's Slap Shots blog..........

Training camp Day 5 (good news, bad news for Pats)

By Greg Harder Tue, Aug 25 2009 COMMENTS(0) Slap Shots

The big story on Monday was the official signing of blue-chip prospects Chandler Stephenson and Tayler Balog. Both are slated to play in Tuesday’s Blue & White intrasquad game (7 p.m., Lumsden Arena). They’ll likely see some pre-season action as well before joining their respective midget AAA teams: The Tisdale Trojans (Balog) and Saskatoon Contacts (Stephenson). They’re eligible to play just five WHL games this season but can join the Pats on a full-time basis after their midget teams are done.
Here are some other notes from Monday:
— It’s looking like G Linden Rowat and RW Brett Leffler may not be headed for NHL training camps after all. That would be a tough blow for the 20-year-olds, who attended summer development camps with the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively. It was thought those teams would extend an invitation to training camp but that no longer appears to be the case. Unless something changes, D Matt Delahey is now the only 20-year-old who could leave the Pats for a job in the pros. However, the fact that the New Jersey Devils still have a year to sign Delahey bodes well for Regina's chances of getting him back. Delahey, RW Garrett Mitchell (Washington), RW Jordan Eberle (Edmonton) and D Colten Teubert (L.A.) are now the lone members of the Pats who are assured of spots in NHL training camps.
— LW Jason Gardiner, an off-season acquisition from Tri-City, is slated to miss about 10 days with a hyper-extended knee. It was originally feared to be more serious. C Dominick Favreau is also out 10 days with a sprained knee. LW Graham Hood (thumb) is good to go and might play in the Blue & White game. Delahey (charleyhorse) is also coming along well but won’t play in the intrasquad game.
— With 52 players still in camp, there will be significant cuts following the Blue & White game. The contest will feature a mixture of veterans and hopefuls. Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert are among the vets who may sit, unless head coach Curtis Hunt has a change of heart.
— Returning goalies Linden Rowat and Damien Ketlo are expected to get the night off. As a result, the four rookies in camp — Derek Tendler, Dawson Guhle, Cory Nygaard and Jesse Rogers — will all play. It’s an important audition for a player like Guhle, who has a chance to challenge for a job this season.
— Ex-Pats Jamie Heward and Garth Murray are expected to begin skating with the team this week in preparation for the upcoming NHL season. Heward, who may elect to retire and get into coaching, typically uses the time to improve his conditioning and lend a hand with the Pats. Watch for another Pats alumnus, Mike Sillinger, to do some work with the team this season in a yet-to-be defined consultant/coaching role, perhaps as a skills coach. Sillinger is expected to retire after 16 seasons in the NHL.
on August 24, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Pats sign top prospect duo....

Yet again from Greg Harder....

Pats sign top prospects

By Greg Harder Mon, Aug 24 2009 COMMENTS(0) Slap Shots

We told you last week to watch for an imminent announcement about the signing of the Pats’ top two picks in this summer’s WHL bantam draft.
Well, it’s a done deal.
The Pats are holding a media gathering today at 4 p.m. to announce the signing of forwards Chandler Stephenson (first round, fifth overall) and Taylor Balog (second round, 28th overall). There were no recruiting issues with either player, each of whom has stated his desire to play for the Pats. Based on that fact, there wasn’t a great deal of urgency to get them committed before now.
Still, it’s an exciting day for the Pats' franchise and its future. Although both players still have plenty of work to do in terms of their development, there’s considerable optimism that they could represent the best one-two punch at the top of the draft that the Pats have had under the current regime.
Stephenson and Balog have affirmed that belief with their performance so far in training camp. Stephenson is small but looks to be the complete package in terms of scoring, playmaking, defensive awareness and work ethic. Balog, who was originally projected as a possible top-five pick in the draft, may be the ideal complement to Stephenson — a big power forward who can skate well and has a nose for the net.
It’ll be interesting to watch this duo grow together over the next four to five years.
on August 24, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |  

Updated Roster

Training Camp Roster
As of August 23, 2009

goalies(6) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Dawson Guhle G 5.11 160 15-Oct-92 Daysland, AB
Damien Ketlo G 6.01 180 26-Jan-91 Fort Fraser, BC
Cory Nygaard G 5.11 150 08-Apr-93 Winnipeg, MB
Jesse Rogers G 6.01 190 1992 San Ramon, CA
Linden Rowat G 6.02 181 27-Jun-89 Cochrane, AB
Derek Tendler G 5.11 201 01-Jan-92 Regina, SK

defencemen (16) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Ty Ariss D 6.01 195 23-Jan-90 Regina, SK
Myles Bell D 6.00 185 19-Aug-93 Calgary, AB
Tyler Borstmayer D 6.03 188 23-Feb-93 St. Brieux, SK
Brandon Davidson D 6.01 185 21-Aug-91 Taber, AB
Matt Delahey D 6.03 210 25-Sep-89 Moose Jaw, SK
Aaron Enns D 6.02 190 05-Oct-91 Campbell River, BC
Hudson Friesen D 6.00 165 15-May-93 Oakbank, MB
Shamus Graham D 5.10 160 16-Jan-92 Fort Sask., AB
Rhett Holland D 6.01 200 25-Sep-93 Calgary, AB
Koltyn Miller D 6.02 176 10-Mar-91 Redvers, SK
Tyler Pavkovich D 5.11 170 10-Mar-93 Abbotsford, BC
Dominic Perrault D 6.03 210 27-Aug-91 Regina, SK
Alex Pym D 6.01 200 04-Mar-91 Winnipeg, MB
Jay Slobozian D 6.00 175 23-Jan-92 Dauphin, MB
Travis Sparrow D 6.03 190 17-Feb-91 Vanscoy, SK
Colten Teubert D 6.04 193 08-Mar-90 White Rock, BC

forwards (30) pos ht wt birthdate hometown
Devon Allenby RW 5.11 180 03-Feb-93 Chilliwack, BC
Tayler Balog LW 6.01 170 21-Apr-94 Kipling, SK
Ryan Baskerville RW 6.00 160 10-Mar-93 Edmonton, AB
Clarke Breitkreuz LW 6.00 166 11-Nov-91 Springside, SK
Thomas Cardinal LW 5.10 180 1992 Hobbema, AB
Aidan Crowther LW 6.00 165 02-Sep-93 Calgary, AB
Mitch Czibere C 5.11 185 15-Feb-89 Fort Sask., AB
Jordan Eberle RW 5.10 184 15-May-90 Regina, SK
Dominick Favreau C 5.10 175 15-Jan-92 Martensville, SK
Lucas Froese C 5.10 165 26-Nov-92 Grunthal, MB
Jason Gardiner LW 6.01 193 10-Oct-91 Winnipeg, MB
A.J. Fossen RW 5.10 190 1993 Maple Grove, MN
Joel Harnden RW 5.10 160 1993 Stony Plain, MB
Matthew Hildebrandt C 5.08 150 04-Nov-93 Rosthern, SK
Graham Hood LW 6.02 198 27-Jan-92 Martensville, SK
Tomas Hricina LW 6.02 198 31-May-90 Kosice, SLO
Brett Leffler RW 6.01 189 19-May-89 Wynyard, SK
Garrett Lockeridge LW 5.10 175 30-Apr-94 Regina, SK
Brayden Metz C 6.00 185 28-Apr-90 Regina, SK
Shaquille Mirasty LW 6.03 175 1991 Minnedosa, MB
Garrett Mitchell RW 5.11 181 02-Sep-91 Regina, SK
Kyle Mulder RW 6.01 175 13-Jun-91 East St. Paul, MB
Michal Poletin LW 6.03 210 09-Jun-91 Prague, CZE
Dayton Reinboldt C 5.10 160 23-Apr-93 Fox Valley, SK
Andrew Rieder C 5.11 155 07-Aug-92 Regina, SK
Michael Sagen LW 5.10 150 13-Mar-93 Kenaston, SK
Chandler Stephenson C 5.09 155 22-Apr-94 Saskatoon, SK
Dyson Stevenson C 5.11 145 15-Jul-93 Shaunavon, SK
Matt Strueby C 6.01 186 20-Sep-89 Regina, SK
Jordan Weal C 5.09 160 15-Apr-92 North Vancouver, BC
on August 24, 2009 by Kevin Shaw |