“I found it was too hard to sit on the sidelines and not say something if I see something.”
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When former Regina Pats goalie Max Paddock was done playing hockey, he knew he wasn’t finished with hockey.
He wanted to stay involved, maybe as a physiotherapist, but ultimately decided he would like to become a coach. So he has found the perfect opportunity, working as a goalie coach for his former WHL team while living in the Queen City and completing his kinesiology degree online with the University of Fraser Valley.
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“I had no clue, really, what I wanted to do until my first year of (university),” Paddock said as the Pats opened training camp earlier this week at the Brandt Centre.
“I kind of realized while watching some other sports, I thought I’d go down the athletic therapist route, the physiotherapy route because I wanted to stay involved in the game in some aspect. But I found it was too hard to sit on the sidelines and not say something if I see something.”
Truth be told, although Paddock excelled as a hockey and volleyball player, coaching is in his bloodlines. His father, Russ, is Brandon University’s athletic director and a longtime volleyball coach while his uncle, John, spent 30 years coaching in the AHL, NHL and WHL. John Paddock joined the Pats in 2014 and served as head coach, general manager and hockey operations VP until retiring last year and becoming a senior advisor.
Max joined the Pats as a rookie goalie in 2016 and played 114 games for his uncle before being traded to the Prince Albert Raiders in 2020. He spent 2021-22 playing USports hockey at Acadia University, in Wolfville, N.S., before moving to the University of Fraser Valley, in Abbotsford, B.C., to play volleyball.
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“I missed being at the rink surrounded by great people,” said Max. “My experience at UFV playing volleyball was amazing and it was tough giving that up to come here, but I’ve always loved hockey.
“I also loved my year at Acadia, but it was hard showing up at the rink when you’re always battling through injuries. It takes a toll on you. I’ve never lost my love for the game, but it was hard to keep playing because of my injuries.”
Because of costs, there are few full-time goalie coaches with junior hockey teams. Although he will be at daily practices and games, Paddock is technically a part-time coach. He’s completing his education through the WHL’s scholarship program, which pays one year of college tuition and books for each year played in the league.
“Max and I had a really good relationship for the three years he was here,” said head coach Brad Herauf, who was an assistant to John Paddock when the goalie was with the Pats. “When this opportunity came up, we had tons of people interested in the job. The biggest thing for me is he’s gonna be able to provide our goalies with everyday mentorship. He’s living in Regina full-time, so he’s gonna be here.
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“We wanted to give these kids all the best people to be around. And that consistency, I think, is going to help because sometimes goalies get missed in the everyday coaching.”
After posting a 22-40-6 record in 2022-23 and finishing last in the East, general manager Alan Millar altered the coaching staff. He retained Herauf and assistant Ken Schneider while replacing assistant Evan McFeeters and goalie coach Daniel Wapple with, respectively, Ryan Smith and Paddock.
The Pats opened camp with seven goaltenders, including returning veterans Ewan Huet and Kenton Pyne. While Paddock is just starting to learn first-hand about his new charges, he introduced himself via video calls during the offseason.
“I knew who he was, but I had never talked to him before we talked in the summer,” said Huet.
“We didn’t talk a whole lot about hockey. We talked about summer, you know, getting to know each other. That was a good first call. He’s a really nice guy and I can’t wait to get going.”
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