Pats return home after rough trip while overhauling roster

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From his spot behind the Regina Pats bench, it’s fortunate head coach Brad Herauf can see his players’ names on the backs of their jerseys.

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Well, he can see their last names. And there are lots of new ones. Does he know all their first names?

“It was almost like minor hockey for a couple days there,” Herauf said with a chuckle. “We started putting tape on the top of their helmet for first names.

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Herauf’s revamped team returned to the Brandt Centre during the weekend after playing eight road games in three weeks. It’s a scheduling tradition for the Pats to head on a western swing when their arena gets seconded for Agribition. The trip supposedly helps the Pats bond as a team and typically shows if they’re ready for the second part of the WHL season.

This year the Pats went 1-6-1 and were outscored 41-14.

A team in transition, the Pats have only six players remaining on their roster from the start of last season. According to the Western Hockey League’s transactions wire, in the 1 1/2 seasons since Alan Millar was hired as Regina’s general manager and vice-president of hockey operations, he has made 20 trades in an effort to stockpile draft choices while also trying to keep the team competitive.

“I like the way the group is jelling,” said Herauf. “I like the talk and the energy on the bench and in the dressing room. They’re saying lots of good things and it’s been good for us to have some different players here. It’s giving different people voices and other people step into those leadership roles.”

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The team has recently added highly touted defenders Reese Hamilton, Matt Paranych, Aleksey Chichkin and Ephram McNutt, plus its low-powered offence is hoping to get some goals from newcomers Caden Brown, Jace Egland, Connor Bear and Julien Maze. Chichkin and Brown scored goals Friday during the team’s first reappearance at the Brandt Centre, where a dominant, high-paced second period helped Regina upset the first-place Saskatoon Blades 4-3.

“We actually got stuck in Medicine Hat for a night (on the way home from the extended road trip), then we had Tuesday off so we got a little break,” said defender Kolten Bridgeman, one of the team’s six “long-term” veterans, who was asked how the players are getting to know each other.

“Obviously it starts with a handshake when they come in the room, then we start playing sewer-ball, something we do warming up, kinda getting to know each other. We got a lot of skill guys, good guys.”

What about the players who have been traded away?

“I built relationships with those guys and its tough to see some good buddies go,” said Bridgeman. “But that’s hockey and you just gotta adjust and be ready for seven o’clock.”

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Regina’s record fell to 8-17-6, 10th in the East, after a 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting, 11th-place Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. Egland scored the opening goal for the Pats’ annual Teddy Bear Toss inside the Brandt Centre.

Among the players dealt away this season were some of the team’s top players and best-known veterans: captain Tanner Howe, Sam Oremba, Jaxsin Vaughan and Corbin Vaughan. The Vaughan twins basically walked out on the team, demanding trades that were eventually made.

“Obviously the start of the season didn’t go the way we wanted, with injuries, a couple guys who weren’t performing the way we expected,” said Herauf. “So we had to pivot.

“We knew this is necessary for our organization. It’s not fun, but this has been the plan all along. Maybe it’s happening a little earlier than we thought it would, but we need to change the stye of players and some of the people. We need to get some new voices in there and I think Al’s done an excellent job with the people he brought in.”

WHL teams get a short Christmas break, so the Pats don’t play again until they visit the Brandon Wheat Kings on Dec. 27. One night later the Blades visit Regina.

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There’s also a formal roster freeze in place to prevent teams from dealing players during the holidays, but the WHL’s trading deadline isn’t until Jan. 10. There’s still time to squeeze in a few more deals and put some of those write-in stickers on the Pats jerseys, saying, “Hello, my name is …”

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