Pats Select Sylvegard in Import Draft

Imagine my surprise when I walked into the office this morning and was told the Pats had already made their selection in the 2012 CHL Import Draft.  The draft schedule gives each team ten minutes to make a pick and the Pats were slated to pick around noon today.  This year's draft is rolling along, though with the second round of the sixty team draft almost complete.

The Pats used their 32nd overall pick to take Emil Sylvegard, a sizable Swede who comes in with previous CHL experience.  Sylvegard suited up for the Drummondville Voltigeurs last season in the QMJHL and picked up 31 points in 65 games.  Pats GM Chad Lang is confident that year of experience and familiarity with the North American game will lead Sylvegard to a breakout season in the WHL.

Getting Settled

The blog has been pretty quiet since saying my goodbyes/thank you's to La Ronge and the SJHL.  As I said in my previous post, it's my intent to continue writing this blog, but it may be a little sporadic for the first while as I get familiar with my new job and surroundings in Regina.

This weekend I emptied and broke down my last moving box and got my new place set up just how I want it (which for me can be a bigger battle than it should be).  That was followed by a busy couple days with the NHL Draft Friday and Saturday.  As I don't yet have my internet and cable hooked up, this made following the draft a touch trickier than I would have liked, but my hefty data plan came in handy.

When it was all said and done one current Regina Pat and two prospects were drafted in Pittsburgh.  Chandler Stephenson was taken 77th overall by the Capitals while Brady Skjei (28th-NYR, USA-U18) and
Rhett Holland (102nd-PHX, AJHL-Okotoks) were the two prospects selected.  Pats GM Chad Lang hopes Skjei and Holland being drafted may help bring both defencemen into the Pats lineup next season.  

The Pats did have a couple more players eligible for the draft in
Dominik Volek and Jack Rodewald who weren't selected.  While that's obviously tough to go through for both guys, Lang is confident both will have opportunities through Free Agent tryouts this summer.

Drafting remains the theme of the week when the CHL holds its 2012 Import Draft, Wednesday (27th).  As it stands, the Pats hold the 32nd overall pick though with all the wheeling and dealing that goes on around the Import Draft, that could change.  Last year, when Regina grabbed Volek ninth overall, around half of the picks changed hands.

Wednesday is a busy day with the 2012-13 WHL Regular Season Schedule coming out as well.  Make sure to check out ReginaPats.com for Import Draft details as well as the schedule when Wednesday rolls around.

The new season's drawing ever closer (only about three months away now) make sure to get your 2012-13 Season Tickets.  Call the Pats Office (306-522-7287) for more information.

-D

Moving On: New People, New Places, New Challenges

As you may know, I recently accepted a position with the WHL's Regina Pats to be the team's Media and Communications Manager.  Obviously this means I've had to resign my position with MBC in La Ronge and make the move to Regina.

I'm going to be handling pretty much everything to do with the Pats' media side of things.  Writing press releases, managing media conferences, gameday stuff and everything in between.  I'll be displaying my personable side with sales mixed in as well.  Even with all of that I won't be leaving the booth.  I'll be taking care of colour commentary on all of the Pats radio broadcasts, home and away.  I'll still get to log ridiculous hours on the bus (even more now!) and talk your ear off on the air.

SJHL AGM

The SJHL held its AGM this past weekend in Regina and I spoke with SJHL President Bill Chow, who was kind enough to give me a call, about some of the main points of the weekend.  He said it was a long but productive series of meetings.

Here are the main points from our conversation:

• The 54 game schedule "parameters" are set.  It seems there were still some sticking points on how everything would work, so while we don't yet have a schedule for 2012-13; the outline is set.
• The SJHL dropped the Showcase.  The initial plan was to hold the Showcase in Melfort this year, but with the weekend cancelled that won't be happening.
• It's really too bad because the Showcase is an absolute blast for the broadcasters.  Lots of great hockey and it's one of the few times we can all get together at the same time and catch up.
• The Showcase will be replaced by an "Identification Camp" for '94 and '95 born players with some older players mixed in.  Select players from this camp head to the World Junior A Challenge selection camp for Team West.

Ice Wolves Yard Sale Fundraiser