Get caught up on Spring Camp with all the interviews from the weekend.
Behind the Mic Blog
Tuesday 27 May 2014
Thursday 22 May 2014
Jordan Hollett Ready for Pats Spring Camp
The morning of Thursday, May 1st
had young hockey players huddled at their computers, checking their phones and
waiting for their name to be called at the WHL Bantam Draft. When Regina Pats Director of Scouting, Dale
McMullin ascended to the podium to make the team’s first selection (13th
Overall) of the Draft, the name called was out of character for the Blue and
White. For the first time since the
inception of the Bantam Draft in 1990, the Pats selected a goaltender in the
first round. Langley, B.C.’s Jordan
Hollett was the second goaltender picked in the opening round.
“When Ian Scott went (9th
Overall to Prince Albert), another goalie I knew, that some goalies would be going
pretty quick there,” said Hollett of being picked in the 13th
slot. “I didn’t really know for sure
that I was going (early), so it was a little bit of a change with Ian Scott
going and I knew it was a matter of time.”
The Pats scouting staff is
charged with building the team through the draft every year and for the young
players selected it can be a life-changing event.
“It was a special moment, there
was a whole bunch of excitement and a little bit of shock,” recounted Hollett. “You expect, almost, before the draft… I
thought I was going to get drafted, but once it happens it’s not really
something you can prepare yourself for.”
Photo: Freeze Frame Photography |
Wednesday 14 May 2014
Morgan Klimchuk PRO-file
In June of 2013, Morgan
Klimchuk heard his name called by the Calgary Flames at 28th Overall
in the NHL Entry Draft. It was a great
moment for Klimchuk having grown up watching the Flames in the Stampede
City. When fall came around and Flames
Training Camp on the horizon is first on-ice professional experience would hit
a delay as the Pats’ sniper suffered an injury at Pats Training Camp just days
before he left for Calgary. Klimchuk returned
to the Pats for the beginning of the WHL Regular Season and went on to post 74
points (30G, 44A), just two points off his career high despite only playing 57
games in the 2013-14 campaign. He also
added five points in four playoff games against the Brandon Wheat Kings.
With the Pats season at an end,
Klimchuk journeyed West to join the Flames’ AHL affiliate Abbotsford Heat for
what would be the teams’ final games before departing for Glens Falls, New York
this off-season. Before he could get
into action with the Heat, Klimchuk was sidelined with a minor injury to once
again delay his debut. The Pats’ leading
scorer set aside frustration to take advantage of the extra time to observe how
the game works at the pro level.
“It was good to watch a couple
games when I was out. Obviously you
never want to be hurt, I wanted to get into action as soon as possible. There were just some nagging things from the year
that I wanted to make sure I was one hundred percent before making that jump
(from pro to junior).”
Photo: Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats |
Kyle Burroughs PRO-file
The Regina Pats season came to a disappointing end when they
were swept from the WHL Playoffs by the Brandon Wheat Kings. With that end came new beginnings for several
Pats players as they joined their NHL affiliate AHL teams on Amateur Tryout
Contracts. Pats Captain Kyle Burroughs,
a 7th Round selection of the New York Islanders, was the first Pat
to get into professional action this spring.
He suited up with the Islanders’ affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
“I got down there after a game one day, the next day I was
practicing and the next day we had an eleven o’clock game so it happened really
quickly,” explained Burroughs. “It was a
good experience for me playing with guys like that. They’re always giving you tips to help you
work on your game and develop you to the next level.”
Photo: Puck Stopper Photography |
Thursday 17 April 2014
Telus Cup Preview with Rykr Cole
Just six teams remain in the quest for the biggest prize in
Canadian midget hockey. The Okanagan
Rockets, Halifax McDonald’s, Prince Albert Mintos, Toronto Young Nationals,
Grenadiers de Chateauguay and host Moose Jaw Generals will all clash next week
to raise the Telus Cup as Canada’s National Midget Champions.
One Regina Pats prospect knew he would be participating in
this tournament when the season got going and hopes a year of work will soon
pay off. 2012 3rd Round
Bantam Draft pick and signed prospect Rykr Cole is a member of the hosting
Generals. Cole and his teammates are the
most rested of the squads after bowing out of the SMAAAHL playoffs in their
first round matchup with the Regina Pat Canadians.
“(The layoff) has been real good. Lots of rest and just having some time off
has been good,” said Cole just days away from the tournament opener. “I think in the past two weeks we’ve been
having a lot of hard practices and just getting back up to game tempo. I think that’s what we needed with having the
Telus Cup in (a few) days now.”
When the Generals open the tournament on Monday, April 21st,
it will be the first time the hosts have seen true game action in 45 days since
their playoffs came to an end March 7th in Regina. Cole registered two points (1G, 1A) in four
playoff games this year after finishing second on the Generals during the
season with 45 points (23G, 22A) in 41 games.
Photo: Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats |
Tuesday 8 April 2014
Hunt Earns Spot in CSS Final Rankings
Regina, Saskatchewan – Regina Pats forward Dryden Hunt
moved one step closer to realizing his dream of reaching the NHL today.
The 18-year old forward jumped onto the Central Scouting Service’s final
rankings for the 2014 NHL Draft.
"Not being on it all year, and then finally at the end
of the year with the last rankings I'm on it... feels pretty good," said
Hunt. "Obviously there are some special players on that list so to
be on that list it's pretty cool.
After not being on the list for the two prior ranking sets
released, Hunt comes in at 144th among
North American Skaters. Though the rankings are theoretical and don’t
truly affect the draft, it does mean the Nelson, B.C. native turned heads with
his play this season.
Photo Credit: Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats |
Thursday 13 March 2014
Ed Staniowski - Steady Eddy Returns Home
Becoming a Memorial Cup Champion, the first CHL Player of
the Year and an NHL Draft pick are just a few of the highlights of Ed
Staniowski’s hockey career. One of, if
not the, greatest goaltender in Regina Pats history, Staniowski’s number “1”
hangs at the West End of the Brandt Centre among other Pats legends. Out of all the achievements of his hockey
career, Staniowski joked with Pats play-by-play man Phil Andrews that there was
one thing missing.
“When you play the game of hockey, you hope to make junior,
you do. You hope to get drafted, you get
drafted. You hope to play in the NHL,
you get a chance to do that. Your hockey
card comes out, and that’s pretty exciting… but I guess you really haven’t
arrived until you’ve got your own bobblehead.”
Staniowski was back in Regina for his bobblehead night
presented by Knight Archer Insurance.
The collectible was made in the likeness of Staniowski in his Pats’
days, meaning it bore some distinct differences from the 58-year old Moose Jaw
native. The trademark grin was
unmistakable though as Staniowski took time to sign autographs for a massive
line of fans who, by the end of the evening, had donated over $3,000 dollars to
the Soldier On fund in support of returning wounded veterans.
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