Morgan Klimchuk PRO-file

In June of 2013, Morgan Klimchuk heard his name called by the Calgary Flames at 28^th 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 7^th 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

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 144^th 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

Education Pivotal in Markwart's Transition from Hockey to Business

As a youngster playing for the Regina Pat Canadians, former Pats forward and Boston Bruins first round pick, Nevin Markwart, didn’t have many designs on playing in the NHL.  His eyes were set on playing for the Regina Pats whom, when he first moved to the Queen City from Sault Ste. Marie in 1973, left him hoping some day he could be a good enough player to don the Blue and White.

“We had little black and white TV’s at home.  We didn’t have big screen HD TV’s that showed 14 hockey games every night,” Markwart explained.  “There was one game, it was on Saturday night, called Hockey Night in Canada and for us, most of those games were Montreal Canadians games.  So all you see on this little black and white screen are these hockey players and they almost rise to the level of Gods.  So the idea you could ever play in the NHL was just zippo.  You had no aspiration for that at all.  I had never met an NHL player so I didn’t even know you could touch those guys.”

Markwart realized his aspiration of playing for the Pats midway through the 1981-82 season when he got called up from the Regina Pat Blues of the SJHL.  After that shortened season, he found himself ranked in the first round of the next season’s NHL Draft.  The next WHL season was his coming out party when Markwart scored 27 goals and added 39 assists in just 43 games before a shoulder injury ended his season.  

Despite the shortened season, Markwart got a call from the Bruins who told him two things.  If he was available in the draft, they would select him 21^st Overall and he would play in the NHL the next season.  The Bruins did just that in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and Markwart played 70 games, posting 30 points and 121 penalty minutes in his rookie season.

The scrappy forward went on to play 309 games in the NHL, picking up 109 points along the way to go with 794 penalty minutes.  After nine seasons in the NHL, though, Markwart’s career came to an end due in part to chronic shoulder injuries. 

The transition to life after hockey is not an easy one and there are many stories to illustrate the point.  Markwart’s switch came a little easier as he jumped right into the business world.  Markwart knew a professor at Northeastern University in Boston and inquired about their MBA program.  Two days of reading later, Makrwart wrote the entrance exam and scored high, but still had to get past the admissions committee.

“At first the admissions committee wasn’t real excited about an ex-hockey player who didn’t have an undergrad… that wasn’t really their profile of their optimal student,” chuckled Markwart.  “Professor Malloy worked his magic and I got into the program.  Two years later I graduated with my MBA in Finance, graduated number four in my class and went into the investment industry.”

For Nevin the transition was quick, eight to nine weeks from player to student, with very little time stuck in limbo and struggling to find what to do next.  Something he feels was key to successfully moving on.

“I went from finished being playing, to being in the classroom.  I think a lot of my contemporaries have had difficulty with that, the transition period elongates for them and other demons show up.  Therefore, it can be problematic.  I was lucky to have my NHL career, and I was very lucky that Jim Malloy was a strong advocate for me.”

As a result of his experiences, Markwart is a strong advocate for making education a key part of the junior hockey experience and supports the WHL in its efforts to provide education to its players through the WHL Scholarship Program.

“I think it’s important, the concept the league has gone to in a formalized program to make sure they can help out players when they’re done playing towards aspirations in education.  I think it’s terrific, I say more….  How do we figure out how to get more of that in place?”

Two Pats Hope to Realize Draft Dreams

It’s something every kid lacing up a pair of skates dreams about.  Hearing their name called at the NHL Entry Draft.  For 210 draft eligible players, those dreams will become a reality this Sunday in New Jersey as the NHL holds its annual intake draft.  The 2013 class is headlined by the likes of Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones and Halifax Mooseheads forward Nathan MacKinnon.  For the Regina Pats, two names found their way onto the Final Central Scouting Draft Rankings this season.  Morgan Klimchuk led the duo as the talented sniper from Calgary finished up 25^th on the North American Skaters list.  Kyle Burroughs used a brilliant second half to rocket up the rankings to 133^rd when the final list was revealed.

While the players involved try to keep the draft out of mind during the season to focus on the job at hand with the Pats, just a few days out from the big day, the nerves are starting to settle in.

“I definitely have some nerves, obviously there’s some excitement there as well,” admitted Burroughs as he looks towards Sunday.  It will be a long day for the 17-year old as if his name is called; it will likely be in the later stages of the draft.

The anxiety is a little different for Klimchuk as he will most likely hear his name called within the first two rounds.  The Calgary product found his way into the top 30 during TSN's Draft Rankings Show this week.

“The days are starting to get pretty long now, starting to get some nerves,” explained Klimchuk.  “We’re starting to see all the lists come out and people are starting to talk about the draft.  Not a whole lot has changed… I’ve talked to a couple of teams over the phone, but it’s been a pretty normal, stressful but laid-back week.”

While Morgan Klimchuk consistently hung around the same rankings range on the CSS lists this season, Kyle Burroughs was one of the big risers this year.  From the Mid-Term to the Final rankings, Burroughs leapt 73 spots (206 to 133) while tallying 26 of his 33 points in the second half of the season.

“I think I just stuck to the way I played,” said Burroughs of his jump in the rankings.  “Obviously I had a good second half of the year points-wise and I think the way I conducted myself on the ice and with the team in every game helped.”

Harding Provides Hope

When the NHL announced its yearly award winners last week, you’d have to look long and hard to find someone shocked former Regina Pats, now Minnesota Wild, goaltender Josh Harding received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.  The trophy is awarded to the NHL Player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."  In Harding’s case, that meant bouncing back from being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in November and giving the Wild a chance to win in their Stanley Cup Playoff series against Chicago when starter Niklas Backstrom went down with an injury in warm-ups before Game One.

 “My mind was clear, I was ready to go,” explained Harding as he looked back on the series.  “It was obviously an unexpected turn of events, but I thought I prepared myself well and I did whatever it took to give the team a chance to win.”

Harding’s return to the NHL came earlier in the season in about as impressive fashion as one could expect from any goaltender stepping in.  Just a couple months after his diagnosis, the Regina product shut out the Dallas Stars, stopping 24 shots, in a 1-0 Minnesota win.  With the shortened season, Harding was utilized sparingly down the stretch, playing in four contests the rest of the way before his stellar run in the playoffs.

“It was a huge accomplishment for myself and I’m glad the team realized how hard I was trying to get back, obviously with a couple of complications,” said Harding of being the Wild nominee for the Masterton Trophy.  “They've had my back from the very beginning when they first drafted me so I can’t say enough about the Wild organization.”

“(My teammates) treated me just like they did before my diagnosis and that’s what I wanted.  I didn't want to be treated differently and they were awesome, again, I can’t say enough about the organization and my teammates.  I’m proud to be a part of this team.”

While Harding admits winning the Masterton Trophy is an honour for himself, he hopes the attention from the award and his story goes towards raising MS awareness. 

“It’s obviously a huge honour to have won that award and more than anything, I hope it brings awareness to MS,” commented the former Pat.  “I’m hoping people can look at my story and use it as whatever positive they can.  For myself, I have an obligation to my team to make sure I’m ready.  I’m not the kind of guy to sit down and feel sorry for myself.  I have to get up and get going, I’m hoping people take the positives out of that and if it does help them… that would be great.”

Jordan Eberle and Mike Sillinger
in their Harding's Hope t-shirts

Harding isn't stopping at being a positive story for those dealing with MS in their life.  He’s taking action in the form of spearheading a new charity by the name of “Harding’s Hope”.

“We are going to help people with MS.  I've lived this, I’m passionate about it, I know what goes into having this diagnosis and how expensive the treatments are in the U.S.A and how limited the places are in Canada to get treatment.  We’re going to try to help out as much as we can.”

Harding’s Hope already has a strong foothold, and that was evident at the annual Sticks on Rose Tournament in Regina where celebrity players donned Harding’s Hope shirts in support of the charity.

 

“We’re going to set the bar high and hopefully get there.  The support and outreach has been amazing and I can’t say enough about the people who want to get involved with MS and the awareness we’re going to get out there as well.”

For more information on Harding’s Hope, visit hardingshope.org and follow @HardingsHope on Twitter.

Colton Orr: Taking the Next Step

The name Colton Orr doesn’t ring out as one of the franchise players for the playoff bound Toronto Maple Leafs.  That tag falls to names like top scorers Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel.  That said, with the Leafs breaking out of a nine year playoff drought, Colton Orr is a large part of the shift in team identity that put the Blue and White back into the hunt for Lord Stanley’s Cup. 

With the 2012-13 NHL Regular Season in the books, Toronto holds the most penalty minutes in the NHL.  That mark is powered by a runaway lead in the major penalty category, 46 through 48 games.  The next closets teams are Philadelphia and Columbus, both standing at 35 majors through 48 contests.  Breaking it down even further, three players consistently contribute to that major mark in Frazer McLaren, Mark Fraser and… Colton Orr.

“We wanted to be hard to play against,” said Orr, the NHL’s penalty minutes leader.  “We were doing the little things a lot more and you could tell in our game when teams come to play us it’s going to be a long night.  We really make sure that we come to work.”

A team’s work ethic and toughness goes far beyond willingness to drop the gloves in the heat of the battle, but the Leafs’ combativeness is certainly part of that lunch-bucket mantra.  Orr is no stranger to playing in an environment that demands a strong work ethic.  His journey to the NHL started its Major Junior roots with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos before moving to the Kamloops Blazers and finally landing in the Queen City with the Regina Pats for the 2002-03 season.

Photo Credit: The Globe and Mail