‘Rebuilding’ Regina Pats suffer 52 WHL losses, one shy of record

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Regina Pats general manager Alan Millar wasn’t on the ice for a single shift, but he shouldered the blame and exonerated his coaches after the team finished its WHL season Saturday with a near-record 52nd loss.

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Only the 1976-77 Pats lost more games — 53 in a 72-game season — than this revamped squad did in a 68-game campaign that featured losing streaks of eight and nine games, a stretch of three home games without a goal, the fewest goals (170) scored and a 16-44-8 record that placed them 21st in the 22-team standings, ahead of only the reigning league-champion Moose Jaw Warriors.

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“The reality of the situation for our coaching staff is that the performance of the team is personnel-related,” said Millar, who made a league-high 18 trades this season and apparently turned into the WHL’s youngest squad.  “A lot of it is on me because of the direction I’ve taken this club in a rebuild.

“It’s not on the coaches, it’s not on the players. This coaching staff deserves the opportunity to see this through and be able to lead a group that’s older, more experienced and more talented that will be ready for next summer. Unless any of the guys don’t want to be back, I don’t expect there will be any changes with the coaching staff.”

That means head coach Brad Herauf, assistants Ryan Smith and Ken Schneider plus goalie coach Max Paddock will be leading a team that could have as many as 19 returning players next season. Herauf, who signed a multi-year contract extension before this season, has often said he’s looking forward to 2025-26, but that doesn’t mean he’s glad this one is over.

“No, 100 per cent!” said Herauf after the Pats were blanked 4-0 by the Brandon Wheat Kings before a season-high crowd of 5,691 attending Fan Appreciation Night at the Brandt Centre. “Jobs aren’t supposed to be easy. This is supposed to be difficult and it’s a huge privilege to be a hockey coach.

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“But this is not what we signed up to do. We signed up to make the playoffs, to be battling for a championship. It’s not where we want to be.”

Goalie Kelton Pyne, who was named the team’s player-of-the-year after his 26-save performance kept the Pats in a scoreless tie through two periods against Brandon, was humbled by the honour but doesn’t want a repeat for a fifth junior campaign with his hometown squad.

“That’s pretty special to have my name up there with some extraordinary names,” said Pyne. “But it’s been tough. Everyone knows there have been 50-some players who have put on a jersey, so obviously it’s not going to be the greatest outcome for team chemistry.

“Obviously I’m going to miss this, but we’ll focus on next year. We’ve got big expectations for next year so the guys are eager to get on that. I’ve had two of these back-to-back, I’m ready for the playoffs.”

Indeed, there will be higher expectations next season. Millar has been watching prospects and, along with his staff, planning strategies for the April 29 draft, plus the upcoming U.S. and import drafts. The league’s draft lottery is slated for April 10 and as a non-playoff qualifier the Pats have an opportunity to land the first choice, even with reports circulating that an expansion team from Penticton will be added to the loop for the upcoming season.

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“All the heavy lifting is done,” said Millar, who could still use his plentiful draft choices for trade bait.

“Now it’s time to take a step.”

That will be welcome news for Pats fans. The final game — complete with prizes, a jersey auction, an opportunity to hand-paint the ice surface and a 50/50 draw worth $50,000 — drew a crowd roughly double the normal size inside the Brandt Centre.

Since losing the 2018 Memorial Cup final as the host team and enduring two pandemic-affected seasons, the Pats have appeared in only one playoff series. Because of the WHL’s 20-year-old age limit, junior teams are constantly renewing their rosters. Rebuilding is certainly necessary, but eventually something needs to be built.

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