Latest news with #WesternCanadianDevelopmentModel
Calgary Herald
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Davis: Regina Pats happily keep hometown hero Maddox Schultz
Article content There really were no other options for the Regina Pats. Article content Maddox Schultz was playing right under their noses, a Hockey Regina product who just turned 15, wearing their crest, attracting huge crowds and drawing raves for his skating and two-way hockey sense while scoring clutch goals that gave the Regina Pat Canadians a national under-18 hockey championship. Pats head coach Brad Herauf and assistant general manager Dale Derkatch have sons who played with and against Schultz, so they know he's a mature and conscientious young man with a supportive family who excels at school and is a hard-working, popular teammate. Article content Article content Article content Millar paused and smiled, because after a soul-sucking WHL season it was a good bounce-back day for a legendary franchise that may have just added a potential hometown star to a Pats pantheon that dates back through Jordan Eberle, Mike Sillinger, Doug Wickenheiser and Fran Huck. Article content Eberle, a 15-year NHL veteran and the most recent of the hometown stars, was among current NHLers with Pats or Regina connections who sent draft-day congratulations. And it felt like a party inside the team's war-room as it purged 2024-25 from their system. Schultz's parents (Vicki and David) and sister (Sydney) were among the guests at the team's celebration. They, too, were hoping this would be Maddox's career trajectory as he works toward becoming an NHL player. Article content 'He's had such great support; nobody gets there by themselves,' said David. 'Watching him realize some of his goals in big-stage games has been really fun. Article content Article content 'He's still gonna have to clean his room, put his dishes away and it's not gonna be a billet parent. It's gonna be his mom and dad. We feel really fortunate that's his reality, our reality. That's big for our family.' Article content Article content Born in Medicine Hat before moving with his family to Regina a decade ago, Schultz was a mini-stick-playing, hockey junkie who idolized Sam Steel and Connor Bedard during their Pats careers. Now he's poised to step into that spotlight, although he will be limited to 34 WHL games next season as a 15-year-old under guidelines from the Western Canadian Development Model. Article content 'Some people kinda thought I was being coy when we won the lottery,' said Millar. 'And I think I said to a number of you in interviews that we weren't going to announce anything publicly until we were able to sit down with Maddox and his family. We were able to do that this past Monday. We had a great meeting, a great afternoon. Article content 'We were able to put Connor Bedard on video to make it official, to tell Maddox he was going Number One. He got some great congratulatory messages from Jordan Eberle, Cole Sillinger and Sam Steel. So it was really official when we met with Maddox and his family Monday afternoon.'
Ottawa Citizen
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Davis: Regina Pats happily keep hometown hero Maddox Schultz
Article content There really were no other options for the Regina Pats. Article content Maddox Schultz was playing right under their noses, a Hockey Regina product who just turned 15, wearing their crest, attracting huge crowds and drawing raves for his skating and two-way hockey sense while scoring clutch goals that gave the Regina Pat Canadians a national under-18 hockey championship. Pats head coach Brad Herauf and assistant general manager Dale Derkatch have sons who played with and against Schultz, so they know he's a mature and conscientious young man with a supportive family who excels at school and is a hard-working, popular teammate. Article content Article content Article content 'No,' said Pats general manager Alan MIllar. Article content Millar paused and smiled, because after a soul-sucking WHL season it was a good bounce-back day for a legendary franchise that may have just added a potential hometown star to a Pats pantheon that dates back through Jordan Eberle, Mike Sillinger, Doug Wickenheiser and Fran Huck. Article content Eberle, a 15-year NHL veteran and the most recent of the hometown stars, was among current NHLers with Pats or Regina connections who sent draft-day congratulations. And it felt like a party inside the team's war-room as it purged 2024-25 from their system. Schultz's parents (Vicki and David) and sister (Sydney) were among the guests at the team's celebration. They, too, were hoping this would be Maddox's career trajectory as he works toward becoming an NHL player. Article content 'He's had such great support; nobody gets there by themselves,' said David. 'Watching him realize some of his goals in big-stage games has been really fun. Article content Article content 'He's still gonna have to clean his room, put his dishes away and it's not gonna be a billet parent. It's gonna be his mom and dad. We feel really fortunate that's his reality, our reality. That's big for our family.' Article content Article content Born in Medicine Hat before moving with his family to Regina a decade ago, Schultz was a mini-stick-playing, hockey junkie who idolized Sam Steel and Connor Bedard during their Pats careers. Now he's poised to step into that spotlight, although he will be limited to 34 WHL games next season as a 15-year-old under guidelines from the Western Canadian Development Model. Article content 'Some people kinda thought I was being coy when we won the lottery,' said Millar. 'And I think I said to a number of you in interviews that we weren't going to announce anything publicly until we were able to sit down with Maddox and his family. We were able to do that this past Monday. We had a great meeting, a great afternoon. Article content 'We were able to put Connor Bedard on video to make it official, to tell Maddox he was going Number One. He got some great congratulatory messages from Jordan Eberle, Cole Sillinger and Sam Steel. So it was really official when we met with Maddox and his family Monday afternoon.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Regina Pats draft Maddox Schultz with No. 1 pick in WHL draft
The Regina Pats have officially landed top prospect Maddox Schultz. With the first overall selection in Wednesday night's Western Hockey League draft, the Pats selected Schultz, a 15-year-old Regina product who led the Saskatchewan Male Under-18 AAA League in scoring last season. Along with posting 93 points in 44 regular season games to lead the league in scoring as an underage player, Schultz — the league's MVP and rookie of the year — recorded 22 points in 10 playoff games to lead the Pat Canadians to a league title. From there, the 5-foot-10, 165-pounder led Regina to a West regional championship and Telus Cup berth, before scoring the winning goal in overtime of the national final. In the national championship, Schultz led all skaters with 20 points in seven games and was named tournament MVP despite being the youngest player in the event. ADVERTISEMENT While Schultz didn't apply for exceptional status to play in the WHL full-time as a 15-year-old next season, under the Western Canadian Development Model, he is still eligible to play 34 games with the Pats in 2025-26. It's also expected the young phenom Schultz will continue to play at the U18 level with the Pat Canadians. 'It's something you dream of,' Schultz told the WHL's draft livestream. 'Growing up watching this team play … it's a dream come true. 'I'm just really looking forward to getting started with the Pats.' Moments after drafting Schultz first overall, the Pats made a trade acquiring the third overall pick from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for a second-round pick, 26th overall, this year along with a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick. And with the third pick, Regina drafted forward Liam Pue, a Langley, B.C. product who, like Schultz, was one of three players eligible in the draft who played at the U18 level last season. ADVERTISEMENT In 29 games with the Langley Hockey Academy U18 squad, Pue, 15, had 30 goals and 20 assists for 50 points to finish second in the Junior Prospects Hockey League (JPHL) scoring race. 'It's not everyday you get a chance to get two exceptional status players,' Pats assistant general manager Dale Derkatch told the livestream. As Schultz, he's the third player in franchise history to be taken first overall joining Connor Bedard in 2020 and Colton Tuebert in 2005. And during the WHL's draft livestream, Bedard had a message for Schultz. 'You're going to be a special player and you'll love your time there,' Bedard said on video to Schultz. 'Tremendous organization to be part of and the fans will embrace you and it's going to be a blast.' Additionally, the Pats also hold the 23rd overall pick in the first round after acquiring the selection from the Everett Silvertips. ADVERTISEMENT On Thursday, rounds two through 15 of the prospects draft will be held with Regina having two selections in the second round (27th and 46th) before picking again in the fourth (89th) and twice more in the sixth and seventh rounds. From there, the Pats hold single picks in rounds eighth through 15. Expansion draft While the Pats will add some new prospects to the roster this week, they also lost a player in the system as forward Corban Almen was selected by the Penticton Vees in Wednesday's expansion draft. Almen, a 17-year-old Saskatoon product, played 12 games for the Pats last year before joining the BCHL's Vernon Vipers. He then ended the season back in Saskatchewan with the under-18 Saskatoon Blazers AAA squad. In 2023-24, Almen played 54 games and had 14 points in his rookie WHL season with the Pats. The expansion Vees, who are joining the WHL after playing Jr. A in B.C., were able to select one player from each WHL club for a total of 22 picks. The Pats were able to protect up to 16 players aged 17 to 20 along with six players on the team's college list. U.S. priority draft On Thursday, prior to round two of the prospects draft commencing, the WHL will hold the U.S. priority draft with the Pats holding the 12th and 32nd overall selections. ADVERTISEMENT Players eligible for this draft including 2010-born prospects who have lived in the United States for two or more consecutive hockey seasons prior to 2025. Players must reside in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington or Wyoming to be eligible. CHL Import Draft The Canadian Hockey League import draft is set for July 2nd and the implications will be heightened this year. Beginning next season, CHL teams will be permitted to play an additional import player, moving the total allowed from two to three. With this change, the CHL has added an extra round to the draft this year as well. The Pats will have the fourth overall pick this year in the first round, followed by the 68th overall pick in the second round and 129th overall pick in the third round. And heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pats will have all three import spots open as last year's lone import, goaltender Ewan Huet, is turning pro next season and is not expected back in Regina. In 2024, Regina drafted Czech forward Vaclav Nestrasil with the eighth overall pick. Last season, the 2025 NHL draft prospect played in the USHL and is committed to the University of Massachusetts for the 2026-27 season. The Moose Jaw Warriors have the first overall pick in the CHL import draft. tshire@ Related The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
CBC
11-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Regina Pats win No. 1 pick, shot at hometown phenom in WHL Prospects Draft
The Regina Pats have the opportunity to pick a hometown phenom in the upcoming Western Hockey League Prospects Draft. The Pats won the WHL draft lottery, giving the team the No. 1 pick in the May 7 draft. Regina is widely expected to choose 15-year-old Regina native Maddox Schultz. Schultz currently plays with the Regina Pat Canadians in the U18 AAA league and, despite his age, has been turning heads for years. Many scouts rank him as the top player in Canada born in 2010. "He came in as a 14-year-old to play in the U18 AAA league and instantly led the league in scoring, was the league's MVP," said Darren Dupont, a sports broadcaster and WHL expert. Dupont said it is rare that an elite player has the chance to play in his hometown. "When you can have an elite level star player stay at home, play locally, represent the town he grew up in and now the team, I think it's a dream scenario not only for the Western Hockey League and the Pats, but for the city of Regina." The last time the Pats picked first overall pick was when they selected Connor Bedard in 2020. Bedard electrified Regina fans and was a huge draw on the road. He went on to be selected No. 1 in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Dupont said besides the Bedard comparison, another name has come up — Sydney Crosby. "He skates really well, he does crazy things [with the puck] and he sees the ice well for a young player," Dupont said. Earlier this year Moose Jaw Warriors scout Todd Ripplinger, who has scouted in the WHL for more than 30 years, compared Schultz to the all-time great. "He's built like Crosby, he can score like Crosby, gets in tight around the net," Ripplinger said. "His shot is so, so hard and strong already for a 14-year-old, but his biggest attribute is his skating." If drafted first overall, Schultz would be the first player from Regina to be taken No. 1 since the WHL draft started in 1990. 3 hours ago Duration 1:47 The Regina Pats have won the WHL draft lottery, after a 16-51 season. Scouts are predicting Regina's Maddox Schultz could be the first pick in the draft, scheduled for May 7. Instead of seeking seek exceptional status for the 2025-26 WHL season, which would allow him to play the entire season, he is opting for a new rule called the Western Canadian Development Model. The pilot project will allow Schultz to stay with his U-18 team in Regina while also playing up to 34 games in the WHL. Dupont calls it the perfect scenario. "To be able to practice with the Pats and just be in the same market, it is kind of a dream," he said. Saskatchewan's other WHL teams will have to wait late into the first round for their first pick in the prospects draft. Prince Albert is set to choose 16th, Moose Jaw 18th, Saskatoon 22nd and Regina again at 23rd. Swift Current doesn't have a pick until the second round.
