D’Amico looks to add offence after Pats loss
Patrick D’Amico is trying to act his age.
The veteran forward — in a battle to claim one of Regina’s three 20-year-old spots — is ready to take on more of a leadership role with the Regina Pats this season. He also hopes to show the coaches that he can chip in offensively after earning his keep in the past as a checker and penalty killer, recording six goals and 24 points in 48 games last season.
“As a 20 you’re expected to be one of the leaders,” D’Amico said Wednesday after recording a goal and an assist in Regina’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Prince Albert Raiders at the Co-operators Centre.
“I’m still a bit more of a defensive guy and I still want to kill penalties and be reliable in the defensive zone. But I’d like to help chip in a little more. I had a pretty good second half last year so if I can keep building on that I think I’ll be able to contribute well to this team as a 20.”
D’Amico is one of four players on the roster battling for three 20-year-old positions. The others are forwards Braden Christoffer and Logan McVeigh and goaltender Dawson MacAuley.
“It’s pretty nerve-racking,” said D’Amico, who has two goals and three assists in four pre-season games. “But you can’t approach it any differently. You don’t want to try to do too much and get off your game. At the end of the day (all you can do is) play your game and try your hardest. If you stay here, that’s great. If not, you tried your best.”
In the end, that’s all the Pats are asking.
“He just has to play how he plays,” said head coach John Paddock. “He has been a pretty solid player for us in the games when he has played. He’s a big strong guy. He has to provide a little bit of that, a little bit of space at times. With his skating ability, he can skate and make some room. I don’t think it’s necessarily offence.
“With the makeup of our team, that’s not really an issue. We have some other guys who can score. We’re going to score by committee. I expect all four lines to be able to score. I don’t think having three 20-year-olds at one position, forward, is ideal but that could be the hand we’re dealt.”
Asked if he was actively looking to upgrade his 20-year-olds, Paddock said: “Not really. … We have a lot of 19-year-olds and 20-yearolds on our team, probably too many. But that’s the way it is right now.”
One of those 19-year-olds, Connor Gay, continued his pre-season success with one goal and one assist. He has two goals and eight points in three pre-season games.
Rookie Luc Smith had the other goal for the Pats, who scored twice in the third period to take their first lead of the night. However, Matteo Gernnaro scored just 25 seconds after D’Amico’s goahead marker and Calder Brooks finished it off with 1:15 left in overtime when he picked the pocket of defenceman Chase Harrison and scored a breakaway marker on Tyler Fuhr.
Brendan Guhle and Jordan Tkatch had the other goals for the Raiders, who outshot Regina 31-28 in front of a stellar goaltending performance from Rylan Parenteau.
“I liked how we played,” said Paddock. “We skated, we had the puck, played the kind of style we want to play. I was pleased with the effort.”
EXTRAS: The Pats announced Wednesday that Christoffer received an invitation to Washington Capitals’ rookie camp as an undrafted free agent. F Morgan Klimchuk (Calgary Flames), D Kyle Burroughs (New York Islanders) and F Dryden Hunt (Carolina Hurricanes) also left Wednesday to attend NHL camps … The Pats (4-1-1) conclude their seven-game exhibition schedule Friday in P.A. Their regular-season opener is Sept. 19 in Brandon.