COACHES LOCKED IN
Pats re-sign Paddock and staff
The Regina Pats are celebrating a contractual hat trick, having signed three coaches to extensions calling for three-plus years.
Pats president Todd Lumbard announced Thursday John Paddock (head coach and general manager), Dave Struch (assistant coach, assistant GM) and Brad Herauf (assistant coach) had received new deals with the WHL team.
“It has been a tremendous experience in every aspect, on and off the ice, from the very start,” said Paddock, who joined the organization in the summer of 2014.
“I remember, probably during the first year or second year, telling one of my daughters that I could never have imagined going any place that was going to work out as well as it did overall — and that was early on in the job.
“It has been fantastic to work for these people. It has been fantastic to work with Dave and Brad. There’s really nothing to complain about, so it’s a no-brainer from my side.”
That mindset is shared by the Pats’ ownership group — Lumbard, Anthony Marquart, Shaun Semple, Gavin Semple and Jason Drummond.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to have these (coaches) around for the long term,” Lumbard said. “The proof of success is there. It is a no-brainer for us.
“The job they’ve done to date has been fantastic, both on and off the ice. To keep that stability for our franchise, for our players, for the future is key for us.”
Paddock was named the WHL’s coach of the year in 2015 and 2017. He was also the league’s executive of the year last season, when the Pats won a franchise-record 52 games, the WHL’s regular-season title and their first Eastern Conference championship since 1984.