WHL VETERAN’S WAIT ENDS
Hebig ready for first playoff game
Cameron Hebig almost feels like a rookie again.
The 20-year-old centre makes his long-awaited WHL post-season debut on Friday night when the Regina Pats open a first-round series against the host Swift Current Broncos. Hebig ’s first playoff game will come in his final junior season, which only adds to the anticipation.
“I can’t wait for Friday to get the first one out of the way,” Hebig said earlier this week. “I haven’t got this chance yet so it’s a great opportunity for me. (There’s) some nerves and excitement but I play my best when I’m nervous.”
The only post-season anxiety Hebig has experienced in the past came from his exclusion. He spent the first 41/2 years of his WHL career with the Saskatoon Blades, who recently missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
“I have thought about it lots and I’ve always wanted to (experience the playoffs),” said Regina’s top scorer. “To finally get this opportunity is great. I’ve waited a long time ... I’m going to soak it all in.”
Although he’s entering uncharted waters, Hebig remains a seasoned veteran of 264 WHL games.
“I just have to play my game,” he said. “It is the same game but obviously it’s more intense and the stakes are higher. We need to be ready and I’m going to be prepared to play my hardest.”
Hebig is focused on the task at hand as his team prepares for a daunting first-round test against Swift Current. That said, he can’t help but wonder what it would be like to enjoy a deep playoff run in his final WHL campaign.
“It sure would be (great to) go out with a bang,” said Hebig, who sat out all of last season due to injury. “To go your whole career not going through playoffs and missing last year, I’m very thankful to get the chance to be in Regina right now. I just want to make the most of it.”
Hebig ’s new team has a wealth of post-season experience, thanks in large part to last year’s trip to the league final. Although Regina’s roster has changed a great deal since then, the collective group still has 319 WHL post-season games under its belt.
The Broncos aren’t far behind with 270.
“Experience is a great thing,” said Hebig. “The guys who were here last year going to the final, it’s obviously very valuable. They know what it’s like to be up in a series and down in a series. We know it’s a roller-coaster ride. To have guys that have been through it, I think it’s big for us.”
Regina’s playoff experience brings no guarantees but the team can derive encouragement from a recent trend that saw five clubs win the WHL championship just one year after losing the league final: The Seattle Thunderbirds (2017), Brandon Wheat Kings (2016), Edmonton Oil Kings (2014), Portland Winterhawks (2013) and Calgary Hitmen (2010).
The Pats hope they’re next. “I don’t think there’s any substitute for playoff experience,” said head coach/GM John Paddock. “We have a fair amount of guys who have a lot of playoff experience and we have some guys who don’t have any. Guys like Josh (Mahura) and (Aaron Hyman) have played in a Memorial Cup (with other teams). Sam (Steel) has lots of experience and he played in a world junior (gold-medal game).
“We have enough experience to show the way.”