Pats nab Mcnabb in Royals trade
The Regina Pats have added a new backup goalie to the mix.
The WHL club acquired 18-year-old netminder Dean Mcnabb from the Victoria Royals on Tuesday for an eighth-round pick in the 2020 bantam draft and a conditional fifth-rounder in2020.
Regina gets a ninthrounder in 2019 back from Victoria.
The Pats had yet to settle on a No. 2 goalie behind starter Max Paddock after auditioning rookies Matthew Pesenti and Carter Woodside in the pre-season.
Woodside was recently sent back to the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos. Pesenti served as Paddock’s backup on the weekend when Regina opened the regular season with a pair of losses to the Prince Albert Raiders.
The Pats are also carrying 20-year-old Kyle Dumba, who is not expected to remain with the team beyond next month’s overage deadline.
“We are happy to get Dean to Regina,” Pats GM John Paddock said in a media release. “He has experience in the league and adds some needed depth to the goalie position within our organization.”
Mcnabb — a third-round bantam pick in 2015 — served as Victoria’s backup last season, going 4-10-0-0 with a 4.52 goals-against average and an .870 save percentage.
The Davidson product helped backstop the Regina Pat Canadians to a Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League championship in 2016-17. He was named a first-team all-star after posting the best GAA in the league (1.64) during the regular season, along with a .920 save percentage.
Mcnabb is the younger brother of Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Brayden Mcnabb.
Jason Veyna will be the head coach of the Western Canada Baseball League’s Regina Red Sox in 2019.
Veyna replaces Mitch Macdonald, who stepped down to spend more time with his family.
Veyna was an assistant coach under Macdonald last season. Geoff MacDonald, Mitch’s brother, will remain with the team as an assistant coach. Rye Pothakos has been retained as director of player personnel.
Mitch Macdonald will still have a role with the team. He will focus on returning players and the recruitment of local players who are in college.