Pats’ rookie headed in Wright direction
Garrett Wright has come a long way in a short time with the Regina Pats.
Although he tends to fly under the radar, the 17-year-old forward has shown steady progress through the first six weeks of his rookie season, culminating in his first WHL goal on Saturday against the Prince Albert Raiders.
“It took a while to get my first one but it felt great,” said Wright, who has one goal and one assist in 13 games. “Everyone wants to get their first goal (as soon as possible). It’s tougher than you think but, once you get it, it’s a relief . ... It’s the best players from pretty much everywhere in Western Canada and the Western U.S., so it’s good to finally get one. “Hopefully there’s more to come.” Wright was born in Ireland, where his father Jason was a pro defenceman with the Belfast Giants. The family moved to the Phoenix area when Garrett was a baby.
The Pats scouted Wright last season while he was a member of the Anaheim Junior Ducks, recording 17 goals and 29 points in 32 games. He was also called up for two junior A games with the USHL’S Central Illinois Flying Aces.
Garrett’s father played in the USHL in the early ’90s before spending four seasons at Michigan Tech University. Garrett considered following a similar path but, when an opportunity presented itself with the Pats, he decided that was the best avenue to accomplishing his goal of becoming a pro.
“I felt like (the USHL) wasn’t for me,” he said. “There are just some things I didn’t like about it. I got a chance to come up here in April and I loved it. I loved the coaching staff and I loved the Pats so I felt like this was the best place for me to go.”
Wright is one of several young players trying to establish themselves with the Pats, who are in the midst of a rebuild after hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup.
After a solid pre-season — two goals and one assist in six games — Wright has mainly been limited to a fourth-line role.
“We’ve been unfortunate having a lot of injuries so I’ve been getting a little more ice time lately,” he noted. “I’ve been grateful for that and I feel like that’s really helping me get used to things even faster.”
Head coach Dave Struch agreed, noting Wright has shown growth in recent outings. The Pats believe he will eventually develop into a solid two-way player.
“With more ice time, more experience, more opportunity, there has been a good level of improvement,” said Struch, whose team plays host to the Saskatoon Blades Saturday (7 p.m., Brandt Centre). “There’s also a level of earning it on our side. The last couple of games with guys out of the lineup, he has gotten an opportunity.
“He’s going to be a two-way player for us in the future so we’re putting him in different situations to succeed. He has made mistakes but, where we are in the program, he has come a long ways from the start of the year.”