Staying on the positive side

Brett Clayton’s voice of experience is already resonating with the Regina Pats.

The 20-year-old forward joined Regina last week in a trade with the Tri-city Americans and immediately added a breath of fresh air at a tumultuous time for the WHL club.

“We all know the situation we’re in,” Clayton said. “Definitely you have to be upset when you’re losing and be fired up to come back and get a win but positivity trumps everything. If the coaching staff is positive and the leadership is positive everyone is going to take the most out of those losses and not be so down.”

The Pats rode a six-game losing streak into Friday’s contest against the host Red Deer Rebels.

Despite his new team’s struggles, Clayton sees an opportunity for growth.

“All the effort is there; it’s just the little details that cost us,” he said. “Maybe that’s the inexperience but that’ll definitely come with more games. Obviously you want to win every night but, for a rebuild year and the group we have right now, it’s really good for everyone to learn from their mistakes and see how much those little details count at the end of the games.

“Now that the group is probably pretty set, I think we’ll just keep coming together closer and closer and figure all those little details out.”

Clayton isn’t a young player but he does have a role to play in Regina’s youth movement. He believes the veterans need to show the way by following head coach Dave Struch’s game plan to the letter.

“We can show that we’ll do it and lead by example,” he said. “They always say actions speak louder than words. I believe that if the older guys can do what the coaches want and follow the game plan, everyone else will follow as well.”

Regina’s long-term strategy came into focus last week when the club traded its top three scorers: Nick Henry, Jake Leschyshyn and Aaron Hyman.

Clayton arrived just one day before Henry and Leschyshyn were shipped to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, ending the tenure of two franchise cornerstones. Leschyshyn was the team’s captain while Henry served as an alternate.

“It was definitely strange for everyone,” Clayton said. “It was strange for the new guys coming in and strange for the existing guys. Jake and Hank were big parts of this team not only on the ice but

It’s really good for everyone to learn from their mistakes and see how much those little details count at the end.

in the room. We’re all trying to fill the gaps and work together.”

Clayton isn’t expected to make a huge impact on the scoresheet after compiling just nine goals in 167 career WHL games.

However, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder does add size as well as some other intangibles.

“You can see when he doesn’t have the puck he’s always thinking about where he needs to be defensively,” Struch said. “He communicates well on the ice and he’s really good on the bench. He’s a welcome addition as an older guy. The way he carries himself (is a positive influence). He has lots of energy. When we talk as coaches, he’s eyes-on-eyes and he looks very eager to learn.

“When you have a 20-year-old like that, it bodes well for the young guys.”