Pats’ recruiting reach has evolved
Team pursuing some prospects from America
The Regina Pats aren’t willing to bet the farm on high-risk prospects, but they are open to an occasional roll of the dice.
Over the past year or so, the WHL club has added a handful of players to its protected list who fall into the hard-to-recruit category — either because of their American birth certificates or NCAA aspirations. Sometimes both. Even if those players are unlikely to play in the WHL, the Pats believe their reputation as an ascending team could lead to the odd gamble paying off.
“If (players) have college opportunities and they’re American I don’t think our chances are great, but it (also) depends on our program,” explained head coach/GM John Paddock. “Our program has a different approach, a different atmosphere about it now. It makes us viable.”
The Pats have already attracted the attention of highly touted forward Nick Henry, a native of Portage la Prairie, Man., whose WHL rights were recently acquired from the Everett Silvertips.
Although Henry has verbally committed to Western Michigan University, he visited Regina during the team’s spring prospects camp on the weekend. He came away “impressed” with what the Pats have to offer and vowed to give them serious consideration.
Meanwhile, the team is continuing to pursue forward Bryan Lockner of Windsor, Colo., a thirdround pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
Lockner declined to make the trip to Regina this spring because of a camp with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, but the Pats remain optimistic about his interest level.
“(Head scout) Dale (McMullin) has talked to his dad quite a bit and he’s coming to main camp,” said Paddock. “I want to get him signed before then. I think they want to know if he is going to be good enough to be up here this year. We think he is. I’m very hopeful of signing him.”
The Pats have also listed Minnesota product Landon Langenbrunner, whose father Jamie is a former NHLer who played major-junior in Ontario. The junior Langenbrunner had been expected to attend spring camp but pulled out due to his sister’s graduation.
“I look forward to seeing him at some point,” said Paddock. “I don’t know where it’s at for training camp but, based on how they have talked or reacted, they don’t really know what direction he’s going. I think if he can be here in August he’ll be here. We’ll just see how it unfolds.”
The Pats also dipped into the U.S. pool this spring when they used a ninth-round bantam pick on forward Kaden Bohlsen of Willmar, Minn. Paddock admits he’s a longshot but the Pats felt it was worth a late-round gamble.
“He was relatively interested in coming (to spring camp) but there was a family thing going on,” said Paddock.
“He has been very responsive when Dale reached out to him. We’ll just have to see how it unfolds. He’s 15 years old, so there’s lots of time. It would be nice to see him (at camp) but it doesn’t really mean anything in the big picture.”
The Pats are also keeping tabs on three list players who’ve committed to U.S. programs: Defenceman Cory Babichuk of Edmonton (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), defenceman Scott Perunovich of Hibbing, Minn. (University of Minnesota-Duluth) and centre Trevor Janicke of Maple Grove, Minn. (University of Notre Dame).
Since those players are committed to college teams, they’ve been transferred to Regina’s college list so they don’t take up a spot on the main 50-player list.
“I won’t even say I’m hopeful at all; it’s just an opportunity,” said Paddock.
“It has happened before where an NHL team might say, ‘Why don’t you look at junior?’ Maybe things don’t go like you expect (in college). There’s lots of different things that can happen.
“Are chances great? No. But it didn’t cost us anything, so there’s no downside.”