CUP BID IN JEOPARDY
The Regina Pats’ bid for the 2018 Memorial Cup has been put at risk by an impasse in lease talks with the Brandt Centre.
An impasse in negotiations for a new lease at the Brandt Centre threatens to derail the Regina Pats’ bid for the 2018 Memorial Cup.
The WHL team is currently operating under the terms of their previous lease, even though it expired on May 31. Since then, the club has been working on a new deal with the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL) — a non-profit organization which runs the city-owned arena and other facilities at Evraz Place.
The Regina Leader-Post has learned that the two sides have been unable to find common ground as the clock ticks toward a fast-approaching deadline.
The stakes are high for the Pats, who will celebrate their 100th anniversary next season in conjunction with the centennial of the Memorial Cup. The tournament is typically staged on a rotating basis between Canada’s three major-junior leagues (the WHL, OHL and QMJHL) but the national body elected to open it up to all three regions for the 100th anniversary.
Regina’s bid cleared its first hurdle on Oct. 5 when the team received a unanimous endorsement from the WHL board of governors to represent the west.
However, according to league sources, the team must have a lease in place by the end of this month in order to move forward with an official application to the CHL.
The finalists from each league are expected to be announced in early November, followed by bid presentations to a national selection committee in December.
When contacted by the Leader-Post on Friday, Pats part-owner Anthony Marquart confirmed the serious nature of the looming deadline.
“We’re very concerned,” said Marquart, the president of Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group. “We’re at the point now where we’re being put at risk and the community is being put at risk. We won’t be in a position to host a Memorial Cup unless this lease is finalized.”
Chase Harrison leads the Regina Pats in multiple categories — including nicknames.
The soft-spoken veteran — known to his teammates as “Harry” — has accumulated several monikers over his WHL career, including Steady Eddy and Mr. Reliable.
More recently, however, the 20-year-old Winnipeg product hasn’t lived up to his reputation as the unsung hero of Regina’s defence. He has surpassed it. Heading into Friday’s slate, Harrison was the WHL’s top-scoring defender (13 points in 10 games) and tied with Pats blue-line partner Sergey Zborovskiy for the league lead with a plus-15 rating. So much for keeping a low profile. “I’ve been kind of flying under the radar my whole career,” he said with a smile. “It’s funny, my dad just says, ‘Keep doing the right things and it’ll eventually come.’ That’s what I’ve been doing, just playing my game and trying to do the right things.”
Harrison’s philosophy translated to career highs in 2015-16, recording eight goals and 38 points in 72 games, with a plus-17 rating.
He’s on pace to blow away those numbers this season.
“I try not to look at that too much,” Harrison said prior to Friday’s game against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. “If I catch myself thinking about that stuff too much it starts to mess with my head and gets me off my game. If the points come, they come. If they don’t, they don’t. As long as I’m playing good.”
Harrison is doing it all for the Pats, who lean on the versatile rearguard in every situation, including when the game is on the line.
That dependability is a big reason why he has earned the highest praise from assistant coach/assistant GM Dave Struch, who works closely with the team’s defence.
“If you were to take any of our prospects you would say to them, ‘Watch this guy play,’ ” offered Struch. “Chase Harrison is the model citizen for the way the Regina Pats want to play hockey right now.”
Despite an unassuming nature, Harrison stands out in his own way with a calm and measured approach — especially in stressful situations.
“He’s really poised with the puck and he’s smart at reading plays without the puck,” continued Struch. “He makes good plays offensively and defensively because of his experience. He knows the little shortcuts to cut off angles, to take away lanes, to take away time and space. That makes a big difference at this level.”
Harrison has been rewarded this season with the best start of his career. The timing is fortuitous since this is also his final junior campaign.
“Obviously not being drafted, it’s a big season for me,” said Harrison. “It’s my goal to get noticed by a professional hockey team. In order to do that I have to keep playing well and do what I can to help the team win. The farther our team goes the better it is for everyone.”
Harrison also subscribes to the theory that a defenceman’s best work can sometimes go virtually unnoticed. Those subtle traits may not be fully appreciated outside the Pats’ dressing room, but Harrison’s low-key style and quiet leadership are valued by Regina’s coaches, who pinned an ‘A’ on his sweater last year.
“He’s a great person,” said Struch. “It has been great to work with him for three years. It’s really unfortunate that he’s a 20-year-old because he’s the guy you want in this program year-in and year-out. You hope that some of these young guys develop that personality and that character.”
For Harrison, it’s all part of being a leader.
“If some of the guys need to be put in place I’m not scared to do that but mostly it’s leading by example on and off the ice — just doing the right things,” he added. “When I was young I looked up to all the older guys. I kind of thought ‘When I get to that age it would be cool to be one of those leaders.’ Now it makes me feel a little bit old with how fast my four years have gone, but it has been great.”