Carrier and Stanick lift host Pats to victory
Juniors enjoying 2-0 start to season
Although the Regina Pats' nationally televised home opener was played during the afternoon, it appears that Sloan Stanick and Cole Carrier are ready for prime time.
Stanick and Carrier each had three points Saturday to lead the Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders in a WHL game that was shown coast to coast by CBC and also witnessed by 4,292 spectators at the Brandt Centre.
The night before, on Day 1 of the regular season, Regina had won 3-1 on the strength of two goals from 16-year-old phenom Connor Bedard.
Although Bedard — the presumptive first overall selection in the 2023 NHL draft — was largely inconspicuous until he scored a picturesque goal in the third period, his teammates more than picked up the slack offensively.
Stanick, an 18-year-old leftwinger who debuted with the Pats during the 2019-20 season, enjoyed his first two-goal and threepoint games as a WHLER en route to being named the second star.
He had two goals and two assists in 49 games in 2019-20 before registering one goal and five helpers in 24 games last season. Then came Saturday.
“It was something that was very nice, but I will want to work on getting more goals and creating more offence,” Stanick said, “and I still have to work on my 200-foot-game as well.”
Carrier — the game's first star — had a goal and two assists Saturday to help the Pats enjoy a strong start after three sub-.500 seasons.
“Starting off the season 2-and-0 is definitely something we wanted,” Carrier said. “The guys played hard and definitely earned it, minute by minute, shift by shift.”
The Pats are to return to action Wednesday against the host Winnipeg Ice. They then visit the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday.