The Regina Pat Canadians are in Kenora, Ontario ready for this weekend’s Under-18 AAA Western Regional tournament.
The Pat Canadians are one of four teams vying to advance to the Telus Cup Under-18 national championship in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Regina opens the event on Thursday afternoon against the highly touted Winnipeg Wild. Pat Canadians head coach and explained how his staff has prepared.
“We watched some video of the teams like we would in our league, but video isn't quite the same as playing another team. We have an idea, but all the teams are in the same boat.”
The Wild finished the regular season with a 40-6-1-2 record in the Manitoba under-18 AAA regular season and were 9-2 in the postseason. Hodgins has a lot of respect for their season performance.
“They had a winning season. They're a good hockey team. They're fast and they come at you hard. They got a good club.”
The Pat Canadians arrived in Kenora Wednesday after an eight-hour bus trip and are six days removed from winning the Saskatchewan under-18 AAA title.
“They're full of excitement and energy. They're a crew that's happy to be together and they sure spend a lot of time together. The excitement's high, we had practice, there's a ton of energy and the guys are flying -- I mean, they're excited.”
The four teams, the Pat Canadians, the Wild, the Thunder Bay Kings, and the host Kenora Thistles, will compete in a round-robin format. The top two teams advance to the final. The winner will earn the Western berth in the Telus Cup national championship tournament.
