The Regina Pats hope a blast to the past will lead a change of fortune.
It’s Retro Night at the Brandt Centre when the Pats welcome the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Saskatoon Blades.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Pats are looking to shake off a six-game losing streak. Despite no wins, Regina have collected four points during that span (0-2-3-1).
To ring in the new year, the Pats suffered a 5-4 overtime loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors. Regina rallied in the third period with a pair of goals to send the game into overtime. It was a special night for captain Tanner Howe, picking up three assists, to move him past the 200-point career mark in the Western Hockey League. Tye Spencer had a pair of goals for Regina on Monday.
Goaltender Ewan Huet returns to the Pats after he spent the holiday season in Sweden playing with Switzerland at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships. The Swiss were eliminated in the quarterfinals with the host Swedes picking up a 3-2 overtime loss. Huet saw action in one game for Switzerland at the tournament.
The Saskatoon Blades began the New Year with a 4-0 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings. Austin Elliott made 28 saves for the win. Trevor Wong had three points (1G-2A), while Brandon Lisowsky (1G-1A) and Egor Sidorov (0G-2A) chipped in with multi-point nights.
It remains to be seen if former Pat, Alexander Suzdalev will make his debut for the Blades against his former team. The Washington Capitals officially announced that Suzdalev would be reassigned to the Blades for the remainder of the season. With the 19-year-old forward arriving to Saskatoon last night, it would make for a long travel day for his first matchup with his new team.
Tonight, will mark the sixth time the two provincial rivals will square off. The Pats picked up a pair of victories against Saskatoon, including their home-opener back in September. The remaining two games between the two clubs will take place in Saskatoon later this month (Jan.14 & Jan.31).
Coverage for tonight’s game on 620 CKRM begins at 6:35. The Pats will be back on the ice at the Brandt Centre on Saturday when they welcome in the Victoria Royals.
