The Regina Pats have acquired 2007-born forward Connor Bear and 2005-born defenceman Aleksey Chichkin from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a third-round pick in 2026.
“We are very pleased to add Aleksey and Connor to our hockey club,” VP hockey operations and GM Alan Millar said in a statement. “In this deal, it was important to add to our defence core, while adding another good, young player to our group. We look forward to Aleksey and Connor’s future with the Pats.”
The 17-year-old Bear tallied 23 points, 10 goals and 13 assists, in 34 games with the Warman Wildcats U18 AAA club in 2023-2024, including six points, three goals and three assists, in five playoff games. The Ochapowace, Sask. product played for the RINK Hockey Canada in Winnipeg (U16 prep) in 2022-2023, recording 57 points, 27 goals and 30 assists, in 29 games as well as nine points, four goals and five assists, in five playoff games. The five-foot-nine, 163-pound left-shot forward was selected by Calgary in the sixth-round, 117th overall during the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. Bear won silver with Team Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games in 2022.
The 19-year-old Chichkin tallied 10 points, one goal and nine assists, and 92 penalty minutes in 61 games last season with the Hitmen. The New Westminster, B.C. product is a six-foot-four, 218-pound left-handed defenceman that was undrafted by the Hitmen, and signed on March 23, 2023.
In a corresponding move, the Pats have released 2005-born forward Harper Lolacher, 2006-born forward Dru Mushumanski and 2006-born defenceman Aaron Krestanowich. Regina has also reassigned 2007-born forward Kristian Lacelle to the Saskatoon Blazers U18 AAA program.
