The Regina Pats have plenty to be excited about when it comes to the future. In fact, according to TSN hockey analyst and insider Craig Button, two of the biggest reasons for that excitement could eventually become NHL superstars.
Pats forwards Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue were the youngest players on Canada’s roster at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, but neither looked out of place against older competition.
Pue led the tournament in goals, while Schultz tied for the tournament lead in points as Canada captured the gold medal with a win over the United States. Speaking on the SportsCage, Button said the performances of the two Regina forwards went well beyond what would normally be expected from 16-year-old players.
“I think there's too much focus put on birth certificates,” Button said. “It's too easy to default to say, well, they're young.”
Button believes the better question is whether Schultz and Pue are good enough to play against Canada's best available players. His answer is emphatic.
“They were two of the best players in the entire tournament,” Button said.
And Button isn't simply projecting that they could become good NHL players someday. He believes both have the potential to become stars at hockey's highest level.
“I think that Hockey Canada better have an open mind to these two guys now,” Button said. “I think that if they play to their capabilities, they should be invited to the (World Junior) camp.”
Button went even further when discussing their long-term potential.
“I think Maddox Schultz is a prodigy and I think Liam Pue is a prodigy,” he said. “These two players, in my opinion, are two of the next superstars that are going to be in the NHL.”
Schultz already caught Button's attention. Button's belief in Schultz didn't develop during the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He first heard about the Regina product when Schultz was just 14 years old.
Button recalled being told by a golf pro who had coached Schultz that the young forward was an exceptional talent and potentially the best player in his age group in Western Canada.
Button then reached out to Taylor Green, who was working in player recruitment and development with the Western Hockey League. The response was striking.
“He said, well, he should be the first overall pick,” Button recalled.
Button eventually got a chance to see Schultz play for himself and quickly understood the hype.
“I went over and watched an afternoon game with Schultz, and it became pretty obvious that he was pretty dominant,” Button said.
That dominance has continued as Schultz has progressed through the hockey system. Button compared the way Schultz sees and controls the game to some of the best centres to ever play it, including Sidney Crosby.
“It's reminiscent of the way Crosby plays it,” Button said. “That's the centre that commands the game, that plays it in every single regard and all of its details at a high level.”
For Button, that's what sets Schultz apart. It's not just the skill. It's the understanding of the game, the maturity and the ability to process what's happening around him. And those qualities were on full display in Edmonton.
If Schultz is more naturally inclined toward creating plays, Button sees Pue as a player who can finish them. Button compared Pue's game to another NHL superstar.
“Liam Pue reminds me of Steven Stamkos, the way he plays the game,” Button said. “It's as smooth as Steven was at that age.”
Pue's ability to shoot the puck was one of the biggest reasons Button believes he could be an intriguing option for Canada's World Junior team down the road. Button believes Canada has plenty of strength up the middle, a strong blue line and quality goaltending, but he sees a potential need for more offensive pop. That's where Pue could fit.
“Liam's a natural,” Button said. “Liam is capable of a one-shot goal.”
And while Button sees Pue as more of a shooter and Schultz as more of a playmaker, the two skill sets appear to complement each other perfectly.
It's one thing to have two highly skilled players. It's another thing to have two players whose games fit together. Button believes that's exactly what the Pats have with Schultz and Pue.
“Their hockey sense and understanding of the game is exceptional. It stands out.”
Both players process the game at a high level, and when players who think the game that way are put together, Button believes chemistry can naturally follow. It also helps that their skill sets are different.
“Maddox is a little bit more of a playmaker, and Liam is a little bit more of a goal scorer,” Button explained. “The playmaker needs a goal scorer. The goal scorer needs a playmaker.”
Both are capable of doing more than their primary roles, but their natural tendencies make them particularly effective together. And that chemistry could become one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Pats as Schultz and Pue continue their Western Hockey League careers.
The next question may be how quickly the hockey world takes notice. Button believes Schultz and Pue deserve serious consideration for Canada's World Junior team, despite their age.
He isn't saying they should make the team simply because they're exceptional 16-year-olds. He's saying they should be considered because they're exceptional hockey players.
“If there's 13 better forwards than those guys available to Team Canada for the World Junior, I want to see them,” Button said.
That's quite the statement considering the players Canada could have available.
Button used Wayne Gretzky as an example of what can happen when a young player is too good to ignore. Gretzky was 16 when he played for Canada at the 1978 World Junior Championship, and Button believes Schultz is showing the type of ability that warrants a similar open-minded approach.
“That's how good they are now,” Button said.
Of course, Schultz and Pue still have plenty of work ahead of them.
They'll return to Regina and begin the next chapter of their WHL careers, where the expectations will undoubtedly be higher following their breakout performances on the international stage. But Button believes the Pats should enjoy the opportunity to watch both players develop.
Because if his evaluation proves correct, Regina isn't simply home to two talented young forwards. It could be home to two future NHL superstars. And the next few years could be something special to watch.
