The Regina Pats have announced their leadership group for the 2026-27 Western Hockey League season on Saturday, with 19-year-old defenceman Reese Hamilton named the 84th captain in franchise history.
Hamilton will be joined by Maddox Schultz and Dayton Deschamps as full-time alternate captains, while Kolten Bridgeman will serve as an alternate captain for home games and Zach Moore will wear an ‘A’ for road contests.
Hamilton is coming off a career season with the Pats after recording career highs with 43 points and 36 assists, while adding seven goals in 67 games during the 2025-26 campaign. The Whitewood product also finished the season with a plus-six rating, establishing himself as one of Regina’s top blueliners.
The 6-foot, 181-pound left-shot defenceman has earned invitations to three NHL camps over the past calendar year. Hamilton attended the Dallas Stars Development Camp this past summer, the Seattle Kraken Development Camp following the 2025 season and the Winnipeg Jets Rookie Camp last fall.
“Reese embodies what it means to be a Regina Pat,” said Pats head coach David Bell. “He has earned the respect of his teammates through the way he prepares, competes and carries himself every day. He’s a perfect leader for our hockey club and our community, and we’re excited to see him take on this role.”
Schultz becomes the first 16-year-old player to be named a Pats alternate captain since Connor Bedard had the honour during the 2021-22 season. The Regina product recorded 29 points, including 15 goals, in 34 games with the Pats last season, while combining for 64 goals and 137 points in 75 games between the Regina Pat Canadians and Pats.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound centre also enjoyed a standout summer on the international stage alongside Pats teammate Liam Pue, helping Canada capture gold at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Deschamps, 19, will serve as an alternate captain for the first time in his career. The Saskatoon product posted three goals and 10 points in 52 games last season. Over his WHL career, the 6-foot, 194-pound left-shot defenceman has recorded seven goals and 17 points in 109 games.
Bridgeman and Moore, both in their final junior season, return as alternate captains for the 2026-27 season.
A Regina product, Bridgeman has recorded three goals and 21 points in 171 career games with the Pats since joining the team during the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound right-shot defenceman posted nine points in 51 games last season.
Moore, a Saskatoon native, has been with the Pats since the 2023-24 season and has recorded 30 goals and 61 career points in 172 games. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound right-shot forward established a career high with 10 goals and 25 points in 52 games last season.
The Pats will open their home schedule on Sunday at 2 p.m. when they host the Swift Current Broncos at the Brandt Centre.
