The Regina Pats came out with a strong start but couldn’t contain a second-period push from the Medicine Hat Tigers, falling 6-2 in Game 1 of their first-round WHL playoff series. The Tigers now lead the best-of-seven matchup 1-0.
The Pats showed early composure in a hostile road environment, responding late in the opening frame after conceding the first goal. After Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll opened the scoring for Medicine Hat midway through the first, Mathis Paull brought Regina even at 1-1 with a perfectly timed deflection in the final minute of the period.
Regina carried that momentum into the second, taking their only lead of the night just 1:58 in. Jace Egland made an impressive individual effort, dangling past a defender before finding the back of the net to give the Pats a 2-1 advantage.
However, the game quickly turned from there.
The Tigers responded with urgency, scoring four consecutive goals in a dominant stretch before the end of the second period. Jonas Woo led the charge, tying the game just over a minute after Egland’s marker before adding two more goals to complete a natural hat trick. Bryce Pickford chipped in with a power-play tally, and by the late stages of the period, Medicine Hat had flipped a one-goal deficit into a commanding 5-2 lead.
Despite the setback, Regina continued to battle in the third, but couldn’t solve Tigers netminder Jordan Switzer again. Yaroslav Bryzgalov added an insurance marker midway through the final frame to seal the 6-2 victory for the home side.
The Tigers outshot the Pats 25-18 and capitalized on special teams, going 1-for-4 on the power play while holding Regina scoreless on five opportunities.
Taylor Tabashniuk made 19 saves in goal for the Pats, while Switzer turned aside 16 shots for Medicine Hat.
THE GOALS
First Period
Tigers 1-0 — #11 Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll (1) assisted by #12 Liam Ruck at 9:45 // The Tigers had the Pats zone and Ruck carried the puck to the right circle and sent a backhand pass to the high slot and Gordon-Carroll one-timed the puck past Taylor Tabashniuk to make it 1-0 for the home squad.
Pats 1-1 — #32 Mathis Paull (1) assisted by #4 Kolten Bridgeman & #20 Connor Bear at 19:17 // Bear won a puck battle along the right boards, sent a pass to Bridgeman at the point. Bridgeman let a wrist shot fly, which was neatly tipped just outside the Tigers’ crease by Paull past Jordan Switzer to even things up at 1-1.
Get us going, Mathis! 😤 pic.twitter.com/s1PodHbwxk
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 28, 2026
Second Period
Pats 2-1 — #24 Jace Egland (1) assisted by #4 Kolten Bridgeman at 1:58 // Egland chipped the puck over the Tigers’ blueline and was able to corral the puck, dangled around a sprawled out Tigers defender and his shot appeared to bounce off a Tiger player in the crease and past Switzer to give the Pats a 2-1 lead.
JACE PUTS US IN FRONT 👊‼️ pic.twitter.com/RlnjEfWLIf
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 28, 2026
Tigers 2-2 — #18 Jonas Woo (1) assisted by #10 Yaroslav Bryzgalov & #34 Andrew Basha at 3:23 // The Tigers won an offensive zone faceoff back to Woo, who let a slap shot fly that beat a screened Tabashniuk to tie the contest at 2-2.
Tigers 3-2 — #18 Jonas Woo (2) assisted by #12 Liam Ruck at 6:29 // Ruck carried the puck to the Pats blueline and took a shot that was stopped by Tabashniuk, but Woo was able to find the loose puck and poke it under the Pats netminder to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Tigers 4-2 — #27 Bryce Pickford (1) assisted by #34 Andrew Basha & #26 Marcus Ruck at 8:55 (PP) // Basha had the puck in the right circle of the Pats’ zone, fired a cross ice pass to Pickford, who one-timed it short side past Tabashniuk to make it 4-2.
Tigers 5-2 — #18 Jonas Woo (3) assisted by #23 Veeti Vaisanen & #10 Yaroslav Bryzgalov at 18:50 // Tabashniuk stopped the initial shot but couldn’t locate the rebound. Woo did and put it past the Pats netminder to make it 5-2 for the Tigers.
Third Period
Tigers 6-2 — #10 Yaroslav Bryzgalov (1) assisted by #18 Jonas Woo & #4 Gavin Kor at 14:20 // Bryzgalov passed the puck to Woo, who fanned on a one-timer, but the puck bounced back to Bryzgalov, who buried it past Tabashniuk to make it 6-2 Tigers.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 6 – 6 – 6 — 18
- Tigers: 7 – 13 – 5 — 25
Power Plays
- Pats: 0/5
- Tigers: 1/4
Goaltending
- Pats: Taylor Tabashniuk — 19 saves on 25 shots
- Tigers: Jordan Switzer — 16 saves on 18 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: Woo (3G-1A)
- Second Star: Bryzgalov (1G-2A)
- Third Star: L. Ruck (2A)
COMING UP
The Regina Pats get set for game two on Saturday, March 28, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. Games three and four will shift to the Queen City on March 31 and April 1.
COACHES COMMENTS
Head coach Brad Herauf chats with the media following Game 1:#ReginaPatsHockey | #REGvsMH | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/LcP0dqWTT1
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 28, 2026
