Regina Pats' forward Dayce Derkatch has a team-oriented goal for the 2025-2026 Western Hockey League season he hopes to accomplish.
"Everybody looks at the points, but for me, I want to be a good character guy. We've got a lot of young guys, I want them to feel they can come to me to talk about the league or any other problems. I want to be that guy to them, and ultimately, we want to make the playoffs this year," Derkatch said on the SportsCage.
"We have the team here that we can definitely do it this year, so we're hoping to crack the playoffs and hopefully go on a run."
Through the first eight games in the WHL season, the Pats had one win and seven losses, after that Regina won five of their next eight games to jump to eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 6-8-1-1 record. For the Regiment, the last time Regina made the playoffs was in 2023 when they got eliminated by the Saskatoon Blades in the first round in seven games.
Before Derkatch's time with the Pats, he was with the Prince Albert Raiders, who selected him in the third round, 64th overall during the WHL Prospects Draft. Last year, he suited up 55 times for the Raiders, recording three goals and five assists. The Pats traded for Derkatch on September 17, sending the Raiders a 2026 third-round pick.
"I didn't really know what was best for me when I was first approached by my dad, I took some time to sleep on it," Derkatch recalled. "I took a couple of days, decided that the best decision was to come here to a younger team. I have a year in the league, so I can help out some of these younger guys like [Maddox] Schultz and Liam Pue. I think it was ultimately the best decision for me to be back home."
Dayce's dad is Dale Derkatch who is a former Pats player himself and is now the team's general manager.
"My dad, for me growing up, he's the reason where I am today. He's such a smart hockey mind and he knows everything there is to know about the game," Derkatch said. "He's truly a role model and my hero — I look up to him every day."
When it comes to Derkatch’s play, one aspect he takes pride in is his 200-foot game.
"That's definitely something that has been harped on me since I was a young guy coming up, especially from my dad," Derkatch explained. "If you don't play a 200-foot game, you're not going to make it very far. I think that's something that I've been taught. My mantra is to go out there and be the hardest-working player on the ice every time you're out there, so I think that I try to do that each night."
