Maddox Schultz lives out a dream being drafted by the Pats: The Green Zone

The Regina Pats kept Maddox Schultz at home to begin his WHL career.

The club selected the Regina product first overall in the WHL Prospects draft.

Schultz, 15, had quite the year with the Regina Pat Canadians, winning the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League and followed that up with a Telus Cup championship – the national title for that hockey level.

After a whirlwind day that saw him get selected by the team he grew up cheering for, the Regina Pats forward joined The Green Zone on Thursday.

Listen to Maddox Schultz on The Green Zone:

The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

The Green Zone: Is this a dream come true to have the Pats select you first?

Maddox: Absolutely. I think everyone dreams of being drafted by their hometown team. Growing up here and watching the Pats and all the great players that have gone through their system, it’s cool to be drafted by them.

Your parents must be thrilled that you get to stay home.

Maddox: Anytime their child gets to stay home and have them in your own house, it’s special for them, but it’s special for me too.

I get to live at home with them and my dog and my sister, so it’s pretty cool that I’m not moving away and I can play at the Brandt Centre — the rink I grew up playing in — and have my parents and my sister in the crowd. I think that will be really cool.

Regina Pats forward Maddox Schultz joined The Green Zone the day after being selected first overall in the WHL Prospects Draft. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

How great is it to have that support system there for you?

Maddox: Something as simple as having dinner with them or watching a movie with them, it’s something that someone who moved away can’t do. They are usually on their own. For me to have them in the household, it’s really special.

What was that like when you found out the Pats got the first pick in the WHL Draft Lottery?

Maddox: It was pretty crazy. I remember sitting at the kitchen table, and all the family was watching it on Victory+. I just remember jumping up after the Pats got the first pick and it was pretty cool seeing my family cry (with joy).

There was still a draft to be had, but I think we had a pretty good idea. It was pretty cool I got to experience that moment.

Read more:

• From Haiti to Saskatchewan: How Kendy Charles is turning opportunity into his dream
• First Canadian futsal title leaves Saskatoon players and coaches stunned
• Saskatchewan Rush dominates Halifax 16-7 in Game 1 of NLL semifinals

What was it like when the Pats told you they were picking you first?

Maddox: We went into the Pats’ business office and had a meeting there and they presented me with videos from Connor Bedard, Sam Steel, Jordan Eberle and Cole Sillinger. Those are my idols and it’s pretty cool to receive a video from them saying my name and saying I will be drafted first. It was a pretty surreal moment for me and my family in the room.

The Pats go and trade and get Liam Pue. What’s it like to know his game and know you’re going to be teammates?

Maddox: We thought we were going to be on different teams. To be on the same team as him right now it’s pretty surreal.

We have created a really good bond over the last year, going to a couple of camps together and just creating that bond. I gave him a call after he was drafted and just explained to them how excited I was, and he’s pretty excited too. I think it will be cool for the next couple of years.

What does he bring to the Pats?

Maddox: His shot is tremendous. He’s a right-hand shot that can produce at any moment of the game and that’s what makes him special. He can change a game even when something else is going on. I think that’s his biggest asset.

How did that friendship develop over him being in B.C. and you being in Saskatchewan?

Maddox: We’ve been to a couple of camps together. Just a couple of calls back and forth. We text each other just to see how each other’s seasons are going. He went to that tournament in Philly. They lost out but that stuff happens. We’ve been to a couple of camps together and created a sound bond and hopefully it can get better.

Regina Pats forward Maddox Schultz signs the wall after appearing on The Green Zone. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

Your parents were skating coaches. Can you do a toe-loop or anything like that from your younger days?

Maddox: I figure-skated until I was about eight. They’ve really helped me with my edge-work and my stride. I used to be able to do a single-axel, which is one-and-a-half spins in the air. I put a lot of work into that. Hockey got busy around that time, which is why I stopped figure skating.

How much are you allowed to be a 15-year-old?

Maddox: Absolutely. Being a kid is part of it. All of these interviews and attention come with hockey and are inevitable. I’m on video games sometimes and playing NHL 25 with my buddies and having a good time. That’s sometimes how I end my night – either that or watching hockey. I love to golf.

Do you beat your dad at golf?

Maddox: I think I have him now. I beat him once or twice but we’ve only golfed a couple of times.