Moose Jaw defeated the Regina Pat Canadians 6-2 on Friday night in the tournament taking place at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

Read more:

• Saskatoon Blades steal Game 5 in Edmonton, one win away from second round of playoffs
• Gage Grassick, Seth Hundeby highlight University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ year-end award winners

“It’s awesome. It feels good to beat these guys for sure with the rivalry,” said Moose Jaw forward Ryder Gilroy, who needed to play at defence in the game as well. “There’s no feeling like it compared to any other team.”

Both of these teams met in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League finals. It took all five games in the series but Regina emerged victorious for their second straight league title.

Due to Regina hosting the Telus Cup West Regionals, they automatically received a berth in the tournament. That meant by qualifying for the finals against Regina, Moose Jaw was granted the SMAAAHL spot.

Now, Regina finds themselves on the brink of elimination as it is now a must-win game on Saturday afternoon against the Winnipeg Bruins. Puck drop for that game is set for 2:15 p.m.

“Tomorrow is Game 5. We win tomorrow and we move on. We have to take care of business,” said Pat Canadians head coach Ryan Hodgins.

It was a quick start between these two teams as Regina put the pressure on the Warriors early.

Moose Jaw navigated the early storm and found the back of the net first with Riley Brown beating Pat Canadians goaltender Adam Muntain.

Regina did answer a bit later in the period as Maddox Schultz, who was last year’s Telus Cup MVP, was left alone in the slot on the power play. He fired a shot past Moose Jaw’s Steven Wawryk.

Chase Petersen put Moose Jaw back up in front with a power-play goal of his own.

But Schultz scored his second goal of the period 57 seconds later.

Things got heated between the two in the second period with eight penalties called in the frame — five to Moose Jaw and three to Regina.

It was Moose Jaw while a man down who regained their lead, with Carson Deichert scoring a shorthanded goal. It was the only score of the period for either team.

In the third period, while both teams had a player in the penalty box, Moose Jaw captain Ryan Gibbs made no mistake after a turnover by Regina. His shot beat Muntain to give the Winmar Warriors a two-goal lead.

Maxx Fuessel and Maxon Johnston added goals to extend the lead for Moose Jaw to earn the win.

Tensions were high between the two rivals as 15 penalties were handed out to players in the game — seven to Moose Jaw and eight to Regina.

“We talked about this for the last week or two. It’s not a surprise we’re going to have battles,” Hodgins said.

“No one likes losing. I hope they don’t feel good about it — I’m positive they don’t. I know this group and it’s a group that is resilient. No one likes losing. It’s how we’re going to respond.”

With Regina and Winnipeg already having a regulation loss, the winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the finals to meet Moose Jaw on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Moose Jaw has one more round-robin game, taking on the Thunder Bay Kings on Saturday at 11:15 a.m.

Read more:

• Saskatoon Blades steal Game 5 in Edmonton, one win away from second round of playoffs
• Gage Grassick, Seth Hundeby highlight University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ year-end award winners

Regina, who are the defending national champions, put up seven goals in the first period over the Hockey Northwestern Ontario representatives.

“It’s not how I expected the game to go. Things went our way and I thought our compete was good,” Regina head coach Ryan Hodgins said. “When the game goes that way, the biggest thing is not creating bad habits and playing the right way and moving pucks and doing the right things and playing with respect as well.”

As the host team, the Pat Canadians had a spot locked into the tournament all season. That wasn’t good enough for the team to only get in by virtue of that, with the team winning the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League title for a second straight season. They defeated the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors in their best-of-five series 3-2.

Nathan Gardiner, Liam Pue, Jett Donison, Malaki Martin, Grady Hodgins all scored goals in the opening frame while Maddox Schultz had a pair of goals.

Schultz and Pue just finished playing Tuesday and Wednesday night with the WHL’s Regina Pats in their first round series against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

In the second period, Regina added to their lead as Hodgins and Martin scored their second goals of the game while Xavier Doane also found the back of the net.

Thunder Bay did get onto the scoreboard with Mikita Dolmat scoring in the second period.

In the final period, Brodie Brown scored while Martin added two more to bring his total to four goals.

“It’s tricky (playing in a game like that). We dominated them. It was a good game — I thought they played hard but it’s hard to stick with it sometimes but I thought we did a good job out there,” Martin said.

Earlier in the afternoon, Moose Jaw earned a crucial 6-3 win in their opening game of the tournament.

Moose Jaw came into the game as the SMAAAHL representative after making the league finals. They would meet the Winnipeg Bruins, the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League champions, in the first game.

Before the tournament started, Moose Jaw stressed how crucial this opening game would be in this sort of format.

“Starting off 1-0, it’s obviously a good start, especially when your first three games dictate how Sunday is going to go. Getting the win first was crucial, and we did it, and it was good on us,” said Moose Jaw captain Ryan Gibbs.

The Warriors jumped out to an early lead in the game with Maxx Fuessel scoring a power-play goal just 3:37 into the opening period. Moose Jaw added to that lead just over a minute later with Gibbs beating Winnipeg goaltender Logan German.

Winnipeg battled back as Crewe Schimnowski scored to get the Manitoba representative on the board.

In the second period, Maxon Johnston once again scored early in the frame as he extended the Warriors’ lead to two once again, just 3:52 into the period.

But Winnipeg battled back with Trevor Toyne and Mateo Ferriera beating Moose Jaw goaltender Steven Wawryk twice to tie things at three.

Moose Jaw was able to pull away in the third period as Carson Deichert and Tobin Schaefer scored their first goals of the tournament, while Gibbs added his second of the game.

“A little bit of a roller coaster there. I thought we came out really well. Late in the first (and) second wasn’t ideal. I thought we got away from what made us successful in the first period, and then in the third, I thought we were real good,” Warriors head coach Trevor Weisgerber said

Gibbs was also happy with how the team responded in the final frame.

“It was a good full group effort in the room. We’re just saying we need every man. If there’s one passenger, we don’t win that game, right? It was a good team effort,” Gibbs said.

It will be a rematch of the SMAAAHL finals on Friday night in the tournament as the Warriors and Pat Canadians once again do battle. Puck drop for that one is set for 7:30 p.m.

“I expect a battle. Moose Jaw is going to be hungry and they are going to come hard. It’s going to be a good game,” Martin said.

The Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors beat the Winnipeg Bruins 6-3 in their first game of the Telus Cup West Regionals. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

Regina lost 4-2 to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night in Game 4 at the Brandt Centre, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round best-of-seven playoff series.

Much like how he felt after the team’s 8-2 loss on Tuesday, head coach Brad Herauf said he thought the team played Medicine Hat well.

“We’re putting our heart on the line. Much like last night, we score on some of those chances, it’s a different game. It gives us some juice and gives us some motivation. I don’t want to harp too much on that because the guys on our team who had those opportunities, they feel it enough themselves. They know it themselves. We’re just going to keep on showing up, doing our best, make it as hard as possible on these guys and bringing it back here on Sunday,” Herauf said.

Pats captain Ephram McNutt also said he was happy with how the team played.

“A bit of a scoring drought at times. We can’t seem to find the back of the net but it is what it is. It happens,” McNutt said.

McNutt noted you can tell the difference right now between playing in Medicine Hat and at the Brandt Centre, where the lack of ticket sales has been a topic of discussion.

“I don’t ever want to talk negatively about our fans but it’s unfortunate for sure,” McNutt said. “It would be a lot nicer if we had a full arena and it’s kind of crazy to say, but it’s almost cooler playing in Medicine Hat at times. The crowd is loud and they are so much more into it,” McNutt said. “I never want to talk negatively on the fans but it is unfortunate to see a half-empty arena.”

The Tigers came into the playoffs as the defending WHL champions and finished the regular season with 108 points in the standings. For Regina, it came down to their final game and some help needed to clinch the seventh seed with 59 points.

But Herauf pointed out the Pats have young players like Maddox Schultz, Liam Pue and Mathis Paull playing key minutes for them in playoff contests.

“These guys are the people you’re going to come watch a championship (with),” Herauf said. “(Playoff hockey) is a learned behaviour. It’s hard playing this type of hockey. For you to show up and think you’re going to play all the way to spring and you’ll have your shorts and sandals on and it’s not going to be a mental test, you’re kidding yourself.”

The Pats came into the contest trying to knot things up between the two WHL clubs after losses in Games 1 and 3. Regina earned a 4-2 win over the Tigers in Medicine Hat in Game 2 of it.

The Tigers have been a tough outing for the Pats all season, as that Game 2 win was the only victory Regina had over them all season long.

Regina struck first in the contest at the Brandt Centre. Cohen Klassen found Zach Lansard with a nice pass that the forward finished off, beating Tigers goaltender Carter Casey.

That lead wouldn’t last too long, however, as Tigers’ forward Kade Stengrim scored his second goal in as many nights to tie things up.

With 1:10 left in the opening frame, Gavin Kor took advantage of a Pats turnover and beat goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk to give Medicine Hat the lead.

In the second period, Medicine Hat extended its lead with Liam Ruck beating Tabashniuk. Noah Davidson’s power-play goal increased the Tigers’ lead to 4-1.

“We know they are a good team and they are always going to come at us hard,” said Pats forward Keets Fawcett. “We had some glimpses of some good stuff … Give them an inch, they take a mile and score most of their chances. It’s kind of how it felt tonight.”

Ruslan Karimov scored his third goal of the playoffs before the end of the period to put Regina back within two.

With a scoreless third period, Regina lost 4-2 and will need a win in Medicine Hat to have one more game at the Brandt Centre.

“It’s just about us being in survival mode. I think we talk about us being like that in Game 2 in Medicine Hat and even Game 1 for three-quarters of the game. We keep that mentality, which needs to be our mentality — any team that is playing Medicine Hat, if you don’t think that’s your mentality, good luck,” Herauf said. “We will figure out what we have for bodies going up there on Saturday. This team has always  played its best hockey when our back has been against the wall and I don’t expect anything else come Saturday.”

Having already won in Medicine Hat is also something the team can lean on ahead of the showdown.

“We know what this group is capable of. We did it there in a packed barn and I think we’re not scared to go there,” Fawcett said.

Game 5 of the game is Saturday in Medicine Hat. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m.

Medicine Hat, who scored a WHL-leading 348 goals in the regular season, earned an 8-2 win over the Pats at the Brandt Centre in Game 3 of their playoff series. The Tiger, who finished second in the Eastern Conference, have now taken a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven showdown.

Despite the big loss, Pats head coach Brad Herauf thought his team played better than the scoreboard showed, noting it was 6-2 at one point but both teams had 21 shots on net.

“I think there was lots of stuff we liked about our team. I think a couple of those shots need to be stopped but they were shooting and they weren’t missing tonight. They were going post, bar and in. They have good shooters and they score easy. When we hold them to 21 and 21 shots and 6-2, there were some good things in our game. Multiple breakaways and penalty shots. We just didn’t bury on our chances,” Hersauf said. “Once you give them momentum, they score in bunches and it’s hard to slow down that momentum with their offence.”

Pats captain Ephram McNutt shared the same sentiments as his coach.

“I don’t think we particularly played bad tonight. They buried some chances and we didn’t. I felt like we had a couple prime chances in the second period and some real good looks but we just weren’t burying like they were and that cost us against a team like them,” McNutt said.

Ultimately, Herauf said the team just didn’t play as hard in this game as it did in a 4-2 win in Medicine Hat on Saturday.

“Body checking and finishing checks. We added some really good hockey players into our lineup and, unfortunately, sometimes you do that and you take your team out of survival mode. I thought we were in survival mode and everything was desperation and second and third efforts. Were we making mistakes? Yeah, but we were making it really difficult on them,” Herauf said. “I thought there were spots in the first period we were and then through our cycle, I thought we were but in the end, they are a good team and it just wasn’t consistent enough.”

The Pats added both highly touted prospects Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue to the lineup for the first time in the postseason. Both of them have been playing with the Regina Pat Canadians, where they just won the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League title last week.

Keets Fawcett also made his way back into the lineup after missing time due to an injury.

Regina had appeared to score the opening goal of the game but the officials said Zach Moore had swung at the puck with his stick, which had been broken just moments prior. Zach Moore received a delay of game penalty for the infraction, the first of four Pats penalties in the period.

Medicine Hat forward Yaroslav Bryzgalov opened the scoring in the game for the Tigers as he got around the Pats defenceman and sniped a shot past Pats goaltender Marek Schlenker, who had backstopped Regina to their win in Game 2.

Kade Stengrim added another goal in the first period as well as did Bryce Pickford, who scored with 35 seconds left in the opening frame.

While Regina had committed four penalties, two of those infractions saw a Medicine Hat player also sent to the penalty box.

Regina started the second period on the power play and made good on it. Ruslan Karimov scored with the man-advantage — the first power-play goal for the Pats in the series after coming up short the previous 10 times.

Read more:

• Saskatchewan Rush captain Ryan Keenan aims for better despite career-best season
• England superfan hoping to sell a house to fund his World Cup holiday
• Pair of U of R Rams to represent at CFL Combine

But from there, it would mostly be Medicine Hat taking over the game in the period.

Andrew Basha also scored in the second period as the Tigers regained their three-goal lead.

A few minutes later, Basha fired another shot past Schlenker, this time on the power play. That goal led to the Pats making a goaltender change, with Game 1 starter Taylor Tabashniuk coming into the game. Schlenker finished with 14 saves on 19 shots.

Pue scored his first career WHL Playoff goal when he beat Medicine Hat goaltender Jordan Switzer.

“It feels pretty good to get the first playoff goal out of the way fast but you wish it was a better outcome in the end,” Pue said.

But Carter Cunningham extended the lead once again for the Tigers with his shot hitting the back of the net with 31 seconds left in the period.

Medicine Hat added another even more in the third as Noah Davidson and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll scored a goal.

Coming into the game, the Pats were coming off of a split in Medicine Hat against the Tigers in the first round of the WHL Playoffs. After losing 6-2 in the opening game on Friday, Regina evened the series at one game apiece.

That win in Medicine Hat was the first time the Pats had beaten the Tigers this season.

Herauf said the message to the team is to rebound.

“In the end, there’s going to be times where Medicine Hat is going to outplay us and we can win hockey games. Even when we win the hockey game, we should expect to be outplayed at times and we need to feel comfortable in those moments that we aren’t being overwhelmed,” Herauf said. “In the end, (the game) wasn’t that bad. I think we are mature about it. We need to stay in the moment of it and in the end, it’s 0-0 starting tomorrow.”

Game 4 is Wednesday night at the Brandt Centre with puck drop set for 7 p.m.

Marek Schlenker stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced as the Pats goaltender started his first career WHL playoff game to backstop Regina to the 4-2 win at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat, Alta.

Read more:

• Regina Pat Canadians claim SMAAAHL title for second straight season
• Saskatchewan Rush captain Ryan Keenan aims for better despite career-best season
• Tiger Woods arrested at crash scene on suspicion of DUI, sheriff says

The win ties the series at one game apiece after Medicine Hat earned a 6-2 win over Regina on Friday night.

Saturday’s win was the first time Regina had beaten Medicine Hat this season, losing all four games against the Tigers during the regular season as well.

Regina came into the series as presumed underdogs, finishing with 59 points in the regular season. Before the series, head coach Brad Herauf said you can’t have the mindset that Medicine Hat was the better team if you are the Pats.

After four power plays, one of them being a double-minor for Medicine Hat’s Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll for boarding, in the first 10 minutes of the game — Regina with three attempts at the man-advantage and the Tigers with one — things remained scoreless.

But Regina’s Zachary Lansard opened the scoring when he tipped an Aiden Wagner shot past Medicine Hat goaltender Jordan Switzer. Switzer finished the game with 16 saves.

Only 1:10 later, Ethan Neutens would get things equal before the end of the first period.

Pats captain Ephram McNutt was the only player to score a goal in the second period as Regina once again claimed a lead.

Ruslan Karimov showcased the effort the Pats put in all night on his goal. He rushed down to beat an icing call and proceeded to flip a backhand past Switzer to extend Reginaès lead to two.

Markus Ruck, who led the WHL in points with 108 during the regular season, got Medicine Hat back within one when he was able to beat Schlenker.

But Regina wouldn’t surrender the lead this game, with Jace Egland fittingly putting the game away with an empty-net goal. Egland was all over the ice for Regina in the game, and his hard work was rewarded.

The Pats will now enjoy a couple of games in their home at the Brandt Centre. Game 3 is Tuesday with puck drop set for 7 p.m.

Read more:

• Regina Pat Canadians claim SMAAAHL title for second straight season
• Saskatchewan Rush captain Ryan Keenan aims for better despite career-best season
• Tiger Woods arrested at crash scene on suspicion of DUI, sheriff says

The Pat Canadians took the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League title after a 5-2 win over the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors on Saturday afternoon at the Co-operator’s Centre in Regina.

Read more:

• Saskatchewan Rush captain Ryan Keenan aims for better despite career-best season
• Saskatoon Blades skate to Game 1 road victory over Edmonton Oil Kings
• Medicine Hat scores four in the second period, beating Regina Pats 6-2 in Game 1

“It feels amazing. I’m loving every minute of it. We deserve it and played hard. I couldn’t be happier for the guys,” said Pat Canadians forward Malaki Martin, who scored his 10th goal of the playoffs in the win.

“It’s pretty special. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been able to raise a trophy so being able to do so today, it’s pretty surreal and pretty special,” said Liam Pue, who joined the team this season after he was selected third overall by the Regina Pats in the WHL.

For the trio of Maddox Schultz, Ethan Young and Adam Muntain, it’s their third straight provincial title as teammates. They won the U15 AA crown on the Pat Blues and then as members of the Pat Canadians last season.

For the second season in a row, the Pat Canadians knocked off the Warriors in the finals. Last season, the Pat Canadians swept Moose Jaw 3-0.

It was a different story this time around as Moose Jaw battled back from down 2-0 in the series to force a deciding Game 5. That included a 5-1 win over Regina on Friday night in Moose Jaw.

Pat Canadians head coach Ryan Hodgins said you could tell the group was ready to go after the loss.

“On the ride home, it wasn’t a good feeling but you could feel their energy and again this morning when they got here,” Hodgins said. “I had a good feeling.”

Schultz said the quick turnaround from a Friday night game to a Saturday afternoon contest worked in their favour as well.

“I think dwelling on a loss is the worst thing you can do leading up to a game,” said Schultz, who was the first overall pick in the last WHL Bantam Draft.

“I think we came out flying in the first period. We came out hard on the forecheck and on the first shift, we scored. It was a huge moment for our team to win and everyone is in a good mood, so we’re looking forward to regionals,” said Schultz, who was on the Pat Canadians team last season that not only won the league title, but the Telus Cup as well.

It was Schultz who opened the game quickly for the Pat Canadians as his goal came just 26 seconds into the contest.

“A lot of anger came out of us in that first period. Everyone was super angry, and we united as a team. To do that against a team like that is special. It’s a good one for us,” Schultz said.

Kai Lanigan added another goal in the first period to extend the lead for Regina.

Up 2-0, Pat Canadians goaltender Adam Muntain made a stellar save on Moose Jaw’s Ryan Gibbs to keep the Warriors off the board.

“I saw the pass come from over here and it went right back door and I had no clue it was going to get through so that’s why I stopped in the middle,” said Muntain, who made 28 saves in the game. “Then I dove back and it went right in my glove. I can’t ask for more.”

Moose Jaw did get onto the board before the first period ended with Riley Brown scoring.

Ryker Doka extended the Pat Canadians lead back to two goals in the second period.

In the third, the Pat Canadians pulled away with Martin scoring as well as Mahlon Wiley. Moose Jaw scored with just 22 seconds left in the game as Tyler Hudec found the back of the net.

While this is the end of the league play between the two clubs, there is at least one more battle on the horizon between the two teams.

Both will be participating at the Telus Cup West Regionals this season as the Pat Canadians got an automatic bye as the host team this year.

“We wanted to get this job done first and win it to prove why we should be there. Now we focus on next week and get that done as well,” Pue said.

Moose Jaw will be the Saskatchewan representative in the tournament as the Winnipeg Bruins and Thunder Bay Kings come to Regina for the tournament. That takes place from April 2-5.

Read more:

• Saskatchewan Rush captain Ryan Keenan aims for better despite career-best season
• Saskatoon Blades skate to Game 1 road victory over Edmonton Oil Kings
• Medicine Hat scores four in the second period, beating Regina Pats 6-2 in Game 1

The Pats claimed a lead in the second period against the second-seeded Tigers. That lead would only last 1:25 as the Tigers scored four goals in the frame and never looked back at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat, Alta.

Read more:

• Saskatoon Blades skate to Game 1 road victory over Edmonton Oil Kings
• Iran’s soccer team honours victims of deadly missile strike on school
• Tiger Woods arrested at crash scene on suspicion of DUI, sheriff says

Regina, who finished seventh in the WHL Eastern Conference standings, was looking to find a way to upset a powerhouse Tigers team on the road in Medicine Hat in the first game of the seven-game series between the two.

Regina has yet to beat the Tigers this season, going 0-4 against them prior to the playoffs. In those four games, the Tigers outscored Regina 26-7.

Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll scored 9:45 into the game to open things up for the Tigers in the first period. Mathis Paul scored with 43 seconds left in the first to tie things up between the two clubs.

Just 1:58 into the second period, Jace Egland put the Pats out in front as he beat Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer.

But after that, it was all Medicine Hat as Woo scored the next two goals in the game, Bryce Pickford added one, and then Woo completed the single-period hat trick.

Yaroslav Bryzgalov scored in the third period to extend the lead for Medicine Hat as well.

Switzer only faced 18 shots in the contest, stopping 16 of them. Pats goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk has 19 saves in the game.

Regina was without top prospects Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue in the game as they were playing with the Regina Pat Canadians in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League finals.

Regina will look to even things up on Saturday night in Game 2 against the Tigers in Medicine Hat. Puck drop for the game is set for 7 p.m.

Read more:

• Saskatoon Blades skate to Game 1 road victory over Edmonton Oil Kings
• Iran’s soccer team honours victims of deadly missile strike on school
• Tiger Woods arrested at crash scene on suspicion of DUI, sheriff says

But despite Regina finishing with 59 points this season, while the Tigers had 108, head coach Brad Herauf said they can’t view themselves as underdogs or a potential Cinderella story.

Read more:

• Pair of U of R Rams to represent at CFL Combine
• England superfan hoping to sell a house to fund his World Cup holiday
• Tom Brady says he’s weighed coming out of retirement, but the NFL doesn’t like the idea

“We have to go in there believing we are as good as them, and believing that we are able to stick with them. If we’re going to sit here and talk about them being overpowering and can’t hang with them, that’s your mentality going into it,” Herauf said.

“If we bring our A-game, we know we will make it difficult on them. For us right now, we just want to make sure we are playing our best.”

Medicine Hat has won all four contests against the Pats during the regular season, outscoring Regina 26-7.

Pats captain Ephram McNutt said the Tigers are bringing a lot of skill and experience to the playoffs.

“I think every guy on that team has playoff experience from their run last year,” McNutt said. “An older team as well and a lot of firepower.”

McNutt said he believes the best play for the Pats is to keep things simple, focusing on speed and capitalizing on opportunities.

“We’re not going to outscore them or out-skill them. That’s just not our game,” McNutt said.

Read more:

• U of S Huskie Charlie Parks ready to compete at CFL Combine
• Regina Pat Canadians, Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors to battle for Sask. title
• Top-seeded Huskies stunned by Saint Mary’s in University Cup quarter-final loss

The first-round WHL playoff series gets underway in Medicine Hat on Friday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

Regina hasn’t been in the league’s postseason since 2023.

“It’s huge,” McNutt said. “We’re real excited after a few years off. It’s a great feeling, especially for the young guys coming up.”

Herauf, who has been the team’s head coach since July of 2023, said he’s seen this team develop into a playoff-calibre team once again.

“It’s very rewarding. It has been really difficult the last two-and-a-half years with the rebuild. We pretty much have traded away anybody that was worth anything in the league,” Herauf said.

“It has been really difficult, not just on myself, but the players, lots of guys within the organization, other coaches and office staff members. I think for all of us it’s just a big relief, and a real good step in the right direction.”

Regina did qualify for a playoff spot but it came down to the second game of the regular season as the Pats struggled, going 2-6-1-1 over their final 10 games.

McNutt said you need to toss out memories of how the regular season ended ahead of the playoffs.

“We have to look back at the good we have done to put us in a position to be able to lose those games. I think we’re focused on the playoffs, and Medicine Hat and the task at hand,” McNutt said.

Carson Sombach and Ethan Graham received invites to the national CFL Scouting Combine in Edmonton from March 27-29.

Read more:

• Riders’ head coach Corey Mace wins 2025 CFL Coach of the Year award
• Riders CEO Craig Reynolds says Saskatoon pre-season game will be a hot ticket
• Tailgating law fully passed, ready in time for Riders opener

The combine allows many of the top prospects for the CFL Draft to participate in a number of drills in front of coaches, scouts and general managers as they try to make their case for teams to select them to join their teams.

“It’s really cool. It’s coming up quick with all the preparation just coming to a close,” Sombach said. “It’s time to finally do the thing.”

Graham, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive lineman, said it’s going to be a great experience.

“It’s a dream come true, even just to compete with the best of the best,” Graham said. “I’ve been working really hard and I’m excited to go out and show these teams what we can do.”

Sombach, a safety with the Rams, was supposed to originally go to the invitational combine, where players can earn an invite to the main combine with a good performance. But while Sombach was out playing indoor golf with some friends, Rams head coach, Mark McConkey, called him to let him know to check his email.

“I was pretty excited to get that invite around all my friends and it was really awesome to be recognized for how much effort I have put in with the Rams,” Sombach said.

When it comes to what to expect at the combine, he has a great resource to turn to. Sombach’s older brother, Jackson, participated in the 2024 CFL Combine. After his performance there, he was selected by the Calgary Stampeders in the seventh round (60th overall). After going back to school that season, Sombach joined the Stampeders for the 2025 season, appearing in 11 games for the team.

University of Regina Rams offensive lineman Ethan Graham is looking to impress scouts at the CFL Combine. (Piper Sports Photography)

“He’s told me a lot. He has helped me give an idea about what kind of questions they will ask me in the interview process, what the days look like and how long they can be and how to stay prepared for that,” Sombach shared. “Just getting an inside look at what the whole thing is going to be is super nice and super helpful that a lot of people don’t have.”

Sombach comes from a football family, with his dad coaching in Regina and his two younger brothers, Rylar and Connor, currently his teammates on the Rams.

“I was always into football. My dad coached the Miller Marauders when I was really little and I remember going to practices and being the rabbit in pursuit drills and stuff like that,” Sombach said. “I’ve always had a passion for football and started playing flag and touch football as early as I could and as soon as I was old enough to tackle, I started doing that.”

Graham was more interested in basketball than football, but was cut in his Grade 9 year. It was after that when he shifted his focus from the court to the field.

“It was where I started to fall in love with football, starting with the grind every day and trying to make that work,” Graham said. “If you asked me in Grade 9, I would have been mad, but it’s a blessing in disguise that I got cut. Now, I’m right on the doorstep of the CFL.”

Sombach admitted it’s hard to imagine he could soon have his name called by a CFL team.

“I’ve been here for so long so it’s kind of surreal that’s coming up. It’s really exciting to have the possibility to do that,” Sombach said.

“It’s something that when you’re in elementary school and all the teachers ask what you want to be when you grow up, you always write professional football player. It’s cool all those dreams and aspirations you had before you even started playing could possibly come true.”

The CFL Draft takes place on April 28.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies defensive end bounced back in a big way, though, and will now showcase his talents to CFL teams one last time before the CFL Draft.

The Regina, Sask., product is one of the participants at this year’s CFL Combine in Edmonton.

Read more:

• Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors beat Pat Canadians 3-2 in overtime, force Game 4
• Pair of Saskatchewan teams clinch gold at Western Canadian Ringette Championships
• ‘Where I’m meant to be’: Mike McEwen speaks on former team’s split, joining Kleiter rink

It allows a number of draft-eligible prospects a chance to compete in drills and interview with teams ahead of the CFL Draft to make their case as to why a team should select them.

“It doesn’t feel real. This is something that I have thought about for a long time, playing football. Back when I was 11 years old, a couple of my teammates at the time on the Pee Wee Riders told me, ‘Man, you’re going to be playing in the CFL,’ and I was like, there’s no way,” Parks said. “To be so close, it’s awesome.”

Parks is excited for every drill and opportunity at the scouting showcase.

“I think I bring something in every drill. I’m just excited to go put the genuine article on tape,” Parks said.

He has also leaned on the advice of his Huskie teammates who have went to the combine such as Saskatchewan Roughrider draft picks, Seth Hundeby and Daniel Wiebe.

“Just asking them and picking their brain for it is really helpful,” Parks said.

It was a long road to recovery for Parks, who suffered a back injury in their final home game of the 2023 season. He was sent on a blitz as an outside linebacker and got hurt on the play. He went ahead and played in the playoff game but he admits that didn’t do him any favours.

So he only played in a handful of games in 2024 before he had to be shut down.

“It was the toughest year of my life. We still crack jokes about it with the Huskie guys – I was walking doubled-over for 10 months because my back and all the nerves hurt so bad, I couldn’t stand up straight,” Parks said. “My mom can attest to it. When I woke up from getting surgery, I just popped up. It felt like I could do whatever I wanted again.

“To have to wait six weeks before I could start playing football again was tough. Glad I got through it and glad I got back here.”

He bounced back in a big way in 2025, recording six and a half sacks and was named the Canada West lineman of the year.

“It felt amazing. That was on my shortlist for goals at the start of the year,” Parks said. “To be able to accomplish it and come back from missing a full season and to come back and get right back into the swing of things and do it better than I have before, it’s one of those things where it feels like everything you did and everything you went through just paid off.”

With the CFL Draft taking place on April 28, Parks admitted it’s surreal how close the event is.

“All the hard work and hours put in are finally getting to be paid off. It’s so rewarding,” he said.