Inexperienced Pats ready for juggernaut Tigers in first postseason appearance in three years

The Regina returns to the playoffs for the first time since the Connor Bedard era, set to face the Medicine Hat Tigers. Donovan Maess has more.

For the first time in three years, the Regina Pats are back in the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) postseason.

Head Coach Brad Herauf calls the return of playoff hockey to the Queen City the next step in a progression towards larger goals.

“We’ve done a scorched the earth rebuild here in the last two years,” he told reporters Monday. “Even this year, we don’t really spend [many] assets to add anything to our team. We really went with what we have in here, made a couple of changes to improve our culture and our team.”

“We’re very happy with where we’re at and the experience our players have gotten this year,” he added.

Regina last made the postseason in 2023, when now Chicago Blackhawks’ star Connor Bedard was leading the Pats. The Pats would go on to lose to the rival Saskatoon Blades in seven games.

Regina ran through the 2025-26 regular season with a 25-34-7-2 record, earning themselves the seven seed for this year’s playoffs.

“We’ve mixed in some good development in with the younger guys still getting experience and our older guys have had the opportunity to lead us,” said Herauf.

The Pats will match up with the Medicine Hat Tigers, the defending WHL champions, in the first round.

Medicine Hat was one of just three WHL teams to reach 50 wins on the season, going 50-10-5-3 through the regular season.

“They really haven’t had much drop off from last year,” Herauf said about his opponent. “If you look at a lot of their team it’s been internally drafted. They’ve been brought in and been Tigers from the start.

“That’s something we really focused on this year and making sure we had some continuity,” the coach added.

Playoff experience

Headed into their first postseason in three years, the Pats are without one big piece a team destined for a deep run: experience.

“It’s a different kind of hockey, it’s a different level of hockey,” said Herauf. “Through the stages of the year, there’s just about four gears and the fifth gear is playoffs.”

Just seven players on the Pats’ current roster have previous WHL playoff games played:

• Ephram McNutt (D) – 26 games
• Caden Brown (F) – 23 games
• Rylan Pearce (D) – 22 games
• Dayce Derkatch (F) – 7 games
• Matt Paranych (D) – 3 games
• Marek Schlenker (G) – 2 games
• Kolten Bridgeman (D) – 1 game

“It’s like nothing else, you know?” McNutt, the Pats’ captain, said. “Everything is harder, quicker, faster and it’s just a blast really. The fans get into it, everyone’s a little more into it and you’re playing for something.”

“You’re playing for something all year but it just means a little more in the playoffs,” he added.

In comparison, Medicine Hat has 16 players with WHL postseason games played – including more than a dozen returning players from last year’s championship team.

Bridgeman is the lone remaining player from the Pats’ last playoff appearance in 2023.

“Both buildings were insane,” he recalled. “They were sold out and the playoff atmosphere is the best atmosphere there is. It was awesome, the crowds were loud, engaged, and it was fun.”

“It’s a privilege to be here. Not every not every team gets to make it this far, the weather’s warm and it’s nice to come to the rink with shorts on,” Bridgeman added.

Those who have been there before say they are passing along any bit of knowledge they have to a unexperienced team.

“The message I’m trying to give to the boys is it’s fun, like to enjoy it,” Brown told CTV News Monday. “It’s a lot more intense than regular season and that’s fun. So I hope all the boys are excited and we’re ready to prove ourselves.”

“I don’t really have anything else to save it for. It’s my last year,” McNutt joked. “I’m going to pass it all off and see what they guys need and what they need help with. It’s for them and, at the end of the day, it’s the end of my career and it sets the tone for their futures and hopefully some future deep playoff runs.”

Rookies like Maddox Schultz say they’ll be leaning on that experience early in the postseason.

“In a situation like this, you have to look up to your leaders and the others who have been there before,” he said. “Those are the people that are going to help the most. The best knowledge is from experience, so we’re looking forward to it.”

“The learning experience we’ve had here for the last month and a half, and also in the playoffs, is going to help us,” added Herauf. “Medicine Hat’s going to be a good stick to measure, because in two years that’s what I expect us to be.”

The Tigers

The 2025 Ed Chynoweth Cup winners are in search of becoming the first team to repeat as champions since the 1994-95 Kamloops Blazers.

The Tigers previously have pulled off the feat, doing so in 1987 and 1988.

Medicine Hat is led by Willie Dejardins, who is top-10 all-time in WHL coaching wins.

On the ice, the Tigers scored the most of any team, led by twins Markus Ruck and Liam Ruck who were the top points scorers in the league with 108 and 104, respectively.

Regina has nothing but respect for how good their opponent has been over the past two seasons.

“We’re expecting them to ramp it up even more,” said McNutt. “They have a ton of skill. Their coach and their systems are great.”

“They want to win 8-6 or even 8-1. So they’re going to be pushing for offense and I think they cheat at times,” he added.

Regina and Medicine Hat matched up four times over the 2025-26 season.

The Tigers took all four matchups, outscoring Regina 23-7 over those games, with just one game going to overtime.

“We played them four times this year so we know what they bring to the table,” Brown said, “A lot of speed and skill and that’s exactly what we’re expecting. If we put together a gameplan to counter, we will be just fine.”

“They’re one of the best teams in the WHL,” Schultz added. “We’re up for the challenge. It’s going to be super tough, we know that. But if we stick to our structure, believe in ourselves and we’ll have a good chance.”

Regina is embracing the underdog mentality.

“There’s no pressure on us at the end of the day,” Captain McNutt said. “Everyone’s expecting us to lose and that’s just how it is.”

Coach Herauf says he’s more worried about his own team’s play rather than his opponent’s.

“Everybody knows how good Medicine Hat is. You see what they do to everybody,” he added. “They’re a problem for everybody cause they’re a really good hockey club.”

“The biggest thing we need to worry about ourselves, make sure that we’re prepared and give our best shot,” Herauf said.

Series schedule

The 2026 WHL playoffs get underway across the league Friday.

Regina will be on the road in Medicine Hat to begin the series before it turns back to the Brandt Centre for Games 3 and 4.

Game 1 – Friday, March 27: Regina @ Medicine Hat, Co-Op Place 7 p.m.

Game 2 - Saturday, March 28: Regina @ Medicine Hat, Co-Op Place 7 p.m.

Game 3 – Tuesday, March 31: Medicine Hat @ Regina, Bradnt Centre 7 p.m.

Game 4 - Wednesday, April 1: Medicine Hat @ Regina, Brandt Centre 7 p.m.

Game 5* - Saturday, April 4: Regina @ Medicine Hat, Co-Op Place 7 p.m.

Game 6* - Sunday, April 5: Medicine Hat @ Regina, Brandt Centre 6 p.m.

Game 7* - Tuesday, April 7: Regina @ Medicine Hat, Co-Op Place 7 p.m.

(*if neccessary)