Pasternak a steal of a deal

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This article was published 14/04/2024 (602 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sometimes the best hockey moves come with no fanfare.

Dawson Pasternak is proof of that.

The overage forward from Winnipeg was nursing a back injury and not playing last October when the Brandon Wheat Kings shipped him to to the Victoria Royals for the price of a conditional draft pick. It turned out to be an excellent bargain for the Royals, who hadn’t qualified for the WHL playoffs since 2019.

Upon arriving in Victoria, Pasternak became a big part of a franchise rejuvenation, leading the Royals in scoring while also helping a young team navigate an early season coaching shuffle.

“He was the best player on the team,” said James Patrick, who replaced a fired Dan Price as head coach in early November. “I cannot say enough about him. I had a preconceived notion — I coached against him last year (when he was) in Brandon. I wondered about his work ethic, his compete level and I could not have been more wrong.

“I would put him up to the top three 20-year-olds in the whole league. His work ethic and his battle and compete were fantastic and so good for our young players to see.”

Playing on a line with budding 16-year-old star centre, Cole Reschny, Pasternak scored 27 goals and 72 points in 62 regular-season games. He added one goal and four points in Victoria’s four-game opening round playoff loss to the Portland Winter Hawks.

Pasternak, who was dealt for the second time in less than nine months when he came to Victoria, played 27 games in Brandon during the second half of 2022-23.

“When I went from Portland to Brandon I was a little upset because I loved playing in Portland,” said Pasternak. “It’s obviously one of the best places you can play junior hockey but then being traded from Brandon I was really happy. I didn’t want to play there to be honest. I wasn’t getting along too well with the coaching staff there and I had a really good opportunity in Victoria and it went really well for me.”

Pasternak credits Patrick, who guided the Winnipeg Ice to an appearance in last year’s league championship series, for moulding a winning attitude in Victoria.

“James Patrick is a very well-known guy throughout the hockey world and I really enjoyed playing for him,” he said. “When he came in I knew he was gonna be a big impact with our team right away. He showed so much interest and cared for every single guy. I was all-in for him being my new coach…

“He’s the kind of coach where he’s gonna push every single guy to their peak every single day. He’s a good, hard-working style of coach. His practices were really tough but every day you were getting better.”

Patrick, who expects to re-sign with the Royals during the off-season, said Pasternak compared favourably to the best overage players he had during his tenure with the Ice.

“Within a couple of weeks I could tell he was the main leader, the unofficial captain and the guy who led by example and compete and made plays,” said Patrick. “I was really proud of how well he played, how hard he competed. He led us in that category every night… He played hurt, he played through pain, he was really impressive.”

At 21, Pasternak’s junior eligibility is over but he’s looking forward to what his future in the game will bring.

He’s undrafted but could turn pro or join a U Sports program and he’s been in frequent contact with University of Manitoba boss Gord Burnett, who is in his first full-fledged recruiting season since being hired in 2023.

“I have to deal with some off-season medical stuff to get my body feeling a little bit better,” said Pasternak. “I’m gonna have to get some opinions on my back and see what exactly I’m gonna have to do to rehab it and make it better for hopefully next season.”

NEWS AND NOTES: Winnipegger Hudson Thornton has a new hockey home.

The undrafted Prince George Cougars captain has signed an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears, the chief affiliate of the Washington Capitals for 2024-25.

During his three seasons with the Cougars, Thornton established career records for defencemen in franchise history: points (196), most goals (56), assists (140) and power-play goals (24).

The 20-year-old was also named to the B.C. Division’s first all-star team and is the division’s nominee for the WHL’s top defenceman…

The Victoria Royals have promoted Jake Heisinger, the team’s associate general manager, to the vacant GM’s post.

Heisinger joined the franchise after six seasons with the Winnipeg Ice, where he served as the vice-president of hockey operations and assistant GM from 2017 until the franchise was relocated to Wenatchee in 2023.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca