Paddock prepares Pats for season

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This article was published 02/12/2020 (1763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Eight months spent into a pandemic hasn’t altered John Paddock’s determination to see the WHL play again, but the experience has lowered his expectations.

Paddock, vice-president of hockey operations and general manager of the Regina Pats, isn’t convinced the league’s stated Jan. 8 start date for the regular season will go off as planned. How many games will be played is merely a guess.

“I believe we’re going to play,” said Paddock by telephone Wednesday. “I saw probably my sixth schedule last night since June. But you’re taking your direction from the health authorities in each jurisdiction… and I think you just have to remain flexible, adaptable — and it could go off the rails… I believe that we’re going to play games at the right time, whenever that is.”

In October, the league pushed back the start of the regular season and announced that the East Division’s Winnipeg Ice, Brandon Wheat Kings and five Saskatchewan-based clubs, including the Central Division’s Swift Current Broncos, would meet exclusively under an intradivisional format.

The WHL’s return-to-play plan also includes intradivisional play in the Central Division (five Alberta-based teams), B.C. Division (five teams) and U.S. Division (five teams).

A rising number of COVID-19 cases across Western Canada has seriously complicated the WHL’s intentions. 

“You need to be adaptable and flexible to whatever (happens),” said Paddock. “You want to get in as many games as you can safely in a shortened regular season and have maybe an extended time frame for that. It’s basically being played by ear because we can get shut down or get a boost at any time it seems.”

Would a reasonable number of regular-season games without the guarantee of playoffs be the most realistic objective?

“I think if it’s not everybody’s plan, it should be everybody’s plan,” said Paddock.

With Christmas break looming, Broncos head coach and director of hockey operations Dean Brockman expects a further delay. He’s been preparing for the start of a reduced-roster training camp between Boxing Day and the New Year.

“We’re better served a little bit later, I guess, just because of the closeness to the holiday season,” said Brockman. “As we all know, you can’t really predict where this is all going to go to but it does make it more reassuring if it was a little bit later just because, as time has shown us, things can change in a hurry.”

The Saskatchewan-Manitoba provincial border could also become a serious issue if current travel restrictions remain in place.

“Obviously the lockdowns in Manitoba have changed everybody’s perspective on what’s going on right now in terms of our divisions being across two provinces,” said Saskatoon Blades president and GM Colin Priestner. “That’s something that’s above my pay grade and that’s something that’s got to be figured out into December and even into January as to where the provinces are in terms of their respective lockdowns.”

The U.S.-Canada border will also be problematic. The Pats, for instance, have three Americans on their prospective roster. Forward Easton Armstrong is a dual citizen and unaffected by the border restrictions while defenceman Makai Mitchell hopes to enter the country on a student visa. 

Another dual citizen, blue-liner Jake Johnson, was unable to return to Canada because his green card had expired and U.S. offices administering the program have been closed during the pandemic. Johnson has been reassigned to the USPHL’s Utah Outliers and will return to the Pats in 2021-22.

A bubble plan similar to one currently under consideration as Plan B by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, with six cities hosting a handful of teams each, has not been considered by the WHL.

The Pats have set out their education plan for players still attending high school and how they will handle players being in billets’ homes. Players will start with three hours of school per day at the rink, supervised by teachers.

“I think each team is going to do their utmost to create a bubble as best you can,” said Paddock. “It’s not going to be a bubble because you’re going to be staying at billets and billets work, but I think we can create a bubble up at the rink.

“You’ve gotta be creative with some after-hours, after-dinner entertainment. Whether it’s cards or movie night, whatever. I mean, you’re gonna have to look after the kids and they’re gonna have to have a part in it.”

Paddock has no hope of early access to a vaccine for his players.

“The chances of teenage kids getting a vaccine this spring I think is slim and nil,” he said. 

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14