WHL’s East Division gearing up to skate in Regina

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This article was published 01/03/2021 (1673 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE WHL’S East Division hub is scheduled to begin play in Regina on March 12. Before that, it will be baby steps for those involved.

Players from seven teams including the Winnipeg Ice and Brandon Wheat Kings drove themselves to the University of Regina campus Saturday. Those players and team staff had been required to self-quarantine before leaving home.

Each individual was subjected to a weekend COVID-19 test and everyone will get another on Wednesday before, barring some positive tests, on-ice workouts can begin.

“Yesterday, all the teams were tested, (the samples) have been FedExed and we wait with bated breath for the results,” said Prince Albert Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt by telephone. “We’ve got about 245 people here and, knock on wood, we hope we’re Oh-for-245.”

Teams were allowed to bring 26 players to perhaps the shortest training camp any of them have ever experienced.

Games will be played at the Brandt Centre, home of the Regina Pats, while practices will be staged at the six-sheet Co-operators Centre next door.

Swift Current Broncos goaltender Isaac Poulter couldn’t wait to connect with his teammates, old and new.

“I’m really excited,” said the 19-year-old from Winnipeg. “It was a little sad when we got here — I saw guys in their cars and everything, but you couldn’t get close to them yet. And then we’ve had three or four Zoom calls now so it’s nice to see guys’ faces and hear them talk. It’ll be good but once we’re finally out of isolation, I get to actually see all the guys.”

In the meantime, Poulter and the Broncos can get accustomed to the hub routine.

League personnel has been dispersed over three buildings on the U of R and Luther College campuses with each player getting his own room. But with four players to every bathroom, some advance planning is required to make social-distancing possible. Meals produced by two on-campus kitchens are dropped off at the door.

Hunt has been impressed with the preparations so far.

“Well it’s an environment for learning,” said Hunt of the campus. “We can’t use them yet but there’s lots of social spaces and open plans and big windows. The rooms are clean, they’re spacious. And then of course the people here have been so accommodating.”

PRIME-TIME PLAYER: Matt Savoie would have been prime-time viewing during the Regina hub but the 17-year-old right-winger won’t be spending his rookie season with the Ice.

Instead, when pandemic restrictions made a WHL season look unlikely, he opted to join USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints after Christmas.

Savoie has impressed in his short time with the Saints. On Sunday night, he potted his first hat trick in Dubuque’s 8-2 win over the U.S. National Development Program and now had nine goals and 14 points in 13 games.

The No. 1 pick in the 2019 WHL Draft will be missed in Winnipeg, where he suited up for 22 games as an affiliate player in 2019-20. He is expected to return to the Ice next season.

“He’s a great kid and I thought he grew up and developed a lot last year,” said Ice head coach James Patrick. “After some of the reports I’ve heard, from the way he was playing with (the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders) earlier and then I’ve watched two of his games so far in the USHL, (it’s clear) he’s a top, top-end player.”

TALENT DRAIN: Much has been made of players such at Savoie heading to the U.S. to play but the WHL has also lost some key import players due to travel restrictions.

The Raiders do not have veteran forwards Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Usau available to them while 2020 import draft pick Uladzislau Shyla, a 17-year-old forward, has remained in Europe.

“It’s good and bad.” said Hunt. “What’s good is that they all got to play, two in the KHL (Protas and Usau are with Dinamo Minsk) and one (Uladzislau Shyla) with the Belarus under-18 team. So they didn’t lose development which is important to us because they’re still part of our family.

“That being said, for some of our other guys, it’s time to jump in the front seat and grab that opportunity, whether it’s a 17-year-old or a 19-year-old, it doesn’t matter. It’s a good opportunity.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14