Aftermath...

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http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=67eaa2dd-2269-4d5b-ada2-2a2b675f29dd


Pats goaltending picture may not be 'Rosie'

Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Linden Rowat got the hook in his final game of the season, but will the Regina Pats cut bait?

With Jeff Bosch waiting in the wings, the Pats have reached a crossroads on their starting goalie position for 2008-09. Do they continue running with the three-year veteran or hand the reins to his promising understudy.

Either way, it's unlikely there will be room for Rowat and Bosch in the same crease for another full season.

"I'd love to stay a Pat," a sombre Rowat said Tuesday as the team held its final gathering of the season at the Brandt Centre. "I've been here for three years and it has been a great experience. I want to spend my whole career in Regina, but Boschy is a great goalie. He's ready to step it up. He could be a starter for Regina or any team in the league. I don't know (what will happen). We'll see how things pan out over the year."

It's no easy choice for the Pats, who have the benefit of quality and depth at the game's most crucial position. The third goalie on their depth chart is Damien Ketlo, who fought Bosch tooth and nail for the backup job in training camp before winning the starter's job with the junior A Prince George Spruce Kings. He was named a BCHL all-star this season -- at age 16.

Next in line is highly touted prospect Derek Tendler, 15, of the Regina Pat Canadians. The local product was named the top goalie and most valuable player in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League this season.

With four goalies who could all conceivably play in the WHL next season, it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that at least one trade is in the Pats' future -- perhaps two -- to help improve the team in other areas.

"That's a great dilemma to have," noted head coach Curtis Hunt. "We need to obviously spend a good deal of time going through the variety of options we have. Unfortunately you can't have them all. We just need to work through it and see where it goes."

Rowat was named the Eastern Conference goalie-of-the-year this season after finishing third in the WHL with 33 wins. He posted an overall record of 33-15-4-2 with a 2.68 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage and three shutouts. However, his numbers dropped in the postseason (3.65 GAA, .872 SP) as Regina was eliminated in six games by the Swift Current Broncos.

Bosch, meanwhile, went 11-7 in his rookie campaign with a 2.92 GAA, a .897 save percentage and one shutout. He made his first career postseason appearance in Regina's final game of the season on Saturday, stopping all 25 shots he faced in relief of Rowat, who allowed three goals on six shots.

"That's an awful feeling to be pulled in your last game, but some of that was as much to try and give us a spark," explained Pats GM Brent Parker. "Everyone wants to point the finger at Rosie, but Linden didn't play bad. (Broncos goalie Travis) Yonkman probably played better, but Linden didn't play poorly and had a very good year. In no way shape or form would I throw him under the bus for our loss."

Rowat, whose confidence has been shaken, believes he can rebound from a disappointing end to the WHL playoffs. But first comes the healing process.

"We're all disappointed," he said. "It's all sinking in still. It's kind of surreal I guess. We thought we had a good team, we thought we were going to go far. I made some mistakes in the playoffs. There's nothing to do about it now. You have to take something out of every experience. (Being pulled in his last game) definitely wasn't a lot of fun. I just want to have a good summer, work hard and come back better than I was this year. My job in camp is to establish that I'm the No. 1 guy and no one can take it from me."




© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

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http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=69a43bd0-a841-4f84-bd85-f67d3bda7810


Pats lacked depth and firepower vs. Broncos

Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Appropriately, the final gathering of the 2007-08 Regina Pats included an impromptu soccer game.

The offensively challenged Pats finally found their calling -- a sport in which hands are not required.

"The truth about our club is we did not score easily,'' Pats head coach Curtis Hunt said Monday during the Western Hockey League team's customary late-March postmortem.

Of the Eastern Conference's eight playoff qualifiers, the Pats had the fewest regular-season goals. The tendency toward offensive anemia did not prevent Regina from finishing first in the six-team East Division. However, a lack of firepower and depth contributed to the Pats' elimination as the Swift Current Broncos won a best-of-seven first-round series in six games -- the last of which was Saturday's 5-2 loss in Speedy Creek.

Two days later, the Pats' players assembled in the bowels of the Brandt Centre. They were in a surprisingly jovial mood, considering the circumstances, while kicking around a soccer ball outside the dressing room. Afterwards, the media inundated the players, Hunt and general manager Brent Parker with questions.

"At this point, you sit there looking for answers, but sometimes there aren't any,'' Parker said.

The Pats could not answer the Broncos in terms of depth, skill, goaltending and determination. That is the best explanation for Regina's sudden ouster from the playoffs, following a regular season in which the Pats won 44 games.

Of the aforementioned factors, the most surprising was the sudden regression of goaltender Linden Rowat. A year ago, Rowat was terrific as Regina eliminated Swift Current. This time around, he was clearly outplayed by Travis Yonkman, who was virtually untested in the postseason until 11 days ago.

"I don't want to throw Rosie under the bus,'' Hunt said. "I thought he was good. I think Yonkman was better. He made some tremendous saves at some very important times. That's the difference sometimes in a series.

"When you look at our game even-strength -- five-on-five -- and the depth and the speed that they brought at us, did we really have the depth to handle that speed throughout the series and on the back end? All those things have to be evaluated and looked at and considered as we move forward.''

The Pats moved forward at a glacial pace -- at least in comparison to the speedy Broncos. Regina did what it could with what it had. The Pats played a simple game that was not always easy on the eyes.

"We need to improve our team speed,'' Parker acknowledged. "We didn't have that core group of guys who could skate as much. That was a real deficiency we had in the series, yet I think we were more skilled than maybe we were being given credit for.''

Maybe so, but the Pats were understandably alarmed during the junctures in the series when they were forced to play run-and-gun with the Broncos. Unless the series degenerated into a chip-and-chase, dump-and-bump eyesore, Swift Current was destined to win.

Good for the Broncos.

Good for the sport of hockey.

Not so good for the Pats.

So, what does one make of the season just passed? The Pats certainly deserve commendation for winning their first regular-season division title in 10 years.

"Losing out shouldn't diminish what we accomplished during the regular season,'' Parker said. "That was an accomplishment.''

So was the establishment of a franchise regular-season attendance record. Crowds in excess of 5,000 became commonplace, enabling the team to reach a benchmark set when Parker was named the general manager in 1995.

There was only one problem: Nobody got to see the Pats play at home in April.

"We're all disappointed,'' Hunt added. "We need to break it into two parts.

"The truth is that we did have a lot of successes. The other side of the truth is that we're done, right now. There's nothing left but a lot of questions and a lot of frustration.''




© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

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Pats overage players lament underachieving

Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, April 01, 2008

J.D. Watt, Tim Kraus and Ryan Bender all took different routes to Regina this season, but they arrived with the same expectation -- a lengthy playoff run.

That plan hit a major road block on Saturday when the Pats were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the Swift Current Broncos. As a result, the team's three 20-year-olds are coping with the reality that their WHL careers have met a premature end.

"It's never a good feeling when your season is cut short," Watt said Monday after the Pats cleaned out their dressing-room stalls at the Brandt Centre. "It makes it even worse when you have as many expectations as we did. The greater your expectations the greater the disappointment when you don't succeed. That's kind of how we're feeling right now."

Watt and Kraus aren't accustomed to playoff disappointment after winning a WHL title in 2006 and a Memorial Cup in 2007 with the Vancouver Giants. Regina acquired Watt on New Year's Day from the Red Deer Rebels, believing he was one of the missing ingredients that could help lead them to a championship.

It didn't turn out that way, but he has no regrets.

"You maybe learn more losing than you do winning," noted Watt, who was one of Regina's best players down the stretch and in the playoffs. "It's not a good feeling but we're all going to learn from it and become better players and people because of it. I wish we could have gone farther in the playoffs and I wish we could have won a Memorial Cup but it doesn't sour (his time in Regina) at all. I'm really going to take a lot out of this experience."

The same goes for Kraus, who was acquired from Vancouver just two games into the regular season and finished as Regina's second-leading scorer with 61 points in 65 games. Like Watt, Kraus's biggest regret is not helping the Pats reach the next level.

"It really hurts because when I got traded I was coming to a contender and I was really excited," said the California product. "I wanted to help this team go far. It doesn't really look good on us (to fall short of that goal). We were brought in here for this one reason and we didn't fulfill our end of the deal."

Bender expressed similar disappointment, but was quick to point out that he had no regrets about the midseason trade that brought him home from the Kamloops Blazers.

"I have nothing bad to say about what happened," said the Regina native. "I enjoyed my time here. Finishing my career off in Regina, my family and friends were able to watch me play. I'm very thankful for the opportunity that Mr. Parker gave to me. Overall the organization is fantastic. They treated me very well. It was just very tough to end it off with being eliminated from the playoffs."

Now it's time to move on -- or, in Bender's case, move across town. Although he plans to spend a couple weeks weighing his options, Bender said he is leaning heavily towards committing to the University of Regina Cougars.

"I'm definitely trying to turn the page but it's going to take some time," he added. "My WHL career was a lot of fun. It's tough to start a new chapter in my life but it's time to move forward."

Kraus isn't sure what the future holds, but he is definitely shooting for a pro tryout. If the AHL doesn't come calling, he's likely to head overseas next season, perhaps to Germany.

Watt, a fourth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2005, is under contract to the NHL club and could end up finishing his season in the minors.

"I'm a part of the Calgary Flames now for the next three years at least -- hopefully," he said. "My job now is to help that organization win in whichever way I can, whether that be just going home and working out and being in the best shape I can be for camp or joining the American Hockey League team. I don't know. It's kind of mixed emotions right now because it's tough to let this one go but everyone wants to move forward. We're all here in the Western Hockey League to make it as a pro hockey player. I'm looking forward to moving on but I really feel fortunate for the past. I had a great ride and have no regrets whatsoever."


© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

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Roddy's blog...http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/2008/04/rodpedersencom-message-to-fans.html


It's too bad it took a 6-game first round playoff ouster to fire people up about the Regina Pats.

But last night on CKRM'S Sportsline, the phone lines were jammed as we put the finishing touches on the 2007-08 season. As a matter of fact, we went off the air at 7pm leaving callers on hold. That, in my 10 years of hosting the show, has never happened when discussing junior hockey. It happens every week during Rider season, but it never has with the Pats.

As co-host Kelly Remple pointed out, anger's just one of the emotions being expressed. Everyone seems to have an opinion and that's great. The Pats drew over 5,000 fans per game for the first time in franchise history this season. The team's profile has never been higher. They drew about 17,000 fans to three home playoff games. It would take some WHL markets two months to draw that many people. Maybe more. Being upset at the team, temporarily, is better than not caring at all which has been the case over the years.

But for last night, callers were steamed. Earlier in the day, when the Pats were cleaning out their dressing room, playing soccer and fielding reporters' questions, I asked coach Curtis Hunt if he had a message to the fans whom are bitterly disappointed over the team's first-round exit, and their seemingly indifferent play in Games 5 and 6....

Hunt: "WELL YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. AS A FAN YOU LIVE AND DIE WITH YOUR TEAM. IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL AND WHAT YOU SEE, AND YOU SEE POTENTIAL. FIRST OF ALL...... THIS ISN'T WHAT WE SCRIPTED. I FEEL WE PREPARED OUR TEAM AS WELL AS WE POSSIBLY COULD FOR THIS SERIES. IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE SERIES WE WERE ABSOLUTELY DOMINANT, LIKE THE SPECIAL TEAMS. WE APPRECIATE EVERY BIT OF SUPPORT. WE UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION, WE'RE FEELING IT TOO. WE STILL BELIEVE THERE'S GREAT THINGS AHEAD OF US FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. WE JUST HOPE YOU STAY WITH US."

----

When is it going to end?

During last night's show, I got a call on my cel phone. It was someone who left a message saying I'd just been slammed by Drew Remenda on CJME regarding my comment on the air during Saturday night's Game 6.

This morning, I looked up the audio. It wasn't that bad....

Remenda: "HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS WITH PEOPLE THAT MAKE COMMENTS. LIKE WHAT DID ROD PEDERSEN SAY AT THE END OF THE GAME? SOMETHING LIKE "THIS TEAM IS COMPLETELY UNRAVELLING" OR SOMETHING? HERE'S WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT PLAYOFFS WHEN PEOPLE GET ON TEAMS FOR LOSING. IT'S TOUGH TO WIN WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING IN THE PLAYOFFS. WE'VE SEEN IT IN THE NHL, THE 'DUB, WE SEE IT EVERYWHERE. IT'S HARD TO WIN IN THE PLAYOFFS ... SKILL CAN TAKEOVER, GOALTENDING CAN TAKEOVER, A LUCKY BREAK, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT CAN GET INVOLVED.
SO TO CONDEMN HUNT OR PARKER, YOU SHOULD SAY 'GEEZ, LOOK HOW GOOD THE BRONCOS PLAYED'. IT WAS A GOOD MATCH-UP FOR SWIFT CURRENT AND NOT FOR REGINA."

Having listened to it, I didn't see it as a slam at all. Other than Drew saying I don't understand the Pats, or what it takes to win in the playoffs :)
Quite honestly, he's always been complimentary in the past and I don't see that as a direct slam.

HOWEVER, I will say that I WAS THERE AT THE GAME! Not in San Jose, CA, where Drew resides. I've only travelled 35,000 miles with this team this season and got to know each player on a personal level. And I've called over 1,000 games in the 'Dub in 15 seasons. I know what it takes in the playoffs, and our team didn't have it late in the series.


My last comment on the whole deal is this; if the Pats had left it all out on the ice and given it every single thing they had and at the end could stand there and say 'we gave our best but we just came up short' .... I think the fans could handle this ouster a little better, and I know I could too.

----

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http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=d9eed85e-d942-47f2-8cb2-1f2fcba59c40&k=7931


Watt says team will learn from losing

Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Thursday, April 03, 2008

J.D. Watt's state-of-the-union address included a vote of confidence for the hierarchy of the Regina Pats.

Before heading home to Cremona, Alta., Watt offered a few parting thoughts on the final stop of his WHL career, which came to an end on the weekend with a first-round playoff loss to the Swift Current Broncos.

In particular, Watt voiced his unwavering support for the work of head coach Curtis Hunt and GM Brent Parker.

"Some might say this is a disaster, but I really don't think so," offered the 20-year-old power forward, one of Regina's key mid-season pickups. "There's always going to be good hockey teams that lose. Mr. Parker made some great, great moves. He even made another move (for Edmonton Oil Kings sniper Robin Figren) that might have put us over the top, but it didn't work out (because he refused to report). Those are things you can't control. He put together a great team. I really feel in the five years I played in this league it might be the second-best team I played for. Sometimes it doesn't work out. I don't think anyone is at fault."

Watt's endorsement shouldn't be taken lightly, given the fact that he played until late May in each of the previous two seasons, winning a WHL title in 2006 and a Memorial Cup in 2007 with the Vancouver Giants.

The Pats fell three rounds short of their championship aspirations, but Watt thinks it's unfair to be pointing fingers.

"I really think Curtis Hunt is one of the best coaches I ever played for and he made a lot of kids on this team better hockey players," said Watt. "You learn from losing and hopefully this organization can turn it around with the people they have because it's great people that come together and win championships. I think we have great people here and a group that really wants to turn it around and I think they will in the future."

Teammate Tim Kraus agreed.

"I feel bad for Brent," said Kraus, who played with Watt in Vancouver. "People are going to say bad things about him because he made the trades and people are going to look back and say he didn't make the right deals but I think he did. He brought in the right guys. We had a great team. If we had got past that (first) round we could have had a really good chance (to go a long way)."

Kraus also dismissed the suggestion that changes need to be made, that someone has to pay the price for Regina's premature playoff exit.

"I don't think that's even being talked about; it shouldn't be," said the 20-year-old centre, who -- like Watt -- exhausted his WHL eligibility this season. "They have a lot of good people in this organization, people who do the right things, but it happens. It's playoffs. We didn't get the right bounce when we needed it but there's no reason to have a fire sale."

Looking at the roster, the Pats are slated to be a younger team. However, despite some key losses, Watt believes he and Kraus are leaving the team in good hands.

"I really do," he added. "Even though we had an old team, a lot of our strength was in our younger players. You look at Garrett Mitchell, who had an outstanding playoffs. To watch him out there, he only gets maybe three shifts a period, but he works so hard out there and scored a huge goal for us in Game 5. (Colten) Teubert and (Jordan) Eberle, they speak for themselves. They're going to be high NHL draft picks. When you have a 42-goal scorer on your team at (age) 17, that usually means good things. I really believe these guys have a good chance of winning next year and I hope the best for them."




© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

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