Regina Pats go pink after being ranked No. 2 in Canada
Pats to host Spokane on Breast Cancer Awareness Night
The Regina Pats have ascended to lofty heights, now — do they have what it takes to stay there?
For as long as the CHL has come out with a weekly Top-10 national ranking, the Pats have never been as high as they are now.
The Pats are considered to be the second best team in the country, second only to the Shawinigan Cataractes, at least according to a panel of NHL scouts which selects the Top-10 junior clubs in Canada.
Through the first ten games of the season, although they have lost three games in overtime, the Pats have yet to lose in regulation.
They just completed a home and home series with Lethbridge and against a Hurricanes team said to be very good, the Pats won by scores of 7-2 and 6-1.
"That's awesome for us, we see that stuff," admitted Pats' defenceman Connor Hobbs, but within the room the ranking is taken with a grain of salt.
"Some guys will say we don't pay attention to that, we see it but at the same time you can't think about it too much. There's a lot of games left, the rankings don't mean anything really, it's all about the end goal."
Actually, the players that pay attention to the rankings play for the opposition.
Number two in the country paints a very large target on the backs of the Pats, something all good teams have to play through en route to a championship.
"Teams are going to come at us with their best every night, we know that and I think that's good for us." said Hobbs.
Goalie Tyler Brown has noticed the intensity level of games picking up, the same way they got up for games against the Brandon Wheat Kings in the past.
Everybody wants to knock off the king of the hill.
"Teams are going to give us their best games." said Brown, who has started in net for six of the ten games the Pats have played so far.
Sam Steel — playing with a target on his back every night because of his dynamic style — agrees.
"We're going to get the other team's best game pretty much every game. It's a challenge."
Steel, who is tied for the WHL lead in scoring with 9 goals and 19 points, has other personal challenges in front of him.
He was one of three Pats selected on Thursday to play for Team WHL next month in the 2016 CIBC Canada-Russia Series.
It's part of Steel's plan to play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, if not this year then next.
Likewise for Hobbs and Austin Wagner who were also selected to play for Team WHL against Russia, hoping to turn some heads in the Hockey Canada office in the process.
"They watch you all year but they will probably be watching extra close in the Super Series," said Hobbs, a Washington Capitals prospect who is already on Hockey Canada's radar after participating in their summer development camp.
The Pats are going pink tonight when they host Spokane in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness game.
