EVERETT — The Regina Pats are guaranteed to be at the 2018 Memorial Cup as the host team of the event.
The defending Eastern Conference champions are in their 100th season as a franchise while the Cup celebrates its 100th year. However, the Pats are hoping not to back into the tournament as the host team and their returning firepower, coupled with what will surely be a strong trade deadline push, makes them one of the favorites to defend their conference title and advance to the Memorial Cup as the WHL champion.
The Pats were 53-12-7-1 last season and fell to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL finals. While they graduated plenty of talent (including former Silvertip captain Dawson Leedahl), there is plenty remaining. That includes reigning WHL Player of the Year Sam Steele at center, and fellow Anaheim Ducks prospect Josh Mahura on the blue line. Center Jake Leschyshyn was a second-round pick by Vegas and has recovered from a torn ACL, while forward Nick Henry should be back in several weeks from offseason shoulder surgery.
Look for Moose Jaw and Swift Current to push the Pats in the East Division.
Moose Jaw finished 42-21-8-1 last season and lost a heartbreaking first-round series to Swift Current (39-23-4-6 last season). The Warriors return 100-point scorer Jayden Halbgewachs and 82-point scorer Brayden Burke, in addition to returning team captain Brett Howden (38 goals, 43 assists) and Noah Gregor (27 goals, 34 assists). Scoring should be no problem, but goaltender Zach Sawchenko opted to attend the University of Alberta rather than return for his overage season.
The Broncos return wingers Aleksi Heponiemi (28 goals, 58 assists) and Tyler Steenbergen (51 goals, 39 assists). Defenseman Artyom Minulin had 50 points from the blue line last season. Center Glenn Gawdin had 59 points last year, but is in a five-man race to get to three overagers. Another 20-year-old is goalie Taz Burman, with 17-year-old Joel Hofer the other option between the pipes.
Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Brandon are all in various stages of rebuilding and will challenge for the final playoff spots in the conference.
Over the in Central Division it’s once again looking to be a two-horse race as Medicine Hat and Lethbridge look to battle it out for division supremacy.
The Tigers (51-20-1-0) won the division last season before they were eliminated in the second round by the Hurricanes (44-21-4-3). Medicine Hat suffered a massive loss when Mason Shaw tore his ACL at Minnesota Wild camp, but returns plenty of scoring in defenseman David Quenneville (23 goals, 36 assists), and forwards Zach Fisher (34 goals, 29 assists), Max Gerlach (32 goals, 28 assists) and Mark Rassell (36 goals, 25 assists). Rookie forward Josh Williams is Medicine Hat’s highest-drafted bantam pick in a decade and expected to make an immediate impact.
Lethbridge has completed a stunning turnaround from near-bankruptcy several years ago to become a force in the Central. Overage center Giorgio Esptephan is back after putting up 89 points last season, while fellow forwards Jordy Bellerive and Ryan VanderVlis will look to replace the 117 goals the Hurricanes lost to graduation. The Hurricanes also have one of the league’s top goalies in Stuart Skinner who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers this year’s NHL draft.
Red Deer and Calgary look to contend for the third playoff spot while Kootenay and Edmonton continue to rebuild.
The B.C. Division is also up for grabs. The defending champion Prince George Cougars loaded up and won the division only to fall to Portland in a stunning six-game upset in the first round. The Cougars (45-21-3-3) lost 13 players from last year’s team. Key returnees include winger Radovan Bondra (32 goals, 31 assists) and center Kody McDonald (49 points), while defenseman Dennis Cholowski was a first-round pick by Detroit in 2016 and has joined the Cougars from St. Cloud State.
Kelowna (45-22-5-0) is usually in the mix and has reached at least the conference final for four straight seasons. The Rockets return big-time scoring in Dillon Dube and Kole Lind, in addition to first-round draftee Cal Foote and younger brother Nolan Foote who is eligible for the 2019 draft.
Kamloops (42-24-6) has Garrett Pilon (20 goals, 45 assists) returning and a new goalie in Dylan Ferguson who replaces longtime stalwart Connor Ingram in net. Victoria (37-29-5-1) has key returnees in forwards Tyler Soy, Matthew Phillips and Dante Hannoun, and big defensemen Scott Walford and Ralph Jarrett. Goaltender Griffen Outhouse went undrafted, but he went toe-to-toe with Everett’s Carter Hart in last year’s first-round playoff series. Vancouver (20-46-3-3) looks to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
As far as the U.S. Division? Look for Tri-City and Portland to battle for division and conference titles.
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