There’s no way WHL’s Regina Pats won’t draft Maddox Schultz

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If the Regina Pats don’t select Maddox Schultz first overall May 7 in the WHL prospects draft, fire general manager Alan Millar and assistant GM Dale Derkatch!

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Immediately!

Don’t let them make Regina’s second pick, 23rd overall, in the draft. If they bypass Schultz, they shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a draft table again.

That’s not gonna happen though.

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Millar knows talent. So does Derkatch. They realize Schultz can reinvigorate his hometown franchise. They won’t miss an opportunity to add a budding, local star — indeed, a potential franchise saver — to the promising roster they rebuilt last season.

Through their years evaluating junior hockey players as scouts and administrators, Millar and Derkatch have seen very few players of Schultz’s ilk. A Hockey Regina product who led the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League in scoring as a 14-year-old rookie with the Regina Pat Canadians, Schultz is the crème de la crème.

An extraordinary playmaker with an accurate shot, his prescience on the ice is surpassed only by his skating ability. Anxious to see Schultz play, crowds of 1,600-plus packed the Pat C’s playoff games at 1,200-seat Co-Operators Arena.

Schultz is sturdy enough to handle the rough going but isn’t a dirty player, nor is he temperamental on the ice. The scouts who watched him all season spoke admirably about Schultz’s commitment to a 200-foot game.

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A popular teammate who accepts blame and shares credit, there’s not an ounce of prima donna in him. He simply loves to play hockey. And he’s very good at it. He’s also an excellent student, a high achiever and an all-around athlete who enjoys other sports but has been infatuated with hockey since kindergarten.

“He’s a special player,” says Pat Canadians head coach Ryan Hodgins, whose high-scoring team is one of six regional qualifiers for the Telus Cup national championship slated for April 21-27 in Chilliwack, B.C.

“Whoever drafts Maddox is getting a stud.”

The Pats won’t tip their hand. When they were given the first lottery selection by a bunch of bouncing balls on Thursday evening, Millar was appropriately guarded, talking about the excitement surrounding the legendary franchise and its pending pick. Millar has been in charge of the Pats for two non-playoff seasons, but his recent deals plus the surprising lottery result can truly give the Pats some hope.

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Earlier this season, when being quizzed about Schultz, Millar responded by saying, “Of course we’re very much aware of Maddox Schultz.” Derkatch echoed those comments because he coached one of his sons on a team that had Schultz on its roster. So Derkatch knows exactly what type of once-in-a-decade player the Pats could obtain to reinvigorate those dwindling, despondent crowds at the Brandt Centre.

When a franchise is 108 years old, like the Pats, it has certainly endured some hardships. And last season was one of those, with countless trades, few scoring threats, horrendously long losing streaks and a 16-44-5-3 record. The 52 losses were one shy of a team record set in 1976-77.

That left the Pats 21st in the 22-team standings, ahead of only the Moose Jaw Warriors. But Moose Jaw won the WHL championship the previous campaign, so this was truly a rebuilding season for the Warriors.

The Pats have been rebuilding since 2016-17, when they made the league championship series one year before hosting the Memorial Cup and trading away much of their future. They have made the playoffs only once since, losing a seven-game set two years ago to the Saskatoon Blades despite the presence of superstar Connor Bedard, who generated lots of league-wide excitement — but no playoff wins — after the Pats landed him with the first pick in 2020.

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Bedard was the first WHL player granted exceptional status, which allowed him to play major junior hockey fulltime as a 15-year-old. Schultz won’t be asking for exceptional status, so he can play up to 34 WHL games next season while also staying with his hometown under-18 squad.

It’s a perfect scenario for the Pats. And for Schultz.

He can remain at home with his parents, David and Vicki, and sister Sydney, attend Martin Collegiate and play again for the Pat Canadians while also dressing for a half-season’s worth of WHL games with the Pats. Unless the Pats decide against drafting him. Or they could trade that first pick, which would be just as unfathomable, inexcusable and really, really stupid.

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