Emotions quick to rise following Pats’ deal

REGINA It didn’t matter that the Regina Pats saw it coming.

The news hit hard on Thursday when veteran forwards Nick Henry and Jake Leschyshyn were traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Although it was inevitable that Regina’s two best players would eventually be dealt by the rebuilding club, that didn’t make it any easier to part with two longserving members of the organization.

“It’s real difficult; hard to say goodbye to good people,” said an emotional head coach Dave Struch, who paused to regain his composure.

“Every aspect of life that you want in a young adult and hockey player, that was them.”

Struch and Leschyshyn go back the longest of anyone on the team.

Regina’s head coach previously worked alongside Leschyshyn’s father Curtis on the staff of the Saskatoon Blades.

That relationship was instrumental in the Pats acquiring Jake Leschyshyn from the Red Deer Rebels at the trade deadline in 2015.

Henry ’s rights were acquired the next year from the Everett Silvertips.

“I’ve had the opportunity in my career to know the Leschyshyn family and seeing Jake grow up,” Struch said.

“He skated with us in Saskatoon at 11, 12 years old. Watching him grow as a young child to a young man that he is right now has been phenomenal to be a part of. And Nick Henry, meeting him three years ago, getting him involved and making a real big trade for him, it has been special for me personally,” he said.

“When you look back at what we did four years ago — the plan we wanted to execute (to build a championship team) — these were both big pieces.

“It’s a very sad day for the organization (to see them go) but also an exciting day about the future,” he added.

Unfortunately for the Pats, their future was clouded on Thursday by the emotions of the present.

“There were some tears shed,” admitted veteran defenceman Liam Schioler.

“You don’t really know what to say. I’m still in shock. Being with people for that long, you get to know them and they’re just gone. That’s tough.”

Schioler’s sentiments were echoed by veteran Austin Pratt, who lost both of his linemates on Thursday.

“This is the worst part about the league for sure,” Pratt said. “They’re unbelievable guys, unbelievable in the dressing room. Getting to play with them has been the best couple of months of my career in the WHL.”

Pratt came to Regina at last year’s trade deadline when the Pats were loading up as the host team for the Memorial Cup.

Heading into this season, he knew they ’d likely be starting over.

“You kind of thought something would happen; you just didn’t know when,” he said.

“Whatever team wants to go for it, I knew they were going to go for (Henry and Leschyshyn). They’re the obvious choice to build a team around with all the experience they have from the Mem Cup (in 2018) and the league finals (in 2017).”