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By Arik KrauseEditorEdited by Arik Krause
The Regina Pats will open the 2026–27 Western Hockey League season with a 25-player roster featuring 15 forwards, eight defencemen and two goaltenders.
Unlike teams facing a complete offensive reset, Regina retains several of its most productive players from last season. Keets Fawcett and Zach Lansard give the Pats two established scoring threats, while Ellis Mieyette, Matt Paranych and 16-year-old standout Maddox Schultz provide reasons to believe the club can improve upon last year’s playoff appearance.
The Pats finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with 59 points before drawing the powerhouse Medicine Hat Tigers in the opening round of the postseason. Regina now enters the new campaign without leading scorer Caden Brown, who committed to Lindenwood University for the 2026–27 season, and 53-point defenceman Ephram McNutt.
Keets Fawcett Should Lead the Offence
Fawcett is the most obvious candidate to become the face of Regina’s offence.
The 20-year-old recorded 30 goals and 59 points in only 56 games last season, finishing second on the team in scoring and leading the Pats in goals. Only Brown finished ahead of him, recording 61 points in 64 appearances. Official CHL statistics list Fawcett and Lansard as Regina’s second- and third-leading scorers.
Fawcett’s production becomes even more impressive when accounting for the 12 regular-season games he missed. His 1.05 points-per-game pace was the highest among Pats players who spent the entire season in Regina.
With Brown and McNutt no longer on the roster, Fawcett should receive every opportunity to drive the top line and first power-play unit. If he remains healthy, his first 70-point WHL season is a realistic target.
Zach Lansard Gives Regina Another Proven Threat
Lansard is not far behind.
The 2008-born winger produced 24 goals and 56 points while appearing in all 68 games last season. He was one of Regina’s most dependable forwards and finished third in team scoring.
Lansard’s combination of speed, pressure and offensive production helped place him on the NHL Draft radar during the 2025–26 campaign. He now enters his third full WHL season with an opportunity to take another significant step.
Fawcett may begin the year as Regina’s leading scorer on paper, but Lansard should be capable of challenging him—especially if the Pats elect to place their two most dangerous returning forwards on separate lines.
Ellis Mieyette Is the Dark-Horse Breakout Candidate
Ellis Mieyette could quietly become one of Regina’s most important players.
After spending the previous season with the Drumheller Dragons, Mieyette recorded 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 63 games during his first full WHL campaign. That placed him fifth among Regina skaters who are returning for 2026–27.
Mieyette demonstrated that he can create offence at this level, but his 11 goals leave room for another jump. A modest improvement in his finishing could move him comfortably beyond the 40-point mark.
With Brown gone and additional power-play minutes available, Mieyette has an opportunity to progress from secondary contributor to legitimate top-six fixture.
Maddox Schultz Could Change Regina’s Ceiling
The most fascinating player on the roster may be Maddox Schultz.
Schultz joined the Pats as a 15-year-old and immediately demonstrated that his production against older competition was no accident. He accumulated 15 goals and 29 points in only 34 WHL games while splitting his season between Regina and the Regina Pat Canadians.
That is a scoring pace of nearly 60 points across a full 68-game schedule, all of this from a player who did not turn 16 until March.
Schultz was the first-overall selection in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and had already received exceptional status to play U18 AAA as a 14-year-old. His combination of scoring ability, competitiveness and experience against older players makes him considerably more advanced than a typical second-year WHL forward.
The Pats should not need Schultz to carry the team immediately. With Fawcett, Lansard and Mieyette ahead of him, he can develop without being Regina’s only offensive option.
However, if Schultz continues producing at the rate he established last season, he could force his way into a central role very quickly.
A Young Supporting Cast Will Compete for Larger Roles
Regina’s remaining forward group includes Jace Egland, Zach Moore, Connor Bear and several younger players looking to establish themselves at the WHL level.
Moore recorded 10 goals and 25 points in 52 appearances last season, while Egland and Bear already have multiple seasons of experience within Regina’s system. The Pats will need at least one member of that group to provide consistent secondary scoring behind the established top four.
Dayce Derkatch, Liam Pue, Mathis Paull, Cohen Klassen, Parker Trottier, Braden Hordichuk and Owen Sejna give the forward group a substantial youth component.
Samuel Karsay is another newcomer worth monitoring. The Slovakian forward was selected 146th overall by Regina in the 2026 CHL Import Draft and joins a roster featuring all three of the club’s selections from that draft.
The scoring leaders appear relatively clear, but Regina’s season may ultimately be decided by how quickly this younger supporting cast becomes comfortable producing at the WHL level.
Matt Paranych Will Anchor a Rebuilt Blue Line
Matt Paranych enters the season as Regina’s clear defensive leader.
Paranych recorded seven goals and 26 assists for 33 points in 66 games last season, finishing sixth in team scoring. With McNutt no longer on the roster, Paranych becomes the primary option to direct Regina’s power play and handle difficult minutes.
The challenge will be building a dependable group around him.
Reese Hamilton, Aiden Wagner, Kolten Bridgeman and the Deschamps brothers—Dayton and Jett—provide returning or organizational familiarity. Regina has also added two sizeable European defencemen through the import draft.
Ossi Tukio was selected 18th overall after recording nine goals and 25 points in 34 games while captaining Ilves U20 in Finland. His combination of skating, offence and leadership experience gives him a chance to make an immediate impact. Regina’s announcement noted that Tukio finished second in scoring among draft-eligible defencemen in Finland’s U20 league.
Tomas Cermak, selected 85th overall, arrives after producing five goals and 15 points in 48 games for BK Mladá Boleslav U20. The 6-foot-3 left-shot defender was also ranked 82nd among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. The Pats signed Cermak in July.
If Tukio and Cermak adjust quickly, Regina’s defence could be deeper and more balanced than the absence of McNutt initially suggests.
A New-Look Goaltending Tandem
Taylor Tabashniuk and Drake Mooney will form Regina’s opening-night goaltending tandem.
Tabashniuk appeared in 21 regular-season games as a WHL rookie, recording an .886 save percentage behind a team that frequently allowed dangerous scoring opportunities. Before joining the Pats, the Regina product helped the Pat Canadians win the 2025 TELUS Cup and posted a .951 save percentage during that national tournament.
His previous championship experience and year of WHL exposure make him the likely opening starter.
Mooney represents the long-term option. The 2009-born netminder was selected by Regina in the fourth round of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft and arrives after developing with Prairie Hockey Academy.
Neither goaltender has carried a full WHL workload, making the position one of Regina’s biggest uncertainties. Tabashniuk does not necessarily need to become one of the league’s elite goaltenders, but improved consistency from the team in front of him will be essential.
Regina Has Enough Talent to Take Another Step
The Pats are not beginning the season without proven offensive options.
Fawcett and Lansard combined for 54 goals and 115 points last year. Mieyette provides another established playmaker, Paranych gives Regina a productive puck-moving defenceman and Schultz possesses the potential to become one of the league’s most exciting young players.
The questions exist around them.
Can the younger forwards produce enough secondary offence? Can Tukio and Cermak replace some of the minutes and production lost with McNutt? Can Regina receive steady enough goaltending to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference?
This roster does not look like a finished contender, but it also does not resemble a team beginning another rebuild. Regina has legitimate scoring at the top of its lineup, an exceptional young talent capable of accelerating the process and enough new pieces to make internal improvement possible.
For the Pats, returning to the playoffs should be the baseline. How far they progress beyond that will depend on whether their young supporting cast is ready to grow alongside their established leaders.
