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No matter which team claims the gold medal Thursday night at the world junior hockey championship, a member of the WHL’s Regina Pats will hoist the trophy.
Pats captain Connor Bedard has been the star for Canada so far in the tournament, currently leading all scorers with 23 points through six games.
Meanwhile, Pats defenceman Stanislav Svozil is Czechia’s captain and so far has amassed eight points in the tournament, leading all defencemen in scoring.
On Thursday, the Pats teammates are to face off against each other in the gold-medal game. 980 CJME and 650 CKOM will carry the game live, and you can listen to all the action online here or here.
To celebrate the two Pats players going head to head with gold on the line, the organization is hosting a free watch party at the Brandt Centre. Admission is free, with general admission seating available and specials on food and beverages.
The team said the first 100 fans to show up to the watch party will get a free voucher to a Pats regular-season game as well. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the game is to start at 5:30 p.m.
Tim Reid, the president and CEO of REAL District, said the organization and the Pats made the decision after Canada beat the United States 6-2 in a semifinal Wednesday. TSN subsequently approved the decision.
“It was an idea, it turned into a plan late (Wednesday) night and we’re hoping the community’s going to embrace it and maybe we’ll learn a thing or two and do this more often in the future …,” Reid said.
“We made the decision that we wanted to fill the Brandt Centre (on Thursday night), send a message to our Regina Pats playing in the gold-medal game and certainly to Team Canada and to Hockey Canada that we here in Regina are supporting them.”
Reid said the goal is to get at least 2,500 people into the Brandt Centre for Thursday’s game.
“We’re hoping that people are going to be loud and fun and it should feel like a hockey game that we’re at, even though it’s almost half the country away,” he said.
The Brandt Centre could be a popular destination in the second half of the WHL season if people want to see Bedard play before he ascends to the pro ranks. He’s the presumptive first pick overall in the 2023 NHL draft.
“Here’s a young man that is not only a testament to the strength of our Canadian hockey programs, but also a real champion and ambassador of Regina, (the) Regina Pats and our community,” Reid said. “I think we’re going to spend a lot of years watching Connor Bedard be a star in hockey and I think we’re very fortunate to have him here.”
‘It’s going to be a game-time decision’
Regina’s Shelley Hellquist expects to be torn Thursday night.
Hellquist and her family have been the billet family for Svozil for two years, so she’s not sure how she’s going to feel when the gold-medal game starts and the two Pats go head to head.
“We have a bit of a challenge, obviously, to figure out who we’re going to be cheering for,” she said. “I would say both. We want them both to have a great game.
“We’re obviously cheering for Stan because this is a pretty monumental experience for him. This is his last year (of eligibility at the world juniors) and he’s the captain of the Czech team. But of course we’re Canadian, so how do you not cheer for Hockey Canada?”
Hellquist was in Halifax when the tournament started and was in the crowd when Czechia beat Canada 5-2 on Boxing Day. When the teams won their semifinals Wednesday, Hellquist admitted having a “here we go again” moment.
“It’s going to be a game-time decision as to how I’m going to feel,” she said with a chuckle.
Reid wasn’t at all torn.
“I think we’ve got to cheer for Bedard simply because he’s wearing the right jersey and the maple leaf on his chest,” Reid said. “Although I think we want to have both players have a great game, we just want to make sure Bedard has a little bit better one.”
— With files from 980 CJME’s Shane Clausing and Daniel Reech