REGINA PATS - TRAINING CAMP - DAY FIVE

From Greg Harder's Slap Shots blog.

Training camp Day 5 - (good news, bad news for Pats) - By Greg Harder Tuesday, August, 25, 2009

The big story on Monday was the official signing of blue-chip prospects Chandler Stephenson and Tayler Balog. Both are slated to play in Tuesday’s Blue & White intrasquad game (7 p.m., Lumsden Arena). They’ll likely see some pre-season action as well before joining their respective midget AAA teams: The Tisdale Trojans (Balog) and Saskatoon Contacts (Stephenson). They’re eligible to play just five WHL games this season but can join the Pats on a full-time basis after their midget teams are done.

Here are some other notes from Monday:— It’s looking like G Linden Rowat and RW Brett Leffler may not be headed for NHL training camps after all. That would be a tough blow for the 20-year-olds, who attended summer development camps with the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively. It was thought those teams would extend an invitation to training camp but that no longer appears to be the case. Unless something changes, D Matt Delahey is now the only 20-year-old who could leave the Pats for a job in the pros. However, the fact that the New Jersey Devils still have a year to sign Delahey bodes well for Regina's chances of getting him back. Delahey, RW Garrett Mitchell (Washington), RW Jordan Eberle (Edmonton) and D Colten Teubert (L.A.) are now the lone members of the Pats who are assured of spots in NHL training camps.

— LW Jason Gardiner, an off-season acquisition from Tri-City, is slated to miss about 10 days with a hyper-extended knee. It was originally feared to be more serious. C Dominick Favreau is also out 10 days with a sprained knee. LW Graham Hood (thumb) is good to go and might play in the Blue & White game. Delahey (charleyhorse) is also coming along well but won’t play in the intrasquad game.

— With 52 players still in camp, there will be significant cuts following the Blue & White game. The contest will feature a mixture of veterans and hopefuls. Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert are among the vets who may sit, unless head coach Curtis Hunt has a change of heart.

— Returning goalies Linden Rowat and Damien Ketlo are expected to get the night off. As a result, the four rookies in camp — Derek Tendler, Dawson Guhle, Cory Nygaard and Jesse Rogers — will all play. It’s an important audition for a player like Guhle, who has a chance to challenge for a job this season.

— Ex-Pats Jamie Heward and Garth Murray are expected to begin skating with the team this week in preparation for the upcoming NHL season. Heward, who may elect to retire and get into coaching, typically uses the time to improve his conditioning and lend a hand with the Pats. Watch for another Pats alumnus, Mike Sillinger, to do some work with the team this season in a yet-to-be defined consultant/coaching role, perhaps as a skills coach. Sillinger is expected to retire after 16 seasons in the NHL.

PATS SIGN TOP PROSPECT DUO -

Pats sign top prospects - by Greg Harder Monday, August, 24, 2009

We told you last week to watch for an imminent announcement about the signing of the Pats’ top two picks in this summer’s WHL bantam draft. Well, it’s a done deal.

'The Pats are holding a media gathering today at 4 p.m. to announce the signing of forwards Chandler Stephenson (first round, fifth overall) and Taylor Balog (second round, 28th overall). There were no recruiting issues with either player, each of whom has stated his desire to play for the Pats. Based on that fact, there wasn’t a great deal of urgency to get them committed before now.

Still, it’s an exciting day for the Pats' franchise and its future. Although both players still have plenty of work to do in terms of their development, there’s considerable optimism that they could represent the best one-two punch at the top of the draft that the Pats have had under the current regime.Stephenson and Balog have affirmed that belief with their performance so far in training camp. Stephenson is small but looks to be the complete package in terms of scoring, playmaking, defensive awareness and work ethic. Balog, who was originally projected as a possible top-five pick in the draft, may be the ideal complement to Stephenson — a big power forward who can skate well and has a nose for the net.It’ll be interesting to watch this duo grow together over the next four to five years.

Curtis Hunt is playing catchup.

Coming off a year in the Ottawa Senators' organization, Hunt is the first to admit he missed a lot in his brief time away from the WHL's Regina Pats. As a result, the veteran head coach has been busy renewing old acquaintances in training camp as well as making new ones.

"Everything is about relationships," offered Hunt. "They went through an experience (last season), as I did. For some of them it was a little bit of a breakout and some of them maybe not as favourable. It's nice to have that familiarity so you know names and faces and you have an idea. But when you lose a year in terms of seeing them develop, to continue the relationship, it makes things fresh on both sides."

There are just eight players on the roster who played under Hunt in 2007-08, mixed with a collection of newcomers and rookies. Hunt is somewhat familiar with last season's rookies -- including Jordan Weal -- since they were briefly in camp with him two years ago.

However, missing a year for players this age means you've missed a lot.

"You try as quickly as possible to get to know them, firstly just the names and after that what makes them tick as a player," added Hunt. "Some guys like a pat on the butt, some guys like a kick on the butt. It's important for (assistant coach) Shaun (Sutter) and myself to understand what they need for them to be their best. It's kinda the beginning stages (of the relationship)."