By Shannon Coulter via Hockey Canada

The reigning national champions are back at the TELUS Cup, and the Regina Pat Canadians are eager to go back-to-back in Peterborough.

Regina improved on its title-winning campaign; it scored more goals (233 to 258) and allowed fewer (128 to 118) in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League (SMU18AAAHL) compared to 2024-25.

More impressive? The Pat Canadians actually got better while missing two of their top players for half the season. Maddox Schultz—last year’s TELUS Cup MVP who went No. 1 to the Regina Pats in the 2025 WHL Draft—and third-overall pick Liam Pue each played 34 WHL games this season before returning to the U18 level for the playoffs. Despite only playing 21 regular-season games, Schultz recorded 30 goals and 60 points while Pue added 16 goals and 48 points.

Luckily for Regina, it has a lot of star-power outside Schultz and Pue. Leading the way was forward Malaki Martin. The 17-year-old led the Pat Canadians with 78 points (37-41—78) in 44 regular-season games and fronted the playoff push with 24 points (15-9—24) in 15 postseason contests.

The biggest hurdle in the playoffs for the Pat Canadians was the Moose Jaw Warriors. Runners-up to Regina in the regular season, the Warriors pushed the Pat Canadians in a hard-fought five-game battle for the SMU18AAAHL title—which included three overtime games—before the teams had a rematch at the Western Regional. Moose Jaw had the upper-hand in the preliminary round with a 6-2 win, but the Pat Canadians responded with a 5-2 win to return to the TELUS Cup.

This marks the 11th appearance for Regina at Canada’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship, one of just seven programs to reach double digits. Five-time national champions (1983, 1988, 1994, 1999, 2025), the Pat Canadians are currently even with Notre Dame and Séminaire Saint-François for the most ever and could take the record for their own with a win in Peterborough.

HOW THEY GOT TO PETERBOROUGH

Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League
Quarterfinal: defeated Saskatoon Contacts 3-0 (4-2, 4-1, 6-3)
Semifinal: defeated Estevan Bears 3-0 (5-2, 7-4, 7-2)
Final: defeated Moose Jaw Warriors 3-2 (3-2 OT, 4-3 OT, 2-3 OT, 1-5, 5-2)

West Regional
Preliminary Round: 2nd place (2-1) – defeated Thunder Bay Kings 13-1, lost to Moose Jaw Warriors 6-2, defeated Winnipeg Bruins 3-2.
Final: defeated Moose Jaw Warriors 5-2

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-OTL): 38-3-3 (1st in SMU18AAAHL)
Goals for: 253 (2nd in SMU18AAAHL)
Goals against: 118 (2nd in SMU18AAAHL)
Longest winning streak: 10 (Oct. 18-Nov. 13)

Top 3 scorers:
- Malaki Martin – 37G 41A 78P (3rd in SMU18AAAHL)
- Nathan Gardiner – 36G 42A 78P (4th in SMU18AAAHL)
- Ethan Young – 14G 60A 74P (6th in SMU18AAAHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 12-3
Goals for: 71
Goals against: 40

Top 3 scorers:
- Malaki Martin – 15G 9A 24P
- Maddox Schultz – 12G 8A 20P
- Liam Pue – 8G 11A 19P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

1978 – Regina Pat Canadians | 10th place | 1-4-0 | 19GF 27GA
1983 – Regina Pat Canadians | gold medal | 6-2-0 | 37GF 26GA
1985 – Regina Pat Canadians | silver medal | 5-2-0 | 21GF 18GA
1988 – Regina Pat Canadians | gold medal | 5-1-1 | 38GF 24 GA
1989 – Regina Pat Canadians | silver medal | 4-3-0 | 28GF 19GA
1994 – Regina Pat Canadians | gold medal | 5-2-0 | 23GF 17GA
1999 – Regina Pat Canadians | gold medal | 6-1-0 | 39GF 15GA
2015 – Regina Pat Canadians | bronze medal | 5-1-1 | 32GF 16GA
2017 – Regina Pat Canadians | 4th place | 2-4-1 | 22GF 25GA
2025 – Regina Pat Canadians | gold medal | 6-1 | 25GF 12GA

WHL DRAFTED PLAYERS

Maddox Schultz – Regina Pats 2025 (1st round, 1st overall)
Liam Pue – Regina Pats 2025 (1st round, 3rd overall)
Ryker Doka – Spokane Chiefs 2025 (2nd round, 28th overall)
Cooper Bratton – Prince George Cougars 2024 (2nd round, 41st overall)
Ben Meyer – Medicine Hat Tigers 2025 (4th round, 78th overall)
Ethan Young – Brandon Wheat Kings 2024 (4th round, 85th overall)
Mahlon Wiley – Regina Pats 2025 (4th round, 89th overall)
Nash Bullman – Moose Jaw Warriors 2025 (6th round, 117th overall)
Nathan Gardiner – Calgary Hitmen 2024 (6th round, 117th overall)
Logan Dosenberger – Brandon Wheat Kings 2025 (7th round, 153rd overall)
Adam Muntain – Spokane Chiefs 2024 (8th round, 162nd overall)
Kai Lanigan – Kamloops Blazers 2025 (8th round, 166th overall)
Alan Han – Portland Winterhawks 2025 (8th round, 173rd overall)