BY Jonathan Huntington
REGINA – This year, the Regina Pat Canadians and Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors are eerily similar. But historically, the franchise record books look much different.
In the 2025-26 regular season:
- In four head-to-head meetings, the teams split the games – each winning a pair
- Each of the four games were decided by one goal
- One regulation win separated the two teams in the overall standing, with Regina taking top spot by a slim margin
- Each team boasts high-end talent with two first-round WHL picks (Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue) on Regina’s roster and three second-round WHL choices (Braden Nowoselski, Riley Brown, Chase Petersen) in Moose Jaw
Historically, though, it’s a different picture:
- Regina has 11 league titles since the SMAAAHL formed in 1982
- Moose Jaw is looking for its first league championship in franchise history
- Last spring, the Pat Cs swept the Warriors in the league final, with Moose Jaw scoring just one goal in each game
To preview this year’s best-of-five series that starts tonight in the Queen City, we assembled a seven-member league insiders panel of head coaches and broadcasters.
Regina in 5: “This is going to be an exciting series. It comes down to discipline, experience and goaltending depth.”
Regina in 4: “Home ice and well-rested, Regina should also be healthy and have no kids with suspensions to start (the series).”
Regina in 4: “Moose Jaw is banged-up a bit after a physical series with the Saskatoon Blazers and Battlefords. Regina has more depth and the edge in goaltending. And the experience of winning everything last year will also come in to play.”
Moose Jaw in 5: “Moose Jaw has the depth and goaltending to get the job done this year. Several of the players on this year’s team were on the team last season who went through the heart-break (of losing the league final). This series will be a fight between the two best teams in western Canada.”
Regina in 4: “Not only does Regina have Maddox Schultz, but (Malaki) Martin has emerged as a dominant force. And the rest they have had (since Round 2) will be a big factor.”
Regina in 4: “It will come down to which team can defend better and (have great) goaltending. Regina is well-rested and Moose Jaw just had a meat-grinder of a series against the Saskatoon Blazers.”
Regina in 4: “The Pat Canadians have so many offensive weapons (Schultz, Pue and puck-moving D-men in Ryker Doka and Ethan Young), but the eye-popping numbers from the Malaki Martin-Brady Vipond-Grady Hodgins forward line in the Estevan series makes this Regina team so difficult to contain. The Warriors gave-up an average of four goals a game against the Blazers; Regina comes with a stronger offensive punch in this series.”
