Regina Pats select prodigious hometown hero Maddox Schultz with top pick of WHL draft
The 15-year-old will be able to play 34 games without exceptional status
The top player born in 2010 will be playing junior hockey in his backyard.
The Regina Pats did what everyone in the hockey world thought they would after taking local phenom Maddox Schultz with the first-overall pick in the Western Hockey League Prospects Draft on Wednesday.
It's a dream come true for 15-year-old Schultz, who grew up idolizing Connor McDavid and watched Connor Bedard flip the hockey world on its head while playing with the Regina Pats. Now he will follow in the footsteps of Bedard.
"Yeah, it feels pretty special, growing up watching this team play and putting on this jersey today," said Schultz. "It's a pretty cool moment for me and my family."
In the past five months Schultz was named the most valuable player at the prestigious Circle K tournament over the Christmas season in Calgary, lead the Saskatchewan U-18 hockey league in scoring, was named the league's top player and helped guide the Regina Pat Canadians to a Telus Cup national championship where he was also named the top player of the tournament.
He's an elite player that the Pats are thrilled to bring into the fold.
"First and foremost, for us, it started with the best player available and Maddox was the best player available for us at (number) one," said Millar. "All that comes along with it, with him being a local player is a great bonus for the hockey club and for Maddox and his family."
A recent Hockey Canada pilot project that is based in Western Canada will allow Schultz to play half a season with the Pats without needing exceptional status. This is because he was granted exceptional status at a level below junior. The Pats will be able to slowly integrate Schultz while also allowing him to play with the U-18 Pat Canadians.
"We still have a lot of work to do but we're building a foundation of very good young players and very good people," said Millar. "You look at what we've accomplished today and you compliment with the number of returning players we have."
Schultz's focus now shifts back to the ice with training camp around the corner, as the prodigal talent, his family and the Pats embark on a new journey.
"Training obviously and being on the ice," said Schultz. "The work doesn't stop."
The Pats continued to make waves trading their second round pick, as well as their firsts in 2026 and 2027 in exchange for the third overall pick in this draft.
They selected Langley, B.C.'s Liam Pue. As an underaged player with the Langley Hockey Academy, Pue was second in the Junior Prospect Hockey League's U-18 division. He will also be able to play 34 games as a 15-year-old with the Regina Pats without claiming exceptional status.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
