Regina Pat Canadians win bronze after dashed dreams of back-to-back national championship titles
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The U18 AAA Regina Pat Canadians will not be leaving the Telus Cup with a national title, but they will be bringing home a bronze medal.
The Regina team defeated the Okanagan Rockets 6-2 in the bronze-medal game of the 2026 U18 Men’s National Club Championship Telus Cup in Peterborough, Ont., on Sunday.
It is not the outcome the team was hoping for, after falling to the Halifax Macs in Saturday’s semifinal game 3-1, knocking them out of championship title consideration.
“We wanted to be in the game that’s later today,” Ryan Hodgins, the team’s head coach told CBC News ahead of Sunday evening’s gold-medal game.
He said the team did what it needed to respond to Saturday’s loss on Sunday and that getting ready for a bronze medal game, you have to do things right.
“I thought the boys did that,” Hodgins said, “They played well and got the win.”
The Regina Pat Canadians took an early lead against the Rockets, scoring twice in under a minute during the first five minutes of the first period.
The team maintained their lead the entire game, scoring three times in the second period and sinking a final goal in the third period on a power play.
“It’s not the colour of medal we were hoping for. But I mean, of course, once things slow down, the boys will be proud of their medals,” Hodgins said.
“I’m sure proud of this group of guys. I mean, it’s a great group of kids,” he said.
The Pat Canadians were well-positioned heading into Saturday’s semifinals against the Halifax Macs after placing first in the preliminary rounds and being the defending national champions. .
But the team fell 3-1 to the Macs after scoring in the first period and then failing to find the back of the net again, despite leading with 32 shots on goal.
It’s not the outcome the team wanted after defeating their biggest rivals, the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors, 5-1 in the Western Regional Tournament to advance to this year’s Telus Cup.
The Pat Canadians made history in 2025 when they defeated the Chevaliers de Lévis 3-2 in a dramatic overtime goal less than 30 seconds after the puck dropped.
It was the team’s fifth gold medal in the 46-year history of the Telus Cup and the Pat Canadians’ first in over two decades.
Sunday’s win is the team’s second bronze medal, having previously won one in 2015.
“It’s a huge honour to win a medal,” Hodgins said.
