The Regina Pats feel the Moose Jaw Warriors crossed a line in their regular-season finale on Saturday night.
The Warriors, who won the WHL game 11-1, kept their top power-play lines and top stars in the game in the rout, which didn’t sit well with members of the Pats.
“I just felt our team was being disrespected. I did not like the way they handled their power-play units and the way they were giving out their ice time to their players,” said Pats head coach Brad Herauf. “I just thought it was very disrespectful to the game of hockey.”
With just over seven minutes remaining in the game, a scrum ensued between the players, with a fight even breaking out between the netminders, Moose Jaw’s Jackson Unger and Regina’s Kelton Pyne.
Herauf was given a game misconduct after he jumped on the boards to give Moose Jaw head coach Mark O’Leary a piece of his mind.
Pyne, Herauf and Pats captain Tanner Howe along with Moose Jaw’s Unger and Rilen Kovacevic were given game misconducts for that incident.
“For me, this is a way I can stand up for our hockey club and a way I can stand up for our team,” Herauf said. “I don’t mind losing — I’ve been in tons of fights in my life and I’ve lost lots. I think there’s a way to win and lose and last night I just did not feel it was the right way for them to win.”
Later in the period, Regina’s Logan Peskett and Moose Jaw’s Lucas Brenton were also given misconducts.
The teams combined for 114 penalty minutes in the game.
Pats general manager Al Millar also felt disrespected by the way Moose Jaw approached the end of the game, even saying it felt more personal due to him being the general manager in Moose Jaw from 2012 to ’20.
“I believe there’s a lot of people in that organization that have their opportunities because (of) when I was the manager there,” Millar said. “I think in this situation, certain players and Brad in particular, you have to stand up for your team.
“I really don’t understand the thought process by the coach in Moose Jaw. Even going back to Thursday night, sitting out players against a potential playoff opponent and laying down and then ramping it up against — let’s be honest — one of the weaker teams in the league that was very shorthanded.
“Why they felt they needed to embarrass our team and why he felt he needed to employ and manage his bench that way, it’s very disappointing for me … I don’t get it.”
Millar said it’s a message for the Pats about how much work they have to do to get better.
The Pats’ GM also believes this will add fire to the rivalry between the two clubs.
“I hope Mark O’Leary is behind the bench in Moose Jaw when we are going to be a good team because we are going to be a good team and I have a long memory,” Millar said.
“If you’re in the game for the right reasons and have passion for the game and if you’re competitive, how can you not be on our side and not be pissed off? It was embarrassing, it was disrespectful and I think at the end of the day, as much as we took it on the chin and you lose 11-1, it’s embarrassing for your club, but I think in an ironic way, they embarrassed themselves as well.”
While the Pats cleaned out their lockers on Sunday after finishing the season with a 22-40-4-2 record, Moose Jaw (44-21-0-3) will open its first-round playoff series against the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday.