Reese Hamilton enjoying being close to home in NHL draft year

Reese Hamilton gets to enjoy one of the more exciting years of his hockey career closer to home.

The Whitewood, Sask. product was playing his WHL hockey with the Calgary Hitmen after the defenceman was taken fourth overall in the 2022 bantam draft.

But he was traded to the Regina Pats in November as a part of the blockbuster deal that sent then-captain Tanner Howe to Calgary for Hamilton, forward Keets Fawcett, a third-round pick in 2025, and a second-round pick in 2027.

“I think I first found out through my agents at the time. Lots of mixed emotions at the time coming from Calgary which is a big city to Regina which is also nice because I’m super close to home. It was a big change but I’m excited,” Hamilton said.

“I moved to Edmonton when I was 14 and then to Saskatoon the year after. It was something to get adjusted to – I got my license at that time so my first place learning to drive was in Calgary.

“Lots of following Google Maps and you find your way around.”

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Now the 17-year-old gets to play for the team he grew up watching. It also makes things easier for his parents to attend every game.

“It’s super nice. My parents are super happy. My parents and grandparents are all from Whitewood. They don’t have to spend their lives planning how to get to Calgary, now it’s just a quick drive in. It’s nice for them,” he said.

“Between living in Brandon and Regina, I was always coming to the games here and then in Brandon as well. When I was younger, the Pats had a really good team. They had guys like Adam Brooks and Sam Steel so they were super fun to watch.”

This is also a special year for Hamilton as he hopes to have his name called at the NHL Draft this season. He is currently the 74th-ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting.

“It’s an honour. Watching NHL guys grow up and it’s finally your year to get drafted, it’s pretty cool,” Hamilton said.

“Some of the draft things that come out, you try not to pay too much attention to it. In the end, it’s the NHL scouts doing the picking and it doesn’t have anything to do too much with the rankings.”

It would be a dream come true for the Saskatchewan skater, who remembers growing up in the town located about 175 kilometres east of Regina.

Reese Hamilton, a Whitewood, Sask. product, gets to play hockey closer to home now. (Regina Pats/Submitted)

“The Whitewood rink is always open, so that’s always been a memory of mine. Just going down with my dad and being able to skate whenever I want. It’s a nice town to grow up in and develop hockey,” Hamilton said.

That journey took him from Whitewood to Melville to Edmonton and to Saskatoon before he was taken by Calgary in the WHL draft.

There he spent a season and a bit, emerging as one of the top young defencemen in the league. His play has earned him the right to play for Team Canada on multiple occasions – Hamilton won gold as an underager at the World U18 Championships in April before winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August.

“Winning gold for your country is definitely a huge honour and super exciting too,” he said.

Now after coming back from a knee injury that kept him out following the top prospects game in late November, he has become a key member of this year’s Pats team.

“He’s a 17-year-old that can contribute right away. He played 25 minutes (for us). A 17-year-old with his ability and getting the experience of playing 25 minutes a night, I think it’s invaluable for his development. I think it bodes well for his future,” said Regina Pats head coach Brad Herauf.

Hamilton has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 41 games this season.

Herauf, who is from Regina, also believes there’s some magic to a player playing for their hometown junior teams.

“I know for myself being a hometown guy, you know what it meant. We’ve had lots of hometown guys here the last few years. Sometimes it can be a gift and a curse at the same time but there’s definitely a sense of pride from all of us who get to experience this,” Herauf said.

While the Pats have had a tough season, currently sitting at 13-27-4-2 thus far, the team made a flurry of moves ahead of the trade deadline, including the one for Hamilton, to position themselves for better fortunes in the next couple of years.

“You can tell what they are doing here. We have lots of ‘07s and a good prospect pool. Good ‘06s as well. I’m excited for years to come but that being said, (we) can’t forget about the end of this year. We’re just hoping to develop and develop for the years to come,” Hamilton said.

“It’s been a super exciting year for me. Getting invited to those tournaments and the prospect game and getting traded in the middle of all that has been a whirlwind for me. It has been super fun and looking forward to the second half here.”

So while his focus is on the Pats, Hamilton is also excited for what his future might hold – skating in front of thousands in an NHL arena.

“It’s something that’s always in the back of my head. Just (block out) the outside noise and the time will come around June or whenever that is. I think just focus on the year so far and focus on the second half here and just doing what I can do best to improve the draft stock,” Hamilton said.

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