REGINA – He may be small in stature, but one local product is hoping to leave a big impression at Regina Pats’ training camp.
Riley Woods is listed at 5’9 and a little over 150lbs, but he has everything you want in a hockey player: skill, speed, and determination.
The notion that he is too small only further motivates the 17-year old.
“Well, in the summer I tried to get bigger and stronger,” said Woods. ” I look up to Jordan Weal and Jordan Eberle, some of those guys.”
Woods is in his second training camp with the Regina Pats, and is among a handful of players with a legitimate chance of making the 2015-16 roster.
“The puck follows him around. He gets opportunities, and creates opportunities for other people to put the puck in the net,” said Pats’ Head Coach and General Manager John Paddock. “Those are the kind of areas in the game we are going to use him in for him to hopefully showcase what he does.”
“Different players have different strengths. He has the strength to make plays and produce points, so we’ll give him that opportunity.”
Woods was listed by the Queen City Club at last year’s camp, and signed with the team this summer after an outstanding Midget AAA season with the Regina Pat Canadians. The shifty forward scored 22 goals and added 37 assists for 59 points in 42 games last season, and played a big role in helping the Pat C’s win a provincial title. Regina then won Bronze at the 2015 Telus Cup.
Pats’s assistant coach Brad Herauf got a first hand-look at Woods in action, as he was the Pat C’s head coach before joining the WHL ranks this off-season.
“One thing that I really like about Riley is the prepatorial stuff he puts in before he comes to the rink,” said Herauf. “He’s the same every day. Some guys just want to get up for games, but Riley, he treats practice like games and that’s why I think he continues to get better.”
Woods might be a familiar face to the Pats’ coaching staff, but he isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I’m just like any other kid, you know, just go in there and try to make a spot,” he explained.
Woods had gotten some interest from U.S. colleges, but is only focused on playing for his hometown team.
“He wants to be here. He’s signed and committed to this hockey team. There’s a lot of schools that were after him, but from day one that I’ve had him, and I’ve known him three years now, he’s always wanted to be a Regina Pat,” said Herauf. “It doesn’t matter what rink he’s in; if he’s playing to be on the Regina Pats he’s going to do what it takes.”
Rookie camp concludes Monday evening with the annual Blue and White Game at the Co-operators Arena. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. as the top players from this weekend go head to head in their final opportunity to earn a place in the upcoming Rookie Showcase. Admission is $2.00 or a non-perishable food item.
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