With an NHL lockout looming, the Regina Pats are watching to see what kind of impact it could have on WHL teams.
The last NHL lockout in 2004-05 wiped out the entire season. That year, attendance at Pats games was up. The biggest impact, however, was the bolstering of the roster by NHL prospects that otherwise would be getting paid in the pros.
“We’ll definitely see some of those guys filter in,” said Pats’ president Brent Parker.
That could happen again this year with players like Colton Jobke.
“I’m hoping to go down to Houston in the next couple weeks and earn a spot on their AHL roster,” Jobke said before Pats practice on Tuesday. “It’d make it a lot harder for me to earn a spot just because of the numbers game.”
Centre Jordan Weal and defenseman Martin Marincin could also find themselves back in Pats colours. That is why WHL teams have talked about increasing the league’s quota for 20-year-old players from three.
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“Whether or not that’ll happen this year, allowing us to keep an extra 20-year-old, I think we’ll have to wait and see how many guys filter back here,” Parker said.
If more players come back, Parker said it will make for better hockey.
“I think the product in our league was good before, but when you’re keeping those players behind, it grows even more,” he explained.
Parker does acknowledge there can also be some difficulties.
“You don’t want to be caught in a situation where you keep a guy then all of a sudden the lockout ends, and he gets yarded back up to the American league and you’re left short handed,” Parker said.
Season ticket sales have passed last year’s totals. So far, almost 3,000 season tickets have been sold. Parker said it is too tough to gauge whether it is because of the looming lockout or since the team had a successful 2011-12 season.
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