Winmar Warriors, Pat Canadians to meet in U18 AAA Western regional final with trip to Telus Cup on the line

The Regina Pat Canadians and Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors are set for yet another matchup, this time with a U18 AAA national championship birth on the line. (Source: SMAAAHL/Britt Lanigan)

Two provincial rivals will battle once again with the stakes at their highest and a ticket to the national championships on the line.

The Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors and Regina Pat Canadians clinched the top two positions after round robin play of the 2026 Telus Cup Western Regionals, earning themselves each a spot in Sunday’s championship game.

Moose Jaw ran through the round robin with an undefeated 3-0 record, earning the top seed of the tournament.

The Winwar Warriors scored an average of six goals per game, tallying the number in each of their three matchups winning 6-3, 6-2 and 6-1, respectively.

Forward Jamie Kirwan is tied for the tournament points lead with seven (1G, 6A). Three Warriors – Ryan Gibbs, Carson Deichert and Tobin Schaefer – lead the team with three goals each.

Starting netminder Steven Wawryk has a 2.50 GAA and a .917 save percentage in his two games. Kaleb Page was also solid in his appearance, giving up just one goal on 16 shots against Thunder Bay.

Meanwhile, their Highway 1 rivals in Regina are in search of defending their 2025 national championship.

The Pat C’s flexed their offense as well, going 2-1 through the round robin, also scoring an average of six goals per game – giving up just nine.

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Moose Jaw was the lone team to defeat the Pat Canadians in the tournament.

Forwards Maddox Schultz and Malaki Martin share the tournament points lead with Kirwan.

Schultz, the 2025 WHL Draft 1st overall pick by the Regina Pats, has six goals and one assist. Malaki has found the back of the net five times in three games, adding two assists.

Goalie Ben Meyer was 2-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .930 save percentage. He did not start against the Warriors in the round robin.

Regina and Moose Jaw are coming off a five-game U18 AAA provincial final, where the Pat C’s were victorious with a 3-2 series win.

In their round robin game, the Warriors won 6-2.

Through the 2025-26 season – regular season and playoffs – the teams have faced off 10 times. Regina has won five, Moose Jaw has five – with one lone goal separating the two teams in those previous games.

The regional final will be their 11th matchup of the year, with the winner punching their ticket to the 2026 Telus Cup in Peterborough, Ont.

Puck drop Sunday is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Co-Operators Arena at the REAL District.