Teams in the WHL East Division will start converging on Regina this weekend for what will be a gruelling few weeks, as they get in a 24-game shortened season with strict protocols because of COVID-19 being attached to everything.

For the Regina Pats, it may be tougher for some including head coach Dave Struch seeing his family will be close, but he won’t be able to see them.   Struch hasn’t seen much of his family for the last seven days as he has been self-quarantining in his basement which he admits has already been tough.

‘The weekend that we started quarantining knowing my wife and kids were home was difficult.” Struch said. “I’m going to miss them in a big way, but the excitement of seeing the players and being around the rink will occupy a lot of that family time that we miss.  The part that will make it easier in when we will be together with the players doing whatever, but we will have to social distance, isolate and spend a lot of time in our rooms.  That is the part that be tough for not only us, but for the players but hopefully we can get through it together.”

As for the on-ice product, Struch says while wins and losses are important, it is the development that is key.

“We want to give everyone an opportunity. Not everyone will dress for every game because we are taking 25 or 26 guys in so when we step on the ice. ” Struch said.  We have a lot of young kids that we want to see. We want to see them have a chance to make some mistakes and have some successes and we have older guys looking for contracts and to get drafted so these games will be important to us and winning is a good way to develop so we want to try and do both.”

A one-week training camp is set to start March 5 with the season starting March 12.   The schedule has not been released yet, but it is expected to be out sometime next week.