The Regina Pats are hoping they have secured their future on the blueline by inking a pair of 2005-born defencemen to WHL Standard Player Agreements.

The Regina Pats Hockey Club is pleased to announce the signings of 2005-born defencemen Carter Herman and Mitchell McEachern to WHL Standard Player Agreements.

Carter Herman was drafted by the Pats in the fourth round of the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft with the 71st overall pick. The Swift Current native only played six games due to COVID last season for his hometown Swift Current Legionnaires in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. The 6’2”, 170 lb. defenceman put up 39 points (13G-26A) in 27 games during the 2019-20 season with the Bantam AA Swift Current Broncos. He is the younger brother of current Swift Current Broncos goaltender Jacob Herman.

“We think he has good potential,” Regina Pats GM and VP of Hockey Operations John Paddock said. “He has a long, lanky body and moves around the ice really well. He has been everything we could have thought when we drafted him. Now the work is just starting for him to build on his game, improve his skills and physical stature.”

Picture: Regina Pats

MacEachern, who is 15, had four assists in four games with the Midget AA Saskatoon Riverkings last season. The year prior, the Saskatoon, Sask., native registered 27 points (5G-22A) in 31 games for the Saskatoon Maniacs Bantam AA club.

“He has grown since his draft year and he looks like he has the potential to grow again,” Paddock said. “He’s got real good ability: some puck skills you can’t teach. When he walks along the blueline, he moves his feet well and handles the puck well, so we think there is a lot of upside there.”

The Pats are in action at the Co-Operators Centre Friday night as they skate with the Winnipeg Ice in a 7 o’clock start.