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1987-1988 Regina Pat Canadians
The Regina Pat Canadians were crowned the national Under-18 (U18) AAA champion in 1988, establishing themselves as a dominant force in Canada's junior hockey scene.
In the 1987-88 season, the team finished first in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) with an impressive 25-5-2 record. They led the league in scoring with 248 goals and were also top in goals against, allowing just 125.
The team swept the Notre Dame Hounds in the SMAAAHL final and went on to win the West Regional qualifying tournament in Deloraine, Man., advancing to the prestigious Air Canada Cup, now known as the TELUS Cup, in Thunder Bay, Ont.
At the national championship, the Pat Canadians earned their place in the final after a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory in double overtime over the host Thunder Bay Bearcats in the semi-finals. In the gold-medal game, they defeated the Calgary North Stars 7-4 to capture the Air Canada Cup, after receiving their only loss, 6-3, at the tournament from Calgary in the round robin.
The Pat Canadians finished the 1988 Air Canada Cup with a 5-1-1 record, tallying 38 goals for and 24 against. Regina’s Terry Hollinger was named best defenceman at the championship event. This victory marked the Pat C’s second national title since the tournament’s inception in 1978, with their first coming in 1983.
The 1987-88 Regina Pat Canadians were inducted into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame, with the late team manager Graham Tuer—who later became of a member of the SHHOF in 2017—further cementing their legacy in Saskatchewan hockey history.
In the next season, 1988-89, the team repeated with a SMAAAHL crown and returned to the Air Canada Cup, where they finished as silver medalists after a hard-fought 4-3 loss to the Calgary Buffaloes at the final hosted in St. John’s, N.L. The 1989 Regina Pat Canadians featured nine returning members from their 1988 championship roster—Jason Lutz, Cam McLellan, Jason Martin, Mike Merk, Kim Perepeluk, Shane Holunga, Roland Duplessis, Dale Vossen, and Rob Harrison.
Members of the 1987-88 hockey team include:
Team Members: Craig Lumbard, Craig Pho, Darren Wetherill, Bart Cote, Terry Hollinger, Cam McLellan, Kelly Markwart, Shane Holunga, Jason Martin, Greg Hutchings, Scott Reid, Jason Lutz, Mike Merk, Jamie Splett, Devin Mintz, Kim Perepeluk, Corey Paterson, Darren Wolitski, Jeff Sabastian, Roland Duplessis (Coach), Dale Vossen (A. Coach), Graham Tuer (Mgr), Rob Harrison (Trainer).