Regina Pats trade Corbin Vaughan; wrap eight-game WHL road trip

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As the Regina Pats wrapped up an eight-game road swing on the weekend, the Western Hockey League club also received some closure regarding one of its players.

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On Sunday — just before the Pats were about to face the Edmonton Oil Kings — Regina traded 18-year-old defenceman Corbin Vaughan to the Prince George Cougars in exchange for 19-year-old defenceman Ephram McNutt and a 2025 second-round WHL Draft pick.

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Vaughan had previously been suspended indefinitely by the team for a “hockey-related matter” on Nov. 14 and was at home in Merritt, B.C. awaiting a trade for the last three weeks. His twin brother Jaxsin, who requested a trade following Corbin’s suspension, had to wait just two days before being moved.

“I am so pumped to join the Cougars,” Corbin said in a statement. “I am excited for a new start, to make new relationships, and to do whatever I can to help the team win. It’s a first-class organization that I have heard nothing but good things about and I cannot wait to get going.”

While the Pats added another second-round draft pick for next year’s draft, they also acquired a veteran defenceman who had 134 games of WHL experience.

“McNutt is a solid addition to our hockey club,” Regina Pats general manager Alan Millar said in a release. “He’s been a top-four defensemen on a very good PG team, averaging over 22 minutes played per game. Ephram is a character guy, with a tremendous work ethic, who also brings leadership to our team.”

As for Regina’s road trip, after starting off the eight-game swing with losses to Swift Current and Prince Albert, the Pats headed West for five games in B.C., where the club got off to a rocky start.

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After losing 6-0 to the Kamloops Blazers on Nov. 29, Regina lost 9-1 to the Kelowna Rockets on Nov. 30 before falling 7-1 to the Victoria Royals on Dec. 3.

Things turned around the next night though as the Pats picked up a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Giants, which snapped a seven-game winless skid. Two days later, the Pats narrowly lost 4-2 to the B.C. division-leading Cougars before falling 3-2 in overtime to the Oil Kings on Sunday.

Zackary Shantz led the way with two goals and three assists in the final four games of the trip while 16-year-old forward Julien Maze, who was recently acquired in a trade from the Everett Silvertips for Cole Temple, had one goal and four assists in the final three games.

The Pats are now back in Regina as they get set to play a pair of home game this weekend before a 12-day holiday break.

On Friday, the Pats (7-17-5) will host the Eastern Conference-leading Saskatoon Blades (17-6-4) at the Brandt Centre (7 p.m.) in a Christmas-themed game before the Moose Jaw Warriors (6-17-4) come to town on Saturday (6 p.m.) in the annual Teddy Bear Toss game.

Following the break, the Pats will return to action Dec. 27 on the road against the Brandon Wheat Kings before hosting Saskatoon the following night at 6 p.m.

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The Pats and Warriors will then play a home-and-home series on Dec. 31 in Moose Jaw (6 p.m.) and Jan. 1 in Regina (4 p.m.).

Huet to World Juniors

After representing his country last year at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Pats goaltender Ewan Huet is set to represent Switzerland again this year.

The 19-year-old Huet is the only returning goaltender among the three netminders named to the Swiss roster ahead of the tournament, which begins Boxing Day in Ottawa.

In his lone appearance at last year’s tournament, Huet allowed seven goals on 30 shots in relief duty against the United States on Dec. 28.

This year, Switzerland is set to play a pre-tournament game on Dec. 19 against Canada.

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