CHILLIWACK -- It didn’t take Maddox Schultz and the Regina Pat Canadians much time to announce their presence at the Telus Cup male U18 national hockey championship on Monday night.
All of four minutes and 25 seconds, actually.
That’s how long it took the defacto top pick in the upcoming Western Hockey League Prospects Draft to get on the board, and once the Pat Canadians got everything rolling, it was smooth sailing from there.
Regina would score twice more in the second period and add a further three goals in the third -- including a hat trick from Schultz -- on their way to a 6-1 victory over the host Fraser Valley Thunderbirds to open the six-team tournament in Chilliwack, B.C.
"Yeah, I thought we played good," Schultz told Shawn Mullin on the HNLive post-game show. "I don't think we played a full 60 but we know we got our legs under us in the second and came out hot in the third. So I thought it was an all-around good game."
The first period was a back-and-forth feeling out process for both teams, and Marco De Pedrina would score for Fraser Valley to tie the game with 4:41 to play and send the teams into the break knotted at one.
The first half of the second period was more of the same, but Regina took the lead for good on a goal by Reid Bechard with 7:09 to play in the frame and Cash Lanigan made it 3-1 just under five minutes later.
The always dangerous Pat Canadians power play went to work in the final period, beginning when the Thunderbirds’ Jake Plummer was hit with a double minor for a hit to the head 2:30 into the frame.
Schultz scored on the first minor at 3:28 and Ryan Ulmer would make it 5-2 on the second minor 54 seconds later as Regina began to pull away for good.
Schultz then finished off his hat trick with 3:01 remaining in regulation with the Pat Canadians’ third power play goal of the period.
Here's how each of his three goals looked:
🎩SCHULTZ HAT TRICK🎩
— HNLive (@HNLiveCA)
Maddox Schultz with a hat trick in his first game at the Telus Cup as the beat the 6-1 tonight. chatted with Schultz after the game on !
Asked what was working on the power play, Schultz said it was pretty much business as usual.
"I think it always is. We move the puck well, both units, so I thought it was clicking today and I'm looking forward to carrying it into the next game, too." he said.
Taylor Tabashniuk turned aside 18 shots to earn the win in goal, while Regina had 20 shots on Fraser Valley’s Nathan Niedermeiser.
Bechard and Jonah Sivertson finished with two points apiece.
Regina continues their round robin on Tuesday when they face the Atlantic champion Moncton Flyers at 4 p.m., followed by the Central region champion Elgin Middlesex Canucks at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Pacific champion Okanagan Rockets at 12 p.m. Thursday and Quebec champion Chevaliers de Levis at 12 p.m. Friday.
The top four teams after the round robin advance to the semifinals at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, followed by the bronze medal game at 12 p.m. and gold medal game at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
You can follow along with all the scores and info at .
