Pasternak steals the deal – Winnipeg Free Press

Sometimes the best hockey moves come without fanfare.

Dawson Pasternak is proof of that.

Winnipeg's aging forward has been nursing a back injury and didn't play last October when the Brandon Wheat Kings shipped him to the Victoria Royals for a conditional draft pick. It was a great deal for the Royals, who haven't made the WHL playoffs since 2019.

After arriving in Victoria, Pasternak has been a huge part of the franchise's revival, leading the Royals in scoring while also helping lead a young team through an early-season coaching mix.

“He was the best player on the team,” said James Patrick, who replaced Dan Price as head coach in early November. “I can't say enough about him. I had a hunch – I trained against him last year (when he was) in Brandon. I'm in awe of his work ethic, his level of competition, and I wouldn't go wrong with him.

“I would put him in the top three 20-year-olds in the entire league. His work ethic, his fight and his competitiveness were fantastic and really good for our young players.”

Playing alongside 16-year-old star center Cole Reshny, Pasternak had 27 goals and 72 points in 62 games during the regular season. He added one goal and four points in Victoria's four-game opening round loss to the Portland Winter Hawks.

Pasternak, who was cut for the second time in less than nine months when he arrived in Victoria, played 27 games for Brandon in the second half of 2022-23.

“When I went from Portland to Brandon, I was a little upset because I loved playing in Portland,” Pasternak said. “Obviously it's one of the best places to play junior hockey, but then I'm very happy to be traded from Brandon. To be honest, I didn't want to play there. I didn't get along well with the coaching staff there, I had a really good opportunity at Victoria and it was really good for me.”

Pasternak credits Patrick, who guided Winnipeg Ice to last year's league championship series appearance, for instilling a winning attitude in Victoria.

“James Patrick is a very popular guy throughout the hockey world and I really enjoyed playing for him,” he said. “When he came in, I knew he was going to have a big impact on our team right away. She was so interested and cared for each guy. I was rooting for him to be the new coach…

“He's a coach that pushes every guy to his peak every day. He is a good, hard-working coaching style. His training has been really tough, but you're getting better every day.”

Patrick Pasternak, who expects to re-sign with the Royals in the offseason, said he compared favorably to the best over-age players during his time on the ice.

“Within a couple of weeks, I could tell he was a major leader, an unofficial captain and a guy who led by example and competed and made plays,” Patrick said. “I was proud of how well he played, how hard he competed. He took us to that category every night. … He played hard, he played with pain, he was really impressive.”

At 21, Pasternak's junior year is over, but he's looking forward to what his future in the game will bring.

He's not ready for the job, but could turn pro or join U Sports and has been in frequent contact with University of Manitoba boss Gord Burnett during his first full recruiting season since being hired in 2023.

“I've got to do some medical stuff in the offseason to get my body feeling a little bit better,” Pasternak said. “I have to go through my comments and see what exactly I need to do to recover and make it better next season.”

NEWS AND NOTES: Winnipegger Hudson Thornton has a new hockey home.

The undrafted Prince George Cougars captain has signed an AHL contract with the Washington Capitals affiliate Hershey Bears through 2024-25.

In three seasons with the Cougars, Thornton set career records for defensemen in franchise history: points (196), most goals (56), assists (140) and power play goals (24).

The 20-year-old was also named to the BC Division One All-Star Team and is a contender for the division's WHL Defenseman of the Year…

The Victoria Royals promoted general manager Jake Heisinger to the vacant GM position.

Heisinger joins the franchise after six seasons with the Winnipeg Ice, where he served as vice president of hockey operations and assistant GM from 2017 until the franchise moved to Wenatchee in 2023.

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