The Regina Pat Canadians suffered a setback Thursday morning at the Telus Cup, falling 6–5 in overtime to the Chevaliers de Lévis (QUE) after surrendering a three‑goal lead in the third period.
Regina appeared to be in control through forty minutes, building a 5–2 advantage, but a late push from Lévis — fueled in part by special teams — erased the lead and ultimately decided the outcome in extra time.
The Pat Cs struck first on the power play midway through the opening period when Malaki Martin converted at 14:42, finishing a setup from Maddox Schultz and Ethan Young. Lévis responded earlier in the frame while on a double minor opportunity, opening the scoring at 9:40, and the teams headed to the intermission tied 1–1 in a period that featured heavy physical play and penalties on both sides.
Momentum swung Regina’s way in the second period. After Lévis took a brief 2–1 lead early in the frame, the Pat Canadians answered with three unanswered goals. Liam Pue tied the game, Ryker Doka gave Regina the lead, and Schultz capped the surge with a power‑play marker at 11:52, pushing the advantage to 4–2 heading into the second intermission.
Regina extended the lead early in the third when Grady Hodgins made it 5–2 just over a minute into the period, seemingly putting the game out of reach. However, penalties again became a factor as Lévis clawed their way back. Two power‑play goals late in the frame — combined with steady offensive pressure — helped the Quebec champions tie the game at 5–5 with just over two minutes remaining.
The comeback was completed in overtime when Christopher St‑Hilaire ended the contest at 3:37, handing Regina its first loss of the tournament.
With round‑robin play nearing its conclusion, Regina now turns its focus to its final preliminary game today (Friday) against the Okanagan Rockets. With a victory, the Pat Canadians will clinch first place overall heading into the semifinals, which begin Saturday.
Waterloo and Peterborough have been eliminated from semifinal contention, while key seeding positions remain at stake. Friday’s matchup will determine whether Regina enters the playoff round as the tournament’s top seed.
