Regina Pats captain Tanner Howe set to hear his name called at NHL Draft
Howe, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward from Prince Albert, Sask., is considered ranked No. 41 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
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Tanner Howe is set to realize a dream.
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Regina Pats captain Tanner Howe set to hear his name called at NHL Draft Back to video
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This week, the 18-year-old Regina Pats forward is in Las Vegas ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, which begins with Round 1 on Friday and concludes with Rounds 2-7 on Saturday.
Howe, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward from Prince Albert, Sask., enters the draft ranked No. 41 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, meaning there’s a good chance he will his hear name called in the first few rounds by one of 32 NHL clubs.
“It will definitely be nerve-racking, but I think it’ll be really cool,” said Howe, who will have family and friends in attendance. “Just a lot of hard work that’s getting paid off and it’ll be really good for my family too and all the work they put in to kind of see that and get rewarded that way.
“I think it will be super special.”
While some draft analysts consider Howe to be a late first rounder and others project him to go in the third round, for Howe — who was Regina’s fourth-round pick, 73rd overall, in the 2020 WHL Draft — it doesn’t matter when or where he goes, as long as he’s provided an opportunity.
“I don’t think it really matters how high you go or when you go, I think it’s about going to the right team,” said Howe. “It’s a camp invite so you’ve got to go there and you’ve got better players, so you’ve got to prove yourself and you’ve got to want to get better each and every day.”
Earlier this month, Howe — who also played in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game last season — participated in the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo where NHL clubs got a chance to see all the top prospects up close.
“That was super fun getting to meet new guys and do the fitness testing and see where I’m at,” he said. “I learned a lot with the fitness testing; what I need to be better at and what are my strengths.”
Along with going through physical and medical assessments, Howe also interviewed with 21 teams.
“My first meeting I walked into, there were about six or seven guys there asking you questions and staring you dead in the eye,” said Howe. “They’re definitely a bit nerve-racking but after I was done with my first one, I think they were pretty good after that.
“You’re not really too nervous and you know what to expect.”
As for the feedback?
“The biggest one was how competitive I am and how I’ve got a motor that’s always going,” said Howe. “I think one of my weaknesses is skating; I think it’s something I’ve got to get better at.
“To play at the next level, you’ve got to be an elite skater so it’s something I take pretty serious and it’s something I have been doing a lot this off-season and I think I’ve taken big strides so far.”
With that information, Howe still doesn’t have any indication where he might land on draft day.
“With the meetings, you see what teams are interested,” said Howe. “At the end of the day, it’s about going to the right team and the team you fit into well.
“All my meetings went really good, so that’s a positive.”
Along with being a responsible defensive forward, Howe led the Pats in scoring with 28 goals and 49 assists for 77 points in 68 games during the 2023-24 WHL season. He had 25 more points than Regina’s second leading scorer on a team that finished last place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference standings with a 22-40-6 record.
“Coming into the season, a goal of mine was to be consistent with my work ethic and competitiveness each night,” said Howe.
The numbers were similar to what Howe put up a year prior playing alongside Connor Bedard, who was taken No. 1 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Despite not having his linemate this season, Howe was happy to prove his offensive upside without Bedard.
“Obviously when you’re playing with Connor, you’re going to produce points no matter who you are,” said Howe, who had 36 goals and 49 assists for 85 points in 67 games in 2022-23. “Coming into this season, I wanted to work harder in practice … and produce without him and play with other guys.
“And I thought as the year went on, I got better and I thought I had a pretty good year.”
Not only was he called upon to lead the team on the ice, but Howe was named captain of the Pats just prior to the season.
“Being a younger captain, it was definitely an adjustment at the start of the year,” said Howe. “But I thought as I matured and got used to that role throughout the season, I thought I got a lot better at it.”
Following the NHL Draft, Howe will be back Regina for the remainder of the off-season as he continues to train with Next Level Hockey Consulting, skating alongside fellow junior players and players who have already turned pro.
“Skating with the pro group and watching those guys do reps or even working out, I just try to be a sponge around those guys for a taste of what it’s like,” said Howe. “It’s helped me a lot.”
Vaughan twins
Twin brothers Corbin and Jaxsin Vaughan could also hear their names called this weekend at the draft.
Jaxsin, a 6-foot-1, 206-pound forward with the Pats, is ranked 150th among North American skaters while Corbin, a 6-foot, 200-pound defenceman, is ranked 155th.
Pats’ Stanley Cup connections
Former Regina Pats’ defenceman Josh Mahura is a Stanley Cup champion.
Mahura and the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Monday night to capture the Cup on home ice.
The 26-year-old St. Albert, Alta. product — who suited up for the Pats from 2017 to 2018 — played 30 regular season games this year for the Panthers but didn’t dress in the postseason.
Last year, he played in all 21 playoff games during Florida’s run to the Cup final.
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