The Regina Pats part ways with their bench staff following a first-round exit, while the Vancouver Giants fire head coach Parker Burgess.
Following disappointing conclusions to their 2025-26 campaigns, both the Regina Pats and Vancouver Giants announced major leadership changes on Tuesday as they look to reset for next season.
Just one day after it was announced that Giants' General Manager Hnat Domenichelli would be stepping down, the club officially fired head coach Parker Burgess.
Burgess and Domenichelli were hired on the same day last summer, and both have now exited their roles days apart less than a year later. The move comes after the Giants plummeted to the bottom of the Western Conference, finishing last with a dismal 25-39-2-2 record. This is the first season that Vancouver has missed the WHL playoffs since 2017, but they haven’t won a playoff round since 2022.
In Saskatchewan, the Pats are also looking for a new voice. General Manager Dale Derkatch confirmed Tuesday morning that the club will not extend the contracts of head coach Brad Herauf and associate coach Ryan Smith.
“Brad has been a big part of our organization for a long time,” Derkatch said in a news release.
“From his work behind the bench to the relationships he built with our players, he’s made a lasting impact during his tenure. We thank him for his commitment and wish him all the best moving forward.
The decision brings an end to Herauf’s 11-season tenure with the organization. Although he successfully led the Pats back to the playoffs this year, a five-game opening-round exit at the hands of the Medicine Hat Tigers proved to be the final straw. Derkatch noted that the team is looking for a "communicator" who can lead a group of young stars like Liam Pue and Maddox Schultz.
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