The Regina Pats Hockey have announced their leadership group for the 2025-2026 season, making 20-year-old defenceman Ephram McNutt the 83rd captain in franchise history.
Defenceman Kolten Bridgeman and forwards Zach Moore and Caden Brown are joining McNutt as alternate captains.
McNutt was acquired from the Prince George Cougars in December 2024 and quickly became a key piece on the Pats’ blueline, leading all Regina defencemen with a career-high 29 points (6G-23A) in 52 games, including 19 points after joining the team.
The Ponoka County, Alberta product has registered 52 career points (10G-42A) in 171 WHL games since being drafted by Prince George in the fifth round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft. The 6-foot, 181-pound defenceman also brings valuable playoff experience, appearing in 26 postseason contests with the Cougars from 2022 to 2024.
Pats head coach Brad Herauf is excited for the leadership that McNutt brings to the team.
“Ephram is an accomplished individual. He’s well-educated, has excelled in school, and even earned his pilot’s license. He’s in great shape and is a natural leader who has the full respect of our dressing room. Ephram leads by example every day with his work ethic, both in practice and in his off-ice training. I have no doubt he’ll do an excellent job as our captain.”
Bridgeman, who is 18 years old, earns a letter for the first time as he enters his third season with the Blue Brigade.
The Regina native has substantially impacted the community, serving as a Hockey Gives Blood Player Ambassador and winning the Mike Kartusch Community Service Award in 2024-25 as the Pats’ Community Player of the Year. On the ice, the 6-foot-4, 213-pound defenceman has collected 12 points (2G-10A) in 120 career WHL games.
The 19-year-old Moore returns to the leadership group after wearing an “A” last season. The Saskatoon product posted a career-high 21 points (13G-8A) in 63 games in 2024-25. Originally selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the second round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, the 5-foot-11, 173-pound forward joined the Pats in December 2023 as part of the trade that sent Alexander Suzdalev to the Blades.
Brown is entering his fifth and final WHL season. The Prince George, B.C., native notched a career-high 36 points (19G-17A) in 55 games last year, split between Regina and Everett. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound winger has compiled 110 points (52G-58A) in 225 career games and 10 points (3G-7A) in 23 career playoff appearances. Brown, a former first-round pick, adds veteran presence and offensive consistency to the Pats’ leadership core.
The Regina Pats open the regular season on Friday night when they travel to Swift Current to take on the Broncos. You can hear the game on 620 CKRM starting wtih the pregame show at 6:30 p.m.
