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WHL Regina Pats

Brown's Mentorship and Personality a Key Ingredient to Pats Success in 2022-23

April 20, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Regina Pats News Release


Regina, Sask. - This week, the Regina Pats will be highlighting the impact that each of their overage players made on the team and community this past season. On Monday, we highlighted Luke Bateman and on Wednesday we dove into the career of Riley Ginnell. Today, we wrap up with defenceman Tanner Brown, who made an immediate impact on the backend as a top-4 defenceman this past season.

"I'd say it was the most fun of my life," Brown said on his WHL career. "I got to peruse my dream and play with some of the best players in the world. I also got to travel the country a little bit, which I don't think I would have gotten the opportunity to do."

Brown, 20, played 223 games in the Western Hockey League across parts of six seasons, playing with four different organizations, producing 74 career points (14G-60A) and a +26 plus-minus rating throughout his career. He began his WHL career with the Vancouver Giants, where he spent parts of four seasons after being selected in the second round, 24th overall, in the 2017 WHL Prospects Draft.

"I look back on those days a lot," he added. "Those guys drafted me when I was 14 and I'm very thankful for everything they did for me. They brought me into the league and showed me what it takes to play in the league. We had a really good group of guys when I first got there. They taught me a lot. Lots of stuff I could pass down and lots of stuff that I can use to this day. We had a really tight group. When I was an older guy, I took some of that stuff to how I can help the younger guys. The group that I came up with was really awesome. Lots of them are playing pro hockey and lots of them are drafted. It's really humbling to have played with those players and those are guys I call buddies."

Brown was a black ace during the Giants run to the league final during the 2018-19 season, where Vancouver fell in game seven to the Prince Albert Raiders. That season, he did dress in eight regular season games, learning from 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Bowen Byram, who is now in his third season with the Colorado Avalanche after being selected fourth overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.

"He was always super positive and a great leader," Brown said on learning from Byram. "He was always upbeat, happy and making jokes. He made everyone feel included and I was a younger guy when he was around, and he always made the younger guys feel included. He knew how to get the best out of everyone he was with."

Although Brown did not play in the 2019 post-season, he said that experience was beneficial for his career.

"It was different for me," he explained. "I had not had that experience before so I was just taking it in and rolling with it. It was cool to see everything that was happening; their focus and dedication. I was practicing with the team everyday so it was cool to see the intensity in practice and the little details that make you successful in games."

The Kelowna, B.C. product was dealt to the Winnipeg ICE at the 2022 WHL Trade Deadline in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick. He would finish the 2021-22 season with 26 points (6G-16A) in 67 games, helping the ICE reach the Eastern Conference Finals, playing 15 playoff contests (0G-6A). With Winnipeg having an abundance of overagers on their roster heading into the 2022-23 season, he was later dealt to Red Deer, along with a seventh-round pick for forward Josh Medernach and a third-round pick.

"It's definitely an eye-opener seeing how different teams operate and how different guys do things," he said. "It made my junior experience pretty cool."

Brown began the 2022-23 season with the Rebels before they ran into a numbers game, having to cut down to three overagers at the 20-year-old deadline on October 10. With former 50-goal scorer Ben King being reassigned to the Rebels by the Anaheim Ducks, Red Deer traded Brown to Regina on October 11, 2022 in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick, and a 2024 fourth-round pick.

"We had a great group of guys and so many talented players," Brown said. "We had a great staff as well and there are so many memories I don't think I can just narrow it down to one. I will look back at this season as a whole and just remember how much fun I had. I knew this year was my last year in the Western League so I wanted to make sure when I look back, I have no regrets."

The 5-foot-10, 180 lb. left-shot defenceman put up a career-high 33 points (4G-29A) in 63 games this past season, playing in key situations with the Pats including time on the power play, penalty kill, key late game situations and top-4 minutes.

"That was a step in the right direction, but there were a couple times where Connor [Bedard] gave me some nice passes that I probably could have capitalized on," he laughed. "Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't, but that's just the game. I was obviously happy with my season and I thought I played well for the most part."

His biggest moments with the Pats were on the road this past season, scoring a couple of key goals in big moments. The first came on November 29 in his hometown of Kelowna where Brown scored the go-ahead goal against the Rockets with under three minutes to play for his first with the Pats. The next best was his first career overtime winner in a career-high three-point game as the Regina Pats edged the Prince Albert Raiders 4-3 in extra-time on December 30.

"I had lots of friends and family [in Kelowna] so it was nice to get that one," he recalled. "Playing in Vancouver, we used to play Kelowna quite a bit so I knew a few guys on their team. It was nice to rub their nose in a little bit. Then anytime you can get a win on the road and finish the game out in overtime is huge, especially against those guys because they play well in their rink. It was awesome."

Brown also brought many intangibles to the Pats in his short but beloved time in the organization. He provided mentorship and leadership to the younger players on the roster, but also his smile, easy going mentality and funny personality. He was never shy to lighten the mood when the club was going through a losing streak and always found ways to keep things positive around the room.

"I don't try to put on a mask, I just try to be myself," he added. "I try to have fun with what I'm doing and keep things positive and light. That's something I learned along the way because when I was younger I came to the rink serious and sometimes when I was younger, I would grip my stick too tight and was scared to make mistakes. I would think about it and say I was so worried about today and I would go home and overthink it in my head. Right from when I was 16, I said it's going to be a long five years if I'm stressing and overthinking things I can't control before they even happen. I wanted to enjoy the moment, put a smile on my face and have fun with my friends. Hopefully making guys laugh and cranking jokes can put a smile on other guys faces and make things a lot easier. Junior hockey is considered a job so to speak and I consider it the best job in the world. I'm thrilled I was able to do that for as long as I did, and I think most guys had the same outlook.

This summer, Brown says he plans on spending time with his family and friends and enjoying B.C., while staying at his parents place in Kelowna. From there, he hopes to land a pro contract.

"I've been home for a few days now, so I get to see my dog who I miss dearly and my parents obviously," he said. "I'm going to see my family, a couple close friends. In the next couple weeks, some other buddies will start trickling in back home. I just want to rest, recover my body and next week I'll probably get back in the gym and lift some weights. I want to enjoy the outdoors as much as I can living in beautiful B.C. Then I'll start looking at options for next season.

"I'd like to play professional hockey, that's been the goal since day one," he added. "But if that doesn't workout, the Western Hockey League has a great school program in the USports division so I've been talking to a few schools, and that's something I'd like to pursue as well."

The Pats would like to congratulate Tanner on a great WHL career and wish him all the best in the future.

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