WHL Regina Pats

Salame Leaves Pats with Lasting Impact on Young Core

Published on April 25, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Regina Pats News Release


Regina, Sask. - This week, the Regina Pats will be highlighting the impact each of their overage players made on the team and community. Today, we start with defenceman Neithan Salame, who had a huge impact on the Pats young core in his short time with the club.

Salame, 21, played four seasons in the Western Hockey League, split between the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Regina Pats, totalling 10 goals and 36 assists for 46 points and a +28 plus-minus rating over 185 career games.

The Edmonton, Alta. native joined the Pats on January 10, 2022 after he was claimed off waivers from the Brandon Wheat Kings, who didn't have a overage spot on their roster. Salame made his Pats debut on January 18 and went onto play 37 games with the club this season, scoring three goals and 11 assists for 14 points, including one goal and five assists in four games against his former team.

"It's definitely very emotional just being here with guys like Ryker [Evans] and Logan [Nijhoff] who have been here that long and have been here through this journey," Salame said at the club's season-ending media availability. "It's short and sweet. It feels a lot shorter than it actually is. You're here for five or six years and you develop as a [person]. It's sad...but everyone goes through it. It's bitter-sweet, but you have to take it as it is."

Although he played just three months with the Pats, Salame had a huge impact on a lot of the Pats younger players, in particularly Connor Bedard, who Salame took under his wing and became a mentor to the 16-year-old forward. Not long after Salame's arrival, the two begun a handshake ritual during warmups, which became popular amongst fans.

"He's going to be a buddy of mine for a long time," Salame said. "We kind of clicked right from the beginning. He's special guy; he's a special player. Everyone in the room has made an impact on my life and I'm grateful I was here with them."

The 6-foot-1, 185 lb. defencemen began this season with the Wheat Kings, playing two games in October before being traded to the Victoria Royals on October 14, 2021. At the time, Salame was dealing with a lower-body injury, which was eventually determined to be Myositis ossificans. So he headed home to Edmonton for a week for some treatment, and then went to Victoria. He underwent more testing and the damage was finally discovered. When it was established he couldn't play, the trade was reversed and Salame's rights reverted to Brandon.

The veteran defenceman was unsure if he would play hockey again, but continued to go to rehab and work on returning to the ice. He overcame all of that adversity and finished the season with the Pats.

"I'm grateful that I got the chance to play," Salame added. "When the injury happened and they diagnosed it, I wasn't sure if I was going play at all this year. That was an emotional stage for me, just being back home rehabbing. I'm definitely grateful I got to play again this year and I'm grateful I got to be with this group of guys. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

Now, Salame looks to the next chapter of his career, which he say's looks like the USports route, as he will have five years of paid tuition from the WHL's Scholarship Fund.

"I haven't made any decisions yet, but I'm applying to different schools," Salame added. "You play all these years and it's nice to have [the WHL scholarship fund] in your back pocket. You get to use it when you're done. I think it would be a smart option for me [playing in Alberta]. Being close to home, I haven't been close to home for the past five or six years being in Brandon and Regina. It would be nice to play close to home."

The WHL Scholarship is guaranteed to players through him and his parent or guardian signing a WHL Standard Player Agreement, provided he does not sign a professional hockey contract in the NHL. Each year, more than 200 WHL Scholarship recipients further their education while playing elite hockey at the USports or collegiate level across Canada.

"Guys sign and they play all these years in the WHL and when they're done they have something to fall back on," said Salame. "It's a great program and more guys should take use of it in my opinion."

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

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 25, 2022


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