On Friday, Seattle Thunderbirds General Manager Bill La Forge announced that former center Max Patterson will be joining the University of Calgary Dinos for the 2020-21 season.
Patterson completed his WHL career this past season. He played 320 games over five seasons, scoring 46 goals and 70 assists for 116 points.
Patterson’s WHL journey
The Kamloops, B.C., native was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft (#77 overall) by Kootenay, and he went on to play 127 games over two seasons with the ICE. During his time in Kootenay, Patterson scored fifteen goals and added ten assists. The next season, he joined the Swift Current Broncos. Following the 2017-18 season, Patterson made his WHL postseason debut, scoring five goals and two assists. He played in all 26 of Swift Current’s games as the team went on to win its first WHL title in 25 years. The 26 games played by Swift Current in that postseason set a new WHL record. As a result, Patterson got plenty of big-game experience.
The following season, Patterson appeared in 27 games for Swift Current before being traded to Everett mid-season. Between the two teams, Patterson went on to set career highs in goals (14), assists (25), and points (39). He also appeared in all 10 of Everett’s playoff games in 2019, scoring twice and adding six assists. During his time in Everett, Patterson also transitioned from right wing to center.
After 60 games with the Silvertips, Patterson was traded to Seattle where he wrapped up his WHL career. In 34 games with Seattle, he scored five goals to go with 11 assists. Patterson was also a staple for the Thunderbirds in the faceoff circle. In his 34 games with Seattle, he took 652 faceoffs, winning 55.4% of them.
Patterson to join fellow WHL alumni in Calgary
By joining the University of Calgary, Patterson is taking advantage of the WHL Scholarship. For every season played in the WHL, a player earns a one-year post-secondary scholarship, which covers tuition, textbooks, and compulsory fees.
In addition to Patterson, the Dinos added seven other players as part of their 2020 recruiting class, six of whom also played in the WHL last season.
University of Calgary Dinos Men’s Hockey 2020 Recruiting Class
| NAME | POS. | HT. | WT. | YR. | HOMETOWN | PREVIOUS TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arjun Atwal | Forward | 5-8 | 175 | 1st | Edmonton, Alta. | Sherwood Park (AJHL) |
| Luke Coleman | Forward | 6-2 | 215 | 2nd | Red Deer, Alta. | Univ. of Lethbridge (U SPORTS) / Calgary (WHL) |
| Connor Gutenberg | Forward | 5-9 | 165 | 1st | Brandon, Man. | Brandon (WHL) |
| Dakota Krebs | Defence | 6-4 | 213 | 1st | Okotoks, Alta. | Calgary (WHL) |
| Max Patterson | Forward | 6-6 | 230 | 1st | Kamloops, B.C. | Seattle (WHL) |
| Matthew Quigley | Defence | 6-0 | 192 | 1st | Chestermere, Alta. | Portland (WHL) |
| Ryan Schoettler | Defence | 5-10 | 175 | 1st | Lloydminster, Alta. | Prince George (WHL) |
| Zach Wytinck | Defence | 6-0 | 176 | 1st | Glenboro, Man. | Regina (WHL) |
Last season, the Dinos went 24-11-3 overall with an 18-7-3 record in conference play, finishing third in the division. Calgary reached the Canada West semifinal before falling to Saskatchewan in two games. The Dinos erased a 4-1 deficit in Game 2 to force overtime, but the Huskies went on to win it just over a minute into the second overtime. Saskatchewan then went on to defeat UBC in two games in the Canada West Final, capturing the 11th title in team history.
