Blackhawks defenseman prospect Alec Regula’s junior career ended Monday when the Canadian Hockey League canceled the playoffs and Memorial Cup due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Western Hockey League play under the CHL umbrella. The winner of each league’s playoffs and the team from the host city then compete in a four-way tournament for the Memorial Cup. This year’s event was scheduled to be May 22-31 in Kelowna, British Columbia. The QMJHL season was canceled March 17 and the OHL and WHL followed the next day.
Regula led all OHL defensemen in goals (27) and power-play goals (15), and his 60 points ranked sixth in 56 games with the London Knights. The Knights were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and were looking to win their first OHL title and Memorial Cup since 2016.
The Blackhawks signed 6-foot-4, 205-pound Regula to a three-year entry-level contract in November after acquiring him in October from the Red Wings in a trade for Brendan Perlini. Regula is expected to play next season in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs. If the AHL decides to resume its 2019-20 season, he could join the team.
Other Blackhawks prospects in CHL
Right wing Michal Teply, a 2019 fourth-round selection, was the only other Blackhawks prospect poised to compete in the CHL playoffs as the Winnipeg Ice were the No. 5 seed in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The 6-3, 192-pound Teply led all WHL rookies in points (63), assists (34), goals (29), power-play goals (12) and game-winning goals (eight) in 53 games.
Right-handed defenseman Cole Moberg (WHL Prince George Cougars) and goaltender Alexis Gravel (QMJHL Halifax Mooseheads) both had their seasons ended when their respective leagues decided to cancel the rest of the season.
Moberg, a 2019 seventh-round selection, had 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists) in 53 games in his third full WHL season. Gravel was 12-26 with one shutout, a 3.96 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in 40 games.
Gravel, who missed nearly a month this season with a foot injury, went from being one of the QMJHL’s best goalies last season to struggling at times with an inexperienced team this season. The Blackhawks will have to sign Gravel before June 1 to retain his 2016 draft rights.