"I think it's the best junior hockey league in the world," Patera said at the time. "I'm so glad the Brandon Wheat Kings drafted me, it's awesome."
When he packed his bags to move to Manitoba to be a Wheat King, Patera felt like he was on the exact path that he needed to be on to make it to the NHL. He said that junior hockey players that spend time in the WHL have a good chance of making it to the show and Patera wants to be another one of those WHL products that turns heads at the highest level.
"The competition is better," Patera said. "That's why they produce so many NHLers."
The jump from the USHL to Canadian junior can be a long learning process for many young hockey players. The pace, the skill-levels and the overall style are different and Patera wants those aspects of the WHL to get him ready to play professionally as quickly as possible.
Part of reaching the level of hockey that all players dream of is receiving good coaching. The best coaching is collaborative coaching. Golden Knights goaltending coach Dave Prior has been working with Wheat Kings goalie coach Tyler Plante on tailoring Patera's game to have success at the junior level and be ready to adapt to the higher ranks if the opportunity presents itself.
For now, Patera is focused on winning with the Wheat Kings. Early into his time there, that's what he's done. Brandon is off to a 5-1-1 start to the season and won each of its first three games to open the year. Patera was a key factor in those early victories. He kept Moose Jaw to one goal in a tight, 2-1 victory in the Wheat Kings' sold-out home opener.
"I think we have a really good team," Patera said. "I think the season's going well so far."
Players of Patera's age want to develop individually, but any player will tell you that the best way to grow as a player is to win.
"The biggest goal is to win the WHL," Patera said.
Winning the WHL would give the Wheat Kings an automatic bid to the Memorial Cup and would give Patera a shot at Canadian junior hockey's greatest prize. Taking his team to a Memorial Cup would help Patera take a major step in his growth as a goaltender and he's confident that the Wheat Kings can get there.
