Scoring three part of family tree for Pats' Easton Armstrong
The Regina Pats' Easton Armstrong — the 19-year-old son of ex-NHLer Derek Armstrong — registered his first WHL hat trick Sunday in Edmonton.
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Easton Armstrong and his father have now registered an equal number of hat tricks in an NHL arena.
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Scoring three part of family tree for Pats' Easton Armstrong Back to video
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Easton, a 19-year-old right winger, erupted for his first three-goal game as a WHLer to help the Regina Pats defeat the Edmonton Oil Kings 8-2 on Sunday at Rogers Place — home of the Edmonton Oilers.
Derek Armstrong, Easton’s dad, had one hat trick during a 477-game big-league career. He scored three times for the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 29, 2005 during a 6-5 overtime loss to the Wayne Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz.
“I think there’s something to the bloodlines,” Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock says. “We’re really happy that Easton is contributing.”
Armstrong has 15 points, including 11 goals, in 28 games during his third WHL season. He has already surpassed his previous WHL highs of six goals and 10 points, compiled in 57 games last season.
“It feels like it has been a long time since I was scoring the way I know I can,” the third-year Pat says. “It feels good to see some results after a couple of big summers.”
Much of this past summer was spent training at the Drill House Sports Center in Denver. The Drill House is part of the Family Sports Centre, where the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche practise.
Derek Armstrong is a co-owner of the Drill House, a hockey training facility. His partners include fellow ex-NHLers Eric Lacroix and David Clarkson.
So, once again, the bloodlines are beneficial.
“We worked out in the mornings and skated after workouts,” Easton Armstrong recalls. “I did a lot of work on my skating and lots of weightlifting and it seems like it has really helped a lot.
“It’s a pretty cool gig. Everything is scheduled, just like in the season. It’s awesome.”
The same sentiments apply to the Pats’ recent road trip, which included five games against B.C. Division foes in advance of Sunday’s meeting with Edmonton.
“There’s a lot of travel, but you spend so much time with the team and the boys so it’s also super-fun,” Armstrong says. “That’s where all the memories come from — when you’re in the hotels and you’re hanging out with the boys.”
A hat trick doesn’t hurt, either.
Armstrong had not lit the lamp three times in a game since he was a member of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings under-16 AAA squad, for whom he scored 69 times in 72 games during the 2019-20 season.
First-star honours went to Armstrong on Sunday, after his 110th NHL game. Pats phenom Connor Bedard settled for second-star accolades after a one-goal, four-assist outing.
Sunday’s victory — the Pats’ fifth in a span of six games — improved Regina’s record to 14-12-1-1.
“I think we’re a really good team and we were due for a streak like that,” Armstrong says. “Hopefully we can keep that going.”
The Pats are to return to action Friday with a road game against the Prince Albert Raiders. Regina will then entertain the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday (7 p.m., Brandt Centre) before hitting the highway once more to oppose the Winnipeg Ice on Sunday.
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