By Greg Harder - Leader Post

REGINA — Matt Marantz likes the idea of finishing his WHL career where it started.

Well, almost started.

The 20-year-old right winger was reminded of that fact last week when Regina re-acquired him from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a fourth-round bantam draft pick in 2013.

“I didn’t really see (the trade) coming but I was happy to be in Regina,” offered Marantz, a former Pats prospect. “I was here for a while when I was real young and I’m happy to be back.”

Although he didn’t play a game in his first tour of duty, the Pats were responsible for his initial exposure to the WHL in 2006, when the undrafted prospect was added to their protected list and invited to the first of three straight training camps.

Marantz was eventually dropped by the Pats in 2008, after which he joined the Olds Grizzlys of the Alberta junior A league. He was subsequently picked up by the Spokane Chiefs, where he spent two-plus seasons before he was traded to Lethbridge on Sept. 29 of this year.

Like Spokane, the Hurricanes had an excess of 20-year-olds and sent Marantz to Regina less than two weeks after picking him up.

“It felt like I was just unpacking my stuff and putting it right back in the bag,” chuckled Marantz, who’s slated to make his home-ice debut on Thursday against the Calgary Hitmen. “It was hard moving from two different teams ... but it’s part of the business and it happens. I knew Regina was a great place to play. I liked it when I was here (before), saw some familiar faces when I came back. It wasn’t too hard of a transition. Hopefully everything gets comfortable and I can have a big season.”

A lot has changed since Marantz last went to camp with the Pats, who have a new GM and an entirely different coaching staff. The roster has also undergone a total makeover, with Jordan Weal being the lone holdover from 2008-09. Marantz is also familiar with captain Brandon Davidson, who was briefly a teammate with the Grizzlys.

“There’s lots of guys from Alberta and familiar faces,” said Marantz, who had two assists in his first three games with the Pats — all on the road. “It’s a little bit easier coming here than it was to Lethbridge. I knew no one there. It’s always hard to move but I like being here. We have a good team. They had a great start to the season. I just want to come in and add some more depth to an already great hockey team.”

Marantz is expected to add some veteran savvy and offensive punch to the top of Regina’s lineup, having recorded 20 goals and 42 points in 68 games with Spokane last season. Pats head coach Pat Conacher sees potential in the fellow Calgary native after watching him extensively last season while serving as an assistant coach/assistant GM with the Chilliwack Bruins.

“Actually when I was in Chilliwack we had interest in trading for him,” said Conacher, who scouted Marantz “quite closely” last season. “I knew quite a bit about him just by watching him as a player. And being a Calgary kid I did have a little bit of a background on him too. I was very happy when (GM) Chad (Lang) said to me we had an opportunity to acquire him. Everything I’d seen it looked like it would be a good trade for us.”

So far, so good.

“He has a high hockey IQ,” added Conacher. “He has very good hands. He can finish and he can make the play. I think he’ll be a good complement to play on the first or second line.”

As luck would have it, Marantz thinks the Pats complement his game as well.

“We actually play a lot like my team in Spokane did last year,” he added. “We have some skill but our identity is we’re real hard workers. Everyone can skate on this team, we’re fast and we come at teams. We’re hard to play against. That’s something everyone can take pride in.”

gharder@leaderpost.com