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It did not matter if the Regina Pats saw him coming.
The news was hit hard on Thursday when veteran strikers Nick Henry and Jake Leschyshyn were traded for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Although it was inevitable that Regina's two best players would eventually be dealt with by the rebuilding club, it did not make it easy to separate from two members of the organization.
"It's very difficult; hard to say goodbye to the right people, "said head coach Dave Struch, moved, who paused to regain his composure. "Every aspect of life that you want in a young adult and hockey player, that was it."
Struch and Leschyshyn are the longest on the team.
The Regina head coach has already worked alongside Leschyshyn's father, Curtis, on the Saskatoon Blades. This relationship was instrumental in the acquisition by Jake Leschyshyn Patats of the Red Deer Rebels at the trading deadline in 2015.
Henry's rights were acquired the following year from Everett Silvertips.
"During my career, I had the opportunity to meet the Leschyshyn family and see Jake grow," said Struch. "He skated with us in Saskatoon at 11, 12 years old. Watching him grow up as a young child and becoming a young man as he is right now is a phenomenal experience. And Nick Henry, meeting him three years ago, getting him involved and making him a real big business, it was special for me personally. When you look at what we did four years ago – the plan we wanted to put in place (create a championship team) – these were both big plays.
"It's a very sad day for the organization (to see them go) but also an exciting day for the future."
Unfortunately for the Pats, their future was clouded Thursday by the emotions of the present.
"Tears have flowed," said veteran defender Liam Schioler. "You do not really know what to say. I am still in shock. Being with people for so long, you know them and they just left. It is difficult. "
Schioler's feelings were echoed by veteran Austin Pratt, who lost his two teammates on Thursday.
"It's the worst aspect of the league for sure," Pratt said. "They are incredible, incredible guys in the locker room. Playing with them was the best month of my career in the Western League. "
Pratt arrived in Regina at last year's trade deadline when the Pats were loading the Memorial Cup host team.
As this season approached, he knew they would probably do it again.
"You thought something would happen; you did not know when, he said. "Whatever the team wanted, I knew that they were going there (Henry and Leschyshyn). It is the obvious choice to form a team with all the experience gained in the Mem Cup (2018) and the final of the league (in 2017). "
These memories are just about all that remains of these teams – a group that veteran defender Brady Pouteau called "a family."
"It's never easy to see his best friends – some of his best players, too," said Pouteau. "We just have to try to go ahead. Jake and Nick are excellent leaders. It will be difficult to fill these roles, but I feel we have the guys here that we can persevere. "
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