Dale Derkatch doesn't want to hear about the players missing from his lineup.

The head coach of the Regina Pats needed to find creative alternatives as one of the teams hit hardest by international competition during the holiday season. Derkatch's team is without five regulars who are either at the world juniors in Ottawa, Ont. or the World Under-17 Challenge in Port Alberni, B.C.

Despite missing some valuable members from his team, the goal remains the same while it presents some of the players with a challenge to step up with increased roles.

"We have some guys here that probably wanted more ice time and now they're getting more ice time and we look to see what they can do during this time," Derkatch told Sportsnet.ca. "Obviously we've talked to them about performing and if they perform they'll probably continue to get that ice time when the guys get back.

"It's a little bit of a challenge to them and they should try to seize that opportunity."

The missing players are: Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert (Team Canada, world juniors), Rudolf Cerveny (Team Czech Republic, world juniors), Jordan Weal (Team Pacific, Under-17) and Dominick Favreau (Team West, Under-17).

In spite of missing such talented players from his lineup for a substantial period of time, Derkatch said the opportunity to represent one's country brings more positives to the organization than it does negatives.

"It's always a feather in the cap of any organization that your players are looked at and chosen for international events or any special events where your players go and represent your organization," he said.

The defending East Division champs will have work to do this season as the Pats are part of the glut of talented teams in the division. Regina sits in a fourth place, 11 points behind first place Saskatoon.

Meanwhile, Canadian Hockey League teams missing their head coach have garnered interesting results. Mississauga's Dave Cameron, Drummondville's Guy Boucher and Medicine Hat's Willie Desjardins are all in Ottawa serving as assistants to Pat Quinn behind Canada's bench.

The trio has been away from their respective teams for nearly a month, each bringing different results. Perhaps the most staggering is in Mississauga where the offensively starved St. Michael's Majors caught fire.

Since Cameron's departure for the world junior tournament, his team has won seven consecutive games. In those seven games, the Majors scored 38 goals for an average of 5.42 goals per game. In the previous 28 games, the Majors scored just 73 times for an average of 2.66 goals per game, less than half their average with Cameron manning the bench.

Assistant coach James Boyd has been running the team during Cameron's absence, maintaining daily communication with the head coach. As Boyd said, the surge of offence during Cameron's absence is purely coincidental.

"I think more than anything it's been just a rise in confidence," he said Tuesday. " At the start of the (winning) streak we played some close games where some bounces went our way. The switch was flicked and all of a sudden the puck's been going in for us."

As far as Boyd is concerned, it was just a matter of time until the young team broke out and began creating offensively.

"(The coaching staff) knew the team was going to score," he said. "We just have too much talent to be held off the score-sheet. Early on in the year, whether it was guys feeling pressure or whatever it was, we were playing very well, we were just not scoring. Dave's been adamant that we have the talent and it's going to turn around so he's very happy it's happening now."

The Majors are just six points behind the Brampton Battalion for the top spot in the Central Division standings. Mississauga will have a chance to close the gap as they head to Brampton Wednesday for an afternoon game against the Battalion. Sophomore forward Casey Cizikas will not be eligible to play in Wednesday's game as he is serving the second and final game of a suspension.

The Majors will, however, have overage sniper Kaspars Daugavins in their lineup Wednesday. The Ottawa Senators' prospect was returned to Mississauga recently for his final season of junior hockey. The team anticipates he will add to the recently hot offensive arsenal.

While Cizikas has struggled out of the gate offensively this season, he is eager to prove to National Hockey League scouts that he can pick up the scoring slack in the second half.

*** Web Note: Log on later this week for an in-depth feature on the Majors' Cizikas.

The situation is similar in Drummondville. The formerly rebuilding Voltigeurs have become one of the most dominant teams this season after finishing last in the league last season.

Drummondville has won six of seven since Boucher left for the world junior camp in early December. Their only loss was by way of shootout against Telus Central Division rivals Shawinigan. It's worth noting that all six wins were on home ice while the loss came on the road.

Like the Majors, the Voltigeurs have scored 38 goals in seven games without their head coach for a 5.42 goals per game average. The increase, however, is much less dramatic in comparison. Prior to the team's last seven games, Drummondville scored 157 goals in 31 games for a goals per game average of 5.06.

The team did manage to extend their franchise-best winning streak during Boucher's absence. Drummondville won 18 straight games before losing to Shawinigan on Dec. 28.

The situation isn't as upbeat for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Medicine Hat has won three of the six games without their head coach, while seeing a drop in their offensive production.

In their first 33 games, Medicine Hat scored 117 times for a 3.54 goals per game average. Since then, the team has scored just 17 goals in six games, an average of 2.83. The Tigers lost their last two games to Kootenay and Swift Current by a combined score of 8-3.

Océanic get their guy

Knowing they would be playing for the Memorial Cup in May regardless of the outcome of the playoffs, the tournament host Rimouski Océanic made the biggest splash on the trade market.

Rimouski added grit and a dependable two-way forward by acquiring Logan MacMillan from the Halifax Mooseheads shortly before Christmas. In exchange for MacMillan, the Océanic parted with a package including young forward Guillaume Pelletier and quartet of high draft picks.

"It's big," assistant general manager Yannick Dumais proclaimed when asked about the trade's impact on the team. "He's a real complete player and we think he's the best complete player on the market this year."

Part of the reason the Océanic made the trade was because of the absence of another power-forward, Keven Veilleux. Veilleux received a shoulder injury in the middle of November that will have him sidelined for the next three months, if all goes well. He will meet with doctors next week where it's likely he will need surgery, which could jeopardize his Memorial Cup.

Meanwhile, the news is more positive for veteran forward and Montreal Canadiens prospect Olivier Fortier. The 19-year-old, who has been out of the lineup since early November, should return to action in late January.

Dumais said the team will try to add another talented defenceman to the fold next week. The team will receive a boost next week when forward Patrice Cormier returns to action as he is currently representing Canada at the world juniors.

Dumais said the team is hoping Cormier, a physical and intense forward, will return to Rimouski with an added element of confidence which should help the team in the second half. Dumais referenced the breakout by Claude Giroux last season when he returned to the Gatineau Olympiques after winning gold with Canada.

Giroux went on to lead the Olympiques to the league championship, recording 51 points in 19 playoff games.

"We just hope Patrice will do the same thing," Dumais said. "The experience and the maturity that he will take from that tournament he will bring back here after that. We're sure Patrice will be a better player and if Patrice is a better player, we are a better team."

Notes: Cormier's Team Canada teammate Dustin Tokarski signed an entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday. Tokarski, once considered a long shot just to play in the Western Hockey League, led the Spokane Chiefs to the WHL and Memorial Cup championships last season.

The overcrowded goal-crease in Kootenay was narrowed down Tuesday. Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth traded the oldest, 18-year-old Thomas Heemskerk to the Everett Silvertips for a third round pick. The move should allow more playing time for former first round bantam draft pick Nathan Lieuwen and recently acquired Todd Mathews from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.