Locker clearout is the most melancholy day in sports. It is happy only for one team — the champions. The Victoria Royals were far from that this season in the Western Hockey League and on Monday packed their duffle bags to go their various ways after missing the playoffs.
Some, like leading-scorer and graduating 20-year-old Bailey Peach, will never again don a Royals jersey. Others, such as San Jose Sharks-prospect defenceman Gannon Laroque, will return as a foundational piece of the puzzle.
While some pundits see much of the same from this group for the next few years, Peach strongly disagrees: “The results were not there this season but I believe this team has a bright future. The younger guys saw how the three 20-year-olds Tarun [Fizer], Evan [Patrician] and I approached the game and I saw a work ethic developing among the 16- and 17-year-olds. I believe they will do something good and I will keep an eye on them.”
Peach’s optimism about the future may not be misplaced. Two Royals players, forward Brayden Schuurman and defenceman Kalem Parker, have been named to the Canadian team for the IIHF world U-18 championship beginning this week in Germany, along with highly touted 2023 NHL draft prospects Connor Bedard of the WHL’s Regina Pats and Matthew Wood of the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. Royals blue-liner Austin Zemlak also would have been a lock if he hadn’t missed so much of the season to injury.
“Going to Germany with those kinds of players is going to be huge for [Schuurman’s and Parker’s] confidence and will show they too are legitimate top players,” said Royals GM and head coach Dan Price.
At the graduating end, the season personally was a triumph for Peach with 37 goals and 78 points.
“I came in with a chip on my shoulder [after being waived through the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League] and finished off my junior career by getting to play all five seasons in the CHL,” said the native of Falmouth, N.S.
“It was a cool opportunity to come all the way out here. I got the chance I was looking for. It was amazing to be named the fans choice as the most popular player. The fans were always behind me and I can’t thank them enough. I did my best and tried to put on a show for them every night.”
Peach is committed to the Acadia University Axemen of U Sports for next season, where he would study business, but his performance in Victoria may have opened up avenues in pro hockey.
“I’ll figure that out with my agent. Everything is a stepping stone to the future and I take it one year at a time. If it’s school, it’s school. If it’s the pros, it’s the pros.”
The 18-year-old Laroque, meanwhile, is on pro track as a Sharks prospect and he continued to develop personally even though team success was elusive.
“It was a tough year for us. We were close to making the playoffs and we pushed through to the final game and played well in that game [Saturday against Spokane] but just couldn’t put the puck in the net,” said the native of Edmonton.
“We had adversity all year and handled it well. We are a close team. Everybody got better every day and will take the summer seriously and come back and be better. Making a run next season is our goal.”
Laroque realizes his role will change in that quest: “I will be taking on a bigger leadership role. I’m not the most vocal guy. I focus on my game. But I was finding my voice this year. Bailey, Tarun and Evan are leaving and I have to take up that role.”
Laroque had 10 goals and 52 points to place in the top-10 among WHL blue-liners: “I thought I did well this year in terms of skating and explosiveness. The pro [Sharks] camp helped.”
Laroque, Parker, Schuurman, Zemlak and goaltender Tyler Palmer offer a foundation but are there enough returning Royals of that calibre?
“We have a 100 per cent good core here,” said Laroque.
“We are a very tight group and we are going to be a good team if we stick to our system.”
Added GM and coach Price: “We have a young group and return almost all our players. We have a great core we believe in that experienced a lot this year through injury adversity. When we had something resembling a full lineup, we had a winning record. We just ran out of time.”
ICE CHIPS: The six non-playoff teams will take part in the lottery Thursday for the 2022 WHL prospects draft, which is in May. The 22nd-place Medicine Hat Tigers will receive six balls in the hopper, 21st-place Tri-City Americans five balls, 20th place Royals four balls, 19th place Calgary Hitmen three, 18th place Swift Current Broncos two and the 17th place Regina Pats one. Teams can move up two spots, meaning the Royals have a shot at the top overall selection.
