These are the ties that bind in hockey. Dave Lowry and Brent Sutter, whose WHL teams meet tonight at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, have more than a few of them.
Each played more than 1,000 games in the NHL. Lowry was head coach Sutter鈥檚 assistant for three years with the Calgary Flames of the NHL. This winter, Lowry will chase Sutter鈥檚 2005 and 2006 championship legacy when Lowry is head coach of sa国际传媒 at the 2016 world junior championships.
鈥淭here鈥檚 another connection 鈥� we together didn鈥檛 get renewed,鈥� said Lowry with a chuckle, referring to the pair鈥檚 ignominious departure from the Flames bench in 2011-12 after missing the NHL playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Both men then dove into the major-junior WHL with some success. Head coach Lowry in four seasons has guided the Victoria Royals to the second round of the playoffs the last two years, the first time that has happened in franchise history, and was named WHL coach of the year for the franchise-record 48 wins in 2013-14.
This season was thought to be a rebuild for the Royals, but Lowry has his charges off to a wholly unexpected WHL-best 7-1 record and a franchise-best No. 5 ranking this week in the Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll.
鈥淚f you had said at the start of the season that we would be in this position, people probably wouldn鈥檛 have believed you,鈥� said Lowry. 鈥淣ow, we are not hunting teams. Teams are starting to come after us.鈥�
Ah yes, the old target on the back of the jersey.
Sutter has experienced that in the WHL, most notably when he guided the Rebels to the 2001 WHL and Memorial Cup championships and to the WHL final again in 2003. The head coach/GM/owner of the Rebels is guaranteed to go back to the Memorial Cup next spring, when Red Deer hosts the 2016 CHL championship tournament. So it is an older, more experienced roster that Sutter needs to put together this season. The sa国际传媒 Division swing didn鈥檛 start out well for the Rebels (5-4) after losses this week in Kamloops and Kelowna, which has Lowry even more wary.
鈥淭hey do not enjoy losing,鈥� said Lowry of a Rebels entourage that has crossed the strait for tonight鈥檚 encounter at the Memorial Centre.
But Red Deer will remain a work in progress. Memorial Cup host teams always are.
鈥淸Sutter] is not done yet. He will continue to tweak his roster. The team you see now may not be the team you see in January,鈥� said Lowry.
For his own squad, Lowry has this message: Stay the course with a reliance on defence and goaltending and a team approach up front.
鈥淲e have to remain humble and play a certain way to remain successful,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ny deviation from that is a recipe for trouble.鈥�
As for any personal side bets he has with Sutter, Lowry just smiled: 鈥淲in or lose, I make sure he buys dinner.鈥�
Meanwhile, Red Deer native and 20-year-old Royals veteran forward Logan Fisher is in his final season of facing his hometown club.
鈥淚 grew up watching the Rebels play, and it鈥檚 been fun going back there with the Royals the past few seasons with my family and friends out to watch 鈥� but this is still just a hockey game that we want to win,鈥� said Fisher.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to play hockey when you鈥檙e winning, as we have been to start the season.鈥�
A checking forward who is always matched against the other team鈥檚 top centre, Fisher鈥檚 value to the Royals is understated, if not downright underrated.
鈥淚 wish I could be the go-to guy for goals and points like Mags [graduated 2014-15 Royals over-age forward Brandon Magee], but I鈥檓 not,鈥� said Fisher.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have the most luxurious role, but it鈥檚 the role that got me into this league in the first place. I鈥檓 good with helping out and contributing in any way I can.鈥�
The Royals begin a four-game road trip Saturday in Seattle against the Thunderbirds, who were a trendy pre-season pick in the WHL鈥檚 Western Conference.
