General manager Cam Hope took to the stage Sunday and read several preseason predictions from the media, many of which had his Royals finishing last in the sa国际传媒 Division of the Western Hockey League. He then crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it dismissively to the floor.
The fans at the team鈥檚 annual year-end awards ceremony erupted in applause.
To which guest speaker and former Canucks president and GM Mike Gillis dryly responded: 鈥淵ou are hockey fans and you are happy. You don鈥檛 see that too often.鈥�
Having the Scotty Munro Trophy in the house, representative of the 2015-16 WHL regular-season championship, will do that for a fan base.
There was a hint of irony to the Royals, who this season epitomized the very meaning of the word team, handing out individual player awards Sunday. This surprise team won the league championship with few big-name stars but a work ethic and blanket attacking style no other teams could counter.
鈥淲e prioritized fitness, which is the one thing we can control,鈥� head coach Dave Lowry said. 鈥淲e were going to be the fittest team, and we were.鈥�
Lowry is similar in outlook and attitude to Island coaching greats Ken Shields of the 1980s UVic Vikes basketball dynasty and former Elk Lake multi-medallist Olympic rowing mentor Mike Spracklen.
Their athletes simply will not be outworked.
Lowry paid his club a high compliment by comparing it 鈥� in relative terms, of course 鈥� to the overachieving 1995-96 Florida Panthers, on which he played, and which made it to the Stanley Cup final.
鈥淚 see a lot of similarities,鈥� Lowry said.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 one player. It was a whole collection of players. It took me 20 years to come across a team like that again. We鈥檙e not the most talented team, but we play the best team game.鈥�
There is a quote that has been attributed to both former U.S. president Harry Truman and former UCLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden that reads: 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.鈥�
This season鈥檚 Royals are the living embodiment of that.
鈥淭his is an easy team to coach. You open the door and five guys come in, and five guys go out,鈥� said Lowry.
It isn鈥檛 quite all that faceless and interchangeable, of course.
There was a best player: captain and defenceman Joe Hicketts, who was named team MVP.
But even the Royals鈥� lone NHL-signed player deflected the recognition back to his teammates.
鈥淭here was doubt at the beginning of the season. Some even crept into our minds. We weren鈥檛 expected to do anything. With 13 new faces, that鈥檚 usually considered a rebuilding year. This season was about proving people wrong,鈥� said the Red Wings prospect.
The Royals didn鈥檛 just disprove skeptics. They buried them under an unrelenting avalanche of franchise records.
鈥淲e got 50 wins and 106 points 鈥� many people didn鈥檛 think that could happen, said Hicketts.
But it did because it became a mission.
鈥淲e made it our duty to prove these people wrong,鈥� said Hicketts.
If this is the so-called rebuild, imagine the future.
鈥淭his will be a successful organization for the next couple of years,鈥� predicted Hicketts.
鈥淲ith so many young players, the future is solid. There is a strong foundation here.鈥�
Hope won鈥檛 have to be worrying about next season鈥檚 predictions. His Royals will be atop most lists.
But this year isn鈥檛 done yet, either. First up in the playoffs are Western Conference eighth-seed Spokane Chiefs, beginning with the opening games Friday and Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
鈥淩egular-season accolades are nice,鈥� said Hicketts.
鈥淏ut teams are remembered by what they do in the playoffs.鈥�
ICE CHIPS: The Royals 2015-16 team award winners were Hicketts (MVP for the second consecutive year and top defenceman); Alex Forsberg (top scorer with 91 points); forward Logan Fisher (hardest worker); defenceman Ryan Gagnon (unsung hero); goaltender Coleman Vollrath (most dedicated player); forward Matthew Phillips (top rookie and fan favourite); defenceman Scott Walford (top scholastic athlete) 鈥� Royals forward Tyler Soy, who finished with a team-leading 46 goals, was named the WHL player of the week Monday for his five goals and four assists in three games.
