One of the more intriguing battles to take place next week at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre will be for the two goaltending positions.
The Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League open main camp on Monday with last year's goaltending tandem of Keith Hamilton and Jared Rathjen returning.
Some of the others expected to press for those jobs are Patrik Polivka from the Czech Republic, Coleman Vollrath from Calgary and Michael Herringer from the Comox Valley.
Hamilton, who handled the bulk of the work, is 20 years old, while Polivka and Rathjen are both 18. Vollrath is 17, and Herringer is only 16. The Royals can start the season with four 20-year-old players before reducing that number to three in October. With Hamilton, Victoria has four 20s, including Jamie Crooks, Mike Forsyth and Tyler Stahl, on the roster.
"I attended last year's camp, and I was disappointed that I didn't have the opportunity to prove myself in some exhibition games,'' said Vollrath, who spent the season in midget triple-A with the Calgary Buffaloes. "I'm excited to be coming back to camp, but I don't have any expectations. I simply want to do my job, and that is to stop pucks and let the chips fall where they may.''
Vollrath posted a 10-7 record last year with a 3.45 goals-against average. In five playoff games, his goals-against average was 2.33, along with a .940 save percentage.
"I was happy with my performance last year during the regular season and the playoffs,'' said Vollrath, who was on the ice this summer with the Royals' new head coach, Dave Lowry, at his Calgary camps.
"Dave [Lowry] gets a lot out of his players, but he expects a lot from them. If you make a mistake, he will forgive you and then show you how to fix it.
"On the ice, I manage my emotions and focus totally on the game. I can bounce back after giving up a goal, and I feed off pressure. Probably the strongest part of my game is my down-low movement.''
Polivka may have a bit of an edge on the other goaltenders as he has played some pro exhibition games with the Plzen team in the Czech Republic.
"I'm very excited to be here, and I'm ready to battle for the goaltending positions,'' Polivka said.
After travelling 17 hours in the air to get here, Polivka immediately went to Save-on-Foods to skate with some of the returnees and older Royals prospects.
"After that practice, I slept for 15 hours, but now I'm ready to go.
"What I have heard about the WHL is that it is fast with lots of hitting and lots of shots on goal. I just want to play my game and stop pucks. Some of my strengths are that I have a good catching hand and I can skate.''
Polivka was at the Langley Sports Centre in November with the Czech Republic team for the World Junior A Challenge.
"I started skating when I was three, and two years later, I started playing goal. I have always liked goaltenders, and that is what attracted me to the position.''
Polivka was selected by the Royals in the first round of the recent Import Draft. Victoria's other selection was defenceman Rasmus Bengtsson, from Sweden, but he is not expected to be at main camp.
