Dante Hannoun has always been known for his offensive production.
The diminutive third-year Victoria Royals鈥� centreman has been a point-producer throughout his minor hockey career, racking up a staggering 63 goals and 88 assists for 151 points in 63 games in his final year of bantam with the North Shore Winter Club in 2012-13.
He then added 24 goals and 52 points in 32 games the next season with the Greater Vancouver Canadians in the sa国际传媒 major midget league.
The jump to the Western Hockey League has been a test for the now 18-year-old who stands in at five-foot-five and 155 pounds, competing against defencemen who can weigh upwards of 60 and 70 pounds heavier.
It didn鈥檛 affect Hannoun much last season as he tallied 26 goals and 32 assists for 58 points in 71 games.
Needless to say, a goal of a point-a-game should not be out of his realm for the 2016-17 campaign.
鈥淚 want him to build on the year he had last year. I鈥檓 not going to put a number on it that I expect, but I expect him to assume larger minutes,鈥� said Royals head coach Dave Lowry, who leads his team out against the Vancouver Giants in their final pre-season test today at 3 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre.
鈥淚 think if he continues to trend the way that he has, he gives himself an opportunity to be a very dynamic player.鈥�
But one who will have to be solid on both ends of the ice.
鈥淥bviously, with Fish [Logan Fisher] gone, guys are going to have to step up and inherit some responsibility. There are a lot of key faceoffs that he鈥檚 going to have to be a part of,鈥� Lowry said of Hannoun.
Which sits just fine for the Delta native, who was selected No. 11 overall by the Royals in the 2013 WHL bantam draft.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that I鈥檝e set for myself and I鈥檓 trying to work with that and hopefully I can achieve that,鈥� Hannoun said of being a point-per-game player. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to focus on what I need to do and hope for the best.鈥�
And he鈥檚 anxious to get the regular season going.
鈥淐amp has been good. I鈥檓 excited for the season to get started. We鈥檙e up with our last exhibition game here and the home opener can鈥檛 come any quicker,鈥� Hannoun said of the Sept. 23 debut against Prince George in which the organization will raise the 2015-16 WHL regular-season championship and sa国际传媒 Division title banners at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
It will be a much different looking team today in Langley as five regulars are away at National Hockey League camps (Jack Walker, Tyler Soy, Matthew Phillips, Chaz Reddekopp and Ralph Jarratt). It鈥檚 six if you include Joe Hicketts, who is still junior eligible, but not expected to be back from the Detroit Red Wings organization.
Victoria is also without Ryan Peckford who was working off-ice this week with a nagging injury.
That鈥檚 opening up chances one last time for younger recruits.
鈥淚 still think guys have to have an understanding that we have five guys away and one guy not practising now, who are all veteran guys, and it鈥檚 their last kick at it,鈥� Lowry said of the younger players. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to see guys casual, because they鈥檙e going to be disappointed, if that鈥檚 the case.
鈥淔or us, I want guys to really convince not only the coaches, but the management as well that they deserve an opportunity to start here.鈥�
