VICTORIA 4 - MEDICINE HAT 3 (OT)
Caleb Willms had circled this game on his calendar as soon as the Western Hockey League schedule came out — “it was the first game I looked up to see when it was.”
There is no greater motivator for any athlete than to return to play against your former team in your former city. That was the situation for Victoria Royals forwards Willms and Teague Patton, both ex-Medicine Hat Tigers, as they met their former team in Alberta Saturday night.
“It’s weird to see the city again, and the teammates you keep in touch with, but it’s really exciting and definitely motivates you and makes you want to win,” said Willms, 20, signed by Medicine Hat in 2018, and traded to Victoria last season.
Patton, who turns 19 in December, came to the Royals this season via trade after playing the previous two seasons with the Tigers.
“It’s the club that first gave me the opportunity and there are a lot of familiar faces and a familiar rink,” he said.
“It’s a big game in that regard for myself and Caleb.”
The homecoming was a winning one as the Royals (3-10-2) defeated the Tigers (4-6-2) by a 4-3 count as Jake Poole polished off his hat-trick with the winning goal at 1:28 of overtime. Victoria goaltender Tyler Palmer again turned in a strong performance in goal with 30 saves.
Victoria began the season with seven consecutive losses, and then went through a brief stretch of offering a glimmer of a revival, before the Saturday victory ended a winless run of 0-3-1.
“We have to stay confident in our game and support each other on and off the ice,” said Willms.
Patton said: “We have to fix a few things, and learn from our mistakes and correct them, but stick to our game plan. We are a confident group of guys that that’s good in these kinds of times. We have to keep our heads high, stick to the plan, and things will turn.”
The game in Medicine Hat brought Victoria to the mid-point of its six-game road swing through the Eastern Conference Central Division, its first such trip since before the pandemic.
The sojourn began with respective 6-2 and 6-1 losses in Red Deer on Wednesday against the Rebels and in Swift Current on Friday against the Broncos.
It continues Tuesday in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes and concludes in NHL rinks Wednesday in Calgary against the Hitmen and next Friday in Edmonton against the defending WHL champions but now last-place Oil Kings.
