Goaltender Michael Herringer doesn鈥檛 worry about the past.
He was the first Island player the Victoria Royals selected in the WHL bantam draft, taken in the ninth round after the team relocated from Chlliwack in 2011. Herringer appeared in only two career games for the Royals, while also spending time in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League with the Victoria Cougars and Kerry Park Islanders, before being circuitously traded by the Royals early last season to Saskatoon en route eventually to the Kelowna Rockets鈥� run to the 2015 Memorial Cup championship game.
After injured regular starter Jackson Whistle was lost for the season, it has been all Herringer all the time in the Kelowna crease in 2015-16. It鈥檚 a journey that now brings the Comox Valley product back to his home Island to face his former Royals teammates in the second-round playoff series beginning tonight at the Memorial Centre.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 focus on [the past] . . . just the series coming up,鈥� said the former Highland student.
About the Royals鈥� shooters, a group he knows well, Herringer replied: 鈥淭hey are good, quick forwards and they work hard. These are two good teams and it鈥檚 going to be a long series, regardless.鈥�
Although the Rockets graduated a load of talent from last year鈥檚 national Memorial Cup-finalist team, Herringer is part of a small returning core that could be key in the series.
鈥淲e have a lot of playoff experience from last year and that鈥檚 huge,鈥� said Herringer.
鈥淲e have a young defence, but having other guys who have been through it, really helps.鈥�
Herringer was adopted at 14 months from Haiti with brother Moice. Among the Comox Valley activities his parents put them into was gymnastics, something Michael credits for his tremendous flexibility in the crease.
Meanwhile, 35-year-old Rockets rookie head coach Brad Ralph admitted the first-round series victory against Kamloops, not decided until overtime of Game 7, was 鈥渧ery taxing.鈥�
But three seasons as head coach in the pro ECHL, with the Idaho Steelheads, teaches you resiliency and adaptability. When Ralph lost starting goalie Whistle and top forward Nick Merkley for the season, he said: 鈥淣o excuses. We use that as fuel and play hard for the guys not with us.鈥�
The 1999 second-round NHL draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes, who played five seasons in the ECHL, has staked out the darkhorse territory for the Royals series.
鈥淲e are the underdogs against Victoria,鈥� said Ralph.
