Tanner Kaspick is taking everything in stride as he comes to the Island from Manitoba.
Including the weather.
鈥淚t has been 鈥�40 this winter in Brandon, so I鈥檓 not complaining. I鈥檒l take the rain,鈥� he said.
The Victoria Royals, dispelling any doubts about being all in for this season, on Wednesday traded their first-round bantam draft picks for 2019 and 2021 to the Wheat Kings for Kaspick, who has been signed by the NHL鈥檚 St. Louis Blues.
Also making his debut tonight, at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre for the Royals against the Kamloops Blazers, will be fellow forward Lane Zablocki. The Royals acquired the 2017 third-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in another deal Wednesday for Victoria鈥檚 second- and sixth-round bantam draft selections this year and a conditional pick in 2019.
Kaspick was the Wheat Kings鈥� captain. Rarely do teams trade their leader mid-season.
鈥淚t was a little sad. I鈥檝e played in Brandon so long [his entire 31脷2-season WHL career to date] and it鈥檚 my hometown,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut I know I am coming to an exciting group in Victoria, and am looking forward to helping it win in the second half and in the playoffs.鈥�
That playoff experience is one of the key reasons the Royals went after the six-foot-one former gold medallist for sa国际传媒 in U-18. Kaspick has won a Western Hockey League championship with the Wheat Kings and been to the Memorial Cup in 2016.
鈥淭hat league championship experience is something I carry with me in all aspects of my life,鈥� he said.
鈥淎 lot goes into winning a championship and so many things have to go right. It鈥檚 more than about being the best team. It鈥檚 about the intangibles and that is something I can impart to the players in Victoria.鈥�
Despite wearing the 鈥淐鈥� in Brandon, he is not looking to usurp Royals captain Matthew Phillips, but to work with him.
鈥淚 hope to lead by example,鈥� said Kaspick, who had 11 goals and 37 points in 35 games this season for Brandon. He represented the WHL in the CIBC Super Series against the Russians in November.
Kaspick turns 20 on Jan. 28 but is not considered an over-ager because of his early-in-the-year birthday, a bonus for the Royals.
鈥淚t may be tricky at first for [Kaspick], having been the captain in Brandon. But he makes us better instantly, and he鈥檚 been in big games and won the league trophy,鈥� said Phillips.
Zablocki, who turned 19 on Dec. 27, has 11 goals and 25 points in 40 games split between the Hurricanes and the Red Deer Rebels this season.
鈥淚 was surprised to be traded but excited to be going to a strong lineup in Victoria that is pushing to be first in its division,鈥� said the native of Wetaskiwin, Alta., who is known for his physicality.
鈥淚 look forward to being part of that and making a run in the playoffs.鈥�
Zablocki said the highlight of his hockey life so far was being drafted in the third round last summer by the Red Wings: 鈥淚 was speechless, it was a huge honour, and then there you are [in Detroit鈥檚 training camp] skating with the likes of Henrik Zetterberg.鈥�
The WHL trade deadline ended Wednesday with one of the heaviest player movements in league history. Several big names switched teams.
The Blazers (18-20-3), who play the Royals (23-16-4) tonight and Saturday at the Memorial Centre, are now without third-round Washington Capitals draft pick Garrett Pilon and Dallas Stars-signed defenceman Ondrej Vala. Vala played for the Czech Republic in the recent 2018 world junior tournament.
Kamloops, pretty much trading away this season to build for the future, sent Pilon and Vala to the Silvertips this week in exchange for four young prospects and Everett鈥檚 first- and fourth-round picks in the 2019 bantam draft.
