Gannon Laroque continued establishing himself as perhaps the greatest from-obscurity riser in Victoria Royals history.
The defenceman had a big week in being signed to an NHL entry-level contract by the San Jose Sharks and being named captain of the Royals for the 2022-23 Western Hockey League season.
What an unlikely trek it has been. Not only was Laroque overlooked completely in the 12-round WHL Prospects Draft but he was not on any of the 22 teams’ 50-player protected lists when the Royals brought him into camp in 2019 as an afterthought free-agent to fill out the numbers.
“I was a work in progress,” said Laroque.
“I was upset not to get drafted into the WHL but used that as motivation and took on a dark-horse mentality to prove myself and get better each day.”
That attitude got him selected in the most important draft of all, going in the fourth round to the Sharks in 2021.
“Gannon Laroque started from the ground up,” said Royals GM and head coach Dan Price.
“Gannon showed grit, determination, energy and worked his way up.”
The six-foot-two Laroque really bloomed in the 2021 pandemic bubble season played without fans in Kelowna and Kamloops. Laroque and forward Brayden Schuurman emerged as the two Royals breakout players from that unusual experience in the bubble with the Sharks selecting Laroque in the 2021 NHL draft and Schuurman, named to the Canadian team for the world U-18 championship in Germany, ranked for this summer’s 2022 NHL draft in Montreal.
“This is just a building block to being a full-time NHL player,” said Laroque, of signing with San Jose. “The job’s not done.”
Meanwhile, as Victoria captain, Laroque will succeed forward and two-season departing captain Tarun Fizer after the latter graduated, following the Royals missing the playoffs in April, and concluded his season in the pros with four goals and 15 points in 18 playoff games for the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL.
Laroque will become the eighth captain since the club moved to the Island in 2011-12 and the first blue-liner since Ryan Gagnon in 2016-17. It is the earliest that the Royals have named a new captain. Former head coach Dave Lowry had a habit of waiting until the season had started to select a captain and Price also has shown no pattern in terms of timing. Price waited until after the season began to select current AHL pro and Calgary Flames-prospect Matthew Phillips in 2017-18 and did not name a captain for 2018-19.
“I felt really comfortable about this decision at this time,” said Price.
“Gannon Laroque is the leader of this group.”
Laroque responded: “I was shocked. It’s an honour.”
As to whether he is a rah-rah dressing-room speech type guy, or more a quiet leader by example, he said: “I’m a little bit of both. You have to know your teammates and [what they respond to].”
Meanwhile, Royals forward Keanu Derungs will not return for his 20-year-old season in Victoria. The two-time Swiss world-junior championship tournament player has signed a pro contract with Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss National League.
Price said although Derungs won’t be returning, despite being eligible as one of two allowable European players and three 20-year-olds, he is happy Derungs has been able to make the jump.
“We are a development league,” said Price.
