Something that hasn鈥檛 happened in 581 days at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, a regular-season Western Hockey League game, occurs tonight.
鈥淟ike everywhere in 颅society, this has been an extremely 颅difficult process to go through, and extremely difficult on the players and their 颅development,鈥� said WHL commissioner Ron Robison, of the pandemic 颅interruption.
Perhaps fittingly, the visitors today are the same as on March 1, 2020, as the Vancouver Giants skate onto Blanshard Street to open the 2021-22 WHL season against the Royals at 7 p.m.
Gannon Laroque was a 16-year-old Royals prospect still playing midget prep in Edmonton the last time Victoria met the Giants on Blanshard. Having made good use of the pandemic-abbreviated 2020-21 sa国际传媒 Division bubble season held in Kelowna and Kamloops, Laroque is now a fourth-round NHL draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, and the emerging mainstay of a 颅Royals defence that is expected to be under pressure this season on a young Victoria squad. He will be well-served by his time spent in Sharks training camp.
鈥淚 learned a lot from Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns,鈥� said Laroque, who returned this week from Sharks camp.
Laroque played in one Sharks preseason game, against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas, which was a moment not to be forgotten for your first glimpse of the NHL.
鈥淪tepping out in front of 17,000 fans for the first time was quite an experience,鈥� said the six-foot-two, 200-pound Laroque.
鈥淚 think I hung in there well and played a simple game. It was a good first taste for me. When you have to box out a forward like Mark Stone, you realize to be smarter and how to position yourself against bigger players, to become the kind of dominant shutdown, D-man you want to be. There鈥檚 lots of room for improvement but I will use that as motivation to get to the next level.鈥�
That NHL training camp experience will come in handy against opposing WHL sa国际传媒 Division forwards such as first-round NHL draft pick Fabian Lysell and third-rounder 颅Justin Sourdif of the Giants and 颅second-rounder Logan 颅Stankoven of the Kamloops Blazers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our job as a [Royals] blue line to shut them down,鈥� said Laroque.
Laroque is unfazed by most predictions having the Royals finishing at the foot of the sa国际传媒 Division standings this season after placing last among the 22 WHL teams in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season and going 0-3 in this preseason.
鈥淧eople are underestimating us, but I saw our chemistry build last spring,鈥� said Laroque, of his truncated rookie campaign in which he led all Royals in 颅minutes played.
鈥淚 believe our speed will take over.鈥�
Royals head coach and GM Dan Price is also tuning out predications of a lowly finish for his youthful group.
鈥淲e are focused internally and ignoring any outside noise,鈥� said Price.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just not relevant to us. I believe our young guys matured beyond their years by getting the chance to play in the hub last spring. We have speed on all four lines and can skate. I think in a typically heavy-forechecking sa国际传媒 Division, we can take advantage of our team speed.鈥�
The Royals will get to know the Giants well, as all the other teams in the sa国际传媒 Division. Because of the closed sa国际传媒-U.S. border to all but essential travel, the regular season WHL Western Conference will open with only games against divisional opponents. Games against U.S. Division teams are scheduled to begin in November for sa国际传媒 Division clubs but that all depends on whether the U.S. 颅reopens the border.
鈥淭hat is a concern, no question,鈥� said WHL commissioner Ron Robison. 鈥淐ontingency plans are in place.鈥�
Robison did not detail what those were. But there is little doubt there are various versions of the schedule at the ready.
Meanwhile, to satisfy provincial health regulations for indoor sporting events, fans will need to show proof of vaccination and seating will be limited to half capacity in the sa国际传媒 Division rinks (which is 3,503 for the Memorial Centre).
鈥淔ans are the lifeblood of the WHL,鈥� said Robison.
鈥淐OVID remains a challenge for all of us, but our arenas will be ready and will be safe. We have planned to meet or exceed all health regulations in our jurisdictions [which encompass four provinces and two U.S. states].鈥�
The WHL has mandated all players and staff be fully 颅vaccinated and Robison said the league is at 100 per cent 颅compliance.
鈥淭here have been no requests to opt out,鈥� he said.
