The simplicity of Nathan Looysen鈥檚 game is a marvel, and it鈥檚 effective.
Coming off a 101-point season with the Victoria Cougars of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, the biggest question coming into 2016-17 was how the six-foot-two, 180-pounder鈥檚 game would translate to the sa国际传媒 Hockey League鈥檚 Victoria Grizzlies.
After a five-point night on Tuesday, one might suggest the former Western Hockey Leaguer will be just fine.
The left-hand shot 鈥� who plays the right side on the Grizzlies鈥� No. 1 unit along with centreman Tyler Welsh and left-winger Cole Pickup 鈥� had proved to be Mr. Consistency in the VIJHL, recording 40 goals and 61 assists in 45 games with the Cougars last year.
He added 14 goals and 14 assists in 14 playoff games for an average of 2.0 points per outing in the post-season after 2.2 a game during the regular campaign. That came after 23 goals and 24 assists in 30 outings the year previous with the Cougars, after returning from Kamloops of the WHL.
鈥淚 had a good year last year and, again, a lot of it had to do with the guys I was playing with, just like this year,鈥� said Looysen, who also had a goal and a helper in two games as an affiliated player with the Grizzlies in 2015-16.
鈥淔or a good chunk of the season we were missing some key guys [with the Cougars] and so that gave me the opportunity to stand up and be that go-to guy last year. I took advantage of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew I was getting a lot of ice time on the power play and the penalty kill and I wanted to cash in on it.鈥�
He did that in a big way, potting 101 points for coach Mark Van Helvoirt鈥檚 VIJHL champs.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what he does. He鈥檚 a very consistent offensive player, who never gets too high or too low,鈥� said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon. 鈥淵ou watch him out there and he鈥檚 dangerous every shift.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a speed difference from Junior B to Junior A and on Tuesday we saw him make that adjustment and it turned into a five-point night.鈥�
Looysen had two goals and three assists, while Welsh had a goal and four helpers, and Pickup chipped in with two of each for a 14-point outing.
The knock on Looysen is skating, but what he may lack in foot speed he makes up for in hockey sense and anticipation. Just focus on his shifts and you鈥檒l notice it.
鈥淎nyone who has watched me play knows I鈥檓 not the greatest skater, but I just try to be in the right spot at the right time and read the play and know where the puck is going to go,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to be that guy who constantly follows the puck, you want to go where it鈥檚 going to be. Once you get that down you can definitely have success with it.鈥�
It鈥檚 starting to come at the BCHL level and he hopes it continues tonight against the 0-1 Surrey Eagles who venture to The Q Centre at 7 to take on the 3-0 Grizzlies. The Eagles lost their only game so far, 8-7 to Coquitlam.
鈥淭he game happens at a different speed for him,鈥� Didmon said of Looysen. 鈥淗e鈥檚 able to slow it down and find that open ice. You see him on the power play, he seems to be the only guy who can stand there and look around and make the play. There are offensive instincts there and we鈥檙e happy he鈥檚 brought them here this season.鈥�
The Grizzlies, as a whole, have impressed so far and Didmon wants that to continue tonight and Saturday when Cowichan comes to town.
鈥淲e want to head into the [BCHL] Showcase [the following weekend] perfect, so we have six periods to go,鈥� said Didmon. 鈥淪urrey scored seven goals on Friday so we have to make sure we鈥檙e tight defensively and as long as the word complacency doesn鈥檛 creep into our vocabulary 鈥� we鈥檒l work hard and keep getting better.鈥�
Didmon said he would continue on his pattern with his goaltending and go to Mitchel Benson on Friday after Matthew Galajda won his second game on Tuesday.
IN THE DEN: The Grizzlies will pay tribute to Carter Navarrete, a Sooke midget hockey player who died in a recent car crash. His parents and siblings will drop the puck and his teammates will take part in a presentation to honour Navarrete.
