The Edmonton Oil Kings have a dropped a long way from their Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup national championship season of 2013-14.
That鈥檚 just the cyclical nature of major-junior hockey.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been frustrating this season,鈥� admitted the Oil Kings鈥� Island-raised defenceman Dysin Mayo, who was a part of that 2013-14 Edmonton run to glory.
The Oil Kings are 8-11-3 after beating the Vancouver Giants 6-2 on Tuesday night at the Pacific Coliseum. Edmonton meets the Victoria Royals (14-7-1) tonight at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The thing about reaching the top of the mountain, at any level of sport, is that anything less pales by comparison.
鈥淲e have high expectations in this [Oil Kings] organization and losing is not acceptable,鈥� said Mayo, who played his minor hockey in the Juan de Fuca system.
鈥淲e鈥檝e not been consistent. But we鈥檙e figuring it out and finding our footing and are looking to be a playoff team by the end of the season.鈥�
Personally, Mayo鈥檚 progress continues steadily. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL draft, 133rd overall, by the Arizona Coyotes. Earlier this month, the Islander was an injury replacement and acquitted himself well on the WHL team that swept the Russian juniors in a pair of games played in Kelowna and Kamloops.
鈥淭hat boosted my confidence,鈥� said Mayo, who is in his fourth season with the Oil Kings.
鈥淚t was short notice but I was happy to get the opportunity. That [WHL] team had a lot of high-end offensive blue-liners [such as Joe Hicketts of the Royals] and so I concentrated on playing a solid, safe game with a shut-down role.鈥�
Not that Mayo isn鈥檛 also a factor going the other way. He had 14 goals and 37 assists for 51 points last season in Edmonton and seven goals and 35 points the season before. He scored for the WHL against the Russians from the point on the power play, but is scoreless this season in regular play with 12 assists in 22 games for Edmonton.
鈥淚鈥檝e got to find a way to score more goals,鈥� he said, of the area of the game he wants to see improve.
His eyes were certainly opened this fall in Coyotes NHL camp.
鈥淵ou see the things you need to work on to get to the pro level, such as getting stronger,鈥� said the six-foot-one, 191-pounder.
He wants to remain a strong two-way blue-liner, but knows his back-end play could eventually pay the bills in pro.
鈥淚 need to play a good, safe game with a team-first mentality,鈥� said Mayo.
That approach has helped carry him this far. And he has the ring to prove it.
Ryan Gagnon, the Royals鈥� quiet but effective blue-liner from Quesnel, played with Mayo on the sa国际传媒 and Team Pacific representative squads at the U-16 and U-17 levels and isn鈥檛 surprised that Mayo is a drafted player.
鈥淗e has always been a steady player and a good skater who makes good decisions with the puck,鈥� said Gagnon.
The same can be said about Gagnon, even though he was overlooked in the NHL draft and has yet to be invited to a pro camp. He is one of the players the Royals lean on for veteran leadership.
鈥淚 lead by example. It鈥檚 the little things you show the younger guys . . . from being on time to getting both your mind and body prepared for games,鈥� said Gagnon.
Mayo and Gagnon, fellow 19-year-olds who are both assistant captains of their clubs, want to make the most of their respective final seasons in junior (unless either returns next season as one of three 20-year-old over-agers allowed per WHL team).
鈥淭ime is slipping away in junior and that thought is hitting me now,鈥� said Gagnon.
鈥淚t goes by so fast.鈥�
But being a veteran comes with the bonus of hindsight.
鈥淚鈥檓 less nervous now and enjoying it more,鈥� said Gagnon.
ICE CHIPS: Oil Kings general manager Randy Hansch is no stranger to Blanshard Street. The former goalkeeper patrolled the WHL crease at the old Memorial Arena for the Victoria Cougars from 1982 to 1986 and was drafted by the Red Wings and played pro in the AHL, ECHL, IHL and also for sa国际传媒鈥檚 national team program. . . . Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto will be running the bench tonight. Victoria head coach Dave Lowry, who guided the WHL team in its recent set against the Russians, is away this week scouting the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior League games against the Russians as part of his duties as Canadian head coach for the 2016 world junior championship that begins next month in Helsinki.
