Another week and another big-name player walks through the doors of the Victoria Shamrocks dressing room.
One would think head coach Bob Heyes would crack a smile as wide as his players鈥� bench.
Rhys Duch is the latest addition to the roster as he prepares to suit up for the first of the four regular-season games he鈥檚 committed to before he returns for the playoffs. It all starts tonight at home at 7:45 p.m. against the two-time defending champion Langley Thunder, who are 3-0 atop the Western Lacrosse Association standings, along with the Shamrocks.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think about it as smiling,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all part of the puzzle we鈥檙e putting together.鈥�
Which can get puzzling at times for coaches blessed with a lot of talent.
鈥淚鈥檝e played on teams that had Gary and Paul [the Gait brothers] or [Tom] Marachek or others come in when they weren鈥檛 here the whole time,鈥� explained Heyes. 鈥淚鈥檓 kind of used to that.
鈥淚t鈥檚 neat, but sometimes it鈥檚 a headache because it鈥檚, 鈥榃ho do I have to sit now?鈥� because I have guys here at every practice and some guys who are here for a sip of coffee and off. It makes for challenges, but our goal is to put the best team out there every game.鈥�
In the end, it鈥檚 pretty nice to have Rhys Duch walk through your door.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to lie to you. When he walks through the door it鈥檚 like, 鈥榊eah, it鈥檚 pretty good that he鈥檚 here,鈥� 鈥� Heyes added. 鈥淚t is because I know Rhys will fit in the way we want. He wants to win the Mann Cup and that desire is what we need.鈥�
Duch, who turns 27 in mid-July, returns to the Shamrocks after a summer season spent with Six Nations in 2012.
He is renowned in these parts after successful junior seasons followed by solid WLA campaigns in his native Victoria. His biggest year was in 2009 when he tallied 43 goals and added 41 assists for the Shamrocks to finish second in league scoring behind teammate Lewis Ratcliff. Duch also put up 18 goals and 31 assists in the 2010 playoffs with the 鈥橰ocks.
Duch most recently led the National Lacrosse League in scoring this past season with 45 goals in 16 games with the Washington Stealth, who lost the championship final to the Rochester Knighthawks (whose goaltender Matt Vinc will also join the Shamrocks at the end of June). Duch was the only player to tally in every NLL game this season and his 96 points sat third in the league.
鈥淭his feels like home. I have to get a picture so I can tweet it,鈥� Duch said just minutes after walking into Bear Mountain Arena. 鈥淗ome is where your heart is. I love Victoria.鈥�
So why did he leave in the first place?
鈥淚t鈥檚 a right of passage in the lacrosse world to try new things. I wanted to give the East a go,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had a great experience, but they [the Shamrocks] are putting together a great team and I obviously wanted to be a part of it.鈥�
Even if it鈥檚 not a full-time part. His contract is for the four games 鈥� which he will play in a row 鈥� as he鈥檚 residing and working in Calgary and also playing with the Hamilton Nationals of the Major League Lacrosse.
鈥淒epending on how things work out with the Nationals, I might be able to squeeze in a couple more in before the playoffs. But I will be here for the playoffs for sure,鈥� said Duch.
Which will ultimately bring that big smile to his coach鈥檚 face.
