Get Carter was a 1971 Michael Caine movie, later remade as a Sly Stallone vehicle, featuring a storyline about retribution.
Friday night's WHL version also has a revenge angle as Victoria Royals forward Carter Folk plays his former Lethbridge Hurricanes club.
The Hurricanes got the upper stick on their former teammate in a 5-2 victory on Oct. 12 in Lethbridge. That snapped a 17-game Royals win streak against Eastern Conference teams, although Victoria is still a commanding 21-2-1 in the last 24 games against teams from the East.
鈥淪ome guys got in my ear and there was some playful banter,鈥� Folk said of that first meeting this season between the Royals (9-7-2) and Hurricanes (7-7-2).
The Regina-born Carter had 10 goals, 21 assists, 31 points and 77 penalty minutes in 66 games for the Hurricanes last season. He has 26 goals and 35 assists for 61 points and 289 penalty minutes in 178 career WHL regular-season games over three seasons.
He was assistant captain of the Hurricanes each of the past two seasons, which carries into this season with his role as assistant captain of the Royals.
Folk lost out in the numbers game as the Hurricanes had four 20-year-old returning players and WHL teams are only allowed to carry three on the roster. The Royals, meanwhile, had a 20-year-old slot open and acquired Folk to join forward Jack Walker and defenceman Ryan Gagnon by dealing a fourth-round 2017 bantam draft pick to Lethbridge in the pre-season.
鈥淚 had these dates against Lethbridge circled on the calendar,鈥� Folk said. 鈥淭onight is an opportunity to stick it to them. But besides that, it鈥檚 just another game.鈥�
Royals head coach Dave Lowry went through this a number of times in a 19-season NHL career in which he played for five teams.
It鈥檚 OK to hang around with old teammates before and after the game, said Lowry.
鈥淏ut for 60 minutes, there are no friends on the other side,鈥� added the Victoria bench boss.
Folk has three assists and 27 penalty minutes in 15 games for the Royals. But his true value is off the puck. He forechecks well and softens up the other team鈥檚 bigger players with his pounding physicality. That鈥檚 no insignificant matter on such a small Royals team.
鈥淸Folk] brings respect and fills a void and brings an element we need if we are to be successful and hard to play against,鈥� Lowry said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an element we didn鈥檛 have.鈥�
And it will come in especially handy when those late-season and playoff games become more grinding affairs.
鈥淥bviously, point production is not my biggest attribute,鈥� Folk said.
Yet he admits to a bit of frustration in still to be searching for his first Royals goal. He was the last player off the ice in practice Thursday, working on shooting drills.
Goals are not what he was brought in for, 鈥渂ut it goes a long way to help the team if you can pick up some points along the way,鈥� Folk said.
Goals may be hard to come by tonight against Stuart Skinner, the Hurricanes鈥� six-foot-four goaltender projected for the first round of the 2017 NHL draft.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a world-class goaltending prospect and you have to take away his eyes, which means make him work to see shots,鈥� Folk said.
ICE CHIPS: Former Royals sniper and 2011-12 team MVP Jamie Crooks has been named sa国际传媒 West Conference WHL grad of the month for his 11 points in six games for the University of Alberta Golden Bears . . . A story in Wednesday鈥檚 edition erroneously stated the Royals had won 18 consecutive games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The streak, in fact, was snapped at 17 games by Lethbridge on Oct. 12.
