Heading into their eighth game of the season, tonight against the Tigers in Medicine Hat, the Royals have yet to pin the 鈥淐鈥� on anybody to replace last season鈥檚 captain Joe Hicketts. The 20-year-old Hicketts is technically eligible to return to Victoria this season but that is considered highly unlikely because the two-time sa国际传媒 world junior blue-liner is expected to begin his pro career in the Detroit Red Wings organization.
So, who will be Hicketts鈥� successor?
鈥淚t [naming a captain] is not a big concern to us,鈥� said Lowry.
鈥淲e pay attention to see who the leaders are, and then we let the guys sort it out. We鈥檒l name a captain when the time is right.鈥�
Forward Tyler Soy and defencemen Ryan Gagnon and Chaz Reddekopp skated as Royals assistant captains the last three games. Gagnon has been an assistant captain in all seven games this season, Soy in all five games since returning from the NHL training camp of the Anaheim Ducks and Reddekopp in all three games since returning from the NHL camp of the Los Angeles Kings. Also playing as assistant captains this regular season, twice each, have been forwards Matthew Phillips and Dante Hannoun and defenceman Ralph Jarratt.
Meanwhile, the Royals look in the mirror and see the Tigers staring back at them. Well, other than that Medicine Hat has named a captain 鈥� defenceman Clayton Kirichenko.
Both the Royals and Tigers are smaller teams that rely on speed, tenacity and discipline.
鈥淭hey [Tigers] play the same way we do, which is fast鈥� said Lowry.
鈥淲e will be challenged. We will have to skate.鈥�
While Victoria was ascending to an unexpected WHL regular-season championship in 2015-16, Medicine Hat was in an unfamiliar position last season. It lost a tiebreaker game to the Edmonton Oil Kings and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001-02.
The Tigers (5-2), however, seem to have snapped back this season and only had a five-game win streak ended with a 5-1 loss to the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday.
鈥淭hey had a good second half last season and have taken strides this season,鈥� said Lowry.
鈥淭hey believe they can win.鈥�
Those kinds of teams are always the most dangerous.
Tigers blue-liner David Quenneville is an astute and offensive-minded defenceman who had 55 points last season and has three goals and five points in five games this season. Tigers forward Chad Butcher does what you want of a 20-year-old over-age set-up man and has two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in seven games. Nick Schneider provides 19-year-old stability in the crease for Medicine Hat and is 4-0 with a 2.24 goals-against average.
The Royals (3-4) are 2-1 on their six-game road trip, which concludes Wednesday in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes (4-2-1) and Friday in Edmonton against the Oil Kings (3-3-1).
鈥淲e are facing three good teams in four nights on the road, and there is still another level we need to get to as a team,鈥� said Lowry.
The Victoria bench boss acknowledged this week in Alberta will be telling for his team.
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