Matthew Phillips of the Victoria Royals, who has confounded hockey observers his entire life, continues to do so with his invitation to the Canadian junior team summer camp.
Hockey sa国际传媒鈥檚 intake for its national team programs begins at U-17 and continues through U-18. Phillips has never before been on that radar and receives his first national tryout-camp invite at the U-20 level.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been to a national tryout before so I鈥檓 excited to get the opportunity to wear the sa国际传媒 jersey,鈥� he said from his home in Calgary.
鈥淪ome players have been through this since U-17, but people grow at different paces.鈥�
One can understand why Hockey sa国际传媒 officials have bypassed a wispy five-foot-six, 140-pound forward until now. But what Phillips has displayed with the Royals the past two seasons can no longer be ignored. The flitting and quick forward was named Western Hockey League rookie of the year in 2015-16 with his 37 goals and 76 points. He followed that up last season by becoming the first player since the Royals relocated to Victoria in 2011-12 to score 50 goals and added 40 assists for a 90-point season.
Phillips now attempts to become the first Royals player to compete at the world juniors since defenceman Joe Hicketts won gold for sa国际传媒 in 2015 in Toronto and placed sixth in 2016 in Helsinki.
The 42-player Canadian summer camp will take place in late July in Plymouth, Michigan, after which a series of scrimmages against the U.S. will be played. Camps details, schedules and dates will be released in a few weeks. Players of note invited include Sam Steel (Regina Pats), Nolan Patrick (Brandon Wheat Kings), Tyson Jost (Colorado Avalanche), Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks) and Cale Makar (Brooks Bandits). The final Canadian selection camp will be held in December.
The 2018 world junior championship is Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Buffalo, New York. The 2019 world juniors are to be hosted by Victoria and Vancouver.
Phillips, meanwhile, continues following in Hicketts鈥� skate grooves by being both undersized and originally unheralded. While the Red Wings signed the undrafted Hicketts 鈥� who won the American Hockey League鈥檚 Calder Cup last week in his rookie pro season with Grand Rapids 鈥� the hometown Flames took a chance on Phillips in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL draft. The latter led to a call-up to Stockton of the AHL earlier this spring in which Phillips appeared in one regular season game and recorded his first pro assist and two playoff games with no points.
鈥淭hat was a big jump [from the major-junior WHL] and I noticed a big difference in the pace of play,鈥� said Phillips.
That will hold him in good stead at the Canadian junior camp against 41 other players, most of whom are likely future pros.
鈥淎ll these guys in camp are the best players on their club teams. You have to do something pretty special to stand out among that group,鈥� added Phillips.
But you can鈥檛 be what you can鈥檛 be.
鈥淚 am not going to be a power-forward hitting everybody. I have to stick to my strengths,鈥� said Phillips.
Phillips will return to play his third WHL season in Victoria this fall, but under newly-installed head coach Dan Price, the former Royals assistant coach who was elevated after Dave Lowry departed following five years in Victoria to become assistant coach in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings.
鈥淒an [Price] is a very detailed coach and a student of the game and who studies it,鈥� added Phillips.
鈥淗e is a good teacher. He is a good choice to replace Dave [Lowry], who has earned his opportunity in the NHL.鈥�
Meanwhile, Victoria blue-liners Layton Ahac and Jacson Alexander are headed to the Hockey sa国际传媒 U-17 development camp beginning July 22 in Calgary. A total of 111 players have been invited to fill the sa国际传媒 Black, sa国际传媒 White and sa国际传媒 Red rosters for the 2017 World U-17 Hockey Challenge from Nov. 5-11 in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.
Ahac plays for West Van Academy, while Shawnigan Lake School鈥檚 Alexander, who is committed to the NCAA鈥檚 University of Denver for 2019, will play next season for the Victoria Grizzlies of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League. Also invited to the U-17 camp is defenceman Luke Reid, the Royals鈥� first pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft (second round), who has verbally committed to NCAA North Dakota for 2020 and will play next season for Penticton of the BCHL, but remains on the Victoria 50-player protected list.
Khore Elliott from the Royals was named athletic therapist for the Canadian U-18 team that will compete in August at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic.
