The Victoria Royals have handed the back-up goaltending role, and likely their future in the crease, to a 16 year old from Colorado Springs who has yet to play a regular-season game in the Western Hockey League.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously a big step up from Midget but I put a lot of work in this summer and feel ready,鈥� said six-foot-four Brock Gould.
The Royals made space for Gould by trading incumbent back-up goaltender Dean McNabb to his home-province Regina Pats on Monday in exchange for a ninth-round bantam draft pick in 2019, eight-round selection in 2020 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2020.
Gould, who turns 17 in December, will back up mainstay 20-year-old Royals goaltender Griffen Outhouse. Outhouse sees a lot of similarities to when he was 17 and backed up 20-year-old Coleman Vollrath.
鈥淚 used to call Coleman 鈥楧ad.鈥� So I guess I鈥檓 going to have to call Brock 鈥楽on,鈥� 鈥� said Outhouse.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a similar situation, only this time, I鈥檓 the mentor. [Gould] has a ton of potential and I will teach him what I can.鈥�
Gould remembers the path that led him here.
鈥淚 was 10 when I had an awful season as a forward and decided to try the nets,鈥� he said.
With three NCAA Div. 1 hockey-playing universities nearby in his home state of Colorado, Gould always thought he would take that route. But he was also drafted by the Royals in the eighth round of the 2016 WHL bantam draft, so he kept his options open.
鈥淲hen I came here to Victoria for my first Royals camp, I saw what a great organization this was and began to think [major junior] would be better for my development,鈥� he said.
Gould jumped out of the U.S. system and feet first into the Canadian pathway, crossing the border to play Major Midget last season with Rink Academy in Winnipeg.
鈥淚t was my first time away from home and I matured a lot in that year,鈥� he said.
Gould fits the mould of pro teams looking for big goalies.
鈥淚 use my size but also rely on my athletic ability and I鈥檓 also a technical goalie who can track the puck,鈥� he said.
The Royals clearly like what they see in Gould.
鈥淗e can use his size but he鈥檚 not just a space blocker,鈥� said head coach Dan Price.
鈥淗e can goaltend.鈥�
The 18-year-old McNabb played in 28 games last season as a Royals rookie with a 4-10 record, 4.52 goals-against average and .870 save percentage.
The trade means Outhouse, who thrives on his sheer volume of crease time, will continue to get it. After appearing in 27 games in 2015-16 as back-up to Vollrath, the native of Likely, sa国际传媒, has carried the crease load for Victoria with 63 games played in 2016-17 and 60 last season.
鈥淚 feel I can play 67,鈥� said Outhouse, with a smile, knowing there are 68 games in a WHL regular season.
Asked if he is concerned Gould has yet to see regular-season WHL shooting, bench-boss Price replied: 鈥淚 have zero concerns about that. Brock is an athletic goalie who can track the puck. We鈥檒l go week-by-week. But he will get decent minutes.鈥�
The Royals (2-0) play the Kamloops Blazers (2-0) on Friday and Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
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