Of this year鈥檚 Victoria Royals contingent, defenceman Scott Walford got to Montreal鈥檚 camp as a 2017 third-round draft pick of the Canadiens, forwards Matthew Phillips and Tyler Soy as 2016 selections of the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks, and goaltender Griffen Outhouse and defenceman and graduated 2016-17 Royals captain Ryan Gagnon as free-agent invitees by the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Arizona Coyotes, respectively.
While Phillips and Soy are each in their second go-arounds in the Flames and Ducks camps, this is all new for Walford, Outhouse and Gagnon.
鈥淚 feel like I am 16 all over again in Royals rookie camp,鈥� quipped Walford, by phone from Montreal.
But it鈥檚 not that anymore. This is the next level.
鈥淭he players are so much bigger and faster,鈥� he said.
Outhouse, meanwhile, stepped into 44 C temperatures in Sin City late last week.
鈥淚鈥檓 not used to that,鈥� he said, after arriving back home to Williams Lake.
That wasn鈥檛 the only thing to which the Royals creaseman wasn鈥檛 accustomed.
鈥淚t was quite a step to take. Everyone can shoot the puck. It鈥檚 really fast hockey,鈥� said Outhouse.
鈥淵ou can tell who are the guys who have already had a year of pro in the AHL or ECHL.鈥�
Each young player learns something about himself.
鈥淚 was all right [in the Golden Knights development camp] but I know I have more to offer,鈥� said Outhouse, a 19-year-old, entering his third season with Victoria.
Many believe Outhouse was overlooked in the draft because he is six-foot in an era in which many NHL teams won鈥檛 even consider a goaltender under six-foot-two.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 worry about things I can鈥檛 control,鈥� said Outhouse.
鈥淥bviously, they like the six-foot-four goalies. But hockey is opening up more now to smaller forwards and maybe that will happen for goalies, too. You see now with some players coming in later to the pros out of the NCAA, that extra time helps you develop. Technically, I have to be more patient at this [pro] level and not go down to my knees as early and leave the top part of the net exposed. The flip side, however, is that I leave less room to find the five-hole between the legs than a taller goalie might.鈥�
Royals blue-liner Walford said he has always looked to pass first before taking a shot himself, but has found a new perspective in skating this week in Montreal with the other young Canadiens prospects. Expect to see more self-serve from the 18-year-old next season in Victoria.
鈥淭hese players here in camp take chances. You can be too unselfish sometimes,鈥� added the six-foot-two Walford.
鈥淭he biggest thing I鈥檝e learned in camp is to take more chances. You don鈥檛 want to be selfish, but you want to take those chances when you get them.鈥�
Gagnon, meanwhile, graduated this spring after five diligent seasons guarding the Victoria zone, and his first career pro-camp invite was a fitting late bonus perk offered to the 21-year-old by the Coyotes.
鈥淚t was eye-opening . . . they teach you so much off-ice as well, such as finances and nutrition,鈥� said Gagnon.
鈥淏ut the Coyotes have drafted a lot of defencemen lately and told me I won鈥檛 be attending their rookie camp in September. It鈥檚 disappointing, but that鈥檚 part of the business.鈥�
The departing Royals captain will likely play U Sports next season for the University of Calgary Dinos. He has five years of post-secondary tuition owed him under the WHL鈥檚 education plan. Get an education first, he said, because 鈥渢he AHL and ECHL will always be there鈥� if he wants to pursue a pro career after U Sports.
