When asked if any eventual WHL champion remembers its pre-season record, Royals GM Cam Hope answered, with a chuckle: 鈥淚 doubt if there鈥檚 any correlation between the two.鈥�
That鈥檚 because the top WHL players are away in NHL rookie camps during much of the WHL preseason.
The Royals were missing all four of their NHL-drafted players in Sunday鈥檚 final preseason tilt, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Prince George Cougars in Langley.
Forwards Tyler Soy (Anaheim Ducks) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary Flames) and blue-liners Reddekopp (L.A. Kings) and Scott Walford (Montreal Canadiens) were in their respective pro rookie camps.
鈥淎ll the WHL teams are in the same boat, playing many of their younger players,鈥� said Hope.
Asked to describe the WHL preseason, Hope had one word: 鈥淐hoppy.鈥�
That will begin to change and that process has already started. The Canadiens are returning 18-year-old defenceman Walford, a 2017 third-round draft pick, to the Royals this week.
Hope expects Soy, 20, and Phillips, 19, will be longer in returning from Anaheim and Calgary, respectively.
鈥淭hey are older players and will probably get longer looks,鈥� said Hope.
Neither Soy, Phillips nor Walford are signed by the NHL clubs that drafted them. Reddekopp, 20, has been signed by Los Angeles and remains the biggest preseason question on the Royals鈥� agenda. The Kings can either return him to the Royals for another season in junior or assign him to their minor-pro system.
Igor Martynov of Belarus scored twice Sunday in the overtime loss to Prince George, while Jared Legien had the other Victoria goal. Russian Yan Khomenko added two assists.
鈥淏oth [Martynov and Khomenko] are getting used to being here,鈥� said Hope of his two allowable import players.
Victoria hosts the Vancouver Giants on Sept. 22 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to open the 2017-18 WHL regular season.
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