It was a fitting Family Day for Kyle Topping of Salt Spring Island. Topping had a CRD homecoming to remember Monday in front of many family and friends at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre by scoring the winning goal, adding an assist and being named first star in leading the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-2 Western Hockey League victory over the Victoria Royals.
The goal was a long time coming, despite an otherwise bountiful WHL career.
鈥淚t was the first goal I鈥檝e scored in Victoria in my WHL career and I鈥檓 happy to get it in front of so many people I know,鈥� said the third-season Rockets veteran, who reached the 20-goal plateau for the second consecutive season.
Not only was it Topping鈥檚 20th goal but also the 60th point of the season for the former Cowichan Valley Capitals BCHL forward.
鈥淲e were hard on [Topping] because we believe Kyle has leadership qualities and we pushed him, and he has responded and taken on the challenge,鈥� said Kelowna head coach and former NHL veteran Adam Foote.
鈥淲e expect Kyle Topping to be an impact 20-year-old for us next season [when Kelowna hosts the Memorial Cup],鈥� said Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton.
Topping had a role model growing up on Salt Spring Island. Brother Jordan Topping, now a pro in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye, also came out of the Cowichan Valley Capitals to have a productive four-season WHL career for the Tri-City Americans with 109 goals and 218 points.
鈥淚 definitely looked up to Jordan and wanted to follow in his footsteps,鈥� said Kyle Topping.
The Royals and Rockets continue their two-game set tonight at the Memorial Centre. It has the intriguing subplot of being a potential first-round playoff matchup between sa国际传媒 Division second-place Victoria (29-24-3) and third-place Kelowna (24-28-5).
鈥淚t had a playoff feel to it with some of the physicality and animosity boiling over near the end,鈥� said Royals head coach Dan Price, of the chippy ending to the game.
Jake Kustra of the Royals drew a charging major and game misconduct late in the third period that will almost certainly be looked at by the league.
鈥淚t would be a tough matchup,鈥� said Foote, if a first-round series comes to pass between the teams.
Both teams rested their first-string goaltenders 鈥� Griffen Outhouse of Victoria and Roman Basran of Kelowna 鈥� with Brock Gould making 27 saves for the Royals and James Porter 26 for Kelowna.
The Royals pressed early but were rebuffed by Porter.
鈥淗e kept us in it when Victoria could have been up by a couple,鈥� said Foote.
Lassi Thomson and Mark Liwiski had a goal and assist each for Kelowna before 5,198 fans. Kaid Oliver scored his 25th goal for Victoria and added an assist while Kody McDonald also scored while defenceman Scott Walford assisted on both goals.
鈥淚t was a competitive game [tied 2-2 until Topping鈥檚 game winner at 10:07 of the third period began a run of three unanswered Kelowna goals] but we had a late lapse,鈥� said McDonald.
Meanwhile, late on Saturday, it was a memorable farewell to the CN Centre for Royals 20-year-old forward McDonald, who spent most of this WHL career with the Prince George Cougars. He scored twice in regulation and also the shootout winner as the visiting Royals defeated the Cougars 5-4 to send Prince George鈥檚 reeling winless streak to 15 games.
鈥淚t was an unbelievable feeling after going through a lot of good and bad in that building,鈥� said McDonald.
After the shootout winner, McDonald rode the rush of emotion to the centre ice red dot and planted his stick defiantly in the heart of the Cougars logo.
Asked if he later heard about it from his former teammates, McDonald replied: 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 mind it.鈥�
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