They may have to learn how to shave before they learn how to execute a break-out pattern.
The Victoria Royals will feature a remarkable total of 12 players who are 16- or 17-years-old, six of the former and six of the latter for the Western Hockey League sa国际传媒 Division season, which opens March 26 against the Rockets in Kelowna.
The Victoria roster was released Tuesday.
Several of the WHL teams are using the pandemic-abbreviated 24-game season to catch a glimpse of their futures. It is shrewd use of the campaign, the sa国际传媒 Division to be played without fans in Kelowna and Kamloops, with no playoffs to follow. There is no WHL championship or Memorial Cup to shoot for, so it sort of counts but it doesn鈥檛. Sure, it would be nice to be crowned divisional champion, but what will it matter in the end other than being the answer to a trivia question? This season is, however, a useful tool to build experience for the future for the teams which approach it as such.
鈥淚 see it both ways,鈥� said Royals GM and head coach Dan Price.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about bringing in young players and giving them the opportunity to contribute to winning this championship. They are going to get great experience right off the bat. It鈥檚 going to be a full-on sprint. The game density is 24 games in 48 days. The young players are going to be counted on to play important minutes.鈥�
The 17-year-olds are goaltender Keegan Maddocks, defencemen Gannon Laroque and Braden Smith and forwards Trentyn Crane, Matthew Hodson, and Cage Newans of Parksville. The 16-year-olds include blue-liners Kalem Parker, Luke Shipley and first-round bantam pick Jason Spizawka and forwards Tanner Scott, Brayden Schuurman and Carter Dereniwsky.
鈥淚鈥檝e done my homework on them through video and scouting reports,鈥� said Price.
鈥淎nd we鈥檒l learn more about them as we go along. I am impressed by the work done by our development staff with this young group, which is skilled, intelligent and extremely competitive.鈥�
