The Western Hockey League鈥檚 greatest strength, as an incubator of potential pros, is also its greatest liability this time of year.
The WHL pro prospects have departed for their NHL rookie camps, leaving behind the bulk of their teammates, to carry the load through the rest of training camp and into the start of the regular season.
The Victoria Royals (1-1) enter this annual period of uncertainty by concluding the WHL preseason against the Vancouver Giants tonight and Prince George Cougars on Sunday at the Langley Events Centre.
Victoria hosts Vancouver on Sept. 22 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to open the 2017-18 regular season.
The Royals' four NHL draft picks 鈥� forwards Matthew Phillips (Calgary Flames) and Tyler Soy (Anaheim Ducks) and blue-liners Scott Walford (Montreal Canadiens) and Chaz Reddekopp (L.A. Kings) 鈥� are now in their respective pro rookie camps.
How long before they will be back, or if they will return at all, is never an exact science for WHL clubs.
鈥淚t all depends on year, age, NHL organization and player,鈥� said Royals head coach Dan Price.
鈥淓very year, it鈥檚 unpredictable.鈥�
Which leaves plenty of questions, as usual, heading into the regular season for every WHL club.
鈥淣o one really knows about their team, or the other teams in the league, until the first week of October,鈥� said Royals GM Cameron Hope.
鈥淚t鈥檚 part of being a development league.鈥�
Getting return-date timelines from NHL teams isn鈥檛 always easy.
鈥淪ome [NHL] clubs are more communicative than others,鈥� said Hope.
So basically, all that WHL teams can do is hang tight and wait.
The Royals are reasonably assured of getting back Soy, 20, Phillips, 19, and Walford, 18, since neither is signed by the NHL club that drafted them.
Reddekopp, 20, is signed by the Kings, which changes the equation. The Kings may decide he would be better served by another year in junior and playing as an over-ager this season with the Royals, or they may decide it鈥檚 better for his development to begin his pro career now in the American Hockey League.
鈥淪ometimes, they put off that decision as long as possible,鈥� said Hope.
Which makes it all the more a waiting and guessing game for WHL teams.
