The curtain was raised two weeks ago. But it鈥檚 only now the Victoria Royals have a complete cast.
The Royals will have their full roster for the first time this season tonight when they play the Vancouver Giants (1-4) in a Western Hockey League game at the Langley Events Centre.
Defenceman Chaz Reddekopp has joined the team from the NHL training camp of the Los Angeles Kings. The Royals were missing Jack Walker (Toronto Maple Leafs), Tyler Soy (Anaheim Ducks) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary Flames) to NHL training camps in going 0-2 in the opening week of the season against Prince George. The Royals went 1-1 last weekend against Kamloops with Walker, Soy and Phillips back.
Reddekopp is the last remaining piece for a team off to a 1-3 start after beginning 7-0 last season. Victoria lost only six home games all of last season and already has three home defeats after just the first two weeks of this season.
鈥淸Reddekopp鈥檚 return] eliminates any excuses,鈥� said Victoria head coach Dave Lowry.
鈥淣ow it鈥檚 time to perform. This is what we have. This is who we are.鈥�
Reddekopp will be looked on to provide leadership on the blue line and mentorship to the younger players. The skate was on the other foot in the Kings鈥� camp when he was the rookie, and looking up to the L.A. veterans for guidance. One 33-year-old blue-liner in particular was helpful.
鈥淵ou look to older guys who have been in that spot before. Matt Greene was a big help to me, with plenty of tips,鈥� said Reddekopp.
鈥淣ow that I鈥檓 back in Victoria, and in my fourth season in the WHL with the Royals, I can help our younger guys feel more comfortable. We鈥檝e had a tough start and I want to help the team get back into the win column.鈥�
After four home games to start the season, the defending WHL regular-season champion Royals begin a six-game road excursion over 10 days. They play in Seattle on Friday, Spokane on Sunday, Medicine Hat next Tuesday, Lethbridge next Wednesday and Edmonton on Oct. 14.
鈥淸The trip] will be good for our group,鈥� said Lowry.
Victoria has only scored five goals in four games and has yet to score on the power play in 26 chances. This is after all those splashy back-door power-play goals last season by basically this same group.
鈥淲e have to simplify things . . . and can鈥檛 always look for the pretty plays,鈥� said Lowry.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not winning those second and third chances.鈥�
Walker concurred.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to make those pretty plays like last year. We need to just simplify things a bit more,鈥� said the versatile Royals veteran from Minnesota.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see everyone is back now. This trip will be good for bonding with the younger players.鈥�
Meanwhile, Vancouver will have captain Tyler Benson in the lineup tonight for the first time this regular season. The high second-round 2016 NHL draft pick, taken 32nd overall by his hometown Edmonton Oilers, was returned to the Giants on Monday. But the oft-injured forward hurt his shoulder before Oilers training camp and only skated sparingly.
ICE CHIPS: Royals blue-liner Scott Walford is among 52 WHL players cited in Central Scouting鈥檚 preliminary 鈥淧layers to Watch List鈥� for the 2017 NHL draft. The sophomore from Coquitlam was given a 鈥楥鈥� rating, for players projected for the fourth, fifth or sixth rounds. 鈥� Six WHLers have been given an 鈥楢鈥� rating as projected first-rounders. They are skaters Michael Rasmussen and Juuso Valimaki of Tri-City, Nolan Patrick of Brandon, Cal Foote of Kelowna, Kailer Yamamoto of Spokane and goaltender Stuart Skinner of Lethbridge . . . Royals prospects Elan Bar-Lev-Wise (sa国际传媒), Luke Reid (Saskatchewan), Jonathan Lambos (Manitoba) and Luke Mylymok (Saskatchewan) have been named to their provincial teams for the 2016 Western sa国际传媒 U-16 Challenge Cup from Oct. 19-23 in Calgary.
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