This isn鈥檛 some magic mushroom flashback from the 1970s. Another Lofthouse will indeed be skating on Blanshard Street tonight in a Western Hockey League game when the Victoria Royals meet the Tri-City Americans.
But Island fans can breathe easy. At least this time, the Lofthouse will be in a Victoria jersey and not that of the detested New Westminster Bruins.
Trent Lofthouse, son of Mark Lofthouse, is expected to make his debut tonight for the Victoria Royals following a trade Thursday that brings the six-foot-three, 185-pound forward from the Everett Silvertips in exchange for the Royals鈥� sixth-round pick in this year鈥檚 bantam draft.
The Royals are hoping he can be a chip off the old block. Mark Lofthouse, a sniper among Punch McLean鈥檚 New Westminster bruisers, was involved in some epic, physical battles against the Victoria Cougars at the old Memorial Arena in the nastier WHL of another era.
The 18-year-old Trent Lofthouse isn鈥檛 a blockbuster scorer like his dad, who had 36, 68 and 54 goal season with the Bruins in junior before a mostly minor-pro career that included 181 NHL games. But the younger Lofthouse is proving to have an emerging prowess around the net with nine goals, including a hat-trick, and 12 points in 34 games for Everett with a minus-two rating.
鈥淭rent is a big player with skill,鈥� said Royals GM Cam Hope.
鈥淗e has nine goals while not always playing a top role with Everett and just turned 18 years old.鈥�
The acquisition will shore up an ailing Royals forward corps that includes Logan Nelson and Luke Harrison, likely out for several weeks, and Alex Gogolev and Ben Walker day-to-day.
There was good news regarding Walker, who made the trip back on the team bus following Wednesday night鈥檚 scary-seeming incident in the 4-2 loss at Kelowna in which he was stabilized and carried off the ice on a gurney following an inadvertent hit by Royals teammate Tyler Stahl.
鈥淏en is in good spirits and travelling back with the team,鈥� said Hope, who added Walker will be re-assessed by Victoria team doctors this weekend.
It had not been ruled out Thursday, but it is unlikely the Minnesota native will skate in the two-game set tonight and Saturday against the Americans (21-14-3).
With Walker, Gogolev, Nelson and Harrison on the hobble, Lofthouse will get a chance to make an immediate impact.
The Royals are 19-15-2 and locked in a battle with Tri-City for the fifth and sixth positions in the Western Conference, making this a pivotal weekend set.
With the veteran forward core of Adam Hughesman, Brendan Shinnimin and Patrick Holland graduated to the minor-pro ranks in the AHL and ECHL, the Americans are a youthful, rebuilding group up front. The strengths seem to be on the back side now with projected high-round 2013 NHL draft pick Eric Comrie in goal and 2011 Winnipeg Jets fourth-round draft pick Zach Yuen and veteran Mitch Topping 鈥� the since-traded Royals-Chilliwack Bruins franchise鈥檚 first pick in the 2008 WHL bantam draft pick 鈥� on the blueline.
鈥淭he Americans are a fast, young team that is well coached,鈥� said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
鈥淲e have an opportunity this weekend. But we have to be prepared to skate and be physical against this Tri-City club.鈥�
Despite the injuries up front, and with rookie blueliners Joe Hicketts and Ryan Gagnon away at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the Royals are 2-1 after the Christmas break.
鈥淔or the most part, we have played well and created quality chances for ourselves since the break,鈥� said Lowry.
