Victoria Royals captain Matthew Phillips cleared out his stall Friday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre not knowing if he will return to the Island next season or be playing in Stockton, California.
Either is fine by him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a win-win situation with no bad options,鈥� he said.
The undersized, but dynamic, forward is under an entry-level NHL rookie contract with his hometown Flames. Calgary will decide whether to place Phillips on its American Hockey League pro-affiliate team in Stockton or return him to the Royals as an over-age 20-year-old in the major-junior Western Hockey League.
鈥淵ou have to shoot for the highest level possible [pro hockey]. But I鈥檓 willing to come back here, as well,鈥� said Phillips.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all up in the air.鈥�
It鈥檚 not up in the air for Tyler Soy, an over-ager who turned 21 this season, and leaves the Royals as the all-time franchise leader in goals, assists and points. But it is a bittersweet exit as injuries forced him to watch the playoffs mostly from the press box. In his only post-season appearance this spring, Soy scored three goals, further frustrating the Royals and their fans with images of what might have been this post-season if Soy, St. Louis-blues signed centre Tanner Kaspick and Montreal Canadiens third-round blue-line draft pick Scott Walford hadn鈥檛 been on the shelf.
The Royals survived a seven-game first-round series against the Vancouver Giants before simply having nothing left to give in a four-game sweep by the Tri-City Americans in the second round.
鈥淚 pictured going out battling with ice bags all over my body . . . I did not picture this. It wasn鈥檛 easy having to watch from the sidelines,鈥� said Soy, who was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks.
Soy and defenceman Chaz Reddekopp depart as a rare WHLers who played five seasons with the same team.
鈥淚 remember it all, from my first goal to my first hat-trick, to all the crazy playoff moments we鈥檝e had,鈥� said Soy.
鈥淭o think about being a WHL lifer in Victoria is crazy. It is one of the, if not the, best places in the league to play. You start as strangers and leave as brothers.鈥�
Added Los Angeles Kings prospect Reddekopp: 鈥淭o have one guy play five years on one WHL team doesn鈥檛 happen often. But to have two players doing it together is very fortunate. It鈥檚 going to seem weird not coming back here in September. But it鈥檚 time to take the next step in the next chapter.鈥�
Of Victoria鈥檚 10 19-year-old players, only three can return as 20-year-olds next season.
The two-way dynamo Kaspick, who carried the Royals for stretches before being injured in the playoffs, won鈥檛 be among them. He looks pro-ready and is likely to jump into the Blues鈥� system next season.
鈥淚t was hard to watch [from the press box] while the guys were out there battling in the playoffs. That鈥檚 definitely not how I wanted to end it,鈥� he said.
鈥淣ow I鈥檒l just have to sit tight and wait to see what鈥檚 going on [with the Blues]. Pro hockey is the plan.鈥�
Widely regarded as a leading candidate to return as a 20-year-old is Royals goaltender Griffen Outhouse.
鈥淚 want to be back here, and I鈥檓 going to put in the work [over the summer],鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, the extent of 18-year-old defenceman Walford鈥檚 injury was revealed. He had shoulder surgery and won鈥檛 be game ready for another four-to-six months.
