After taking his cues from former teammates Joe Hicketts and Ryan Gagnon, Scott Walford is ready to use that knowledge to become an even better leader on the Victoria Royals鈥� blue line this season.
The 18-year-old Coquitlam native is anxious to get going on the 2017-18 Western Hockey League campaign. But before that, he will partake in his first pro training camp next week, after being drafted in the third round, 68th overall by the storied Montreal Canadiens this summer.
鈥淭hose two guys, and Chaz Reddekopp, they are all great leaders, great players and even better people away from the rink, and just taking their work ethic and their approach to the game is something I鈥檝e tried to learn over the past two years,鈥� said Walford.
鈥淛ust watching them out of the corner of my eye or watching them before a game or how they鈥檙e treating themselves away from the rink. They are very good professionals and that鈥檚 something I鈥檝e wanted to take from them.
鈥淎ll three also have a different leadership style. It was cool to be able to see how all those styles worked so that you could create your own from that.鈥�
And the six-foot-two, 195-pound defenceman is looking forward to the challenges of more responsibilities in his third campaign in Blue and White.
鈥淵ou look at those three guys and guys like Logan Fisher and Coleman Vollrath 鈥� all those guys were great leaders and great people. They came up the same way that myself and guys like Ryan Peckford and Matthew Phillips are now,鈥� Walford said.
鈥淭hey took everything day-by-day, trying to do their best for the team to win. That was a key to those guys, they never took a day off and that鈥檚 something we have to carry forward in this culture we鈥檙e trying to build.鈥�
Walford did not play in the Royals鈥� Blue-White intra-squad game Wednesday night, but looks forward to preseason games this weekend in Kamloops and Kelowna before setting out to Montreal on Tuesday. He will take part in the Canadiens鈥� rookie tournament against host Toronto and Ottawa on Sept. 8-9.
鈥淭hat鈥檒l be a good test for me to play against the best players, but at the same time I want to take a lot from that and go play my game there,鈥� said Walford. 鈥淚 want to make sure that I鈥檓 noticed because my goal is to play in the National Hockey League. It started at development camp (following the draft) and now it will begin again at rookie camp.
鈥淚t will be a lot of fun and a lot of hard work, but I鈥檓 prepared to put that work in to get to the next level.鈥�
Royals head coach Dan Price knows the Canadiens will see the best in Walford, just as the first-year Victoria bench boss will when the recruit gets back.
鈥淪cott is the type of player who is so dedicated to the game and obviously has worked hard to develop his game and abilities on the ice. He鈥檚 a guy who we鈥檙e really comfortable leaning on in all situations,鈥� Price said of handing the defenceman even more responsibility.
Price saw it last year, as an assistant coach, with Walford playing in all situations. The Okanagan Hockey Academy grad had six goals and 24 assists in 60 games last season (half of those goals were on the power play) after one goal and 10 assists in 36 games in his rookie season. He also recorded two goals and four assists in 13 games in his first playoff season, but was injured late last season and dressed in just one post-season outing.
鈥淲e expect more of that from him this year and he鈥檚 that way off the ice,鈥� Price said of the leadership aspect to Walford鈥檚 game. 鈥淗e鈥檚 tremendously dedicated. His teammates respect him and he鈥檚 very much a natural leader.
鈥淗e has learned from tremendous leaders and tremendous people, guys who take their hockey careers very seriously. He has those attributes himself.鈥�
ICE CHIPS: Phoenix-born defenceman Jeremy Masella, who played 28 games for the Royals last season, scored two goals and added three assists to pace Team White to a wide open 8-5 victory over Team Blue at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Wednesday night. Jared Legien added two tallies and two helpers, while veteran Eric Florchuk also scored twice. Nico Marini and Reid Lindsay had the other White goals. Igor Martynov of Belarus had a hat trick and an assist for Blue, with Yan Khomenko chipping in with a goal and three helpers.
