With five players away at NHL training camps, the Victoria Royals knew the early-season ice in the Western Hockey League might more resemble quicksand for them.
It did in their 2014-15 season opener Friday in Kamloops as the Blazers, who had the worst record in the Western Conference last season at 14-53-5, defeated Victoria 6-3.
First-period Kamloops goals by Matt Revel, Josh Connolly and captain Matt Needham gave the Royals that early feeling of sinking in sand.
The Blazers, missing only two players to NHL camps, had a more complete roster than Victoria and it showed. But Royals head coach Dave Lowry refused to use that as an excuse.
“I didn’t like our game tonight. When you let in six goals, you’re not going to win too many games,” he said. “There are areas in which we need to be better.”
Among them is goaltending as veteran Coleman Vollrath was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on just 14 shots.
“It’s a wake-up call for him,” said Lowry.
And for everybody on the current roster.
“Now the games are for real. It’s time for players to step up,” said Lowry.
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Mitch Skapski goes into the books as the first Royals scorer in 2014-15 as he made it 3-1 in the second period. Jake Kryski soon restored Kamloops’ three-goal lead. That was it for Vollrath, who was replaced by rookie Evan Smith.
With Jack Walker out, Joe Hicketts skating in Red Wings camp and Keegan Kanzig with the Flames, the Royals dressed only five defencemen. One of them was 16-year-old rookie Ralph Jarratt, who scored his first WHL goal on an assist from Skapski, to make it 4-2 in the second. But Revel and Cole Ully went on to victimize Smith. Defenceman Travis Brown, returned this week from Ottawa Senators camp, got one back for Victoria on the power play to finish with a goal and assist.
The Victoria forwards in NHL camps are Axel Blomqvist with the Jets and Austin Carroll and Brandon Magee with the Flames.
Victoria didn’t have a captain for the opener, with Logan Fisher, Tyler Soy and Brown the assistant captains.
Coach Don Hay’s return to the Blazers bench, from which he guided Kamloops to two Memorial Cup titles in the 1990s, was a successful one.
The Royals play the Blazers again next Friday in their home opener at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Victoria is in Vancouver tonight to provide the opposition for the Giants’ home opener.
