In what has been a strange early season in the Western Hockey League, the unexpected has become almost normal.
Annual-powerhouse Portland being last in the Western Conference is one thing. But having Brett Cote leading the Red Deer Rebels in scoring is quite another, as the understated defenceman prepares to meet his former Victoria Royals teammates tonight in the Alberta city.
In three seasons with the Royals, Cote was one of the most reliable rearguards but also one of the quietest. Known mostly for the defensive stability he provided, Cote also had an under-appreciated ability to move up in the play as he recorded 15 goals and 74 assists for 89 points in 209 regular-season games for Victoria.
Yet, nobody anticipated he would be the Rebels’ leading scorer with eight points in eight games, all assists, when he was traded to Red Deer over the summer when the Royals decided their 20-year-old dance card was full with Austin Carroll, Brandon Magee and Travis Brown.
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WHL teams are allowed to carry only three 20-year-olds and the Royals had six good ones in the off-season. Dealing the WHL rights for Steven Hodges to Tri-City was an easy move since Hodges was expected to go pro in the Florida Panthers system and is now with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League. Goaltender Patrick Polivka also turned pro in his native Czech Republic. That left the Cote decision as the toughest one the Royals had to make regarding 20-year-olds. He was dealt to Red Deer for the 31st overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft, which became 15-year-old centre Ryan Peckford from Stony Plain, Alta., who the Royals have on their protected list.
“One of the reasons we had such a good season last year [franchise record 48 victories] was because of the number of quality 19-year-olds we had,” added Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
Although Cote was the one jettisoned, the Royals brass did so with reluctance and still appreciate what Cote brought to the organization the past three seasons.
“Brett’s biggest challenge is in understanding how good a player he can be,” said Lowry.
“He shies from the spotlight. He almost hated scoring overtime goals because that meant he would have to talk to the media.”
Cote sported a whopping minus-31 rating in his rookie Royals season. But when Lowry took over the Victoria bench, he brought a much tightened approach, and not coincidentally Cote’s rating improved dramatically to minus-5 and minus-2 in his last two seasons. He is plus-3 this season for the Rebels.
It will also be like old-home night for Lowry because of his connection to Red Deer’s owner-GM-coach Brent Sutter. Before taking over the Victoria job, Lowry was Sutter’s assistant for three seasons on the bench of National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames.
“That’s what makes this [matchup] so much fun,” said Lowry, adding each knows well the other’s coaching style.
There aren’t any secrets tonight as the Rebels (3-5), who will host the 2016 Memorial Cup, meet the Royals (3-5-1).
The contest is the mid-way point of Victoria’s six-game road trip through the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, which continues Wednesday in Edmonton against the defending Memorial Cup champion Oil Kings.
LOOSE PUCKS: Deep on defence now after the signing off waivers of import Marsel Ibragimov, the Royals traded blue-liner Jake Kohlhauser to the Oil Kings on Monday in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
