They were the tall and short of it on the Victoria Royals defence.
But six-foot-six, 245-pound Keegan Kanzig and five-foot-eight, 175-pound Joe Hicketts will line up on opposite blue lines tonight when the Calgary Hitmen face-off against Victoria in a non-conference WHL game at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“It’s good to be back, and nice to be playing in this rink again, in front of so many familiar faces I’ve kept in touch with,” said Kanzig, who was traded to the Hitmen last year after 31Ú2 seasons in Victoria.
One of those familiar faces is former Royals blue-line partner Hicketts.
“We built that relationship . . . he kind of protected me for three years,” said Hicketts.
Looking for more offence last season, the Royals traded Kanzig to the Hitmen for forward Greg Chase. The Edmonton-prospect Chase has moved up to the pro ranks and has about evenly split this season between the Oilers’ AHL and ECHL affiliates in Bakersfield and Norfolk.
The pro ranks is also where Kanzig, taken 67th overall by the Flames in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft, thought he would be this season. But he was returned to junior as an over-age 20-year-old after playing one game with the Flames’ AHL affiliate in Stockton.
The trade was a gamble both the Royals and Hitmen took.
“There was an equal chance one or both would have come back to junior, but Greg Chase has found a way to stick in the pros, and Keegan has come back for more development. It’s one of those things,” said Victoria GM Cam Hope,.
“We made the trade because we felt we were covered defensively with the players we have.”
It’s all water under the Johnson Street Bridge for Kanzig. He is looking forward, not backward. Which made the demotion from the pros this season even more acute emotionally.
“I was disappointed,” Kanzig admitted.
“But being sent down has given me even more motivation.”
The native of Athabasca, Alta., has used the time to his advantage, especially in upgrading his offence. In 217 regular season games for Victoria, Kanzig had a grand total of three goals. He has 10 this season for the Hitmen after just 31 games.
“I’m trying to find the holes,” he said.
Few forwards get around him easily, but hockey is a two-way game and the Flames need to see more.
“I’ve been working on my foot movement and puck handling,” said Kanzig.
“The pro game is bigger, strong and faster and you have to dial it up a notch. This has been a good season with the Hitmen. It has given me a lot of confidence, especially with the bigger leadership role as a 20-year-old. We’re looking to go deep and reach the Memorial Cup.”
A lot of teams have that latter goal in what has turned into a wide-open WHL season with no overwhelmingly clear favourite. The Hitmen (30-18-2), on a three-game winning streak, and Royals (31-15-5), on a five-game winning streak, are among perhaps 10 teams who have a legitimate shot.
The Hitmen are built from the back out. Their blue-line corps includes Kanzig, world junior championship Canadian team member Travis Sanheim, and Jake Bean, undrafted as a bantam but now the 13th-ranked North American skater for the 2016 NHL draft.
“Everything starts from the back-end with the Hitmen,” noted Hicketts, who knows Sanheim from the Canadian world junior team.
It’ll be smiles and handshakes until the opening faceoff.
“We know we each have jobs to do . . . we’re not friends on the ice,” said Hicketts.
