Tanner Kaspick is taking everything in stride as he comes to the Island from Manitoba.
Including the weather.
“It has been –40 this winter in Brandon, so I’m not complaining. I’ll take the rain,” he said.
The Victoria Royals, dispelling any doubts about being all in for this season, on Wednesday traded their first-round bantam draft picks for 2019 and 2021 to the Wheat Kings for Kaspick, who has been signed by the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.
Also making his debut tonight, at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre for the Royals against the Kamloops Blazers, will be fellow forward Lane Zablocki. The Royals acquired the 2017 third-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in another deal Wednesday for Victoria’s second- and sixth-round bantam draft selections this year and a conditional pick in 2019.
Kaspick was the Wheat Kings’ captain. Rarely do teams trade their leader mid-season.
“It was a little sad. I’ve played in Brandon so long [his entire 31Ú2-season WHL career to date] and it’s my hometown,” he said.
“But I know I am coming to an exciting group in Victoria, and am looking forward to helping it win in the second half and in the playoffs.”
That playoff experience is one of the key reasons the Royals went after the six-foot-one former gold medallist for Canada in U-18. Kaspick has won a Western Hockey League championship with the Wheat Kings and been to the Memorial Cup in 2016.
“That league championship experience is something I carry with me in all aspects of my life,” he said.
“A lot goes into winning a championship and so many things have to go right. It’s more than about being the best team. It’s about the intangibles and that is something I can impart to the players in Victoria.”
Despite wearing the “C” in Brandon, he is not looking to usurp Royals captain Matthew Phillips, but to work with him.
“I hope to lead by example,” said Kaspick, who had 11 goals and 37 points in 35 games this season for Brandon. He represented the WHL in the CIBC Super Series against the Russians in November.
Kaspick turns 20 on Jan. 28 but is not considered an over-ager because of his early-in-the-year birthday, a bonus for the Royals.
“It may be tricky at first for [Kaspick], having been the captain in Brandon. But he makes us better instantly, and he’s been in big games and won the league trophy,” said Phillips.
Zablocki, who turned 19 on Dec. 27, has 11 goals and 25 points in 40 games split between the Hurricanes and the Red Deer Rebels this season.
“I was surprised to be traded but excited to be going to a strong lineup in Victoria that is pushing to be first in its division,” said the native of Wetaskiwin, Alta., who is known for his physicality.
“I look forward to being part of that and making a run in the playoffs.”
Zablocki said the highlight of his hockey life so far was being drafted in the third round last summer by the Red Wings: “I was speechless, it was a huge honour, and then there you are [in Detroit’s training camp] skating with the likes of Henrik Zetterberg.”
The WHL trade deadline ended Wednesday with one of the heaviest player movements in league history. Several big names switched teams.
The Blazers (18-20-3), who play the Royals (23-16-4) tonight and Saturday at the Memorial Centre, are now without third-round Washington Capitals draft pick Garrett Pilon and Dallas Stars-signed defenceman Ondrej Vala. Vala played for the Czech Republic in the recent 2018 world junior tournament.
Kamloops, pretty much trading away this season to build for the future, sent Pilon and Vala to the Silvertips this week in exchange for four young prospects and Everett’s first- and fourth-round picks in the 2019 bantam draft.
