He’s known as Jumbo Joe, but you could just call him Comeback Joe.
Victoria Royals defenceman Joe Hicketts continues his reversal of fortune from an injury-riddled 2013-14 Western Hockey League season which caused him to be overlooked in the 2014 NHL draft.
But a healthy Hicketts, who impressed enough as a free-agent invite to sign this fall with the Detroit Red Wings, was named Thursday to the WHL team that will play the Russian junior all-stars in the annual Subway Super Series.
“It’s a huge honour,” said Hicketts, a mobile rearguard who has four goals and 11 points in nine games this season.
“It’s been an amazing [turnabout from last season].”
The native of Kamloops has played internationally for Canada at the U-17 and U-18 levels and said the Russians have adopted the more direct North American approach to the game and looks forward to facing them again when the WHL team meets the Russian juniors Nov. 10 in Saskatoon and Nov. 11 in Brandon.
“The Russians don’t necessarily cycle back to regroup. They play a more North American style, and are more physical, than the other European teams,” said Hicketts.
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Hicketts will have a familiar figure on the bench with him. Dave Lowry, named WHL coach of the year in 2013-14 for guiding the Royals to a franchise-record 48 victories, will coach the WHL team against the Russians. It will give Lowry, Canadian assistant coach for the 2015 world junior championship in Montreal and Toronto, a chance to assess the WHL players who could be skating for Canada — including Winnipeg Jets prospects Nic Petan and Josh Morrissey, Anaheim Ducks prospect Shea Theodore and 2014 first-round NHL draft picks Jake Virtanen, Haydn Fleury, Travis Sanheim, Conner Bleackley and John Quenneville.
“Absolutely. This is a chance to see how certain players react in certain situations,” said Lowry.
But there is one player on the WHL team of which Lowry is most proud.
“It’s a story that keeps writing itself,” Lowry said of Hicketts.
“Draft day was Joe’s hardest day. But now, career-wise, he’s further ahead than many of those kids who got drafted. We told him he has to convince one of those 30 teams [who bypassed him in the NHL draft] to take a liking to him, which he accomplished [with the Red Wings contract].”
Hicketts becomes the fifth Royals player to play for the WHL in the Subway Series following Steven Hodges in 2012, Kevin Sundher in 2011, Ryan Howse in 2010 and Mark Santorelli in 2007, the latter two when the franchise was located in Chilliwack and known as the Bruins.
“Dave and Enio [Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto] helped me develop and mature on and off the ice,” said Hicketts.
The Royals (4-6-1) are 2-2 on their six-game road trip through the Central Division of the WHL’s Eastern Conference. They close out at Lethbridge tonight against the annual WHL laggard Hurricanes (1-6-1) and Saturday against a Kootenay Ice team (2-6), which is also struggling but just received back forward Tim Bozon from an extended pro stay up with the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Hamilton.
“The Hurricanes are working hard . . . they are not the same team as last year [league-worst 12-55-5],” warned Lowry.
And then there’s Bozon on Saturday in Cranbrook. Speaking of comebacks, there are few as thoroughly amazing as that of the Swiss forward. Bozon recovered from being in a coma and near death in March due to a sudden attack of meningitis.
“He’s a dynamic player with high skill levels who can be a game breaker,” said Lowry.
“We get him on what should be his second game back, so he should be really revved up to go.”
