Parity is the watchword of the season as the Victoria Royals begin a three-game tour of the U.S. Division in which every point could be vital when the final accounting for playoff berths is done in March.
“When you have an understanding of the positioning of the teams, you realize how critical games are within the conference,” said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
It begins tonight for the Royals (15-13-2) in Spokane against the Chiefs (11-11-5). Victoria won the first meeting between the clubs this season 4-1 on Oct. 8 in Spokane.
The heavy underdog Chiefs gave the WHL regular-season champion Royals a decent run in a six-game opening-round playoff series last spring.
“We expect similar type games as when we played them last season,” said Lowry.
Everything begins and ends for the Chiefs up front with the dartingly-quick Spokane-native Yamamoto brothers. Keanu Yamamoto is one of the Chiefs’ three allowable 20-year-olds while Kailer Yamamoto is projected by Central Scouting for the first round of the 2017 NHL draft and ranked 17th overall by Sportsnet for that draft. Kailer, however, has missed the last three games with injury and is listed day-to-day.
“You have to take away their time and space,” said Lowry, of the Spokane siblings.
Former Royals goaltender Jayden Sittler is a familiar figure in the Chiefs crease.
“Any time you see a 20-year-old goaltender, you know that team believes that player gives you a chance to win,” said Lowry.
The Royals travel across to Oregon on Friday to play a Portland Winterhawks team (16-13-1) that has followed a nine-game losing streak with an 8-1-1 run.
Then it’s back across to eastern Washington state again on Saturday to play the Americans (17-11-2) in Tri-City. The Royals will be facing a familiar foe that night. Former Cowichan Valley Capitals forward Jordan Topping from Salt Spring Island is finally back with Tri-City after missing 29 games due to a lower-body injury incurred while in Dallas Stars training camp. The CRD athlete immediately showed why he scored 33 goals and added 34 assists last year for the Americans by recording a goal and two assists in his first game back Saturday against Spokane.
About the bizarre criss-cross Spokane-Portland-Tri City route the schedule makers have put them on this week, Lowry replied: “Plus, it comes after travelling down from two games up in Prince George . . . we have to make sure to get our players the proper rest.”
ICE CHIPS: The Royals will continue this week to be without injured forwards Tyler Soy and Blake Bargar and defenceman Scott Walford . . . Lowry said the Royals were still awaiting word from the league Tuesday if any further action will be taken against Victoria defenceman and captain Ryan Gagnon for his game misconduct Saturday in Prince George. . . . Former Royals forward and team MVP Jamie Crooks, now in his fourth season with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, has been named to the U Sports all-star team that will play the Canadian national junior team Monday and next Tuesday in Blainville, Que., as Canada continues its preparations for the 2017 world junior tournament beginning Boxing Day.
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