PORTLAND 3
VICTORIA 2
This call wasn’t pretty in pink.
A controversial hit-to-the-head penalty against Tanner Kaspick cost the Victoria Royals a 3-2 Western Hockey League game against the Portland Winterhawks on Saturday night before a chagrined capacity crowd of 7,006 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Judging by the reaction, many fans thought it was a graze-to-the-head, if that.
Cody Glass, the sixth overall selection in the 2017 NHL draft to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, scored the winning goal on the ensuing Portland power play at 16:56 of the third period.
The goal was assisted by defencemen Dennis Cholowski and Henri and Jokiharju, who are also both first-round NHL draft picks.
The Royals are now 5-2 in their seven seasons on Blanshard in Pink in the Rink Nights to raise money for cancer research.
“It is what it is. It’s a grey area. Sometimes it gets called, sometimes it doesn’t,” Victoria captain Matthew Phillips said of the borderline nature of the penalty that decided the outcome.
“We have to make sure we kill the penalty, regardless.”
Royals coach Dan Price said he didn’t have a good angle on the call so didn’t get a good look.
“I really felt for our guys. They worked hard and really put it all on the line,” he said.
Phillips had his franchise record points streak snapped at 22 games.
“It was fun while it lasted. Now I just have to start another one,” said the Calgary Flames-signed prospect.
Perhaps fittingly on parents weekend, with the Royals moms and dads in attendance, it was Noah Gregor who scored twice for Victoria on the power play. His father, Colin Gregor, also played in the WHL on Blanshard Street for the Victoria Cougars in the old Memorial Arena.
“It was cool for him to come back here and reminisce in his former city,” said Noah Gregor, a fourth-round San Jose Sharks draft-pick.
Another player with lineage from a hockey dad, Kieffer Bellows, scored twice for Portland. The son of former NHLer Brian Bellows has won three medals for the U.S., including gold, at the world junior championships and is a first-round draft pick of the New York Islanders.
Portland (37-20-4), which also features the fine six-foot-five blueline Brendan De Jong from Victoria, is second in the American Division and Victoria (35-23-5) second in the B.C. Division. The Winterhawks, 2-1 victors Friday, swept the two-game set in Victoria and won the season series 3-1.
There were a large number of Portland fans among the crowd sellout crowd, continuing a WHL tradition that stretches back to the old Memorial Arena, when busloads of Winterhawks fans used to come up for games against the Cougars.
The Royals now embark on a road swing against the two team set to miss the Western Conference playoffs, playing the Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday before a two-game set Friday and Saturday in Prince George against the Cougars.
ICE CHIPS: The return of injured six-foot-five Victoria player Chaz Reddekopp, who has been out since Jan. 13, is imminent. The Los Angeles Kings-inked defenceman is now listed day-to-day.
