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Royals’ Tyler Soy begins road to national junior team

It was the summer solstice, but still a day for thoughts of the ice sport for four Victoria Royals invited to Hockey Canada selection camps.

It was the summer solstice, but still a day for thoughts of the ice sport for four Victoria Royals invited to Hockey Canada selection camps.

Royals forward Tyler Soy was rewarded for his breakout 46-goal season and is among 41 players — 15 from the WHL — headed to the national junior team development camp July 30-Aug. 2 in Toronto. The 2017 world junior championship will take place over the Christmas period in Toronto and Montreal.

“It’s a huge honour and great to be recognized, not to mention a motivater and confidence booster,” said Soy, the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player.

“I’m definitely going to be motivated because they [selectors] will be watching the first half of the season very closely.”

But a club role as a sniper may not translate to what’s needed from the Cloverdale product at the national-team level.

“Roles change on a national team,” said Soy, who has played on the Canadian U-18 squad. “I am going to need a strong 200-foot game.”

Meanwhile, six-foot-one defenceman Scott Walford, who had a steady rookie WHL season in Victoria, is among 44 players to receive an invite to the national U-18 camp July 26-Aug. 2 in Calgary for the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament held annually in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Receiving invites for the Canadian U-17 development camp July 26-Aug. 1 in Calgary are Royals-signed prospect forwards Eric Florchuk, Victoria’s first pick in the 2015 bantam draft, and Kaid Oliver. The 2016 World U-17 Hockey Challenge will take place Oct. 30-Nov. 5 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com