If they haven’t already, even the 16- and 17-year-olds on the Victoria Royals better start listening to head coach Dave Lowry, because he’s going to be guiding them for a while.
Lowry has signed a contract extension for two more Western Hockey League seasons after this one. This 2014-15 season is the option third year of his original two-season deal inked in 2012-13. The signing will keep Lowry on the Royals bench through the 2016-17 season. Financial details were not disclosed.
“This city has everything you could want and I like the direction we are going as a team. It was pretty easy to stay tied to this group,” said Lowry, a 19-season NHL player, who came to the Royals after three seasons as an NHL assistant coach under Brent Sutter with the Calgary Flames.
A lot of that Royals direction is directly a result of the work Lowry has done on the Victoria bench the past two seasons. He guided the Royals last season to franchise records in wins with 48, points with 100 and a first-ever playoff-series victory in eight years of franchise history. And for his efforts, Lowry was named WHL coach of the year for 2013-14. This was after establishing the previous team records for win (35) and points (77) the season before when he took over the club.
Hockey Canada has also taken notice, naming Lowry an assistant coach for the Canadian team at the 2015 world junior championship starting Boxing Day in Toronto and Montreal.
Lowry enters his third season as Royals head coach — opening Friday with Victoria visiting Kamloops — with an 83-50-11 record over two seasons.
“I have a comfort level here,” said Lowry.
“[Victoria GM Cam Hope] pushes me to be better and I push these players to excel.”
It’s a bit of hockey alchemy that seems to be working.
“It was an automatic thing [to lock in Lowry longer term],” said Hope.
It was also a pre-emptive move because Lowry is now likely a targeted commodity at the pro level in the AHL or NHL.
“I was concerned about that,” admitted Hope.
“I know opportunities have come along for Dave since he has been here. [Junior hockey] is a stepping stone for the good coaches. That’s the nature of the business.”
Hope isn’t looking for change. Neither is Lowry, at least for the next three years.
“It’s a big relief,” said Hope, about the certainty of having Lowry on the bench for three more seasons.
“This means a lot to us in terms of stability. Dave has been a big part of our success. He has established a winning culture here.”
ICE CHIPS: The Royals goaltending tandem for the season will comprise returnee and starter Coleman Vollrath with 17-year-old newcomer Evan Smith from Colorado as the backup after the team traded 18-year-old Michael Herringer of Comox, the third goalkeeper in camp, to the Saskatoon Blades for a conditional bantam draft pick. “I’m really excited. I’m here to push Coleman. I don’t consider myself the backup. Whoever plays better will be getting the ice time,” said the six-foot-six Smith. It wasn’t an easy decision, noted Hope. “We had too many goalies and not a big enough crease,” said the Victoria GM. “Michael [Herringer] played great [1-0 with a 2.39 GAA and .925 save percentage in two pre-season games]. He [however] is a year older than Evan Smith. It was a tough thing. We like Michael.” . . . Ben Walker didn’t make the Winnipeg Jets’ NHL main camp but got the next best thing. The Jets have assigned the just-graduated Royals forward and undrafted rookie pro to their AHL affiliate in St. John’s.
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