Rogers Place in Edmonton is the kind of NHL palace to which all the Victoria Royals players aspire.
But few will get to after their WHL careers expire.
The Royals have yet to produce an NHL player in the six seasons since coming to the Island. Of the 11 total seasons of franchise history, including the first five as the Chilliwack Bruins, only Brandon Manning of the Flyers and Nick Holden of the Rangers are franchise alumni currently in the NHL.
Those are the odds. And they are long.
That’s why even getting a taste of NHL rinks is so tantalizing for WHL players whenever they visit Edmonton and Calgary. Both those WHL clubs share buildings with their big-time NHL brethren Oilers and Flames.
The Royals (24-18-4) are in Alberta for games tonight in Edmonton against the Oil Kings (18-22-4), Friday in Calgary against the Hitmen (17-20-6) and Saturday in Red Deer against the Rebels (20-19-7).
“NHL buildings are exciting for our players to play in,” said Royals coach Dave Lowry.
“We always get good performances from our guys in those buildings.”
Tonight’s venue, the $480-million Rogers Place, is at another level yet.
The Royals’ first glimpse of the Alberta capital’s state-of-the-art facility was during a 6-1 Victoria win over the Oil Kings on Oct. 14.
“It’s a great building . . . quite the facility,” said Lowry.
The Royals players were in awe during their first visit in October.
“That is a special rink in Edmonton . . . the nicest I have been in,” said Royals forward Tyler Soy.
It won’t be easy for Soy to skate in that facility at the next level, as proven by the dearth of WHL Royals-Bruins in the NHL. But as an Anaheim Ducks draft pick, he can legitimately dream about it. The immediate goal tonight, however, is to extend Victoria’s modest two-game winning streak, both 3-0 shutouts recorded by Griffen Outhouse.
Despite Outhouse’s heroics over the last two games, Lowry said 16-year-old Regina Pat Canadians triple-A Midget call-up Dean McNabb will likely start one of the three successive games in Alberta.
McNabb, the Royals’ third-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft, is up with the WHL club because regular Royals backup Dylan Myskiw is injured. McNabb’s WHL debut last week will be one to tell the grandkids about, in a self-deprecating sort of way. McNabb was inserted into a 9-2 loss to Kelowna last Friday and gave up two goals on four shots, including on the first career WHL shot he faced. Outhouse was quickly put back into the game.
“It’ll be funny one day,” said McNabb, brother of Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brayden McNabb. “Maybe I just won’t count it [as his WHL debut].”
On a serious note, McNabb added: “I’m excited and want to make the most of this opportunity.”
At six-foot-two, the native of Davidson, Sask., seems to have the physical tools. He is having a standout season in Midget at 13-2 with a 1.86 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.
“[McNabb] is going to be a very good goalie in the WHL one day,” predicted Outhouse.
Meanwhile, 57 WHL players have been cited in Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings released Wednesday for the 2017 NHL draft. Royals forward Ryan Peckford is rated 87th and Victoria blue-liner Scott Walford 153rd among North American skaters.
