The Victoria Royals may have had the words of poet John Greenleaf Whittier echoing in their heads on the way home Thursday from Kennewick, Washington: “For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: It might have been.”
But it will not be as the Royals were eliminated from the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs in four straight games by the Tri-City Americans.
The 2018 Royals were specifically built for this time of year, with several trade-deadline deals for veteran players that it hoped could result in a run deep into the post-season. The table seemed further set, with a favourable first-round matchup against the Vancouver Giants, a team considered the weakest of the eight Western Conference playoff teams.
The Royals survived the Giants in seven games. But any dreams of further glory were scuttled, not only by the Americans, but by an incredible streak of bad luck concerning injuries to top players in the post-season. The Royals would have needed the roster depth of the Marianas Trench to overcome it. But they could not find their equivalent of the NFL’s Nick Foles to step into the breach of a roster that was missing the team’s top three centres, including franchise career-leading scorer Tyler Soy and St. Louis Blues-signed Tanner Kaspick, and a top-pairing defenceman in Montreal Canadiens third-round draft pick Scott Walford.
As a result, the Royals’ season is over while the Americans have a date in the Western Conference final.
“It ends for everybody but the champion,” said a philosophic Royals GM Cameron Hope.
“But we may look back on this as a missed opportunity. Yet, there’s nothing you can do about the timing of injuries. That’s what makes sports so interesting. There are so many factors that lead to success. You need Lady Luck, too. I’ve never seen so many injuries to one team all at once. Full credit to Tri-City. But you’ll always wonder what we could have done at full strength.”
The Royals now face an uncertain future. The over-agers Soy, L.A.-Kings signed Chaz Reddekopp and fellow blue-liner Kade Jensen will graduate. Of the whopping 10 19-year-olds assembled on this veteran Royals roster, only three can return as over-age 20-year-olds. You can likely pencil in veteran forward Dante Hannoun and goaltender Griffen Outhouse for two of those slots.
Likely count out Kaspick. He carried the Royals for much of the latter part of the season and looks ready to jump into the pros and the Blues organization next fall.
The biggest question surrounds 19-year-old captain Matthew Phillips. He is only five-foot-seven but was dangerous as ever in leading Victoria in the first round with 16 points before being stopped nearly cold by the Americans with only three assists.
Will the Calgary Flames think it better to let their pint-size prospect stay in junior with the Royals as a 20-year-old, rather than risk beginning his pro career being tossed about like a rag doll against much bigger players in the American Hockey League? That question likely won’t be answered until at least October as the Flames could start him off in the pros and then decide whether he sticks or is better off returning to Victoria for further maturation. There is nothing the Royals can do except wait out that decision.
Meanwhile, Hope said head coach Dan Price will be asked back “for sure.”
Hope and Royals owner Graham Lee have their debrief next week. The Royals players will clear out their lockers today in an annual ritual of sport that is a happy one only for one team.
