Greg Chase, who makes his debut tonight for the Victoria Royals against the Everett Silvertips, made perhaps the understatement of the Western Hockey League season when he described the past few weeks as “pretty hectic.”
No kidding.
The 19-year-old centre had a falling out and left the Calgary Hitmen, played for Team WHL against the Russians in the Subway Super Series as a candidate for the Canadian team to the 2015 world junior championship, and then was traded Wednesday by the Hitmen to the Royals in exchange for fellow NHL-signed defenceman Keegan Kanzig.
Now, Chase may be just where he needs to be.
“I’m really excited. Victoria is one of the teams I was most excited about coming to,” said Chase, who is under NHL entry-level contract to the Edmonton Oilers. “It’s a beautiful city and rink, and with a great coach.”
Chase realizes that coach, Dave Lowry, is known to dispense tough love. He got a taste of it in the Subway Super Series, as Lowry coached the WHL team, and in the summer at Canadian identification camp for the world junior team. Lowry will be assistant coach for Canada at the world junior championship.
“[Lowry] is fun but hard,” said Chase. “He is going to be good for me. I need a guy to push me to be better.”
Chase did not want to get into his Hitmen issues.
“It’s in the past for both sides and time for both sides to move on,” he said.
Lowry said he doesn’t care about Chase’s disagreement with the Hitmen.
“He comes in with a clean slate,” said Lowry. “He knows what we’re about.”
Part of that knowledge comes from Royals co-captain Brandon Magee, one of Chase’s best friends from growing up together in the Edmonton area and attending the same schools and hockey academies. They hang around during summers golfing, a sport at which Chase is in the seven-eight handicap range.
“Brandon and I always talked about playing together in the WHL and now we get the chance,” said Chase.
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Chase grew up immersed in hockey. Dad Kyle Chase is owner/governor of the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and uncle Kelly Chase played 458 games in the NHL, mostly with the St. Louis Blues.
“I’ve been surrounded by hockey all my life,” said Greg Chase. “I remember going to St. Louis to watch my uncle play. It was a cool experience.”
Chase got his first taste of the pros last season when he scored a goal in a five-game call-up to the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate Oklahoma City Barons.
“The pace of the game is different up there,” he said.
“There is a lot of run-and-gun in junior. In the pros, you need smarts and can’t make mistakes.”
In 15 games back in junior this season with Calgary, Chase had two goals and 13 assists after his breakout 2013-14 WHL season in which he scored 35 goals and added 50 assists for 85 points.
“I’m an offensive player that likes to have the puck,” said the six-foot, 188-pound native of Sherwood Park.
“I look to score but I can also find my teammates. Victoria fans will see I also forecheck and use my body.”
They may also see him in at the world juniors.
“I’m hoping for an invitation to the Canadian selection camp,” he said.
The Royals are in need of scoring depth and Chase certainly fits the bill.
“We need to find ways to score goals and Greg is a skilled player,” said Lowry.
ICE CHIP: Forward Tyler Soy, defenceman Chaz Reddekopp and goaltender Evan Smith are the Royals among the 59 WHL players on Central Scouting’s latest list released Thursday of players to watch for the 2015 NHL draft. The three Royals all received ‘C’ ratings, which goes to candidates likely for the fourth through seventh rounds.
