The feeling is emphasized even further when you’re the captain of the team.
The Victoria Royals defenceman returned to the club Wednesday night after a four-game suspension and was his usual nasty self in a 4-3 loss against the visiting Portland Winterhawks in a penalty filled game before an announced crowd of 3,568 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“I was really excited coming into the game. I knew they would come out hard and that it would be an emotional game. It was a very physical game, too,” said Gagnon.
“You definitely want to be out there as much as you can, help the guys out in any way,” he said of missing game action. “It does suck, but that’s the way it goes. [It’s important] being there for guys and helping guys out. That’s what being a leader is about and I’m just glad to be back.”
The 20-year-old Quesnel native is now tied for the Royals’ lead in games played, matching Logan Fisher’s 283 appearances for Victoria and is now 35 games behind Brandon Magee for the franchise mark for regular-season games played. Magee notched 318 with both the Chilliwack Bruins and Royals.
Should he dress in all remaining games, Gagnon would reach the 320-game level.
On Wednesday, Gagnon and Co. couldn’t quite record a second straight win at home.
Ryan Peckford, Matthew Phillips and Dante Hannoun all scored power-play goals for the Royals, who battled back from a 3-1 first-period deficit only to let it slip in the third. Jack Walker had three assists in the losing cause as he and Phillips kept point streaks alive at six and eight games, respectively.
“You have to score five-on-five, too, right,” said Royals head coach Dave Lowry. “On special teams we did a good job. We weren’t as greasy as we were the night before.”
Cody Glass, who was named Wednesday to the CHL Top Prospects Game, had a goal and two assists for Portland, while Conor MacEachern, Skyler McKenzie and Ilijah Calina — with the game-winner on his first career WHL goal — replied for the Winterhawks.
Among the Portland crew is defenceman Brendan De Jong, whose older brother Nolan was in the building as he returned from the University of Michigan where the former Victoria Grizzlies’ rearguard — and a Minnesota Wild draft pick — is a co-captain with the Wolverines.
The 18-year-old — who now stands six-foot-five — is in his third season with the Winterhawks, so the return is old hat.
“It’s great. Coming back as a 16-year-old is pretty nerve-racking, but now it’s a lot more exciting. I feel like I can contribute a bit more,” said De Jong, who hit the goal post on a power play in the opening three minutes.
The Royals will now play host to the Vancouver Giants on Saturday at 7 p.m. on teddy bear toss night.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
