There will be no lack of familiarity Saturday night as a pair of players face their previous Western Hockey League clubs at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Former Victoria Royals goaltender Dean McNabb returns to Blanshard Street with the visiting Regina Pats while Royals forward Tanner Sidaway was a member of the Pats last season.
McNabb backed up Griffen Outhouse last season in the Victoria crease before the 18-year-old Davidson, Sask., product was returned to his home province this season by the Royals in exchange for an eighth-round pick and a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2020 bantam draft. McNabb has appeared in seven games for the Pats and carried a 5.09 goals-against-average and .836 save percentage into their Friday night game at the Langley Events Centre against the Vancouver Giants.
The Pats sent Sidaway to his hometown WHL team over the summer for an eighth-round 2019 bantam draft pick. The graduate of Juan de Fuca minor hockey, South Island Royals major midget and Westshore Wolves Junior B had three points in 58 games last season for the Pats but did not play in the Memorial Cup, which Regina hosted.
Sidaway has a goal in 16 games for the Royals, but the team values the 19-year-old’s leadership grit and tenacity more than his finishing touch. So much so that Sidaway has joined Ralph Jarratt, Dante Hannoun, Mitchell Prowse, Dino Kambeitz, Kaid Oliver and third-round Montreal Canadiens draft pick Scott Walford as the seven players who have worn the “A” for Victoria this season as assistant captains.
The Royals have yet to name a captain. While other hockey teams hold showy announcement ceremonies to unveil their captains before the regular season, the Royals have traditionally been among the last WHL teams to make that decision and usually do so without fanfare.
It’s a pattern that began when Dave Lowry was head coach and continues with Dan Price.
This season, however, pundits are wondering whether the Royals are waiting for the NHL’s Calgary Flames to make a decision on last season’s Victoria captain, Matthew Phillips.
The 20-year-old is eligible to return to the Royals this season and there was much speculation about just that, after Phillips was held point-less in his first nine games with the Flames’ AHL affiliate in Stockton, California.
Phillips, however, has stepped it up in the past week. He had two goals and four points in 12 games for Stockton heading into Friday night’s contest against Tucson. The undersized but flash-quick centre is minus-four after putting up 112 points and going plus-20 last season in Victoria.
“That’s a valid question,” said Price, when asked if the Royals captainship was being held open for the possible return of Phillips.
“But we plan as if our [potential returnees] are never coming back. If they do, we look on it as a bonus. Not having a captain is right now more about our depth [of candidates] than anything else.”
Price did not say when the Royals (10-6) plan to appoint a captain.
Meanwhile, two of Victoria’s three overage 20-year-olds remain on the hobble. Blueliner Jarratt is in a foot cast and out three to five weeks. Forward Hannoun is week-to-week and classified by Price as doubtful for tonight.
The Pats (7-13 heading into Friday night’s game) arrive with Koby Morrisseau and Nikita Sedov projected by Central Scouting for the latter rounds of the 2019 NHL draft.
At the veteran end, Regina’s potent first line includes two NHL draft picks in second-round Las Vegas Golden Knights choice Jake Leschyshyn and fourth-round Colorado Avalanche selection Nick Henry. Leschyshyn has 13 goals and 25 points in 19 games and Henry eight goals and 29 points in 20 games.
Forward Logan Nijhoff is from Comox. Despite being only 17, he is in his sophomore season with the Pats.
Price sees plenty to be wary of in the Pats.
“We are going to have to attack defensively, forecheck and be smothering,” he said.
One thing leads to another, added the Victoria bench boss: “When we check tightly, we tend to play better offensively.”
