Except for travel, freshness shouldn’t be a factor this weekend for Victoria Royals forward Cole Reschny.
He did not receive as much ice time as he is used to with the Royals, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in the two-game sweep by the Canadian Hockey League team against the U.S. Under-18 team in the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge series played in London, Ont., and Oshawa, Ont. But he made the most of his limited time by scoring the winning goal late in the 3-2 CHL victory on Wednesday night in Oshawa.
“It was pretty special just getting the opportunity to get out there in the last couple of minutes,” said Reschny, in his post-game media scrum.
“It’s definitely a big moment to rise to the occasion and is definitely a big moment for me and I was glad I could do it. We’ve got bad blood with those guys [American U-18 players]. I was just taking in the moment. It’s been unreal. Very special.”
The reduced playing time is what most players, who are stars on their club teams, must get used to in representative play.
“There’s a lot of great players [on the CHL team] and I wasn’t playing as many minutes as I do back home [Victoria]. I was taking advantage of my ice time when I was out there.”
That he certainly did and in timely fashion. CHL team head coach Kris Mallette, whose regular job is coaching the Royals’ WHL B.C. Division-rival Kelowna Rockets, got to cheer a Reschny goal for the first and likely last time.
“[Mallette] was joking with me that he was saving me for that moment,” said Reschny.
Responded Mallett in his post-game scrum: “[Reschny] found himself on the bench more than I would have liked to have had him out there. I said I was just resting you up because I know you are clutch. I’ve seen him do it for Canada at the Hlinka and I’ve seen him do it against us [Rockets]. He’s a good player when the game is on the line.”
This is the second time this year that Reschny has returned to the Royals a conquering hero after being team co-scoring leader in helping lead Canada to the gold medal in the 2024 Under-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. But whether it’s club or country, the procedure is the same, he said: “I’m just trying to stick to my game and the process and just going day by day and week by week and showing up every day to the rink to get better.”
The next opportunity to do that is tonight and Saturday evening at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre as Reschny and the Royals (13-8-4) take on the Western Conference last-place Seattle Thunderbirds (8-13-3).
Despite Reschny’s absence Wednesday, the Royals upset the WHL-leading and CHL No. 4-ranked Silvertips 3-2 in overtime in Everett, Washington, to finish an eight-game road trip at 4-3-1.
