Ben Riche has a pretty mellow pre-game ear-bud routine for a guy who has displayed seriously explosive breakout speed in his first two games with the Victoria Royals.
“I’m chill before games and like to listen to an artist named Mike on Apple Music. It calms me down and helps me get in the zone,” said Riche.
Riche is 2-0 as a member of the Royals, recording a hat trick and an assist for four points in the Royals 9-7 win Monday over the Rockets in Kelowna: “I like to play fast. I am a good skater and like to use that to my advantage.”
Riche was acquired in last week’s blockbuster trade that sent Royals veterans Kalem Parker, an NHL draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, and Brayden Schuurman, who joined Parker on the Canadian team at the 2022 IIHF world U-18 championship in Germany, to Moose Jaw for the Warriors’ first-round WHL prospects draft selections in 2024 and 2026, a second-round pick in 2025, a third-round selection in 2027 and fifth-round pick in 2026.
Riche is proving he is more than just an afterthought toss-in player for a Royals club that has blown things up to build for the future.
“I was a little bit surprised … anyone is,” said Riche, of the trade.
“But I’m excited by the new opportunity. I knew Victoria is a good city and they are in a bit of a rebuild. There is lots of opportunity and chance to develop.”
The 18-year-old sophomore was considered a top bantam player, as attested by Riche being selected 33rd overall by the Warriors in the second round of the 2020 WHL prospects draft. He had eight goals and 18 points in his rookie season in Moose Jaw and one assist in five games this season with the Warriors. He was looking to be a top-six forward, something unlikely on the loaded Warriors roster, but will get that chance with the Royals.
“Being on a better team [Moose Jaw] you’ve got to wait your turn a little bit because of the depth that they have. The point of me coming here is to get more opportunity and speed up my development,” said Riche.
“There is a strong core here with lots to build on and I hope to be a part of it.”
His favourite player is Nathan MacKinnon: “I try to use my speed the way he does.”
The five-foot-10, 188-pound Riche grew up in the village of Bethune, Sask., where the local rink was the community meeting place: “Hockey is the core of the town. It’s all I’ve ever done and wanted to do. We grew up watching the local senior team and went to public skating after school.”
The Royals are on a two-game winning streak after opening the season with four losses and begin a five-game homestand tonight against the Everett Silvertips (3-3) and Saturday versus the Swift Current Broncos (2-4-1) at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Tonight pits Braden Holt and Tyler Palmer against their former teams following last season’s goaltending trade between the Royals and Silvertips. They have faced each other a few times since the trade, so the edge is off.
“It’s definitely calmed the nerves a bit that I’ve had a few games against them [Silvertips],” said Holt.
The veteran 20-year-old crease workhorse from Montana has moved on to other more pressing motivation: “We are trying to extend our winning streak to three games, so it will be a big game for us as a team.”
