Forward River Fahey has come full circle back to the Island, where his hockey dreams began.
The Campbell River product was dealt from the Winnipeg Ice to the Victoria Royals for a conditional selection in the 2021 bantam draft in a Western Hockey League trade Tuesday.
“Having grown up on the Island, I couldn’t believe it, when I heard,” said Fahey.
“The Royals have a reputation of being one of the hardest teams to play against in the WHL and this will help in my development.”
The 18-year-old provides size and presence at six-foot-two and 195 pounds. He’s not going to light it up — he has three goals and nine points in 71 career WHL games split between Red Deer and Kootenay (now Winnipeg) — but could provide space and time for those Royals who can.
“I’m a gritty player who lays on the body first,” said Fahey.
He was a rep player coming up in both hockey and baseball: “It was a tough choice but hockey is my greatest passion.”
Fahey was selected 74th overall in the fourth round of the 2016 WHL bantam draft by Red Deer and played B.C. Major Midget for the North Island Silvertips and Greater Vancouver Canadians. Fahey also played for the Victoria-based Pacific Coast Hockey Academy.
“I want to go as far as I can in the sport,” he said.
If the pro game doesn’t turn up in the career cards, Fahey added: “Then I want to get into a great university in Canada [and play U Sports].”
Born Joseph River Fahey, he adopted the family tradition of using middle names first.
“It’s a family custom also taken up by my brother and sister,” he said.
As for the origins of his name, Fahey said it’s because his parents Rob and Rebecca have lived in both Gold River and Campbell River. It’s an Island thing. Now, so too, is his junior hockey career.
ICE CHIPS: Defenceman and Victoria-product Nolan Bentham, the Royals’ first-round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft and expected to make his debut this coming season on the Victoria blue line, is among 112 players invited to the Canadian U-17 summer development camp July 19-26 in Calgary. The selected players will represent Canada Red, Canada White and Canada Black at the 2019 World U-17 Challenge from Nov. 2-9 in Medicine Hat and Swift Current.
