Dejected Royals say their goodbyes

Dejected Royals say their goodbyes

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM MARCH 29, 2012 10:02 PM

Other than for the team that goes all the way to the title, locker clearout is the saddest day in sports.

“I’ve been through a few of these and it still sucks,” said defenceman Tyler Stahl, as the Victoria Royals players moved their gear out of Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Thursday and dispersed their separate ways.

The seventh-seed Royals were swept 4-0 by the second-seed Kamloops Blazers the night before in the WHL Western Conference opening-round playoff series.

Stahl, drafted but not signed by the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, doesn’t know what next season holds. A likely option, after a summer of helping on the family farm near Drumheller, Alta., is returning to Victoria next season as an overage 20-year-old, which would be a huge boost for the Royals.

“I’m still not sure [what will happen]. Victoria is a good place to play. It depends on what they [Hurricanes] decide.”

Likely back as one of three allowable 20-year-olds will be leading scorer Jamie Crooks, who has yet to receive AHL-ECHL interest despite his 37 goals this regular season and four in the playoffs.

“There has been nothing serious [pro offers],” he said. “Players do very well in their 20-year-old season in junior,” he said.

It appears the Royals could be set to return every player except graduating 20-year-olds Hayden Rintoul and Robin Soudek.

“I cried in the dressing room following [Wednesday’s] game because I knew I would never play another game of junior,” said third-leading scorer Soudek, a Czech import who will explore pro options. “Now, the gear is all packed. I will talk to my agent. I prefer to stay in North America.”

Rintoul, who walked out of the dressing room for the last time by carrying his neatly-pressed jersey with the ‘C’ as a lifetime souvenir, will explore minor-pro and CIS university playing options.

“When I look at my jerseys [from the Royals and Kootenay Ice], I will think back on lots of good memories,” he said.

The other Royals will be a year wiser and more mature.

“They have a great foundation here. There is going to be a good team here,” predicted Rintoul.

GM and head coach Marc Habscheid echoed those thoughts.
“We got swept but went toe-to-toe with them [Blazers]. I like our youth and our returning group.”

But on this day, however, most thoughts were with Rintoul and Soudek.

“On locker clearout, you always say ‘see you later,’ but the reality is you may never see these people again, or only maybe somewhere in passing 30 years from now,” noted the former NHLer and veteran mentor Habscheid.