A season that has been hampered by injuries to date has at least allowed the Richmond Sockeyes’ impressive rookie class to flourish.
In Sunday night’s 4-2 home ice win over the Aldergrove Kodiaks, six regulars were out of the line-up which has been typical for the past couple of months. Head coach Brett Reusch can’t even remember the last time he had to worry about healthy scratches.
“We have definitely missed the most man games in the league by a country mile. We haven’t played with a full line-up for more than two straight games the whole year,” he said. “It’s been a difficult stretch where we have been missing six or seven guys each night for as far as I can remember.
“The real season begins now. Hopefully we get healthy and put this behind us.”
Over that stretch, the defending Pacific Junior Hockey League champion North Vancouver Wolf Pack have pulled away with a sizzling 27-1-0-1 record — leaving the Sockeyes 14 points back and likely battling Grandview the rest of the way for home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
Reusch is fine with that scenario especially with a full roster come February.
What the rash of injuries have done is provide additional ice time to rookies who are thriving with the opportunity.
Garrett Wicks, 18, was one of the best players on the ice Sunday night and is enjoying an outstanding season with 30 points in 26 games, including 16 goals. His assist on Gabriel Parent’s second period goal was clinical.
Parent, 17, now has 21 points on the campaign and has already been called-up a couple of times by the BC Hockey League leading Coquitlam Express.
Ryan Watson, 17, joined the Sockeyes in late October and is logging big minutes on the blueline while compiling 13 points in just 16 games. Local product Mattias Hohlweg is another 17-year-old excelling with 24 points in 30 games.
“Mattias is playing those key moments for us now and he has earned every bit of it,” added Reusch. “(The rookies) continue to get better and better and hopefully we can do some damage when the hockey games really matter.”
