There are few emotions in sport to match those of playing against a former team. That is what Victoria Royals players Cosmo Wilson and Vaughn Watterodt will experience this weekend when the Moose Jaw Warriors come through Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre tonight and the Saskatoon Blades on Sunday for Western Hockey League games.
Both were veteran off-season acquisitions brought in because of their long previous playoff runs. Wilson, a 19-year-old defenceman, was part of the Warriors teams that last season won its first WHL championship in the 40 years of franchise history. Watterodt made deep playoff runs the last two seasons with the Eastern Conference finalist Saskatoon Blades, and who last season lost in seven games to Wilson and the Warriors in the Eastern final with Game 7 going to overtime.
“Moose Jaw was a great team last year and it was exciting to win. I felt we could have done better in the Memorial Cup but you can’t complain about a WHL championship,” said Wilson.
The Warriors, however, hit the peak of their cycle last season and are now last in the Eastern Conference at 3-10-2.
“It’s pretty exciting to be facing my old team, although it’s pretty much a new roster and young too, although there are a couple of lines and a couple of defence pairings returning and who I know,” said Wilson.
Saskatoon is still on top of its game, however, and leads the Eastern Conference at 10-2-1.
“I’m obviously excited to see some familiar faces and I have a lot of close friends on that team after having played there for three seasons,” said Watterodt.
“It’ll be nice to get a few chirps in. I know a couple of guys I’m going to give it to. We’re going to joke around [beforehand] but it will be all business during the game.”
Royals head coach James Patrick played for the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres during his 21-season NHL career and is used to facing former teams and teammates.
“I’ve been in this situation and your mind is sometimes outside your body and going in a million different places. You have such bonds with some of the people on the other team that you think everyone — your former coaches and teammates — are looking at you,” said Patrick.
“You want to impress so much that you sometimes try to do way too much. It’s not easy, especially for young guys like this in junior. But just focus and play the game the right way and let the game come to you.”
Trades are two-way streets and former Royals forward Deegan Kinniburgh, dealt to the Warriors to acquire Wilson, and forward Ben Riche, sent to the Blades to acquire Watterodt, return to Blanshard Street this weekend. Riche is producing for Saskatoon with nine goals and 21 points in 13 games while Kinniburgh has a goal and assist for the Warriors.
Wilson and Watterodt, meanwhile, have fit into their roles as veteran mentors in the Victoria dressing room with the Royals on an 8-3-2 start.
“It’s a good time to be Royals. I like our compete level,” said Watterodt, who has two goals and four points. “We’re a hard-working team. When we’re playing Royals hockey, we can beat anyone.”
Although Watterodt’s former Blades team is much on his mind for Sunday, tonight’s game against Moose Jaw also stirs emotions because it is against an old rival: “I’ve been on the wrong end of a couple of playoff series against the Warriors.”
