Richmond Sockeyes’ are counting on Tyler Andrews picking up where he left off two seasons ago and ice time shouldn’t be an issue.
The soon-to-be 19-year-old will resume his career with Richmond on Thursday night when the Grandview Steelers visit Minoru Arenas at 7 p.m. for the club’s Pacific Junior Hockey League regular season opener.
Andrews earned a roster spot with the B.C. Hockey League’s Surrey Eagles last season thanks to an impressive rookie campaign in Richmond that included 38 points in 44 games. He produced 29 points in 53 games with Surrey but the Eagles finished with a 7-48-1-2 record to miss the playoffs.
Coming back to Richmond gives him a chance to be part of a winning program again and provide better balance as a full-time UBC student.
“This gives Tyler an opportunity to win some hockey games and get on with his life too,” said Sockeyes head coach Judd Lambert. “Right off the bat, we tell kids like him that we understand they have other things going on in their lives. We are understanding and supportive of being a full-time student. Guys are going to miss practices and even games for school commitments. It happens every year.”
Despite a significant youth movement a year ago, the Sockeyes enjoyed another competitive campaign that resulted in a 20-16-3-5 record, before bowing in the opening round of the playoffs to Grandview.
The club once again held its main training camp back in July to try and get an early jump on setting its roster. However, two players have since decided not to play, while another is still competing for a roster spot in the BCHL. It leaves the Sockeyes short on forwards heading into the regular season, forcing Lambert to play veteran blueliner Jeeven Sidhu up front for now.
“Numerically, we are small right now,” he admitted. “We tried to make some decisions early but things have changed since then. Ty (Paterson) is trying to win a spot in Surrey and there is another player there who might come our way. But right now, our eyes and ears are open (for more players).”
While Richmond may be short on numbers, there is enough returning talent that should have them contending again in the Tom Shaw Conference. Arjun Badh, Brett Gelz and Alex McLeod all had productive seasons a year ago and are fully capable of being among the league’s top scorers with Andrews.
Sidhu and Kavanagh gives Richmond experience at the back, while Lambert has been impressed with how rookies Devon Vorster and Jackson Munro have fit in so far. The club also should get plenty of minutes out of 18-year-old Shakeel Ebrahim who played back east in the Superior International Junior Hockey League last season for Dryden.
Veteran Kurt Russell is ready to carry a big workload between the pipes again and he may have to. Local product Ty Taylor had signed as a back-up but the 17-year-old Delta Hockey Academy product is looking poised to jump right to the B.C. Hockey League.
