Estevan’s Brayden Pachal has secured an after-school job manning the blue line for the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals this winter.
“Well I tell you what, we wouldn’t have a player coming up on Dec. 1 where we would be putting anywhere else,” said Royals head coach Dave Lowry about Pachal’s chances of sticking around for the whole season. “We always say it’s based on performance and we have minimums that we have to play him and if he can continue to grow and continue to demand ice time, I don’t see any reason why he’d be going anywhere else.”
Pachal, 16, has suited up for 17 games for the Royals this season and recorded one assist and a plus-nine rating while playing primarily with veteran Royal and Detroit Red Wings prospect Joe Hicketts. The 5-foot-11 and 175 pound defenceman is one of three 16-year-olds on the Royals, along with forward Ryan Peckford and rearguard Scott Walford, who are complimented by a strong veteran group who have propelled the team to second place in the Western Conference standings with a record of 16 wins and nine losses, including two in extra time.
“I don’t think anyone can count us out,” said Pachal. “I don’t think you can count anyone out in this league. It’s very early in the season, but definitely we’re going for the league championship. Everybody in the league wants to win it, so we’re not going to shy away from it.”
Pachal said his focus coming into the WHL as a 16-year-old has been on defence first, but he’s willing to jump up in the offence if the opportunity arises. He said getting a chance to learn from Hicketts and Lowry has been great in helping him transition into the bigger, faster and stronger WHL game compared to his time playing with the Moose Jaw Generals in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League last year.
Off the ice, Pachal said his billet family has made his move to Victoria pretty easy and the team has an education advisor who helps him keep up with school. On the ice, he said the travel involved with playing in the WHL has been challenging and playing in front of big crowds is something that also takes some getting use to.
As far as his own development as a hockey player, Pachal noted he’s just trying to do his best, get better and improve every day. He added coming to the rink on a daily basis prepared to work is the only way he can accomplish this goal.
“He’s played exactly the way we expected him to,” said Lowry. “When he’s moving his feet and keeping the game simple he’s a pretty effective player. He can play physical and he has a little edge in his game.”
Lowry said Pachal plays wherever he is needed based on his performance and some nights sees upwards of 15 minutes of game time. He said it’s difficult to play young defencemen against the top teams in the league due to their depth, but some nights they play all four lines not concerned about match-ups.
“For a 16-year-old to come (in), we guard his minutes and we try and make sure we play him against the right people,” he said. “I wouldn’t say he’s going to be penciled in any role right now. We just want to make sure that being a young player playing defence in our league…that he’s protected and used the right way.”
