When Victoria Royals draft camp opens this morning at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, fans will probably have an easy time picking out Tyler Soy.
He'll be the guy looking even lighter on his feet.
"Man, I am so excited. I can't wait to get going," the Royals' first-round, eighth overall Western Hockey League bantam draft selection said prior to departing from his Cloverdale-area home, in high anticipation of the three-day session. "I just can't wait."
The Royals, themselves, are just as anxious as this camp is the first chance for the local club to see all 10 players they selected this past spring on the ice at the same time. Chaz Reddekopp (chosen 13th overall) will also be there, as will local product Markus Daly, a goaltender with the Victoria Racquet Club, picked 93rd overall in Round 5.
The young recruits are all part of the distant future as the 15-year-olds are limited to playing just five games, but can join the Royals once their regular seasons come to a close.
Soy, a five-foot-10, 155-pound centre, with be a part of the Okanagan Hockey Program and has not discussed which games he might join the Royals for. Those decisions are usually made based on proximity.
"I'd love to play as soon as I could," he said anxiously. "And if it was around here that would be cool for my parents [Michael and Sandy], but I'm ready to go any time."
Soy is coming off a season in which he recorded 24 goals and 41 assists in 20 games with the Cloverdale Bantam A-1 Colts. Including tournament and playoff action, Soy finished with 159 points (53G, 106A) in 46 games.
"I think I'm a good, two-way centreman with good vision and a decent shot," Soy said in describing his game.
He and fellow Royals' second-round, 27th overall draft pick, Regan Nagy, are also coming off performances at the prestigious 2012 Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp in Mississauga, Ont.
"It was an unreal experience, playing with all the top guys across the country and to get coaching from the NHL guys was sick," said Soy who played on New York Islanders' star John Tavares's winning team that dumped Team Taylor Hall 9-8 in a shootout.
The two Royals picks will be among the group that hits the ice at SOFMC at 10 a.m. today and draft camp - which is open to fans, free of admission - continues through to Tuesday before sessions move on to rookie camp.
The Royals will play an intrasquad game on Tues., Aug. 29 at 7: 05 p.m. before heading out to play an exhibition game in Kamloops on Wednesday, Aug. 30 and the two teams will faceoff again in pre-season the next evening in Maple Ridge.
Victoria then launches its 201213 schedule on the road in Vancouver on Fri., Sept. 21, before returning home for the Royals' home-opener on Sat., Sept. 22, also against the Vancouver Giants.
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