With the 2012-13 Western Hockey League season now complete for his Victoria Royals, Keegan Kanzig has another season of major junior hockey experience under his belt.
The second year in the league for both the Athabasca native and the team he plays for was a campaign marked by improvements and growth.
As a team, the Royals greatly improved on their performance from their 2011-12 inaugural season.
They won 35 games, 11 more than the year before, finishing with 77 points and placing third in the leagueís British Columbia Division. Unfortunately, their efforts were rewarded with a first-round playoff matchup with the powerhouse Kamloops Blazers, which they lost in six games.
ìObviously itís disappointing to be out at this time of year,î said Kanzig, just days removed from his teamís elimination at the hands of the Blazers. ìTheyíre just one of those teams that, you make a mistake and they capitalize on it. We just made too many mistakes and they capitalized on them all.î
The Blazers and Royals split their season series, so the Royals knew they had the talent to win the playoff series.
ìComing into the playoffs we were confident we could hold our own against these guys. (But) they played a better series than we did.î
But the disappointing outcome doesnít take away from the improvements the Royals managed this season.
ìWe had a pretty strong team this year and next year weíll be a little better.î
Like many teams, the Royals were plagued by inconsistency this year. Kanzig notes that they went on many winning and losing streaks throughout the season. They could compete with any team when they all showed up to play, but that wasnít always guaranteed. Thatís an issue that needs to be addressed going forward.
ìItís something weíre going to have to improve on in the future; being a more consistent team, playing our best, all the time, every night.î
Like his team, Kanzig also saw his stats improve this season. Though heís still looking for his first WHL goal, he upped his assists total to seven and was a minus 10, a seven-point improvement on last year.
The no-frills style of stay-at-home, physical, effective defense that Kanzig plays doesnít typically show up on the score sheet, but he continued to refine it and become more of a force in his sophomore year.
ìI felt I had a pretty good season. I had my ups and downs. Iím happy with how I was playing at the end of the year, and the improvements Iíd made. Iím a little more confident out on the ice.î
Though the WHL season has come to an end for his Royals, it continues for the teams still in action in the playoffs.
As for Kanzig, he plans to take a short break from hockey and workouts before committing to another summer of hard work and improvement.
This summer is a unique one for Kanzig as, having just turned 18, he is eligible to be drafted in this summerís NHL Entry Draft. Throughout the year he has been listed on top prospects lists released by NHL Central Scouting and hockey analysts, and like any other young hockey player, he hopes to hear his name called at the draft.
ìDuring the season you try not to think about it, but now that itís over and youíre not focusing on the team, it does come into your mind,î he said of potentially being drafted.
ìIím excited to see what itíll bring, but at the same time, whatever happens, itís still going to take a lot of work to get to the next level.î
