The age bookends of junior hockey are usually 16 and 20. But not when a prodigy is in the building, as there will be tonight when 15-year-old sensation Landon DuPont makes his Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre debut when the Western Hockey League-leading Everett Silvertips (28-5-3) meet the host Victoria Royals (18-11-7).
Fans will be witnessing the future as DuPont is only the second player after current Chicago Blackhawks sophomore forward Connor Bedard to receive exceptional status to play in the WHL as a 15-year-old and the ninth in 91原创 Hockey League history on a list that includes Connor McDavid and John Tavares.
DuPont on Monday was named WHL player of the week for his three goals and two assists for five points in the two-game Puget Sound-rivalry sweep of the Seattle Thunderbirds last weekend and on Thursday was named WHL rookie of the month for December for his five goals, 11 assists and 16 points and plus-four rating in nine games. DuPont has 10 goals and 40 points on the season in 32 games, even more remarkable considering he is a defenceman, with a boggling rating of plus-23.
Victoria upset the Silvertips 3-2 in overtime in Everett in the only previous meeting of the season between the clubs and Royals head coach James Patrick remembers well that first viewing of DuPont: “He is a very special player. His skating and his vision are exceptional and he passed the puck like an NHL player that game. I was so impressed. In that game, he was the best player out there. I was shocked a 15-year-old could do that. I saw Bedard at 15 in the bubble but that was different because you didn’t have the top-end 20-year-olds that bubble season. DuPont is so impressive. I’m wondering what his ceiling is. How can he get any better because he’s so good already.”
The Royals, meanwhile, made two major trades this week to indicate they are all in for this season, giving up a raft of future WHL prospects draft picks, including three second-round selections and a third-rounder, to acquire veteran 20-year-old forwards Brandon Lisowsky from the Saskatoon Blades and Kenta Isogai from the Wenatchee Wild. The Royals have considerably enhanced their offence with the additions as Isogai and Lisowsky are both averaging well over a point per game.
Isogai, a native of Nagano, Japan, who began playing youth hockey in the venue that hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, had 15 goals and 39 points for the Wild in 28 games and is described by Victoria GM Jake Heisinger as a “dynamic player who will make an immediate impact.” The five-foot-11, 177-pound Isogai had 31 goals and 88 points last season in 64 games for Wenatchee. Royals prospects Morgan Hackman and Nick Koering were part of the package that went to the Wild for Isogai.
The 20-year-old Lisowsky, meanwhile, is a seventh-round NHL draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs who had 22 goals and 42 points this season in 29 games as assistant captain of the Blades and the five-foot-nine, 180-pound native of Port Coquitlam has 143 career goals and 267 points in 255 games with Saskatoon. Heisinger described Lisowsky as “one of the league’s most consistent goal scorers the last number of years” and added “we felt we needed to add a goal scorer and Brandon will bring that to our group.”
But Victoria had to give up the swift 20-year-old forward Tanner Scott, a career five-season Royal, as part of the Lisowsky deal. Scott skated in 244 games for Victoria with 54 goals and 142 points. Heisinger described it as a “very difficult decision” to send away Scott, who will play NCAA Div. 1 beginning next season at Bowling Green University.
The Royals had one of their three allowable 20-year-old slots open and have now filled all three.
The Royals and Silvertips will meet again Saturday night in the return engagement at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington.
“The Silvertips are the best team we have played,” said Patrick.
“They are where they are for a reason. Their depth, their defence, the speed they play with is second to none in this league. There is a reason they are No. 1 and we have to be at our best. But we know when we play the right way, we can play with these top teams.”
Royals 20-year-old forward and Nanaimo product Brayden Boehm concurred: “Everett is a great team having a great season but to us, that doesn’t matter. We’ve proven we can beat any team on any given night. We just have to show up and play our game and anything can happen.”
Boehm added he sees no reason for any special measures to try to contain DuPont: “It’s the same as any defenceman — you have to play him aggressively and not give him time and space to make those moves and make those plays. We’ve got to get on our forecheck and not give him any chances to do anything.”
That will be the big ask of the Royals, including their two newcomers, this weekend.
