Greg Chase waited for the officials to give him the signal. Standing on the ice alone, he had the WHL logo on his sweater because Team WHL was his only one at the moment and the Subway Super Series tilts were the only games on his schedule. A week after being sent home by the Calgary Hitmen, he now had a chance to get back on the ice and showcase his talents. The whistle came and Chase skated aggressively in alone on Russian goalie Denis Kostin. He put on the brakes in close, quickly stick-handled and tried to lift a shot over the Russian’s pads. Kostin got enough of it to deflect it out of harm’s way and team Russia flooded the ice to celebrate their shoot out win.
It had been that kind of month for Chase. He played well in the Super Series, but after the two games returned home to wait for a trade. A year after leading Calgary in scoring, and being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, his season was on hold.
Being sent home a month into the campaign was not what he had envisioned prior to the season and the gritty forward had to spend a couple of uncertain weeks waiting. “It was hard,” he says. “I tried to stay positive and not get down about not being able to play hockey.”
Players asking for trades have become commonplace in the WHL the past few years. Two seasons ago Alex Forsberg left the Prince George Cougars, last year, several members of the Lethbridge Hurricanes wanted out and two, Jaimen Yakubowski and Sam McKechnie, were sent home by the team until a deal could be made. This year, Chase added his name to the list. When players in the NHL demand a trade it usually has to do with money, but it’s different in junior hockey. These guys are working towards the NHL and if they feel the team they play for is not helping, asking out may be the only option.
Coming into the season, the expectations were high for Chase and the Hitmen. After an excellent NHL camp with Edmonton, the Oilers had signed him to a three-year entry level contract. He was returning to a Hitmen roster full of talent and Chase was expected to be a key component. He had two simple goals: get noticed by Hockey Canada and try to win a WHL championship. Everything was set up perfectly.
Chase posted 15 points in 15 games, but things were not clicking and the relationship between the team and player deteriorated. Everything came to a head early in November. “Greg’s been a very good hockey player for us but sometimes things just don’t work out,” Hitmen GM Mike Moore said after Chase had been sent home. “Sometimes change with both parties is necessary.”
Chase echoed Moore’s sentiments: “I think it was it time for both sides to go their separate ways,” he says. “They went about it the way they did and there’s really not much else to say.”
It took two weeks before Chase got the call that the Victoria Royals had acquired him in exchange for defenceman Keegan Kanzig and a second-round draft pick. Chase was excited, and not just because it meant he had a place to play. He had been keeping tabs on the Royals and is good friends with forward Brandon Magee. He also likes and respects Victoria head coach Dave Lowry. Chase got to experience playing for Lowry at the Subway Super Series, learning a lot about the coach’s style. “He’s a coach that’s firm and hard, but easy to get along with and talk to,” Chase says. “He creates a fun experience to come to the rink every morning.”
For the Royals—who are chasing the high-powered Kelowna Rockets—scoring depth has been an issue. Chase can score, but he also plays a hard game, the type Lowry likes his team to employ. The hope now is that they have two scoring lines to better match up with the likes of Kelowna.
For Chase, having the tumultuous situation in Calgary resolved means he can look forward now instead of back. “It’s huge to finally get settled in and find a new home,” he says. “I feel really comfortable with the guys and the team and coaching staff. It’s been a great start so far and I’m happy to be here.”
He has appeared in seven games with the Royals and has potted four goals along with four assists as he continues to get his groove back. The four goals double his output in 15 games with Calgary. “The first couple of games were good, after a couple of weeks off it was tough to get back into the swing of things,” Chase says. “Once those games were finished I started getting my feet under me and started playing a little better and heavy.”
Despite a good showing at the Super Series, Chase was not invited to Team Canada’s world junior selection camp. While that is most certainly a disappointment for the Sherwood Park, Alta., native, he still has a lot to play for. The Royals will continue to be a contender in the Western Conference and Chase likes his new club’s make up. “I think any team that has a couple layers of offence, or a couple lines that can score goals is a deadly combination,” he says. “Come playoff time, nobody is going to want to play the Victoria Royals.”