Veteran Ross eager to play near home
Self-described ‘late bloomer’ set to backstop young team facing a rebuild
Roddy Ross took the long road to the Regina Pats, but at least he’s shaving a few hours off the journey.
The veteran goaltender is excited to play closer to home after he was acquired last week in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Regina is only 5½ hours from his hometown of Meadow Lake compared to the 18-hour trek to Seattle.
“It’s good for my family and my local fans in Meadow Lake,” said Ross, 20, who’s entering his final season of junior eligibility. “All those guys finally get to come watch me. It’s a win-win.”
Ross took a somewhat unconventional route to the WHL, beginning in 2016-17 when he played junior B for the Onion Lake Border Chiefs at age 16.
That was followed by an allstar season with the midget AAA Tisdale Trojans, recording a 1.85 goals-against average and a league-leading .940 save percentage in 22 games.
Ross moved on to the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta junior A league in 2018-19, but his stay was brief. A strong first half quickly opened the door to a WHL opportunity in Seattle, where Ross hit the ground running with a 16-5-1-2 record, 2.76 GAA and .919 SP.
It was a memorable rookie season that culminated when the Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL draft.
“I get this question a lot,” he said when asked about the road less travelled. “Every time I’m talking about hockey, I always remember the route I’ve been on to where I am today. It’s never something I just forget about.”
Looking back, that one season in Tisdale was a turning point for the self-described “late bloomer.”
Ross benefited from another growth spurt in Seattle and “enjoyed every minute” of his 1½ seasons with the club.
Although Ross was surprised by the trade to Regina, it comes with the territory when clubs have to make difficult roster decisions due to a surplus of 20-year-old talent.
“It’s totally out of my control,” he said. “I guess that’s the life of a hockey player and that’s the way it goes. I’m looking forward to being part of the Pats’ organization.”
Ross is expected to backstop a young team in Regina that’s entering Year 3 of a wholesale rebuild. He compares the situation to last season in Seattle, where he faced a ton of rubber behind an inexperienced group that finished eighth out of 10 teams in the Western Conference standings.
Despite the T-birds’ struggles, Ross put up respectable numbers, going 20-21-4-3 with a 3.17 GAA and a .908 SP.
“It’s a young team (in Regina) but I don’t think that’s a problem at all,” he said. “I know it’s going to be a battle every game, but playing with them will be fun and those young guys will have a lot of passion.
“I don’t think it puts too much pressure on me. My job stays the same as always: try to give your team a chance to win. I think we should be fine and have a good season and push toward the playoffs, hopefully.”
There’s no shortage of motivation for Ross, who will be playing for his first pro contract.
He’ll also get a front-row view of 15-year-old phenom Connor Bedard, who was selected first overall by Regina in last week’s bantam draft.
Bedard is eligible for immediate entry into the WHL after receiving exceptional status from Hockey Canada.
“I don’t really pay too much attention on social media but I know this kid has a lot of hype around him and he’s really talented,” Ross said. “I can’t wait to play with him.”
When that’ll happen is anyone’s guess. The COVID -19 situation has left everything up in the air.
“I’m trying to stay on the positive side about it and hopefully everything works out,” added Ross, whose usual off-season training program has been disrupted as well.
“It’s hard for everyone right now ... but there’s nothing we can do other than just deal with our situation.
I know it’s going to be a battle every game, but playing with them will be fun and those young guys will have a lot of passion.