Royals veteran Soy suits up for Ducks’ affiliate

Tyler Soy of the Victoria Royals made his pro debut over the weekend with an American Hockey League team that bears a historic minor-pro pedigree.

Soy recorded no shots, points or penalty minutes with the San Diego Gulls, but drew a penalty in his first pro shift, in a 3-1 loss to the Ontario Reign.

“I was nervous at the start, but I thought I played alright, and won a few faceoffs,” said the 20-year-old centre.

“You definitely notice the size and speed difference from junior. You have less time to make a decision.”

In past incarnations, the Gulls skated in the old pro WHL, which also once included the Victoria Maple Leafs, and also in the ECHL against the Victoria Salmon Kings.

Soy said it provides a comfort zone by having Summerland’s Deven Sideroff from the Kamloops Blazers — who like the Royals were eliminated in the first round of the WHL playoffs — called up with him to the Gulls.

“We played together in Midget at OHA [Okanagan Hockey Academy],” said Soy, a native of Cloverdale.

The Gulls are the top farm team of the Anaheim Ducks, who drafted Soy in the seventh round, 205th overall, of the 2016 NHL draft. Soy is not signed by the Ducks and has been called up on an amateur tryout agreement. Sideroff is a third-round draft pick of the Ducks, selected 84th overall, in 2015.

Soy had an injury-riddled season for the Royals and played only 44 regular-season games with 25 goals and 55 points. He can be slithery and opportunistic around the net and has 115 goals and 235 points in 257 regularseason career games for Victoria. That 115 career goals total is second only to Ryan Howse’s 140 in Victoria Royals/Chilliwack Bruins franchise history. Soy is eligible to return to the Royals next season as an over-ager.

In a bit of a quirk, playing for the Reign against Soy on Saturday was Joel Lowry, a graduate of the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL, and son of Royals head coach Dave Lowry.

The Gulls, second in the Pacific Division and having clinched a playoff berth, are next in Bakersfield on Wednesday to take on the Condors.

“You’re on your own more,” said Soy, of off-ice life in the pros. “It’s a job.” Victoria 50-goal scorer Matthew Phillips had earlier been called up to the AHL by Stockton, but the unsigned Calgary Flames draft pick did not play in a 5-2 victory Saturday and 2-1 overtime loss, both against the San Jose Barracuda. Stockton is fourth in the Pacific Division and has yet to clinch a playoff berth.

The 19-year-old Phillips will return next season to the Royals.

ICE CHIPS: If names such as the Gulls, Stockton, Ontario Reign and Bakersfield Condors sound familiar, it’s because they used to be part of the ECHL and skated against the Salmon Kings.