Skeoch excited to face former teammates as Hurricanes visit
Giants defenceman feels he has more to give while eyeing pro contract
Maybe battling with some familiar faces will get Vancouver Giants defenceman Darian Skeoch out of the funk he feels he is in.
The Giants face the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the Langley Events Centre today (7 p.m., TSN 1410). That’s the team the Giants acquired Skeoch from on Sept. 12, 2016, as part of the trade that saw blue-liner Brennan Menell head east in return.
The rugged, physical Skeoch may have been Vancouver’s most valuable player last December when he was sidelined with a high ankle sprain that ended up shelving him for the season. He was that much of a factor early on, bringing a calm to an often chaotic Vancouver defensive zone.
Skeoch hasn’t been as noticeable so far this time around. You could excuse it away, pointing out that he’s taken on even more of a safety valve role with a young Giants defence, particularly as the usual defence partner of puck-moving 16-yearold rookie Bowen Byram. Skeoch refuses to play that card, though.
The Giants (10-9-2-2) head into today’s game winners in four of their past five games.
“I’ve had a slow start to the season. I’ve really been frustrated with myself,” said the six-foot-four, 216-pound Skeoch. “I think I can play my game and be able to mentor and lead the other guys as well. I just feel I’ve been coming out of games with more to give. I feel like I haven’t been skating as well as I can. I haven’t been skating as well as I was in the summer.”
Skeoch played largely a tough guy role in Lethbridge, but seemed to settle in as a reliable, stay-athome defenceman capable of making that first pass out of the zone with Vancouver last season.
He wanted to further that along this year, in hopes of landing a pro contract.
Through 19 games, he has one assist and a minus-three rating for the Giants. Vancouver has 12 players in double-digits in games played who have at least an even plus-minus rating.
In 27 games last season, Skeoch had one goal and 10 points, to go with a plus-four rating. He was one of four Giants in double-digit games who were at least even.
“I know I have more to give,” Skeoch, 20, said.
Lethbridge has revamped a portion of its roster this season, but Skeoch still has several close friends on the Hurricanes, most notably import defenceman Igor Merezhko, 19, who has lived with Skeoch and his family in Calgary the past two summers to aid in his off-season training.
“My buddies know my mentality on the ice. I’m not friends with anybody during the game,” Skeoch said. “I’ll give them the odd smile, but, if it comes down to it, I’m not going to avoid finishing a check.”
Lethbridge had lost eight straight (0-7-1-0) to drop their record to 7-12-1-0 going into a Tuesday matchup on Vancouver Island against the Victoria Royals.
They finish off a five-game road trip of B.C. with a visit to Cranbrook Saturday to face the Kootenay Ice.
Minnesota native Menell, 20, had asked to be traded by the Giants in training camp last fall after two seasons with the club. He went on to produce 71 points, including 12 goals, and a plus-10 rating in 70 regular-season games with Lethbridge and then put up 17 points, including five goals, in their 20 playoff matchups.
He signed a free-agent deal with the Minnesota Wild in September. Through 16 games with their AHL Iowa Wild affiliate, he had seven points, including two goals, and was a minus-six.
Vancouver also received a 2018 third-round draft pick in the trade.