Ty Domshy was front-and-centre Saturday as his Lloydminster Lancers faced his hometown team, the St. Albert Raiders, in the flagship U18 AAA division of the Alberta Elite Hockey League.
Read more: Family roots attract Domshy to Lancers
Playing against his buddies and former teammates, Domshy certainly rose to the occasion, scoring two goals and three points, but his Lancers couldn’t finish the job and gave up a 4-1 lead in the third period and lost 6-5 in overtime.
“Oh yeah, I gave a couple of them stare-downs,” Domshy said of the Raiders. “I said hi to a couple of them.
“Every single time, if the puck is going to the net, I’ll stop right in front of the net. I won’t say a word. I just stand there and it’s their job to get me out. But I’ll let them know that I’m going to be there all night long.”
John MacNeil Meridian Source
The Raiders drew the ire of Domshy even before the season began. He said in August that they made it difficult for him to transfer to his father’s native Lloydminster, where the 17-year-old forward now resides with his aunt, uncle and cousin.
The animosity was evident as early as a first-period scuffle near the St. Albert net, with Domshy in the middle of things.
“I guess a lot more than I would (experience) any other game,” he said about the spirited exchanges. “I guess I’ve learned to calm down (in such situations).
“I’ve still got a game to play. I’ve still got a job to do. As much as the chirping I took out there (is annoying), I just keep my mouth shut and show off with my play. No, don’t want to get any misconducts.
“I know pretty much everyone over there, so I just concentrated and stayed focused, and worried about myself and my team. That’s what I’ve got to do.”
Domshy was a leader with the U17 AAA Raiders last year, and it’s easy to see why both St. Albert and Lloyd wanted him in their respective U18 AAA lineups this season. He’s an assistant captain with the Lancers and one of their top scorers, with a team-high five goals and nine points after eight games.
“I’ve coached Ty before,” said Raiders coach Geoff Giacobbo. “I really like him. I think he’s a good, hard-working player. He puts in an honest effort every day. He was quick to give our bench the stare-down after his first goal, so that’s always fun.
“But I can’t say enough good things about him. (The Lancers) got a real good player there.”
A few years ago, Giacobbo was Domshy’s coach in U15 AAA.
Last year, Giacobbo coached the U15 AAA Raiders team that included Lancers’ standout rookie Brody Sunderland, a 15-year-old forward from Kitscoty.
“Again, a really good player,” the St. Albert coach said about Sunderland, a Spokane Chiefs’ WHL prospect. “I can’t say enough good things about Brody, either. Good form. He’s a big, strong kid. He plays the right way, in my opinion.”
Along with the Domshy and Sunderland storylines, Lloyd’s game against St. Albert had another twist, albeit off the ice. After two years with the Lancers, 17-year-old forward Jake Redden is finishing his U18 career with the Raiders. But he’s currently sidelined as he continues rehabbing from shoulder surgery last January.
“I think some of the new rules allow players to move around,” said Giacobbo, the Raiders’ coach. “They got one real good one from us, and I think we got a good one from them — we just need to get him healthy.”
Lloydminster coach Chris King said he wasn’t concerned about Redden playing with another team in the same league.
“We’re OK with him leaving,” King said. “As for Domshy and Sunderland coming here — Sunderland came back home, so it’s a little bit different — but Domshy was phenomenal today and Sunderland played well, as usual. Both guys are good.
“But (the Raiders) are a good team. I think they’re 4-1-3, so they haven’t lost much. And their guys played hard. They’re well-coached. They played a hard game right through the end.”
On a day when both teams were missing key personnel because of injuries and other hockey commitments, St. Albert’s coach was also impressed with a new-look Lloydminster squad that’s stronger than its 1-5-2 record would suggest.
“I think they have a good team,” Giacobbo said. “They work hard.”
Of course, much of the spotlight in Saturday’s game shone on St. Albert’s Jadon Fischer, whose four-goal performance included the overtime winner.
The Raiders and Lancers next meet each other Nov. 23 in St. Albert, and they face off at home and away in February.
“For sure, they’re circled on the calendar already,” a smiling Domshy said about those dates.
Read more: Fischer, Reschny among leaders at WHL Cup
