Advertisement

WHL: Finally free of pain, Thunderbirds’ Troock scores last-minute winner in Top Prospects Game

KELOWNA, B.C. — Branden Troock, who knows better than most 17-year-olds how big moments can be fleeting, owned the final moments in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Ironically, a game marked by the absence of several banged-up junior stars was decided by the Edmonton native who many thought might never play in major junior due to damage to the occipital nerve in his neck that set him back a full season. A game that was fiercely played but offensive fireworks free seemed headed toward a deserved desultory finish, a 1-all tie and shootout. But Troock, a rare confluence of size and speed, hopped off Team Orr's bench, took a pass, beat his defender wide and finished off the play with a deke with 24.5 seconds left for a 2-1 win. It was pretty much the ending one would script to dramatize his long road back from the blindside hit in late 2009. It also was a classic example of someone heeding his own advice.

"Probably the main thing I learned while I was out is take every second you're on the ice and make the most of it," the 6-foot-3, 203-pound Seattle Thunderbirds forward said prior to the game when asked about the impact of his missing year. "Because you can never know when it might be taken away from you. I know some guys will complain, 'oh, do I have to practise today,' but you really have to cherish every moment you're on the ice. Because one freak accident, you can never play again.

"I was told a couple times I might have to look for a different career but that never crossed my mind. I want to be a hockey player."

The son of a coach — helping with his dad Wayne's minor hockey team while physically up to it was one way Troock satisfied his hockey craving last year — was one in full on Wednesday in front of a lively crowd of 5,022 at Prospera Place. Troock was in on both Team Orr goals in the lowest-scoring game in the event's history. He also responded well to being challenged before the third period by Team Orr coach Pat Quinn after a missed opportunity earlier in the game.

"In between the second and third period after I missed that net when I was going top right [corner] he pulled me into the hallway and said ... what did he say?" Troock told the postgame press conference. "He said, 'you had a hole the size that you can fit in a rocket in there.' I just wanted to get one in there after that."

"When I came off the bench I knew there was only about 30 seconds I left. I saw [Team Orr defenceman Derrick] Pouliot coming up the middle with the puck and I just had to get my feet moving and start calling for the puck, I knew I could beat the D-man to the outside. I just had to get it to the net and get a greasy one."

'Couldn't get out of bed without puking'

Troock's troubles started in December 2009 when he was caught under the chin by an opponent while playing in the U16 Challenge Cup, a rite-of-passage event for upwardly mobile future Western leaguers. He was first diagnosed with a concussion. Then came the migraines, which he tried to conceal out of concern he might jeopardize his rookie season in Seattle, which took him in the first round of the '09 WHL bantam draft.

"My concussion healed but I kept having headaches after and I didn't tell anybody," he said. "When I came to camp for Seattle the next year it was just a pinched nerve that got aggravated. Then I just had constant headaches. All the doctors kept saying no concussion.

"It was just everything about hockey that I missed," he added. "Missing all the development, missing being in the dressing room with the boys. It was pretty bad. I couldn't get out of bed without puking. I couldn't do anything physical. It was a tough road. But I didn't try to get too low or even too high when I had high points, when I would start to feel better."

It was a tough case for Seattle's medical staff to crack. Troock would seem to be coming around, then go back to square one. The Thunderbirds, bent on not losing their investment in a promising young player, told the Seattle Times' Jim Riley in November that they sent Troock to three neurologists to try to determine that cause of the migraines. Eventually, the nerve damage was solved with acupuncture.

Wednesday night, of course, was a pretty small sample, but it was a glimpse into what Troock might do once he makes up for lost time. His numbers in Seattle, nine goals and 16 points in 37 games, betray little about his potential impact.

"It's good to see him back on the ice even though he's playing for Seattle, which is my team's rival in Everett," said Team Cherry captain Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips, who flew to Kelowna this week with Troock. "He rode here together and he was telling me about the concussion.

"It's a shame those things happen. But Branden's really impressed so far with how well he's done considering how far behind he is in his development. But he's a great player. He's got great speed and he showed that on the last goal. It's tough to play against him."

So what next for Troock? Wednesday could be a big springboard into the stretch drive of the season, as he'll try to move up the NHL draft rankings and help Seattle reach the playoffs. Before and after the game, he stressed he's trying to be free of expectations. Who knows what to expect after the setback he's had? He can get by on playing and winning for the next little while.

"I'd probably like to hit 20 goals by the end of the year, but I'm probably not paying too much attention to that," he said. "I just want to play my game."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.