The path to the Western Hockey League isn’t the same for everyone.
For some, the path is relatively straight forward. For others, the path has some twists and turns. For Prince Albert Raiders forward Dayce Derkatch, it was definitely the latter.
Derkatch was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, 64th overall. The pick used to select Derkatch was acquired by Prince Albert in the Cole Fonstad trade back in October 2019.
Derkatch did not make the Raiders out of training camp, being reassigned to the Regina Pat Canadians of the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League where he registered 12 points in 11 games.
Derkatch says his stint to start the season with Regina had a positive impact on him
“(Raider GM Curtis) Hunt told me that a stint in the minors doesn’t always hurt. I got my confidence back. Everyone faces adversity, it’s good that I got through it and now I’m happy where I am.”
While he was with the Pat Canadians, the 17-year-old wore the ‘C’ for Regina. In 18 games so far this season, Regina has posted a 14-3-1 record.
“When you’re winning games, it’s always fun.” Derkatch said. “Being the leader of a team and leading that young group of guys is awesome. They’re all great guys. I hope that they have a great rest of their year. Again, it’s just great for my confidence to get me where I am now.”
When Daxon Rudolph and Riley Boychuk left the team to participate in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Derkatch was called up on an affiliate player basis.
During his stint with the team, Derkatch recorded his first WHL goal on Nov. 9 in a Raider overtime win against the Brandon Wheat Kings. When Boychuk and Rudolph returned to the team, Derkatch stuck with the Raiders and the team elected to reassign 16-year-old Jonah Sivertson to the Pat Canadians.
With so many young forwards vying for roster spots at the conclusion of training camp, it wasn’t an easy choice for the Raiders on who to keep and who would be reassigned.
Raider head coach Jeff Truitt says the team made the decision to reassign Derkatch at the start of training camp and Sivertson later in the season to allow both players to get adequate ice time for their development.
“It was a very difficult decision. It was a very difficult decision with (Jonah) Sivertson too. Getting playing time at Midget AAA is the best recipe for somebody that doesn’t see a ton of ice time and they’re used to it. When they get into this level, it’s not fair and fun for everyone. Sometimes you play eight minutes and some nights you play 12 and some nights it’s not so much at all.”
Dayce Derkatch comes from a hockey background. His father, Dale, registered 491 points across 204 games in the WHL for the Regina Pats in the 1980s before a lengthy professional career in Europe.
Dale Derkatch has also been an NHL scout for the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also served as the Raider director of player personnel and skills coach from the 2009-10 season through the 2014-15 campaign. He is currently the assistant general manager for the Pats.
Dayce says his dad has played a huge role in his hockey journey and gave him a great piece of advice at the right time.
“My dad told me that this team is full of opportunities right now. They weren’t winning games, it was nice to get the call up and just get there and work as hard as I can and try to earn a spot.”
“It’s a huge help, and it helps me each and every day, and he keeps me on track no matter what, so it’s awesome.”
Listed at 5’8 and 133 pounds, Derkatch is far from the most intimidating stature on the Raider roster. However, Derkatch makes him for his lack of size with what he brings to the rink each and every day.
“The constant with Dayce is that he’s a hard worker, tenacious worker.” Truitt explained in an interview. “He’s got great speed. He can make plays skill wise. He’s 17 years of age. He’s another year older than the 16-year-olds and sometimes that’s a difference maker. He comes with energy every day to the rink. He knows the game. He’s very well schooled in the game. I love his energy and I love his work ethic. His skills on top of that, but the work comes first and he certainly does that.”
Derkatch has become a regular in the Raider lineup since becoming a full-time player with the team, often playing on the same line as fellow 17-year-olds Ethan Bibeau and Oli Chenier.
Truitt says facing adversity while in junior can pay major dividends for players later in their career.
“It’s difficult for a player at any level to face adversity. In the NHL, you might be a first year guy, you might be up and down. You’re used to the big minutes in major junior, the go-to guy. that doesn’t translate into the NHL level. Some guys handle it extremely well. They don’t have the personal success that they’ve had in junior with points and whatnot or ice time. In more times than not, they may start in the NHL, but then they go down the minors where they need some seasoning. They need some competition against bigger older guys, but not at the NHL level. It pays off in spades at the end of the day. It’s difficult for players to understand that. But once they kind of go through it and understand the reason why, they usually respond very well coming back and understanding the urgency, the work ethic, the fine details of the game, to keep them at that level and produce at that level.
“People can sit and take adversity as a real shot to the ego. They learn from those experiences and it’s no different at our level. If somebody goes down, they come back. They appreciate it a little bit more knowing that nothing is given, it’s all earned. It makes them understand what the productivity of major junior is all about because at the next level, they don’t sit in the offices with you and talk with you every day. They get a notice that you’re going down and simple as that, and that’s a hard one to take. But in junior hockey, once they see that the decisions are made for a reason, they usually respond very well coming back.”
Derkatch and the Raiders will return to action on Friday night against the Swift Current Broncos at the InnovationPlex. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
sports@paherald.sk.ca
