The DUBNetwork caught up recently with Victoria Royals goaltender Griffen Outhouse to fire some questions at him.
As expected, the 20-year-old veteran handled the interview with a familiar ease. With items ranging from development in the league to his goalie mask, fan-favourite Outhouse covered many topics.
“I want to win. So if we don’t win then I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to.” -Griffen Outhouse
Records and Accomplishments
The Royals and Outhouse went into the holiday break on a high note, defeating the division leading Vancouver Giants on Teddy Bear Toss night in front of big crowd. That is enough for Royals and their fans to be happy, but the win also marked another milestone for Victoria’s goaltender. The win gave Outhouse 100 for his WHL career, and he became the 16th player in WHL history to reach the milestone. With the accolades, Outhouse was humble, “It’s fun to be part of something like that. I’m thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me by my coaches and that they trust me that much. It’s exciting”
Last month, Outhouse set the franchise record for WHL games played, passing his former goaltending partner, Coleman Vollrath, for first all-time in games played among Royals goaltenders. Personal records are nice, but individual numbers are second to winning. “I wouldn’t say I had any goals of beating Vollrath’s record, or (former Chilliwack Chief) Lucas Gore’s records. I want to win. So if we don’t win then I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to.”
Personal Development in the league
Outhouse came to Victoria as a 17-year-old and is now in his fourth season with the team. Looking back on his own growth and development, he reflected on things it takes to be successful. “I was away from home for two years before I came here. I had a first year of midget hockey in Kelowna, a second year in Prince George. However, when I came here, it was different. You’re not a kid anymore. Even though you might be a kid at just 16 or 17, you’re expected to act like an adult and help in a positive way.”
“The coaches help with that, and they’re not going to put too much on your shoulders, over than what you can handle.”
A lesson for young players is learning to be professional in the eyes of fans and other on-lookers. “There’s lots of things that I learned on and off the ice. At times you’re dealing with fans and they want to see you or maybe want your autograph. It’s different from playing where it’s just your parents are watching, or maybe your friends. When you get in the league you have people who look up to you, including lots of young kids. You need to learn how to handle that expectation. It’s important to be a good person, to give those kids and those fans that time and just be professional about it.”
Development to a Pro
This season, Outhouse has been focused on playing more of a “pro-style” game. “When I came to the team I feel I had a lot of raw talent, but was a bit like a fish out of water. I could read shots and that was a good part of my game. I was able to make the first saves, but I wasn’t guaranteed to be in position for a second one.”
“My first three years I was making tons of highlight reel stops. Although that was pretty fun, lots of them had to do with the fact that I wasn’t in position for a second save or I did something wrong and I had to cover for myself.”
“This year I took a really big step. (Royals Goaltending Coach) Lynden Sammartino and (Royals Goaltending & Skills Coach) Dwayne Roloson who have been awesome in helping me and I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with them. I don’t think I’ve been on a plays of the week yet this year, which I’m actually happy about. I just want to make everything look easy.”
Masked Man
All goalies have signature masks that are works of art, portraying something about the player and the team. Outhouse is no different and has featured some fantastic masks in his time with the Royals.
“I get my masks done locally by Travis Michael of TM Kustoms. For my first mask and being new to the team, Travis suggested to keep it team oriented. So we did that and it turned out to be a pretty cool mask. As I got more comfortable, we took more of an artistic leap on how we wanted to change the mask. Every year I think the mask designs actually gets better. We know what looks good and what doesn’t. Travis helps me out a lot. I usually have the main idea of what I want to do and then give it to him as the artist. So it’s been fun working with him”
Habits and Routines
A lot of players, and goaltenders in particular, have the reputation for having quirky habits or superstitions. When asked if he had any, Outhouse said “I wouldn’t say that have any superstitions. There’s nothing that if I don’t do that certain thing, I’m going to play bad”
“There’s a few routines that I like to do. Like during the national anthem, I’m saying a little prayer and usually I soak myself with some water to wake me up a little bit. I also usually skate to the right side of the ice as I put my mask on after anthem, then I go take a loop around the left side. If I couldn’t do it, I have no problem to switch it up. It’s not a big deal. But it’s just something that has become a habit.”
The Look Ahead
After the holiday break, the Royals will convene in Calgary to begin six game road trip through Alberta and Cranbrook. Outhouse is looking forward to the trip and the workload, “We haven’t played a lot of games to start this season. We have been playing a lot of just weekend games and it’s a lot more fun when you’re playing one or two weekday games along with the weekend games. It is great to be dialed in that whole time on the road with guys. It’s going to be easier to get in the groove of things. We will have more healthy bodies after Christmas too, it’s nice to you know you may have Ralph Jarratt back full time. I think the second half is going to go well for us.”
“When you get in the league you have people who look up to you, including lots of young kids. You need to learn how to handle that expectation. It’s important to be a good person, to give those kids and those fans that time and just be professional about it.” -Outhouse on managing expectations
