Adam Evanoff’s arrival to the Victoria Royals was timely and his play has saved the day for his new club.
Acquired as part of the blockbuster trade deadline deal with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Evanoff was brought in as some veteran insurance behind starting goalie Shane Farkas.
Fast forward two months, circumstances have changed, and the Royals have had to cash in early on that insurance policy. Almost immediately after the trade, Farkas had his season as one of the league’s best stoppers derailed with an injury.
Enter Evanoff, rebounding himself from a major injury, to carry the load for the Royals as they march towards the playoffs. Although former backup Brock Gould, sent to Moose Jaw in the trade, would have stepped up to the challenge, having a player with the experience of Evanoff has allowed the team to miss very few beats.
Evanoff has become a workhorse for the Royals, starting a stretch of 11 straight games from January 25th versus the Winnipeg ICE to February 17th versus the Kamloops Blazers.
While the Penticton native welcomes the ability to play so much, the fact that it comes due to injury is always tough for all involved. Especially as Farkas and Evanoff have a history together.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” said Evanoff. “You never want to see a guy go down, but obviously you want to be in the net as much as possible as a goaltender.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, worked together with the same goalie coaches on the same ice for a long time. It’s a tough injury for him [Farkas]. But he’s working hard to get back and it’s going to be good to have two guys healthy down the stretch.”
Evanoff himself has dealt with major injury issues. Last season, he battled through a hip injury much of the season. In June, he had surgery to correct the issue, which led to a long rehab of approximately 12 weeks.
“It was actually really tough,” said Evanoff. “There are a lot of doubts when you have to learn how to walk again and all that. But I learned a lot about myself, that I can’t take things for granted. When you’re healthy, just go out there do your best because I know when you’re injured all you want to do is be out there with your team. The injury teaches you to learn how to take care of your body and how to manage things properly. So, I think through it all, it’s going to make me better”
As with any major injury, there was lots of support.
“It has been crazy,” said Evanoff. “I went through a lot this past season but I’ve had great support through it all, from my teammates, from my trainers back in Moose Jaw and now here in Victoria. Everybody’s really cared for my needs and helped me get where I need to go to perform.”
Now in March, the whirlwind of being traded halfway across the country and then thrust into such a key role has eased and Evanoff has had time to settle in.
“Every day I’m here it gets better and honestly I feel more comfortable,” said Evanoff. “The group of guys here is awesome. I think we really have got something special here.”
“We’re a pretty tight-knit group, so I think that’s going to translate onto the ice the further we go down the road.”
The Victoria fans have embraced Evanoff. An example was the loud reception he got as the first star in the last home game against the Vancouver Giants.
“There’s a big fan base here,” said the netminder. “I’ve never really played in front of this many people so often. It’s pretty special and I’m really grateful for it.”
Finally, for Evanoff, it is a bonus to be playing back in his home province. “I’m closer to home and family now. They’ve been able to come and see me a couple of times. So it’s awesome for them to be more able to watch me than it was in Moose Jaw.”
