Corner Brook -
Juan Strickland showed up at the rink Tuesday night for a Royals practice only to find a stranger in the group.
More importantly, the stranger was a local boy who just happened to be a big defenceman looking to crack the lineup.
Matt Quigley, a 25-year-old Corner Brook native, is expected to be in the lineup when the Royals tangle with the Deer Lake Red Wings 8 p.m. Friday at the Hodder Memorial Recreation Complex in Deer Lake. The Royals hit the road Saturday for a two-game set against the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts Saturday 7:30 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. at the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium.
Strickland had no idea who Quigley was when he went to the rink, but the six-foot-two, 230-pound rearguard made a favourable impression on the head coach at the practice.
"It's the first time I ever laid eyes on him, but I think he could be a pleasant surprise for us," Strickland told The Western Star Wednesday. "I liked the way he skated, I liked his mobility, I liked the way he handled the puck and picked up passes and controlled it."
Strickland, who was impressed with the size of Quigley as well, believes Quigley will bolster the defence corps, especially for Friday's encounter against Deer Lake because a number of defenceman will be missing. Nick Policelli is still serving a suspension, Ashley Coles isn't available for Friday due to work commitments and Chad Oake, who signed with the Royals last week, is questionable because of a lower body injury.
"He looks like he's in pretty good shape," the coach said of his early assessment of the newcomer.
Quigley has been living and working in Brockville, Ont. since leaving Corner Brook in 2002. He got laid off from his job recently and decided it was time to come home for a visit.
Suiting up for the Royals wasn't something he thought about when he decided to come home, but he asked Royals assistant coach Don Gallant if he could go out for a skate while he was home and the coach told him no problem.
"Being a hockey player it always crosses your mind. You'd love to get a game of hockey. But I never thought ... from reading the paper and everything ... I thought the roster was full, especially for defenceman, and they'd be hard-pressed to find me a spot, so I never thought I would get a chance to play," Quigley said Wednesday.
Quigley hasn't played any contact hockey for over a year, but he has been skating in Metro leagues around Ottawa four days a week before heading back to Corner Brook. He believes he is in pretty good shape and felt good at practice Tuesday night.
"I am a little bit lighter than I was before I left so that's not bad," he said. "I felt great on the ice at practice. I thought I fit in pretty well. I felt really good."
Quigley has signed a card with the Royals, but GM Gord Pennell still has to get a branch-to-branch transfer put to bed before he can play. But, Quigley thinks it's a formality that can be handled by the Royals simply getting the green light from officials with the Ontario District Hockey Association.
He hasn't represented his city in hockey since his minor hockey days, so he's eager to wear a Royals jersey for the first time.
"I'm really excited to get back on the ice and wearing the blue, red and white," he said. "I'm excited to just step on the ice and see how I do, see how competitive I can be and just give all I can give. I am a Corner Brook boy and I'm really excited to be wearing the Royals jersey."
