The Victoria Royals are having to say goodbye to one of their best and most popular players.

With the club’s elimination from the playoffs, Griffen Outhouse has played his last game in major junior hockey. Over his Western Hockey league career, Outhouse appeared in 196 regular season games for the Royals and finished his career as the seventh winningest goalie in WHL history.

“Every year I’ve had not 20 new best friends, but 20 new brothers. I’m so close to every single one of these guys and it’s going to be really sad to say goodbye” – Griffen Outhouse

Final thoughts on the playoffs

“I had a good sleep.” Outhouse said with a smile when asked about his feelings after the team was eliminated from the playoffs. “At the end of the season you’re always exhausted.”

Outhouse acknowledged the challenge of missing key players in the playoffs. “Take a look at our roster. Not to put excuses just on that but it’s hard to battle when we have guys that weren’t even playing with us this year, playing big minutes. I thought they did a great job of coming in and competing hard. But there is different tone when you have a 20-year-old Kody McDonald and Kaid Oliver out. With the key players out it is going to hurt your team.”

“It’s been really unfortunate these past two years [in the playoffs]. I think we might have set a record for most star players being hurt during a playoff run. In the end I’m just so happy with how the guys competed and played in front, that’s all I could ask for.”

Notable memories

When asked about some favourite memories, the native of Likely, BC said “My first game, I obviously was super excited. And I got a shutout that first game so it’s kind of hard to beat that one. My first playoff win was super exciting. I remember it was in Spokane and it went to overtime. I was so nervous, just a 17-year-old and getting thrown into playoffs.”

“There are so many great things to say about my billet family and all the people who supported me. From the guys who are always there for me, to the coaching staff.”

Passing the torch

The heir apparent to Outhouse is rookie Brock Gould. When asked about how he thought Gould will do in future seasons, Outhouse said “He [Gould] is a great kid and a great goalie. I know I’ve been there as a backup and it’s hard when you just want to be in the net playing. He’s always there for me and supported me in every situation, I know he’s going to do the same to whoever’s with him next year.”

“For myself, I just wanted to work hard, compete and show him what it is to be a leader. So I hope I showed him that and I know he’s going to take that to heart.”

Reflecting on his time in Victoria

Outhouse came to the Royals as a rookie in 2015 and since then has made many connections with the team and the city. “It’s weird to think that it’s all over. Everything I’ve known for the past four years, from being away from my family to growing up and turning into a man. It’s just crazy to think of where I was four years ago. Coming in as 17-year-old was a lot of fun. I had a good mentor in Coleman Vollrath. We had a great team that year and finished first in the regular season.”

“There are so many great things to say about my billet family and all the people who supported me. From the guys who are always there for me, to the coaching staff. Everyone was just so good to me and helped me in so many ways, it was such a positive influence. Victoria itself is obviously such a nice place to spend most of my teenage years in.”

“We have a great fan base here. Lots of great people in Victoria who are always so nice to us and supporting us. It was something positive for me to know they always have my back.”

Hard to say goodbye

“This coaching staff, the management, the guys in the locker room, it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to them,” reflected Outhouse. “Every year I’ve had not 20 new best friends, but 20 new brothers. I’m so close to every single one of these guys and it’s going to be really sad to say goodbye.”