EVERETT — Rarely has a hockey franchise been more excited by the acquisition of a depth forward than the Everett Silvertips were on Jan. 10.
That was the day general manager Garry Davidson brought back 19-year-old Spencer Gerth from the Victoria Royals for a seventh-round bantam pick. The seventh-round pick was the same pick Davidson acquired when he shipped Gerth to Vancouver Island 14 months earlier.
The excitement was not because of Gerth’s offensive prowess — the Langley, British Columbia, native has just three points as a Silvertip and nine total this season. But rather it is because who Gerth is as a person and how well he fits in inside the Tips dressing room.
“(I got to see) how excited the guys were when he came back and that’s important,” head coach Dennis Williams said. “When you get into playoffs your (dressing) room is so important. You gotta have a tight-knit group. You have to have the leadership (and) you have to have good buy-in from all of the supporting cast and everyone has to understand that every guy’s role is just as important.”
Gerth is the first player traded away and then reacquired by the Silvertips in franchise history. He played 43 games with Victoria this year before trade-deadline shuffling by the Royals made him available.
Davidson jumped on the opportunity and Gerth embraced the chance to return to where his WHL career began in 2015.
“It’s been like I’ve never left so it’s been nice,” Gerth said. “A lot of credit to the coaches and to the boys as well for making it easy for me. … It was definitely an easy transition.”
At 6 feet, 3 inches, and 205 pounds, Gerth is one of Everett’s biggest forwards and counted on to throw his size around. He generally starts on Everett’s fourth line, but Williams has no issue moving him around as the game dictates.
For example, in Everett’s 2-1 win at Seattle on Feb. 24 Gerth found himself alongside Patrick Bajkov and Matt Fonteyne as he provided the brawn to his smaller teammates’ speed and skill.
“He is your meat-and-potato guy — hard on pucks, goes right to the net front, tracks (pucks), great on the bench talking to guys,” Williams said. “He’s versatile, a utility guy and he’ll go anywhere.”
Gerth struggled to find a role in his first go-round with Everett and that eventually led to the trade. He has a far clearer understanding of his position on this year’s team that is aiming for back-to-back U.S. Division banners.
“(I’m) someone who can jump in anywhere, and wherever the coach wants me to play I’m willing to play,” Gerth said. “I love hockey, and any chance I get to get a little extra ice I’m open to (it).”
The Tips conclude their regular season with a home-and-home against Victoria. Last season the Tips clinched the division title at home against the Royals in their penultimate game of the regular season before going on to defeat the Royals in a first-round playoff series that ended in Game 6 with an epic 3-2 win in five overtimes at Victoria.
In fact, the Tips have played a home-and-home with Victoria on the regular season’s final weekend every year since 2012-13.
“It’s almost like a little rivalry has almost brewed,” Gerth said. “I think it’s going to be really exciting with some really good hockey coming up.”
Everett plays host to Victoria at 7:35 p.m. Friday in the Tips’ final regular-season home game. Everett’s magic number to clinch the division title is three points, so the team can clinch Friday with a win and a Portland loss. The Tips can also clinch if they win both games against Victoria this weekend.
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
