Giants winger ‘Shepard’ returns patiently as sprinter returns to practice

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Vancouver Giants coach Michael Dyck is preaching to everyone to take it easy with sprinter Cole Shepard.

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Shepard (hip surgery) has returned to practice with the Giants this week, although to begin with in a non-contact jersey. The 19-year-old winger from West Vancouver who has yet to prepare for Vancouver this season also missed the entire BC Division core campaign last spring.

Dyck says he thinks Shepard could be ready for game action next week.

When he’s right, Shepard has the skating ability and ability to be a factor at the top end of Vancouver’s front group, but Dyck is adamant that it will take time for him to find his form even after his return to the lineup. Shepard has not played for Vancouver since a March 7, 2020 visit to the Prince George Cougars.

“Anyone who’s been away that long, it’s not just the moment,” Dyck said. “It is trust that must be compromised.

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“In general, we have the big picture in mind here. We are not going to force anything ”.

Shepard had committed to playing for Harvard University, but changed course and signed with the Giants in July 2019.

He scored 11 goals and 29 points in 50 games as a 17-year-old Western Hockey League rookie in the 2019-20 season, and there were times during that season where he received the first six minutes and even the power play time of the first unit. His skating was instantly apparent. There were times when he circled the offensive zone and left defenders puzzled as to what to do next.

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Neither Shepard nor the Giants will go into too much detail about his injury situation and whether or not there have been setbacks along the way. He underwent hip surgery before his first season with Vancouver, and missed the first 12 games of that 2019-20 season.

Giants general manager Barclay Parneta said before the core season that Shepard probably won’t be there. Dyck said in September that he thought Shepard might be ready to play again in November.

Now it looks bigger and stronger. The Giants have him listed at 5ft 10 and 170 pounds; They had him at 5-10 and 152 pounds when he signed.

“This is the best I have felt in years. There is no pain, ”Shepard said. “There is a weakness to go through the rehabilitation process, but that will come. This is the first time I have been pain free in years.

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“The surgeries were great. Everything is set. It’s about getting stronger and I’m getting used to the rhythm again. I think I have maintained my body well throughout the process. I think I should be able to jump pretty fast. I have been fortunate to have excellent doctors and coaches who take care of me and make sure everything is done right. “

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Shepard’s overall goal remains to play professional hockey going forward, but “it has been a more difficult road,” Shepard admitted.

There was talk of possibly being a last-round pick for the 2020 NHL Draft, but that never materialized. NHL Central Scouting had him as the 149th North American skater entering that draft. .

“It has been difficult. Every time you can’t do what you love, it sucks. I’m happy to be recovering and almost there, ”Shepard said.

Shepard played his bantam hockey at Delta Academy, where his teammates included current Giants forwards Justin Sourdif and Payton Mount. The trio were also teammates with Canada Red for the 2018 U-17 World Challenge in New Brunswick.

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You could easily imagine Dyck joining them on a line to see if there’s instant chemistry there.

“He brings speed, he brings skill, he brings the offense that our team needs right now,” Sourdif, a center and Giants captain, said of Shepard. “He solidifies our top six forwards. He is a very key player in our lineup.

“We have missed him in the last two seasons.”

Older brother Jackson Shepard was also a member of the Giants in 2019-20, arriving in a trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Shepard, a 21-year-old forward, is now in his second year at the University of Western Ontario.

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