Caleb Franklin admits he hasn’t always been a Cowichan Valley Capitals fan, but as long as he’s lived in the area, they’ve been his favourite B.C. Hockey League team.
“Actually, I grew up watching the Surrey Eagles,” said the Franklin, who was born in White Rock but relocated to Lake Cowichan a few years ago. “But ever since I moved to the Cowichan Valley I’ve been watching them and cheering them on.”
Franklin, who led the junior B Kerry Park Islanders in scoring last season and served as an alternate captain, committed to the Caps for the 2017/18 season. He will turn 18 in August, a few weeks before the season begins.
“It’s a really good feeling,” said Franklin, who listed the Capitals organization and coaching staff as reasons he wanted to join the team, besides the geographic factors.
After moving to the Valley at the age of 15, Franklin played one season with the midget Tier 1 Capitals before joining the junior B Islanders. He spent two years with Kerry Park, watching all of his offensive totals rise: playing 47 games both seasons, he went from 13 goals in 2015-16 to 20 this past season, from 12 assists to 27, and from 25 points to 47. His playoff totals went up too, from one assist in four postseason contests as a rookie to four goals and seven helpers in 11 games as a sophomore. All while practising regularly with the Caps and getting into five regular-season games.
“This is awesome for him,” said Islanders owner Mark Osmond, who couldn’t have sounded more thrilled to be losing arguably his best player. “He came to us as a 16-year-old and played a hell of a year. Last year he was our top scorer. If not for [20-year-old veteran] Jacob Malloch, he would have been our MVP.
“He’s a super kid. He works hard. It’s nice when a person puts as much time into a sport as he does and they’re rewarded.”
Capitals head coach Bob Beatty is looking forward to having Franklin around full-time this coming season.
“Frankie is a hard-working two-way forward capable of playing centre or wing,” Beatty noted. “He has a high compete level and a great team-first attitude.”
Beatty’s assessment meshes with the way Franklin sees himself as a player.
“I think [the Caps] just want me to play my game, be a two-way player and work hard at both ends of the ice,” said Franklin, who models his game after responsible forwards like Jonathan Toews, Ryan Kesler, Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk.
Franklin could have played junior A last year, Osmond suggested, but was probably better served by another year in junior B, where he got top-line minutes and had a leadership role.
Franklin is grateful for the opportunities afforded him by the Isles.
“That was a really good experience,” he said. “I definitely developed a lot. It taught me, as a 16-year-old, how to play with older, stronger players. It was a big part of my development.”
When he joins the Caps, he won’t just be along for the ride.
“I hope we have a really good season and make it far in the playoffs,” he said. “It would be really good to win the B.C. league and possibly move in. I just really want to help the team.”
Franklin’s ultimate personal goal in the BCHL is to snag an NCAA scholarship. He never really considered going the major junior route, where NCAA opportunities have to be sacrificed.
“It was pretty much always junior A,” he said. “I really like the idea of how scholarships work and how you can keep playing into your 20s with an NCAA team.”
