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Victoria Royals
Victoria Royals logo.svg
City Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
League Western Hockey League
Conference Western
Division B.C.
Founded 2011
Home arena Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
Colours Royal blue, silver, white, black
                   
Owner(s) Graham Lee (Chairman - GSL Group)
General manager Joey Poljanowski
Head coach James Patrick
Captain N/A
Franchise history
2006–2011 Chilliwack Bruins
2011–present Victoria Royals

The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team currently members of the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team began play during the 2011–12 season after the League announced the relocation of the Chilliwack Bruins to Victoria. It marked the return of the WHL to Vancouver Island, 17 years after the departure of the Victoria Cougars. The Royals are based in Victoria, British Columbia, and play their home games at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

History

Marc Habscheid, head coach of the Royals during their inaugural season.
Dave Lowry, Royals head coach from 2012–17.

Victoria was left without a WHL team when the Cougars franchise relocated to Prince George in 1994. The city acquired a professional ECHL team in the Victoria Salmon Kings in 2004 when the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre was opened, but the city had made inquiries about returning the WHL to Vancouver Island in the past.

While two minority owners of the Chilliwack Bruins hoped to purchase the team and keep it in Chilliwack following the 2010–11 season, they were outvoted by the remaining partners who opted to sell the team to a group planning to relocate the franchise. On April 20, 2011, the WHL announced the approval of both the sale, and the relocation of the Bruins to Victoria.

The relocation was brought about partially by the WHL's desire to protect the Victoria market, as the league feared that a potential summer relocation of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg could result in the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Manitoba Moose moving to Victoria. The Moose ultimately moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and became the St. John's IceCaps, when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg to become the second incarnation of the Jets.

The Royals played their first game, a 5–2 loss against the Vancouver Giants in Vancouver on September 23, 2011. They won their first game in franchise history on September 24, 2011, defeating the Giants 5–3, in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,006 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria.

On March 16, 2012, the Royals defeated the Portland Winterhawks 3–1, thus clinching their first ever playoff berth and the first in Victoria since 1989. The first-ever playoff goal was scored by Robin Soudek, while Jamie Crooks recorded the first playoff hat-trick in Royals history in Game 3. In spite of this, the Royals were swept in the first round by the Kamloops Blazers.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2011–12 72 24 41 3 4 233 325 55 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final (0–4, KAM)
2012–13 72 35 30 2 5 223 252 77 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final (2–4, KAM)
2013–14 72 48 20 1 3 238 181 100 2nd B.C. Won Western Conference quarter-final (4–0, SPO)
Lost Western Conference semi-final (1–4, POR)
2014–15 72 39 29 3 1 244 219 82 2nd B.C. Won Western Conference quarter-final (4–1, PRG)
Lost Western Conference semi-final (1–4, KEL)
2015–16 72 50 16 3 3 281 166 106 1st B.C.
1st WHL		 Won Western Conference quarter-final (4–2, SPO)
Lost Western Conference semi-final (3–4 KEL)
2016–17 72 37 29 5 1 239 219 80 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final (2–4, EVT)
2017–18 72 39 27 4 2 287 264 84 2nd B.C. Won Western Conference quarter-final (4–3, VAN)
Lost Western Conference semi-final (0–4, TRI)
2018–19 68 34 30 2 2 199 227 72 2nd B.C. Won Western Conference quarter-final (4–2, KAM)
Lost Western Conference semi-final (0–4, VAN)
2019–20 64 34 24 6 2 176 190 72 2nd B.C. Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in North America
2020–21 22 3 17 1 1 48 96 8 5th B.C. Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in North America
2021–22 68 23 39 5 1 193 275 52 5th B.C. Did not qualify
2022–23 68 17 43 6 2 199 323 42 5th B.C. Did not qualify
2023–24 68 29 30 5 4 221 272 67 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference Quarter-final (0–4, POR)

Head coaches

On June 22, 2012, Marc Habscheid, the first head coach and general manager of the Royals, left both positions to take an executive position with GSL Holdings Ltd., the parent company of the Royals' ownership group. The Royals named Cam Hope, formerly an assistant general manager of the NHL's New York Rangers, as their new GM on July 6.

On July 19, 2012, the Royals named Dave Lowry as head coach for the 2012–13 season. Lowry coached the Royals for five seasons, leading the team to franchise highs in wins and points on the way to a Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular season champions in 2015-16. After failing to achieve significant playoff success with the Royals, Lowry left the club to take a job as an assistant coach with the NHL's Los Angeles Kings in 2017.

On June 12, 2017, the Royals promoted assistant coach Dan Price to the head coaching position. Price became the fourth head coach in franchise history, and third since the team relocated from Chilliwack to Victoria.

On November 6, 2023, following a 6–3 loss to the Wenatchee Wild, the Royals dismissed Price and named former Winnipeg Ice head coach James Patrick the fifth head coach in franchise history.

List of coaches

  • Marc Habscheid, 2011–2012
  • Dave Lowry, 2012–2017
  • Dan Price, 2017–2023
  • James Patrick, 2023–present

Players

Current roster

Updated March 30, 2024

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Drafted
2 United States Bjornson, HudsonHudson Bjornson D L 18 2021 Scottsdale, Arizona Eligible 2024
27 Canada Brinson, JarenJaren Brinson D L 20 2024 Airdrie, Alberta Undrafted
34 Canada Burlock, EscalusEscalus Burlock RW R 18 2023 Regina, Saskatchewan Eligible 2024
17 Canada Chaloner, HaydenHayden Chaloner C L 19 2023 Winnipeg, Manitoba Undrafted
16 Canada Danyleyko, WyattWyatt Danyleyko C L 17 2022 Victoria, British Columbia Eligible 2025
36 Canada Edwards, AlexAlex Edwards RW R 19 2021 Grand Forks, British Columbia Undrafted
20 Norway Evensen, CasperCasper Evensen RW L 19 2023 Oslo, Norway Undrafted
4 Canada Fryer, SethSeth Fryer D R 18 2021 Victoria, British Columbia Eligible 2024
31 United States Holt, BradenBraden Holt G L 21 2022 Bozeman, Montana Undrafted
24 Canada Keller, MatthewMatthew Keller D L 18 2021 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2024
32 Canada Kinniburgh, DeeganDeegan Kinniburgh LW L 18 2021 Taber, Alberta Eligible 2024
3 Canada Kipkie, JustinJustin Kipkie D L 19 2020 Calgary, Alberta 2023, 160th Overall, ARI
33 Canada Kraus, JaydenJayden Kraus G L 18 2021 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Eligible 2025
8 Canada Laventure, TysonTyson Laventure RW R 21 2024 Lloydminster, Alberta Undrafted
23 Canada Misskey, NateNate Misskey (A) D R 19 2020 Melfort, Saskatchewan Undrafted
25 Canada Newman, ReggieReggie Newman RW R 19 2020 Kamloops, British Columbia Undrafted
29 Canada Pasternack, DawsonDawson Pasternack (A) RW R 21 2024 Winnipeg, Manitoba Undrafted
28 Canada Pickford, LoganLogan Pickford RW R 18 2023 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2024
7 Canada Reschny, ColeCole Reschny C L 17 2022 Macklin, Saskatchewan Eligible 2025
19 Canada Riche, BenBen Riche C L 19 2023 Bethune, Saskatchewan Undrafted
21 Czech Republic Sapousek, RobinRobin Sapousek (A) C L 20 2022 Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic Undrafted
9 Canada Scott, TannerTanner Scott (A) LW L 20 2019 Sherwood Park, Alberta Undrafted
15 Canada Spizawka, RyanRyan Spizawka D L 20 2019 Victoria, British Columbia Undrafted
22 Canada Trembecky, TeydonTeydon Trembecky LW L 19 2022 Strathcona, Alberta Undrafted
18 Canada Verhoeff, KeatonKeaton Verhoeff D R 16 2023 Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta Eligible 2026
5 Canada Zemlak, AustinAustin Zemlak D L 19 2020 Fort McMurray, Alberta Undrafted

Team captains

  • Hayden Rintoul, 2011–2012
  • Tyler Stahl, 2012–2013
  • Jordan Fransoo, 2013–2014
  • Joe Hicketts, 2014–2016
  • Ryan Gagnon, 2016–2017
  • Matthew Phillips, 2017–2018
  • Phillip Schultz, 2019–2020
  • Tarun Fizer, 2021–2022
  • Gannon Laroque, 2022–2023

NHL alumni

The following is a list of players from the Victoria Royals who have played in the National Hockey League.

  • Noah Gregor
  • Joe Hicketts
  • Brayden Pachal
  • Matthew Phillips
  • Brayden Tracey

Club records

Note: The following club records do not include statistics from the Chilliwack Bruins and are complete through the end of the 2018–19 WHL season.

Season

Individual

  • Most goals, 50, Matthew Phillips, 2016–17
  • Most assists, 64, Matthew Phillips, 2017–18
  • Most points, 112, Matthew Phillips, 2017–18
  • Most penalty minutes: 159, Keegan Kanzig, 2012–13
  • Best goals against average, 1.82, Griffen Outhouse, 2015–16
  • Most shutouts, 6, Coleman Vollrath, 2014–15
  • Most games played, goaltender: 63, Griffen Outhouse, 2016–17
  • Most saves, goaltender: 1,829, Griffen Outhouse, 2016–17

Team

  • Most wins: 50, 2015–16
  • Most losses: 43, 2022–23
  • Most points: 106, 2015–16
  • Most goals for: 287, 2017–18
  • Fewest goals for: 199, 2018–19, 2022–23
  • Most goals against: 325, 2011–12
  • Fewest goals against: 166, 2015–16

Career

  • Most goals: 151, Tyler Soy, 2012–18
  • Most assists: 176, Tyler Soy, 2012–18
  • Most points: 327, Tyler Soy, 2012–18
  • Most penalty minutes: 470, Austin Carroll, 2011–15
  • Most games played, skater: 323, Tyler Soy, 2012–18
  • Best goals against average: 2.73, Coleman Vollrath, 2012–16
  • Most shutouts: 10, Griffen Outhouse, 2015–19
  • Most games played, goaltender: 196, Griffen Outhouse, 2015–19
  • Most saves, goaltender: 5,595, Griffen Outhouse, 2015–19

Awards and honours

Team

Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy
WHL Regular Season Champion

  • 2015–16

St. Clair Group Trophy
WHL Marketing/Business Award

  • 2015–16

WHL Scholastic Team of the Year

  • 2016–17

Individual

Brad Hornung Trophy
WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player

  • Tyler Soy: 2015–16

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy
WHL Coach of the Year

  • Dave Lowry: 2013–14, 2015–16

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy
WHL Rookie of the Year

  • Matthew Phillips: 2015–16

Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy
WHL Executive of the Year

  • Cam Hope: 2013–14

WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team

  • Joe Hicketts: 2015–16
  • Matthew Phillips: 2016–17, 2017–18

WHL Western Conference Second All-Star Team

  • Joe Hicketts: 2014–15
  • Tyler Soy: 2015–16
  • Scott Walford: 2018–19

See also

  • List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia
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