The Victoria Royals are showing everyone it’s okay not to be okay, and will keep trucking along as they look to get back in the win column this weekend.
They’ll host their division rival Friday, the Vancouver Giants, who sit one leg up on them in the conference standings in 7th place, and get a litmus test against the Everett Silvertips Saturday, the top the team in the west.
The Royals were making a serious charge throughout December, racking up 9 wins from 12 games that month. Unfortunately, a pause in the season due to covid from January 8th-12th hacked away their momentum.
Victoria will be happy to start off a four game home-stand after a challenging road swing to Kelowna and Prince George that saw them drop all four contests.
Puck drop for both games will be at 7:05 p.m. at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena.
Gannon Laroque is stuffin’ the scoresheet and crushin’ opponents
Gannon Laroque has continued his impressive season from the blueline thus far, and is showing everyone why the San Jose Sharks made him their 4th round selection, 103rd overall in last year’s 2021 NHL draft.
After posting a modest 7 points in last year’s shortened 21 game season, Laroque has become one of the best offensive defensemen in the WHL with 31 points through 34 games. That puts the 6’2 defender in a three way tie for 3rd in the league among defensemen, an impressive ascension for a player who’s name was skipped over on WHL draft day.
The Royals also boast the 10th best power play in the league, clicking along at 22%. Laroque is a massive part of that. He facilitates the play from the blue line effectively and is currently tied for 2nd in the league in powerplay assists, with 16.
But for all of his attacking virtues, Laroque doesn’t just impact the scoresheet. He uses all 202 pounds of his frame with regularity and is a complete nuisance to play against, as his 46 penalty minutes would suggest, putting him 12th in the league.
The Edmonton native has been in fine form of late, tallying 13 points over his last 10 games. He’ll look to keep the ball rollin’ this weekend in Victoria.
Support mental health Friday with Bell Let’s Talk and wear your best summer outfit for Saturday’s Halfway to Summer Jam
For Friday’s game, the Victoria Royals, along with Bell Let’s Talk, are doing their part in helping end the stigma of mental health. Everyone faces the challenges of being human and, if you are having a hard time, know that there are support lines and people who are willing to help. It’s always valuable to be able to get your thoughts out in a non-judgmental environment.
On Saturday, the Royals are feelin’ optimistic about the summer, with their Halfway to Summer Jam event. Forget about the winter rain by dressin’ up with your pals in your favourite summer outfit (you’ll probably still want to wear a jacket to the game..) and collect special wristbands around the arena.
Fans can also take advantage of Molson Coors Original cans for $6.
Supporting the Royals for Halfway to Summer Jam are Rise Together and 1000×5.
Rise Together connects with local organizations doing vital work for the community and offers their support to help reach organizational goals. 1000×5 is a children’s literacy recycling project dedicated to early literacy development. By donating a used book or by making a charitable donation, attendees can collect the “Marty VIP” wristband to add to their collection.
