The Victoria Royals will host the Spokane Chiefs for a pair of home games this Friday and Saturday, marking the final two games of a five-game homestand at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, while Saturday’s game is set to begin at 6:05 p.m.— tickets are still available for both games.
This weekend will kick off the Royals’ Hockey for All event, demonstrating their support for the LGBTQ+ community and individuals living with disabilities.
Tonight’s game will focus on raising awareness and providing education for the LGBTQ+ community. The evening will feature performances by Honey Dewme and Vivian Vanderpuss.
Proceeds from the 50/50 draw will benefit the Victoria Pride Society to aid in supporting their operations.
On Saturday, the Royals will collaborate with OneAbility Victoria for a shared cause, continuing their efforts to educate and promote active living for individuals with disabilities.
Various partners will be available throughout the concourse to share information about their activities and programs. Fans will also have the opportunity to try out adapted sports.
Additionally, the Royals have partnered with the Canucks Autism Network to provide a sensory room for those in need.
Proceeds from the 50/50 draw will support OneAbility’s initiatives in Victoria.
Throughout these events, the Royals, who have scored 21 goals in their last four games, will be striving for their first three-game win streak of the season.
Hockey is a wonderful game that fosters friendships, relationships, and life skills. Both kids and adults can experience the joy of improvement in a fun setting, building connections with friends during practices or while sharing a cold one after the game.
Sports offer one of the simplest ways for people to feel like they can “fit in,” even if it’s just for an hour or two.
No one, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, disability, or race, should be deprived of that opportunity.
It’s a Canadian game. Let’s make it a Canadian game for all.
Royals continue home stand with 4 wins in last 5 games
After the Royals’ challenging 0-4-0 start to the season, fans had reason to wonder what type of season Victoria would have, especially after the team traded Kalem Parker and Brayden Schuurman to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Well, that is all now a distant memory.
Victoria has won four of their last five games, scoring 25 goals in that span.
The Royals are united in their attack, led by their top line of Tanner Scott, Robin Sapousek, and Reggie Newman. Scott provides the speed and skill for the group, Sapousek is the hard-working, net-driving engine, and Newman combines size, grit, excellent hands, and a lethal shot.
They’ve had dominating shifts in possession, working the opposition along the wall before finding a shot in front, and they are simply fun to watch. When hard work and determination meet skill, it can be quite entertaining.
Austin Zemlak and Nate Misskey, meanwhile, have been outstanding as the team’s top defensive pair. Misskey has only been held pointless in two games so far, while Zemlak’s puck-handling abilities seem to be improving at an excellent rate.
This means that Victoria has the best top line it has had in years, and the team has been performing well during their five-game homestand, with wins in two of three matches.
Spokane and Victoria are tied in the standings with 8 points each, although the Royals have played two more games.
This should make for an exciting weekend of hockey.
High end skill goes head to head this weekend
Spokane comes to town with Berkly Catton headlining their roster as the 1st overall pick from the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft. He has lived up to expectations this year, scoring 6 goals and providing 5 assists in just 7 games.
Currently, he is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
However, the Royals have their own skilled, recent high draft pick in Cole Reschny (3rd in 2022) to showcase. Despite being only 16 years old, he has displayed the skill and skating that justified his high selection.
Reschny has performed impressively alongside the newly acquired Dawson Pasternak (6 points in 3 games) and is making more plays with each passing game.
While he has yet to produce eye-popping numbers, that’s perfectly fine. So far, he has accumulated 6 points in 9 games, including 5 in his last 5.
By the way, one of those games featured a dangling, diving, one-of-a-kind assist on Tuesday:
WHAT A 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦 FROM COLE RESCHNY!@victoriaroyals pic.twitter.com/jc3NAroehR
— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 18, 2023
Not bad, kid.
The confidence is building, and that’s only a good thing for Royals fans.
Grab your tickets online!
