Here’s a look at Victoria Royals’ recent road trip ahead of Teddy Bear Toss night

The Victoria Royals are returning home after their longest road trip of the season, set to kick off the Christmas season with a Friday-Saturday schedule.

The Tri-City Americans are visiting, seeking revenge for their 5-1 loss to the Royals back in November.

Lately, they’ve had a mixed performance, going 5-5-0-0 in their past 10 games. They currently hold the sixth position in the Western Conference, boasting a record of 15-12-1-1.

On the other hand, the Royals come back home after an impressive road trip, where they achieved a 4-1-0-0 record, elevating their season standing to 18-12-2. They’re currently one position ahead of Tri-City in the standings, securing the fifth spot.

Let’s dive into a few key takeaways from their trip.

Royals avenge home opener disaster

Back in September, the Royals were starting a fresh season. They began with a 0-2 record on the road before facing the Prince George Cougars in their first two home games.

It couldn’t have gone much worse, as the Royals suffered an 11-2 crushing defeat in the first game, followed by a 5-3 loss in the second.

It feels like a distant memory now.

Last week, the Royals traveled to face the Conference-leading Cougars and put on two impressive displays of hockey. They split the set with a win each: a 5-3 victory in the first game and an unusual 1-0 loss in the second—a rarity in junior hockey.

Jayden Kraus and Braden Holt split the starts, with Kraus making 32 saves out of 33 shots in the 1-0 loss, and Holt stopping 35 out of 38 shots. Their performances were crucial in securing two points, considering the Royals were outshot 71-32 across both games.

While a 1-0 defeat is disappointing, it’s a positive indicator that this team can tighten up and stick to their game plan against a strong Cougars team.

In junior hockey, players often tend to push for plays to open up the game, making it commendable when a team stays committed to their strategy and trusts the process, as the Royals seem to do comfortably.

15-year-old Keaton Verhoeff makes his Royals debut

15-year-old defenseman Keaton Verhoeff debuted for the Royals on the road, delivering solid and composed minutes for a player of his age.

Standing at six foot three, he already commands a significant presence on the blue line and eventually settled into a comfortable rhythm during the game.

Selected as the Royals’ 4th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Bantam Draft, he’s certainly a player worth keeping an eye on.

The WHL allows teams to field their 15-year-old prospects for a maximum of five games unless their midget season has concluded. This means that these upcoming home games will likely mark the end of Verhoeff’s brief season.

Interestingly, he even took two faceoffs in his WHL debut, a skill set he probably won’t need to refine too much as a defenseman.

Quick stats from 5 game road trip

• Tanner Scott was excellent on the road trip after a mini slump, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists and going +11
• Robin Sapousek continues his fine play with a goal and 6 assists
• Justin Kipkie was steady on the back end, providing 2 goals and 3 assists
• Royals were 2/14 on the power play. Zemlak and Pasternak with the goals
• Royals killed 15/21 opposition power plays
• Royals scored 20 goals while allowing 12

Pair of Royal imports heading to World Juniors

The Victoria Royals will be sending a pair of players to Gothenburg, Sweden, for the World Junior Championships this Christmas.

Czechia center Robin Sapousek has received the call, joining Norwegian winger Casper Haugen-Evensen.

Sapousek will be returning for a second tournament after his loss to Connor Bedard and the Canadians last year.

Meanwhile, Haugen-Evensen will be making a rare appearance for a Norwegian in the World Junior tournament, marking their fourth qualification since 2004.

This also means that the Royals will have to manage without their top-line center and a skilled winger.

Sapousek was selected 7th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft, while Haugen-Evensen was chosen 9th in 2023.

Victoria Royals annual Teddy Bear Toss is Saturday

One of the marquee Royals nights is just around the corner, with the annual Teddy Bear Toss set for Saturday.

Fans are encouraged to bring a new or gently used stuff toy to throw on the ice.

When the Royals score their first goal of the night, Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre erupts into a storm of teddy bears, making one of the best scenes of the season.

Don’t miss out on good vibes and good times!

Victoria Royals vs Tri-City Americans

• Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
• When:
  • Friday, Friday December 15th – puck drops at 7:05 p.m. (Ugly Christmas Sweater)
  • Saturday, Saturday December 16th – puck drops at 6:05 p.m. (Teddy Bear Toss)