The Victoria Royals will welcome their BC rivals to town tonight, with the Vancouver Giants coming to town for the first half of a home and home series.
It’s Pink in the Rink night, meaning $1 for every ticket sold will be donated to the BC Cancer Foundation.
It’s one of the best events on the Royals calendar, and they will also be wearing some bold and beautiful Pink in the Rink themed jerseys for the occasion which will be auctioned off to raise some cash for the event.
The Giants, meanwhile, have had the Royals’ number so for this season. They’ve won 5 of their first 6 matchups, though two of those were decided after regulation.
Victoria is 1-3-1-1 against Vancouver this season.
Overall, the Royals have fared significantly better at The Barn on Blanshard this year compared to the road, sporting an 8-13-2-1 record at home compared to a 6-19-2-0 record on the road.
Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. tonight.
Kalem Parker a beacon of consistency through up and down season
Kalem Parker has been a consistent bright spot on this Royals team, one that has had its fair share of challenges in consistently scoring goals.
But Parker, a 6’0, right handed defenseman, has been excellent this season.
So much so, that he’s found himself ranked as the 113th best North American prospect by the NHL’s Central Scouting rankings.
After playing well on a dismal Royals team as a 16-year-old last season, Parker has continued to make strides. He sees the ice well, makes a good first pass, and has good vision inside the attacking zone. He’s also willing to put his body on the line for the team.
So far he’s ranked 10th in the league among under-19 defenseman, with 6 goals and 29 points in 51 games thus far, providing the Royals with much needed offense from the blue line.
Since early December, he’s really turned up the heat, scoring 4 goals and 16 points over his past 23 games, good for 0.7 points per game over that span.
The Clavet, Saskatchewan native also isn’t afraid to mix it up, as his 54 penalty minutes would suggest – fourth overall on the Royals.
Parker has followed up last year’s strong 16-year-old season very well this year, and has put himself in a solid position to be drafted by an NHL franchise.
Whether or not that comes to fruition, the Royals have found a good one. And, if Gannon Laroque gets sent back next year for one final tour with the team, the Royals and their fans will be happy to know they have two stallions patrolling the right side of the blueline.
Tickets for tonight’s Pink in the Rink game can be purchased here.
Victoria Royals Pink in the Rink
- When: Friday, February 10th, puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
- Where: Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, 1925 Blanshard Street
