Royals host division leading Blazers for two game set
Victoria will look to pick up some key points in the playoff race in games versus Kamloops this weekend
The Victoria Royals will return to the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre this weekend for a pair of contests against the BC Division-leading Kamloops Blazers on Friday and Saturday night.
Victoria (13-27-4-1) will look to maintain momentum following a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets in the final leg of a four game road trip last weekend–a win which allowed them to vault into a tie for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Royals General Manager and Head Coach Dan Price expects the competition to continue to heat up this weekend against the top-ranked Blazers:
“It’s two competitive teams going toe-to-toe here,” said Coach Price after practice Wednesday. “They’re trying to earn important points in the standings just like we are…So these are going to be heavy games, no question. They’re going to be very hard-fought, they always are, BC Division rivalries, but now teams are fighting for playoff seeding and position. There’s not going to be any quarter given, that’s for sure.”
Forward Jake Poole has been an instrumental part of the team’s recent success, and will remain a huge factor in picking up some points this weekend.
The 20-year-old has recorded 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) during an ongoing seven game scoring streak that has brought his season total to a team-leading 51 points (25 goals, 26 assists) over 43 games this year.
Another Victoria player who will be leaned on this weekend is goaltender Braden Holt, who has put together an impressive resume to begin the new year, posting a 6-1-1-1 record with a 2.64 goals against average (GAA), a .916 save percentage (SV%) and two shutouts since arriving from Everett late last month.
Nicholas Cristiano will resume backup duties for the club this weekend. The Langley, BC product has earned a 4-10-1-1 record with 4.30 GAA and a .857 SV% in 17 appearances this season.
Victoria and Kamloops (26-9-4-2) have met on five occasions this year, with the Blazers winning four games to the Royals one.
The Blazers boast one of the deepest lineups in the WHL, led by reigning CHL player of the year Logan Stankoven, who has recorded at least one point in every game he’s appeared in this year, totalling 61 points on 23 goals and 38 assists in 27 games played.
Containing the 19-year-old will be key to victory for the Royals this weekend. Stankoven has recorded 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) over his last five games.
18-year-old goaltender Dylan Ernst projects to be the starter in net for Kamloops this weekend. The Weyburn, SK product has made 34 appearances for the club this year, earning a 23-7-2-1 record with a 2.58 GAA, a .911 SV% and two shutouts.
There are some exciting promotions planned at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre this weekend, with Friday’s game marking the team’s annual Pet Appreciation Night–presented by Paws on Cook–which will feature a special “Dogs for Dogs” promo, in which all proceeds from hot dog and team store sales will be donated to local animal rescue and charity organizations.
The event will also feature an opening puck drop by representatives from Search and Recovery Dog Association of Victoria (SARDAV) prior to the game.
Other organizations benefiting from Pet Appreciation Night include Elder Dog, Grandpaws Treats, Dog Bless, GVAC, RainCoast, SARDAV, Amy’s Bunny Barn, and the Victoria Bulldog Society.
The team will then hold their annual “Eco Night” celebration on Saturday–presented by the Victoria EV Club– featuring dozens of the latest electric vehicles on display in the concourse throughout the game.
Additionally, proceeds from the night’s 50-50 will go towards benefiting the Greater Victoria Green Team of Green Teams of Canada.
Puck drops for this weekend’s games are set for 7:05 pm on Friday, Jan. 27 and 6:05 pm on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria. Tickets are available at selectyourtickets.com.
Players to watch:
Victoria:
#29 Teague Patton (F) – 45 GP, 33 PTS (11 G, 22 A)
#28 Riley Gannon (F) – 45 GP, 28 PTS (13 G, 15 A)
#11 Matthew Hodson (F) – 42 GP, 26 PTS (13 G, 13 A)
Kamloops:
#3 Olen Zellwegger (D) – 28 GP, 37 PTS (14 G, 23 A)
#19 Caedan Bankier (F) – 30 GP, 44 PTS (21 G, 23 A)
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About the Victoria Royals
The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) owned and operated by GSL Group. The Royals play all their home games at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre and have entered their 12th season of their existence.
About Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (SOFMC) is designed, constructed, developed and operated by GSL Group. SOFMC is Victoria’s premier entertainment facility and the largest arena in British Columbia outside Vancouver. The state-of-the-art 7,000 seat facility is home to the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League and regularly hosts large-scale concerts and other special events such as figure skating, curling, plays, trade shows and conferences. SOFMC also features a fine dining Lion’s Den Restaurant, as well as retail and meeting space.
