Royals select forward Cole Reschny with third overall pick in 2022 WHL Prospects Draft
The Macklin, SK product recorded 92 points in 25 games for the Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep squad in 2021-2022.
Forward Cole Reschny became the highest pick in Victoria Royals history on Thursday when he was selected by the club with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 15-year-old is coming off an outstanding year for the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) U15 Prep team, being named the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) U15 Prep division’s Most Valuable Player after finishing the regular season with a league-leading 40 goals while adding 52 assists to finish second in the league with 92 total points.
He would go on to add 11 more points on five goals and six assists during his team’s 2022 playoff run, and later registered 16 more points playing a level up for the NAX U16 Prep squad, assisting them in claiming the 2022 CSSHL U16 championship.
“This is a great opportunity for the Victoria Royals to be able to select a player like Cole,” said Royals Director of Player Personnel, Ed Fowler. “Cole is a special player, one of the most complete players in the draft. He is a dynamic offensive player and solid in the defensive zone. He plays fast, his compete level is off the charts and his vision and sense is exceptional. Cole’s energy and drive is infectious.”
Other players who have received the CSSHL MVP award include current WHL standout Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, and Matthew Savoie of the Winnipeg ICE, who is projected to be a top-three pick at the NHL draft in Montreal this July.
Reschny – a left-hand shot who stands at 5’9”, 160lbs – is the highest Royals draft pick since the team selected Tyler Soy eighth overall back in the spring of 2012, and joins a tradition of hard-working, two-way offensive forwards who have brought similar styles of play to Victoria, including Soy, Matthew Phillips, Noah Gregor and Tanner Kaspick.
“As a person Cole is of high character, honest, hardworking and humble,” added Fowler. “We are excited to welcome him to the Royals organization. We would like to thank the Reschny family for trusting our program and staff to develop Cole as a hockey player and continue to help him grow as a person.”
Reschny will join his new teammates in Victoria later this summer at training camp, alongside several other Royals prospects selected in this year’s draft.
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 11th 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.
