Saturday 28 February 2015

Royals Host Thunderbirds For A Pair

ROYALS HOST THUNDERBIRDS FOR TWO GAMES NEXT WEEK
Victoria entertains Seattle next Monday and Tuesday night.

For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 26, 2015

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Royals will welcome the Seattle Thunderbirds to Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for the first time this season on Monday, March 1st and Tuesday March 2nd. Puck drop for both games is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

CLUTCH PLAYERS: Victoria Royals' forwards Austin Carroll and Tyler Soy are currently tied for first and fifth respectively in the WHL for game winning goals (GWG). Carroll has 10 GWG so far this season, while Soy has six of his own. Carroll’s 10 game winners are a Victoria/Chilliwack single season record. The native of Scottsdale, AZ also holds the all-time franchise record for most GWG with 19.

DYNAMIC DUO: The Royals currently boast the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) top scoring defensive duo in Joe Hicketts and Travis Brown who have a combined 109 points (26g-83a). Hicketts leads the WHL in scoring by a D-man with 56 points (9g-47a) and is ranked fifth in the CHL, while Brown is in eighth with 53 points (17g-36a). The pairing currently sits five points up on the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds’ Anthony DeAngelo (16g-53a) and Gustav Bouramman (5g-30a) for first.


MONDAY NIGHT

Tickets:
-          Mad Monday’s return with $5.00 tickets available for both games vs. Seattle. This ticket deal is only available at the Select Your Tickets Box Office every Monday of the regular season for games occurring during that week. The box office opens at 9:30 a.m. and fans are encouraged to arrive early as Mad Monday tickets are available in limited quantities only.

Intermission Activities:

Second Intermission
-          Hotel Grand Pacific Chuck-a-Puck
o   A free night’s stay at the Hotel Grand Pacific
o   Jiffy Lube Oil Change (approx. 20 winners per game)

TUESDAY NIGHT – RAIN CHECK NIGHT

Tickets:
-          Season ticket holders are reminded that Tuesday’s game is the final rain check night of the season where any unused season ticket can be redeemed at the Select Your Tickets Box Office.

-          Boston Pizza presents two-for-one Tuesdays. Show your Tuesday night game ticket at any participating Boston Pizza location and receive two appetizers for the price of one. This offer is valid any time after the game up until the following Thursday.

Intermission Activities:

Second Intermission
-          Hotel Grand Pacific Chuck-a-Puck
o   A free night’s stay at the Hotel Grand Pacific
o   Jiffy Lube Oil Change (approx. 20 winners per game)

The Royals’ Canadian Forces jerseys will be on display in the concourse at Gate 1 and available to bid on in ongoing jersey auctions during both games. All proceeds support the Military Family Resource Centre. Full jersey auction schedule can be found at www.victoriaroyals.com/jerseyauctions.


Cheer your Royals on until the final whistle by purchasing a 2015 Playoff Pack. A $75 deposit before March 14th will guarantee you a spot at every home game, plus the season ticket holder rate of up to 30% savings on your tickets. Book by March 3rd to qualify for an early bird incentive of a complimentary ticket to the Royals Awards Ceremony on March 22nd at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Full details are available at www.victoriaroyals.com/playoffs

Recap: VIC 2 - KAM 4

Brady Gaudet had a 3 point night to lead the Kamloops Blazers past the visiting Victoria Royals 4-2 Friday night.

“Our preparation, our urgency, wasn’t at the level where it was supposed to be, especially at this time of year…” said Royals Head Coach Dave Lowry,

Kamloops forward Matt Needham broke a 2-2 third period tie for the eventual game winner, as Gaudet added his 2nd of the night into an empty night for the insurance, helping the Blazers snap a 4 game losing streak.

The Royals drop both games on their BC Division swing, after falling by the same 4-2 score against the Rockets Wednesday.

We understand that we just came off 3 games with Kelowna that were really heavy games, emotional games, and hard games on the body.  We thought this might be a game where it was going to be hard to get ready emotionally to play, and it was.” said Lowry

Kamloops is now 3 points back of Vancouver for the final playoff spot in the BC Division.

It was the final meeting of the regular season between the clubs, with the Royals earning a winning record of 4-3-1-0.

Greg Chase and Brandon Magee scored the goals for Victoria, in a game which was tied at 1 after 20 minutes, and after 40.

“Right from the get go we weren’t mentally prepared to play, and that cost us in the long run…” said Magee who tied the game at 2, just :33 seconds after Kamloops took their first lead of the game in the third,

“Being able to battle back to 2-2 was good for our boys, but not too long after they were getting around our net and we didn’t do a good job of picking up sticks and that was their go ahead goal.”

Logan McVeigh scored the other for the Blazers.

“We spent an enormous amount of time in our zone, and it was a good thing our goalie was sharp.” said Lowry.

Royals netminder Justin Paulic was the third star, making 38 saves in loss in his 3rd straight start.  Connor Ingram earned the victory for the Blazers, allowing two goals on 14 shots.

Victoria shut down all 4 Kamloops power plays, while the Royals were 0 for 1 on the power play.

Seattle visits the Island for a pair of back to back games Monday and Tuesday.

- Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals 2 at Kamloops Blazers 4 - Status: Final
Friday, February 27, 2015 - Interior Savings Centre - Kamloops, BC

Victoria 1 0 1 - 2
Kamloops 1 0 3 - 4

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Chase 19   1:50.
2, Kamloops, Gaudet 3 (Sideroff, Ully), 8:51.

Penalties-No Penalties

2nd Period- No Scoring.

Penalties-served by Hannoun Vic (interference), 2:18; Carroll Vic (cross checking), 7:01; Sideroff Kam (hooking), 11:52; Crunk Vic (tripping), 14:28.

3rd Period-
3, Kamloops, McVeigh 7 (Shirley, Harrison), 4:28.
4, Victoria, Magee 18 (Carroll, Forsberg), 5:01.
5, Kamloops, Needham 21 (Gaudet, Benjafield), 16:21.
6, Kamloops, Gaudet 4   19:21 (EN).

Penalties-Walker Vic (instigator, major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 8:30; Maier Kam (major-fighting), 8:30.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 6-4-4-14.
Kamloops 13-14-15-42.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 0 / 1;
Kamloops 0 / 4.

Goalies-
Victoria, Paulic 13-13-1-1 (41 shots-38 saves).
Kamloops, Ingram 16-17-1-3 (14 shots-12 saves).

A-3,927
Referees-Ryan Benbow (62), Chris Crich (20).
Linesmen-Riley Balson (46), Dustin Minty (86).

Thursday 26 February 2015

Preview: Victoria at Kamloops, Friday Feb.27.2015

The Victoria Royals (33-24-3-1, 70pts) visit the Kamloops Blazers (22-33-3-3, 50pts) Friday night in their final regular season meeting.

Pregame show at 6:40, with puck drop at 7pm on The Zone @ 91.3 fm, online: cjzn.streamon.fm

Victoria has a winning record of 4-2-1-0 against Kamloops, most recently winning 5-2 at the Interior Savings Centre on Feb. 14th, and 6-0 on the Island Jan. 24th.

The Royals are 2nd in the BC Division and looking to get back into the win column as they wrap up their 2 game road swing after a 4-2 loss in Kelowna Wednesday night.

The Blazers are 5th in the Division, 5 points out of a playoff spot and have dropped their last 4 straight.

Most recently Kamloops was blanked in Vancouver 1-0 on Feb. 21st, and have had 5 days between games.

The Blazers are .500 on home ice, while the Royals are 1 under on the road.

Kamloops is led in scoring by Cole Ully (5th rd DAL’13), who’s 7th in league scoring with 77 points.

Blazer Netmidner Connor Ingram was the WHL Goaltender of the Month for January posting a record of (7-1-0-1).

’97 born forward Devin Sideroff is 6th in rookie scoring with 39 points.  Sideroff is ranked 110 among N.A. skaters for the upcoming draft.

Defenseman Michael For a is ranked 114th, and played for Switzerland at the World Juniors, while teammate D Patrik Maier played for Slovakia.

New Jersey’s 5th round pick, defenseman Ryan Rehill and Marc McNulty (6th rd DET ’13) lead the league in minor penalties taken with 44 a piece.

Two former Royals suit up for the Blazers in forwards Luke Harrison and Matthew Campese.

Victoria is led by Austin Carroll’s 70 points, including a team high 35 goals.  Joe Hicketts leads all defenseman in scoring with 56 points.

Brandon Magee is riding a 5 game point streak with 6 points (1g 5a).

After Kamloops, Victoria returns home for a pair of back to back games against Seattle Monday and Tuesday.

- Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals vs Kamloops Blazers: Head To Head Stats Summary
  
Description
Result
Head to Head Record 2014-15 Regular SeasonVictoria 4-2-1-0Kamloops 3-3-1-0
Head to Head Record 2013-14 Regular SeasonVictoria 7-1-0-0Kamloops 1-7-0-0
Last 5 Years record between teamsVictoria 21-16-2-0Kamloops 18-17-2-2
Victoria vs. Kamloops Last 5 Years record at VictoriaVictoria 13-5-2-0Kamloops 7-10-1-2
Victoria vs. Kamloops Last 5 Years record at KamloopsVictoria 8-11-0-0Kamloops 11-7-1-0
Previous Meetings This SeasonVictoria 5 @ Kamloops 2 (Feb 14 2015) Final
Kamloops 0 @ Victoria 6 (Jan 24 2015) Final
Kamloops 4 @ Victoria 3 (Jan 23 2015) Final OT
Victoria 5 @ Kamloops 3 (Nov 29 2014) Final
Kamloops 3 @ Victoria 4 (Sep 27 2014) Final OT
Kamloops 8 @ Victoria 2 (Sep 26 2014) Final
Victoria 3 @ Kamloops 6 (Sep 19 2014) Final

How the 2 teams match up
   
 
Kamloops
Victoria
Team Record22-33-3-3 -- 50 points33-24-3-1 -- 70 points
Division Ranking5th B.C.2nd B.C.
Conference Ranking10th Western4th Western
League Ranking20th9th
Past 10 Games3-7-0-06-4-0-0
Streak0-4-0-00-1-0-0
Last Game1-0 L @ Vancouver (Feb 21 2015) Final4-2 L @ Kelowna (Feb 25 2015) Final
Home Record14-14-0-119-9-3-0
Away Record8-19-3-214-15-0-1
GF174 212 
GA227 188 
PP (Overall)(41/221) 18.6(58/266) 21.8
PP (Home)(23/106) 21.7(33/128) 25.8
PP (Away)(18/115) 15.7(25/138) 18.1
PK (Overall)(67/275) 75.6(54/257) 79.0
PK (Home)(33/129) 74.4(22/125) 82.4
PK (Away)(34/146) 76.7(32/132) 75.8
Leading RookieSideroff (16-23-39)Nagy (6-6-12)
Most PIMRehill - 113Carroll - 112
Team PIM/GM13.6/Game14.5/Game
Leading ScorersUlly (29-48-77)Carroll (35-35-70)
 Needham (20-42-62)Hicketts (9-47-56)
 Sideroff (16-23-39)Soy (24-30-54)
 Shirley (20-15-35)Brown (17-36-53)
 Hamilton (13-20-33)Chase (18-34-52)
Last 5 Games1-0 L @ Vancouver (Feb 21 2015) Final4-2 L @ Kelowna (Feb 25 2015) Final
 4-3 L vs Moose Jaw (Feb 20 2015) Final5-2 W vs Kelowna (Feb 21 2015) Final
 11-4 L @ Kelowna (Feb 18 2015) Final3-2 L vs Kelowna (Feb 20 2015) Final
 5-2 L vs Victoria (Feb 14 2015) Final4-3 L vs Moose Jaw (Feb 17 2015) Final
 3-2 W vs Seattle (Feb 13 2015) Final SO6-3 W @ Seattle (Feb 15 2015) Final
Leading After 1st12-1-0-017-4-0-0
Leading After 2nd15-1-0-122-2-0-0
Tied After 1st8-7-3-110-7-0-1
Tied After 2nd5-3-3-07-4-2-0
Trailing After 1st2-25-0-26-13-3-0
Trailing After 2nd2-29-0-24-18-1-1
Out Shooting Opponents14-13-2-220-7-1-0
Out Shot by Opponents7-20-1-112-15-2-1
1-Goal Games9-5-3-312-9-3-1
2-Goal Games5-7-0-05-7-0-0
3-Goal Games4-12-0-08-3-0-0


Wednesday 25 February 2015

Recap: VIC 2 - KEL 4

Cole Linaker had a pair of assists, as the Kelowna Rockets overcame a 2-0 deficit (47-10-3-1, 98pts) and doubled up on the visiting Victoria Royals 4-2 Wednesday night.

“I thought we played really good in the first period, and we did everything we have to do to win a game in here…” said Head Coach Dave Lowry,

“We got away from our game, we let them dictate the pace of the play and special teams was the difference.”

Leon Draisaitl broke a 2-2 third period tie, and Tyson Baillie shorthanded added the insurance marker.

The Royals (33-24-3-1, 70pts) led 2-0 after 20 on goals by Austin Carroll (35th) and Greg Chase (18th), but the Rockets added a pair in the second, and two more in the third for their 8th straight home victory.

“We put ourselves in a position were we should’ve won a hockey game…” said Lowry,

“If we could’ve maintained the momentum we had in the first period - we win a hockey game.”

Victoria was 0 for 7 on the power play, while the Rockets went 1 for 3.

“We had more than enough opportunities to win on the power play, we didn’t execute - basically we got outworked.” said Lowry

Chance Braid had a goal and a fight with Taylor Crunk, while Madison Bowey supplied the other goal for the home team.

Kelowna, the top team in the WHL now leads the season series 5 games to 2, and will wrap up the set at home March 11th.

It was the third straight meeting between in six days the clubs, with Victoria earning a split on home ice last weekend.

“We learned that we can play with this team ,and play with anyone in this league when we’re playing our best, so we’ll take those strides and move forward.” said Chase on 3 in a row versus the #2 ranked club in the CHL.

“I don’t think we’re too far away…” added Lowry. “I thought Saturday night (5-2 win) was a great game, it epitomized what we have to do to win…”

Justin Paulic made 25 stops in the loss, while Michael Herringer kicked out 25 shots for the win.

Brandon Magee extended his point streak to 5 games, with 6 points (1g 5a).  It was Logan Fishers 200 WHL game, and Brandon Fushimi’s 19th birthday.  Chase was named 3rd star.

With the goal, Carroll now has a team leading 70 points.  Hicketts added an assist to his defenseman leading 47 helpers and 56 points - tops in the league.

Victoria’s two game BC Divison road swing wraps up Friday night in Kamloops against the 5th place Blazers.

The Royals return home on Monday, March 2nd and Tuesday, March 3rd to host the Seattle Thunderbirds for a two-game set.  Puck drop for both contests is slated for 7:05 p.m.  

-  Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals 2 at Kelowna Rockets 4 - Status: Final
Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - Prospera Place - Kelowna, BC

Victoria 2 0 0 - 2
Kelowna 0 2 2 - 4

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Carroll 35 (Reddekopp, Magee), 13:17.
2, Victoria, Chase 18 (Hicketts), 17:56.

Penalties-served by Coughlin Kel (too many men), 4:03; Brown Vic (hooking), 12:57; Draisaitl Kel (embellishment), 12:57.

2nd Period-
3, Kelowna, Bowey 15 (Linaker, Goulbourne), 5:57.
4, Kelowna, Braid 11 (Linaker, Stadel), 15:07 (PP).

Penalties-Reddekopp Vic (inter. on goaltender), 0:43; Crunk Vic (major-fighting), 6:11; Braid Kel (major-fighting), 6:11; Soy Vic (roughing), 7:00; Bowey Kel (roughing), 7:00; Stadel Kel (inter. on goaltender), 7:00; Bowey Kel (hooking), 11:45; Fisher Vic (interference), 14:21; Martin Kel (holding), 15:46; Carroll Vic (roughing), 16:22; Bowey Kel (roughing), 16:22; Baillie Kel (roughing), 18:36.
3rd Period-
5, Kelowna, Draisaitl 12 (Merkley), 13:22.
6, Kelowna, Baillie 35 (Southam), 15:57 (SH).

Penalties-Merkley Kel (slashing), 4:10; Fushimi Vic (roughing), 8:47; Goulbourne Kel (hooking), 14:35.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 12-9-6-27.
Kelowna 12-12-5-29.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 0 / 7;
Kelowna 1 / 3.

Goalies-
Victoria, Paulic 13-12-1-1 (29 shots-25 saves).
Kelowna, Herringer 8-2-0-0 (27 shots-25 saves).

A-5,061
Referees-Steve Papp (17), Jeff Ingram (82).
Linesmen-Kevin Crowell (141), Dustin Minty (86).

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Preview: Victoria at Kelowna, Wed.Feb.25.2015

The Victoria Royals (33-23-3-1, 70 pts) visit the top team in the WHL, the Kelowna Rockets (46-10-3-1, 96 pts) Wednesday night on a 2 game BC Division road swing.

It’s their 3rd straight meeting, all in a span of 6 days and 4th meeting in 13 days.

Pregame show at 6:40, puck drop at 7pm on The Zone @ 91.3 FM, or online: cjzn.streamon.fm

The Royals earned a split against the Rockets Saturday with a 5-2 win at home.  Logan Fisher had 4 assists, and Taylor Crunk two goals while Justin Paulic made 31 saves for the victory.  They snapped Kelowna’s 4 game win streak.

Victoria fell 3-2 on the Friday night, and 7-3 one week earlier on the road.

The Royals are .500 on the road (14-14-0-1) with 2 straight wins, while the Rockets are on a 7 game home win streak, 16 over .500 record (22-6-1-0).

Victoria now has two wins in six games against Kelowna, and will look for their first victory at Prospera Place this season.

The Royals have 7 wins in their past 10 and sit 2nd in the BC Division, 26 points back of the #2 team in the CHL Rockets.  Kelowna has 8 wins in their past 10, have clinched the Division, and are first in the league with a 2 point lead on Brandon.

Victoria owns the 5th best power play, have scored the 7th most goals for on average per game while allowing the 6th fewest.

The Rockets are first in power play efficiency, scored the 2nd most goals on average per game, while allowing the fewest in the league.  They are without their number 1 goaltender Jackson Whistle (appendix).

Kelowna and Victoria are both in the top 5 in penalty minutes taken on average per game in the league.

MILESTONE MAN: Including playoffs, Royals’ Head Coach Dave Lowry will coach his 300th Western Hockey League game tonight against the Kelowna Rockets. Lowry has been the head coach of two WHL teams, including the Royals (2012-present) and Calgary Hitmen (2008-09). Lowry’s record as a head coach stands at 171-78-9-8 in 266 regular season games. The Royals’ skipper holds a playoff record of 21-10-2 in 33 post-season contests for the Royals and Hitmen.

The Royals are led in scoring by Austin Carroll’s 69 points, including 34 goals and a league high 15 power play markers.  Carroll is a 7th round pick of the Calgary Flames.

Joe Hicketts (Signed DET) is tied for first in defenseman scoring with Calgary’s Travis Sanheim with 55 points.  Hicketts leads all rearguards in assists with 46.

Travis Brown is 3rd in defenseman scoring with 53 points and and leads all defenders in goals with 17.  Rockets Madison Bowey (WASH) is 5th with 49.  Josh Morrissey is 4th in goals among rearguards.

Tyler Soy is ranked 152nd by NHL Central Scouting and has 54 points in 57 games including 24 goals.

Victoria’s Brandon Magee (F/A CGY) is on a 4 game streak with 5 points (1g 4a).

Kelowna is led in scoring by Nick Merkely with 79 points in 60 games, including 62 assists, the 2nd most in the league.  His 79 points is 5th best in the league, and he’s ranked 13th among North American skaters by NHL CSS.

Rourke Chartier (5th rd SJ ’14) is 6th in league scoring with 78 points, including 46 goals which he holds the league lead with Cole Sanford of the Tigers.

Tyson Baillie (F/A SJ) is on an 8 game assist streak with 12 points.  Josh Morrissey (13th overall WPG) is riding an 11 game streak with 12 points, and has 17 points in 18 games since being acquired from the Raiders.

Morrissey, Bowey and Hicketts all won Gold at the World Juniors for Team Canada.  Head Coach Dave Lowry served as an assistant coach for the country.

Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers 3rd overall pick has 34 points in 20 games since returning from the NHL where he had 9 points in 37 contests.

After Kelowna, Victoria visits Kamloops for an 8th and final regular season meeting Friday.  The Royals have a winning record against the Blazers of (4-2-1-0).

They’ll be at home for a pair against the Seattle Thunderbirds (1-1) Monday and Tuesday.

- Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals vs Kelowna Rockets: Head To Head Stats Summary
Description
Result
Head to Head Record 2014-15 Regular SeasonVictoria 2-4-0-0Kelowna 4-1-1-0
Head to Head Record 2013-14 Regular SeasonVictoria 5-2-0-1Kelowna 3-4-0-1
Last 5 Years record between teamsVictoria 17-17-1-3Kelowna 21-13-2-2
Victoria vs. Kelowna Last 5 Years record at VictoriaVictoria 8-9-1-2Kelowna 12-6-2-0
Victoria vs. Kelowna Last 5 Years record at KelownaVictoria 9-8-0-1Kelowna 9-7-0-2
Previous Meetings This SeasonKelowna 2 @ Victoria 5 (Feb 21 2015) Final
Kelowna 3 @ Victoria 2 (Feb 20 2015) Final
Victoria 3 @ Kelowna 7 (Feb 13 2015) Final
Kelowna 5 @ Victoria 3 (Nov 19 2014) Final
Kelowna 3 @ Victoria 4 (Nov 18 2014) Final OT
Victoria 1 @ Kelowna 5 (Nov 5 2014) Final


How the 2 teams match up
Kelowna
Victoria
Team Record46-10-3-1 -- 96 points33-23-3-1 -- 70 points
Division Ranking1st B.C.2nd B.C.
Conference Ranking1st Western4th Western
League Ranking1st8th
Past 10 Games8-2-0-07-3-0-0
Streak0-1-0-01-0-0-0
Last Game5-2 L @ Victoria (Feb 21 2015) Final5-2 W vs Kelowna (Feb 21 2015) Final
Home Record22-6-1-019-9-3-0
Away Record24-4-2-114-14-0-1
GF267 210 
GA152 184 
PP (Overall)(77/292) 26.4(58/259) 22.4
PP (Home)(36/140) 25.7(33/128) 25.8
PP (Away)(41/152) 27.0(25/131) 19.1
PK (Overall)(50/252) 80.2(53/254) 79.1
PK (Home)(22/120) 81.7(22/125) 82.4
PK (Away)(28/132) 78.8(31/129) 76.0
Leading RookieDube (15-9-24)Nagy (6-6-12)
Most PIMSoutham - 84Carroll - 110
Team PIM/GM14.7/Game14.5/Game
Leading ScorersMerkley (17-62-79)Carroll (34-35-69)
Chartier (46-32-78)Hicketts (9-46-55)
Baillie (34-32-66)Soy (24-30-54)
Kirkland (21-30-51)Brown (17-36-53)
Bowey (14-35-49)Chase (17-34-51)
Last 5 Games5-2 L @ Victoria (Feb 21 2015) Final5-2 W vs Kelowna (Feb 21 2015) Final
3-2 W @ Victoria (Feb 20 2015) Final3-2 L vs Kelowna (Feb 20 2015) Final
11-4 W vs Kamloops (Feb 18 2015) Final4-3 L vs Moose Jaw (Feb 17 2015) Final
6-0 W vs Moose Jaw (Feb 14 2015) Final6-3 W @ Seattle (Feb 15 2015) Final
7-3 W vs Victoria (Feb 13 2015) Final5-2 W @ Kamloops (Feb 14 2015) Final
Leading After 1st28-2-2-117-3-0-0
Leading After 2nd35-1-2-022-2-0-0
Tied After 1st15-4-1-010-7-0-1
Tied After 2nd6-2-1-17-3-2-0
Trailing After 1st3-4-0-06-13-3-0
Trailing After 2nd5-7-0-04-18-1-1
Out Shooting Opponents31-6-0-120-7-1-0
Out Shot by Opponents13-4-3-012-14-2-1
1-Goal Games9-3-3-112-9-3-1
2-Goal Games13-3-0-05-6-0-0
3-Goal Games7-4-0-08-3-0-0

Sunday 22 February 2015

Recap: KEL 2 - VIC 5

Logan Fisher had 4 assists to help pace the Victoria Royals (33-23-3-1, 70pts) past the visiting Kelowna Rockets 5-2 Saturday night.

“It was good to see us rally, and play our game - it felt good.” said Fisher.

The Royals got a pair of goals from Taylor Crunk to help earn the split in the two game set after falling 3-2 one night earlier.

“They’re a tough group to contain, the only way we were going to give ourselves a chance to win was we had to play on the right side of the puck, play in the middle of the ice - and tonight our guys did a real good job.” - Head Coach Dave Lowry

They’ll face the number 1 team in the WHL for a 3rd straight meeting in Kelowna (46-10-3-1, 90pts) on Wednesday.

“I thought tonight we had a lot of guys that really elevated their game.  They wore their hearts on their sleeves.  It was an emotional game but I thought that our guys did a really good job of staying in the moment and in control.” said Lowry

Victoria broke a 1-1 third period tie with 3 straight goals by Brandon Magee (17th), Jack Walker (16th) and Crunk his 2nd of the night and 8th of the year.

“We executed our game plan which was being disciplined, getting pucks deep, getting pucks on net.  We stuck to it the entire game and it worked out.” said Crunk

Leon Draisaitl cut the lead in half with a power play goal with 3 minutes left, but with the goaltender pulled, Travis Brown buried the insurance marker into the empty net.

Brown leads all defenseman in goals with 17 and with 53 points is only 2 back of Calgary’s Travis Sanheim (55pts) and teammate Joe Hicketts (55pts) for tops in rearguard scoring in the WHL.

Justin Paulic made 31 saves for the victory, while Michael Herringer stopped 34 as the Royals outshot the Rockets 39-33.

Victoria was 0 for 3 on the power play, while Kelowna was 1 for 3.

The Royals remain in 2nd in the BC Division with 70 points, while the Rockets claimed the division title after Friday nights win with 90 points.

Victoria held off the leagues 4th and 5th top scorers for a second consecutive night in Nick Merkley and Rourke Chartier.  Draisaitl now has 7 points in 3 games versus the Royals.

Victoria will visit Kelowna Wednesday and Kamloops next Friday in a 2 game BC Division road swing.

- Marlon Martens

Kelowna Rockets 2 at Victoria Royals 5 - Status: Final
Saturday, February 21, 2015 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena - Victoria, BC

Kelowna 1 0 1 - 2
Victoria 1 0 4 - 5

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Crunk 7 (Fisher), 3:41.
2, Kelowna, Dube 15 (Baillie, Quinney), 5:47.

Penalties-Sayers Vic (hooking), 11:44; Merkley Kel (tripping), 11:53; Baillie Kel (slashing), 15:50; Magee Vic (interference), 19:22; Draisaitl Kel (roughing), 20:00; Hicketts Vic (roughing), 20:00.

2nd Period- No Scoring.

Penalties-Merkley Kel (roughing), 16:46; Walker Vic (cross checking), 16:46; Goulbourne Kel (hooking), 18:22.

3rd Period-
3, Victoria, Magee 17 (Fushimi, Forsberg), 6:39.
4, Victoria, Walker 16 (Fisher), 8:04.
5, Victoria, Crunk 8 (Fisher), 14:07.
6, Kelowna, Draisaitl 11 (Morrissey), 17:00 (PP).
7, Victoria, Brown 17 (Fisher, Gagnon), 17:37 (EN).

Penalties-Fisher Vic (slashing), 15:58.

Shots on Goal-
Kelowna 10-13-10-33.
Victoria 15-12-12-39.

Power Play Opportunities-
Kelowna 1 / 3;
Victoria 0 / 3.

Goalies-
Kelowna, Herringer 7-2-0-0 (38 shots-34 saves).
Victoria, Paulic 13-11-1-1 (33 shots-31 saves).
A-6,867
Referees-Tyler Adair (58), Chad Williams (60).
Linesmen-Riley Friesen (76), Jacob Hill (122).

Friday 20 February 2015

Recap: KEL 3 - VIC 2


Leon Draisaitl scored the game winning goal with :42 seconds left to cap off a 3 point night and lift the visiting Kelowna Rockets (46-9-3-1, 96 pts) past the Victoria Royals 3-2 Friday night.

“I thought we deserved better…” said Head Coach Dave Lowry,

“You play against the top team in the league…they’re going to keep coming, they know how to win.”

Victoria (32-23-3-1, 68pts) led 2-1 going into the third, but Josh Morrissey tied it up on the power play, before Draisaitl pounced on a loose puck and ultimatley gave his club their 4th win in a row.

Draisaitl scores winner
“We got on our heels, we put ourselves in a tough spot, took a couple penalties and they have the number 1 power play in the league, they make you pay - and that was the case tonight.” said Lowry

Draisaitl had 1 goal and 2 assists for first star honours and now has 33 points in 19 games since returning from the Edmonton Oilers.

Austin Carroll
The Royals suffered a second straight home set back, and face the Rockets again Saturday, and then on the road in Kelowna next Wendesday.  Victoria’s season series record against the top team in the WHL, falls to 1-4.

The Royals got goals from Austin Carroll (34th) and Greg Chase (17th), both on the power play which went 2 for 7.  The Rockets went 2 for 6 with the man advantage, with Cole Linaker rounding out the scoring.

Travis Brown had two helpers for the home team.

Coleman Vollrath took the loss, stopping 29 of 32 shots, while former Victoria netminder Michael Herringer made 25 saves for the win.

The Royals managed to shut down top gunners Nick Merkely and Rourke Chartier who are 4th and 5th respectively in league scoring.

Puck drop on the rubber match is at 7pm Saturday.

- Marlon Martens

Kelowna Rockets 3 at Victoria Royals 2 - Status: Final
Friday, February 20, 2015 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena - Victoria, BC

Kelowna 1 0 2 - 3
Victoria 1 1 0 - 2

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Carroll 34 (Magee, Brown), 1:48 (PP).
2, Kelowna, Linaker 13 (Draisaitl, Quinney), 10:29 (PP).

Penalties-Draisaitl Kel (delay of game), 1:09; Morrissey Kel (roughing), 2:24; Magee Vic (checking to the head), 2:24; Carroll Vic (kneeing), 4:19; Crunk Vic (interference), 9:24; Crunk Vic (charging), 13:04; Stephens Kel (holding), 19:32.

2nd Period-
3, Victoria, Chase 17 (Walker, Brown), 9:51 (PP).

Penalties-Morrissey Kel (tripping), 9:42; Chartier Kel (tripping), 10:33; Bowey Kel (checking from behind, roughing), 13:10; Braid Kel (roughing), 13:10; Crunk Vic (roughing), 13:10; Fisher Vic (roughing), 13:10; Soustal Kel (interference), 15:53; Morrissey Kel (boarding), 17:46; Southam Kel (roughing), 19:34; Forsberg Vic (checking from behind), 19:34; Magee Vic (roughing), 19:34.

3rd Period-
4, Kelowna, Morrissey 13 (Baillie, Draisaitl), 12:36 (PP).
5, Kelowna, Draisaitl 10 (Stadel, Dube), 19:17.

Penalties-Forsberg Vic (hooking), 11:54; Fushimi Vic (holding), 14:47.

Shots on Goal-
Kelowna 13-5-14-32.
Victoria 6-11-10-27.

Power Play Opportunities-
Kelowna 2 / 6;
Victoria 2 / 7.

Goalies-
Kelowna, Herringer 7-1-0-0 (27 shots-25 saves).
Victoria, Vollrath 23-13-3-1 (32 shots-29 saves).

A-6,254
Referees-Brett Iverson (24), Chris Schlenker (9).
Linesmen-Bevan Mills (98), Kirk Van Helvoirt (107).

Thursday 19 February 2015

Preview: Kelowna at Victoria, Friday Feb.20.2015

The Victoria Royals (32-22-3-1, 68pts) entertain the top team in the WHL, the Kelowna Rockets (45-9-3-1, 94pts) for a pair of games Friday and Saturday.

Pregame show at 7:10 with puck drop at 7:30 Friday on The Zone @ 91.3fm or online at: czjn.streamon.fm

It’s the 5th meeting of the season with the Royals winning 1 of 4 so far.  Victoria fell 7-3 last Friday in Kelowna.

The Royals had their 2 game win streak snapped Tuesday afternoon with a 4-3 loss at home to the Warriors.

The Rockets are on a 3 game win streak after an 11-4 win over the visiting Blazers.  Kelowna, ranked #2 in the CHL, has outscored their opposition 24-7 during their 3 game win streak.

The Rockets have 8 wins in their past 10, while the Royals have 7, and are ranked 2nd in the BC Division and 4th in the West.

Kelowna is the stingiest team in the WHL, while scoring the second most goals on average per game.

The Rockets feature top draft prospect Nick Merkley who’s 4th in scoring with 79 points including 62 assists.  Merkley is rated 13th among North American skaters for the upcoming draft by NHL Central Scouting.

Rourke Chartier (5th rd San Jose) is 5th in league scoring with 78, including 46 goals, tied for most in the league.

Oilers first round draft pick (3rd overall) Leon Draisaitl has 30 points in 18 games for Kelowna since returning to the league with Kelowna.  World Junior Gold Medal winner with Team Canada defenseman Josh Morrisey (1st round WPG) has 15 points in 16 games since the trade from Prince Albert.

Victoria is led in scoring by Austin Carroll who set the Royals record for points in a season with 68.  Carroll has a team high 33 goals, and 14 power play markers.

Joe Hicketts leads all defensemen in the WHL in scoring with 55 points including 46 assists, tops among rearguards.

Forward Alex Forsberg is on a 3 game goal scoring streak with 3 goals.

After the 7pm start on Saturday against the Rockets, the Royals travel to Kelowna for a 3rd straight game against the Rockets next Wednesday.

- Marlon Martens
Victoria Royals vs Kelowna Rockets: Head To Head Stats Summary
  
Description
Result
Head to Head Record 2014-15 Regular SeasonVictoria 1-3-0-0Kelowna 3-0-1-0
Head to Head Record 2013-14 Regular SeasonVictoria 5-2-0-1Kelowna 3-4-0-1
Last 5 Years record between teamsVictoria 16-16-1-3Kelowna 20-12-2-2
Victoria vs. Kelowna Last 5 Years record at VictoriaVictoria 7-8-1-2Kelowna 11-5-2-0
Victoria vs. Kelowna Last 5 Years record at KelownaVictoria 9-8-0-1Kelowna 9-7-0-2
Previous Meetings This SeasonVictoria 3 @ Kelowna 7 (Feb 13 2015) Final
Kelowna 5 @ Victoria 3 (Nov 19 2014) Final
Kelowna 3 @ Victoria 4 (Nov 18 2014) Final OT
Victoria 1 @ Kelowna 5 (Nov 5 2014) Final

How the 2 teams match up
   
 
Kelowna
Victoria
Team Record45-9-3-1 -- 94 points32-22-3-1 -- 68 points
Division Ranking1st B.C.2nd B.C.
Conference Ranking1st Western4th Western
League Ranking1st8th
Past 10 Games8-1-0-17-3-0-0
Streak3-0-0-00-1-0-0
Last Game11-4 W vs Kamloops (Feb 18 2015) Final4-3 L vs Moose Jaw (Feb 17 2015) Final
Home Record22-6-1-018-8-3-0
Away Record23-3-2-114-14-0-1
GF262 203 
GA145 179 
PP (Overall)(74/283) 26.1(56/249) 22.5
PP (Home)(36/140) 25.7(31/118) 26.3
PP (Away)(38/143) 26.6(25/131) 19.1
PK (Overall)(48/242) 80.2(50/245) 79.6
PK (Home)(22/120) 81.7(19/116) 83.6
PK (Away)(26/122) 78.7(31/129) 76.0
Leading RookieDube (14-8-22)Nagy (6-6-12)
Most PIMSoutham - 82Carroll - 108
Team PIM/GM14.6/Game14.4/Game
Leading ScorersMerkley (17-62-79)Carroll (33-35-68)
 Chartier (46-32-78)Hicketts (9-46-55)
 Baillie (34-30-64)Soy (24-30-54)
 Kirkland (21-30-51)Chase (16-34-50)
 Bowey (14-35-49)Brown (16-34-50)
Last 5 Games11-4 W vs Kamloops (Feb 18 2015) Final4-3 L vs Moose Jaw (Feb 17 2015) Final
 6-0 W vs Moose Jaw (Feb 14 2015) Final6-3 W @ Seattle (Feb 15 2015) Final
 7-3 W vs Victoria (Feb 13 2015) Final5-2 W @ Kamloops (Feb 14 2015) Final
 2-1 L @ Seattle (Feb 10 2015) Final7-3 L @ Kelowna (Feb 13 2015) Final
 5-2 W vs Prince George (Feb 9 2015) Final2-1 W vs Edmonton (Feb 9 2015) Final
Leading After 1st28-2-2-117-3-0-0
Leading After 2nd35-1-2-022-1-0-0
Tied After 1st14-3-1-09-6-0-1
Tied After 2nd6-1-1-16-3-2-0
Trailing After 1st3-4-0-06-13-3-0
Trailing After 2nd4-7-0-04-18-1-1
Out Shooting Opponents30-6-0-119-7-1-0
Out Shot by Opponents13-3-3-012-13-2-1
1-Goal Games8-3-3-112-8-3-1
2-Goal Games13-3-0-05-6-0-0
3-Goal Games7-3-0-07-3-0-0

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Recap: MJ 4 - VIC 3

Playing their 4th game in 5 days, the Victoria Royals fell 4-3 Tuesday afternoon to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors in their only meeting of the season.

The Royals were down 2-0 just 2 minutes into the game which started at noon, and 3-0 early in the second.  They came back twice to within a goal, but ultimately fell short and had their 2 game win streak snapped.

Warriors forward Axel Blomqvist scored against his former club, as his line with Brayden Point (2a) and Jake Rodewald (1g 1a) combined for 5 points.  Tanner Eberle and Jiri Smejkal also scored for Moose Jaw.

Victoria’s Justin Paulic took the loss against his old club, stopping 21 of 25, while Zach Sawchenko earned the win kicking out 26 of 29.

Brandon Magee had a pair of assists for the Royals, who got goals from Regan Nagy, Brandon Fushimi shorthanded, and Alex Forsberg.

Austin Carroll drew an assist, setting the Royals record for points in a season with 68.

The Royals were 0 for 3 on the power play, while the Warriors were 0 for 4.

Victoria entertains the #2 team in the CHL, Kelowna Rockets for a pair of games Friday and Saturday.

- Marlon Martens

Moose Jaw Warriors 4 at Victoria Royals 3 - Status: Final
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena - Victoria, BC

Moose Jaw 2 1 1 - 4
Victoria 0 2 1 - 3

1st Period-
1, Moose Jaw, Rodewald 26 (Point, Perillat), 1:30. 
2, Moose Jaw, Blomqvist 22 (Rodewald), 2:01. 

Penalties-Valentine M.j (hooking), 4:06; Hicketts Vic (tripping), 15:11; Walker Vic (tripping), 19:31.

2nd Period-
3, Moose Jaw, Eberle 30 (Point), 1:53. 
4, Victoria, Nagy 6 (Hannoun, Palmer), 6:05. 
5, Victoria, Fushimi 12 (Magee), 17:18 (SH). 

Penalties-Blomqvist M.j (slashing), 3:36; Blomqvist M.j (roughing), 12:31; Rodewald M.j (roughing), 12:31; Carroll Vic (roughing), 12:31; Magee Vic (roughing), 12:31; Soy Vic (checking from behind), 16:28; Rodewald M.j (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 20:00; Carroll Vic (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 20:00.

3rd Period-
6, Moose Jaw, Smejkal 10 (Yakubowski, Gardiner), 10:42. 
7, Victoria, Forsberg 24 (Magee, Carroll), 13:57. 

Penalties-Yakubowski M.j (roughing), 2:49; Carroll Vic (interference), 7:14.

Shots on Goal-
Moose Jaw 13-6-6-25. 
Victoria 9-10-10-29.

Power Play Opportunities-
Moose Jaw 0 / 4; 
Victoria 0 / 3.

Goalies-
Moose Jaw, Sawchenko 14-20-2-0 (29 shots-26 saves). 
Victoria, Paulic 12-11-1-1 (25 shots-21 saves).

A-3,592
Referees-Ryan Benbow (62), Adam Griffiths (36).
Linesmen-Riley Friesen (76), Kirk Van Helvoirt (107).

Monday 16 February 2015

Preview: Moose Jaw at Victoria, Tues Feb.17.2015 NOON Start

The Victoria Royals entertain Axel Blomqvist and the Moose Jaw Warriors for their first ever Hockey Hooky day at Noon on Tuesday.

Pregame show on The Zone @ 91.3 fm at 11:40, puck drop at Noon.  cjzn.streamon.fm

It’s the only meeting of the season, as last year Victoria won 4-3 in a shoot out Feb. 17th at Moose Jaw.

It’s the return of former Royals Axel Blomqvist, who was traded to the Warriors for defenseman Alexey Sleptsov, and netminder Justin Paulic with picks going both ways.  Blomqvist has 13 points in 14 games since joining his new club.  Travis Brown is also a former Moose Jaw defender.

Victoria is 2nd in the BC Division with 68 points, and 11 games over .500, tied for 4th in the West with Portland.

The Royals are looking to extend their 2 game win streak after doubling the Thunderbirds in Seattle 6-3 on Sunday, and beating Kamloops 5-2 on the road Saturday, taking 4 of a possible 6 points on a 3 game in 3 night road trip.

Moose Jaw is 1-2 on their 7 game road trip, after a 6-0 blanking in Kelowna Saturday.  They won 5-1 at Kootenay, after falling 6-3 at Lethbridge to start the trip.

The Warriors are 8 games under .500, sitting 4th in the East, and 9th in the Conference out of a playoff spot.

The Royals have scored 40 more goals overall this season than the Warriors, and allowed 34 less.  Victoria has won 7 of their past 10, 6 of their last 7 and just 2 losses in regulation in their last 15 games.

Moose Jaw has 4 wins in their past 10, and just 1 victory over their last 4.  The Warriors have taken the 6th fewest penalty minutes on average in the league.

Moose Jaw is led in scoring by Jack Rodewald with 65 points, 14th best in the league.  Brayden Point is next with 59 points in 44 games, won a World Junior Gold Medal with Team Canada 7gp (2g 2a) Tampa Bay Lightning 3rd round draft pick.

Victoria’s Austin Carroll has tied the Royals record for most points in a season at 67 (33g-34a).  Brandon Magee recorded 67 points (25g-42a) last season and former Royal Jamie Crooks who accomplished the feat in 2011-12 with 37 goals and 30 assists. The Scottsdale, AZ native is also tied for the league lead in game winning goals and powerplay markers with 10 and 14 respectively.

Carroll is on a 4 game goal scoring streak with 5 markers in that span.  Tyler Soy has 4 goals in his last 3 games, and 7 over his last 5 outings.  Alex Forsberg is on a 4 game point streak with 2 goals and 2 assists.  Greg Chase has collected 4 assists on a 3 game point streak.

Joe Hicketts leads all defenseman in scoring with 55 points, including 46 assists.  He’s on a 9 game assist streak collecting 12 helpers in that span.

Victoria’s 3 game homestand wraps up with a pair against the Kelowna Rockets Friday and Saturday.

Hockey Hooky Day is the Royals first ever weekday matinee game and is a fun and unique hockey experience that will be a Field Trip of a Lifetime for the many school classes in attendance and also the Businessman’s Special for the corporate crowd.

For schools the Field Trip of a Lifetime combines the fun of a hockey game with an educational component. In addition to lesson plans that were sent to the school, students attending the game will also receive a workbook on arrival to the rink. Throughout the game students will be able to participate in educational activities on the jumbotron by completing their workbooks.


Local businesses are also encouraged to take advantage of the matinee contest by taking an extended lunch. The Businessman’s Special provides businesses an opportunity for team building and to connect with clients while enjoying the game. 

- Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals vs Moose Jaw Warriors: Head To Head Stats Summary
Description
Result
Head to Head Record 2014-15 Regular SeasonVictoria 0-0-0-0Moose Jaw 0-0-0-0
Head to Head Record 2013-14 Regular SeasonVictoria 1-0-0-0Moose Jaw 0-0-0-1
Last 5 Years record between teamsVictoria 1-2-0-1Moose Jaw 3-0-0-1
Victoria vs. Moose Jaw Last 5 Years record at VictoriaVictoria 0-1-0-1Moose Jaw 2-0-0-0
Victoria vs. Moose Jaw Last 5 Years record at Moose JawVictoria 1-1-0-0Moose Jaw 1-0-0-1


How the 2 teams match up
Moose Jaw
Victoria
Team Record22-30-3-1 -- 48 points32-21-3-1 -- 68 points
Division Ranking4th East2nd B.C.
Conference Ranking9th Eastern4th Western
League Ranking19th7th
Past 10 Games4-6-0-07-2-1-0
Streak0-1-0-02-0-0-0
Last Game6-0 L @ Kelowna (Feb 14 2015) Final6-3 W @ Seattle (Feb 15 2015) Final
Home Record14-11-3-018-7-3-0
Away Record8-19-0-114-14-0-1
GF160 200 
GA209 175 
PP (Overall)(34/236) 14.4(56/246) 22.8
PP (Home)(20/116) 17.2(31/115) 27.0
PP (Away)(14/120) 11.7(25/131) 19.1
PK (Overall)(53/211) 74.9(50/241) 79.3
PK (Home)(17/109) 84.4(19/112) 83.0
PK (Away)(36/102) 64.7(31/129) 76.0
Leading RookieHowden (14-17-31)Nagy (5-6-11)
Most PIMYakubowski - 115Carroll - 102
Team PIM/GM12.4/Game14.5/Game
Leading ScorersRodewald (25-40-65)Carroll (33-34-67)
Point (23-36-59)Hicketts (9-46-55)
Eberle (29-17-46)Soy (24-30-54)
Blomqvist (21-21-42)Chase (16-34-50)
Howden (14-17-31)Brown (16-34-50)
Last 5 Games6-0 L @ Kelowna (Feb 14 2015) Final6-3 W @ Seattle (Feb 15 2015) Final
5-1 W @ Kootenay (Feb 13 2015) Final5-2 W @ Kamloops (Feb 14 2015) Final
6-3 L @ Lethbridge (Feb 11 2015) Final7-3 L @ Kelowna (Feb 13 2015) Final
3-2 L vs Spokane (Feb 6 2015) Final2-1 W vs Edmonton (Feb 9 2015) Final
4-3 W vs Prince Albert (Feb 4 2015) Final6-2 W vs Red Deer (Feb 7 2015) Final
Leading After 1st13-4-3-017-3-0-0
Leading After 2nd20-1-0-022-1-0-0
Tied After 1st7-8-0-19-6-0-1
Tied After 2nd2-3-3-06-3-2-0
Trailing After 1st2-18-0-06-12-3-0
Trailing After 2nd0-26-0-14-17-1-1
Out Shooting Opponents13-5-0-019-6-1-0
Out Shot by Opponents9-25-3-112-13-2-1
1-Goal Games7-2-3-112-7-3-1
2-Goal Games5-7-0-05-6-0-0
3-Goal Games3-7-0-07-3-0-0

Royals Host 3 Games, Hockey Hooky Tuesday

ROYALS HOST THREE GAMES THIS WEEK; HOCKEY HOOKY DAY TOMORROW
Victoria welcomes the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday afternoon & the Kelowna Rockets on the weekend

For Immediate Release
Monday, February 16, 2015

Victoria, BC- The Victoria Royals will host the Moose Jaw Warriors tomorrow afternoon and the league leading Kelowna Rockets on Friday and Saturday night. Tomorrow’s matinee game is the Royals’ inaugural Hockey Hooky Day with puck drop at 12:05 p.m. Friday’s contest is Electric Car Night scheduled for 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s contest is Hockey for Hospitals with puck drop at 7:05 p.m.
TOP OF THE LEAGUE: This weekend the Royals will host the second ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League the Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets currently hold the best record in the WHL with a mark of 44-9-3-1. Friday’s game will also mark the first visit of the season for Rockets’ forward Leon Draisaitl who has tallied 27 points (9g-18a) in 17 games with Kelowna. The native of Cologne, Germany spent the first half of the 2014-15 season with the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL where he notched  nine points (2g-7a) in 37 games. The 6-1, 204 lb center was selected third overall by the Oilers in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.  
CAREER YEAR: With his three points on Sunday against the Seattle Thunderbirds Austin Carroll has tied the Victoria Royals record for most points in a season at 67 (33g-34a). Carroll tied current Royals’ forward Brandon Magee who recorded 67 points (25g-42a) last season and former Royal Jamie Crooks who accomplished the feat in 2011-12 with 37 goals and 30 assists. The Scottsdale, AZ native is also tied for the league lead in game winning goals and powerplay markers with 10 and 14 respectively.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON – HOCKEY HOOKY DAY

Hockey Hooky Day is the Royals first ever weekday matinee game and is a fun and unique hockey experience that will be a Field Trip of a Lifetime for the many school classes in attendance and also the Businessman’s Special for the corporate crowd.

Pre-Game:

11:00 a.m.

-          BC Tree Fruits is celebrating Apple Month and will have product sampling of BC Apples pre-game and during both intermissions at Gate 1.

Intermission Promos:

Promo
-          Wheaton GMC 500 Tri-Cycle Race (Second Intermission)
o   Two junior fans (ages seven to 12) will compete for a prize package courtesy of Wheaton GMC

FRIDAY NIGHT – ELECTRIC CAR NIGHT – 7:30 P.M. START

Pre-Game:

6:00 p.m.
-          The Royals are partnering with Campus Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and Smart Dolphins to feature the latest in Electric Cars.  Check out the displays inside the concourse pre-game, or see the vehicles on display and learn about the technology live on ice during the first intermission.

Game Time: Due to T.V. broadcast, 7:30 p.m. start 

Intermission Activities & Promos:

Second Intermission
-          Pacific Restaurant Chuck-a-Puck
o   Round trip flight for two from Victoria to Pitt Meadows by Harbour Air
o   Dinner for two to the Pacific Restaurant at the Hotel Grand Pacific
o   Jiffy Lube Oil Change (Approx. 20 winners per game)

Promo
-          Electric Car Showcase (first Intermission)
o   Vehicles from Campus Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and Smart Dolphins will be on display
-          SUBWAY Sandwich Stack (Second Intermission)
o   Four fans will compete to win gift cards from SUBWAY

SATURDAY NIGHT – HOCKEY FOR HOSPITALS

The Royals are proud to partner with the Victoria Hospitals Foundation in helping to raise awareness and supporting fundraising efforts towards vital signs monitors for the Victoria General Hospital Emergency Department.

Pre-Game:

6:00 p.m.
-          Island Savings will be in the concourse and giving away Mayfair Shopping Centre gift cards. 

-          A variety of groups representing health and fitness will be in the concourse promoting healthy living, including Popeye’s Supplements, GoodLife Fitness, Orange Theory, Sole Sisters Run Club, West Shore Health & Fitness, Compton Sports Training Systems, Jusu Bar, Nature Kindergarten, Body Blue Print and Wholly Fit.

Intermission Activities & Promos:

Second Intermission
-          Pacific Restaurant Chuck-a-Puck
o   Dinner for two to the Pacific Restaurant at the Hotel Grand Pacific
o   Jiffy Lube Oil Change (Approx. 20 winners per game)

Promo
-          Island Savings Shoot-off
o   One fan courtesy of Island Savings will have the chance to win a $50 gift card to Mayfair Shopping Centre. Island Savings will also donate up to $1,000 to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.

Whether you’re coming to a game with your sports team, co-workers, or friends, group together to save big and earn fun incentives. Discounted rates start at 10 or more people and include a welcome message on the Jumbotron. Arrange for 30 or more tickets and receive a $25 credit to the Royals Team Store and two tickets to a future game in a suite. Get your tickets in advance by calling 250-220-7777 or visiting at www.victoriaroyals.com.


-30-

For further information contact:

Adam McKinnon
Manager of Communications and Hockey Operations Coordinator
Victoria Royals Hockey Club
250-220-2613