Royals Look to Stay Hot against Top-Ranked ICE
October 18, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Victoria Royals News Release
Victoria Royals goaltender Tyler Palmer
(Victoria Royals)
Victoria, B.C. – Fresh off a big win over the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday night, the Victoria Royals will host their second straight Eastern Conference opponent as they welcome the Winnipeg ICE to the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Tuesday at 7:05 pm for Industry Night presented by Granville Island Brewery.
Saturday marked the second straight win for Victoria (2-7-1-0) after they posted a 5-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets earlier in the week, a sign that they may be turning things around after a challenging start to the year.
Royals assistant coach Morgan Klimchuk has been impressed with the cohesiveness the team has shown over the past few games and believes it will be key to picking up a third straight win on Tuesday:
“We have to stick to the style that led us to that success,” said Klimchuk following the team’s practice on Monday. “Keeping close support, working as a team. Playing for the guy next to you, and with the guy next to you has been a big message for us recently and I think it’s been working.”
The play of forward Matthew Hodson has also been a key part of the team’s recent success, posting six points on four goals and two assists during a five game point-streak.
The Saskatoon, SK product began the season as one of many depth forwards vying for ice time on the Royals roster, however he has quickly found himself playing top minutes on the team’s first line with his recent performance and has provided the team with much-needed production in the absence of top centerman Brayden Schuurman.
Coach Klimchuk praised the young forward for exceeding expectations over the first few weeks of the season:
“I have to give Hoddy [Hodson] a lot of credit,” said Klimchuk. “Coming into it, we knew there was offensive capability there, but coming off an injury in the preseason we didn’t have too many expectations…but full credit to him, he’s done a great job of starting on the defensive side of things and little details that usually turn into offensive chances and in no way, shape or form has he been cheating for those chances, he’s doing it the right way.”
Goaltender Tyler Palmer has also found his form of late, allowing three goals or less in each of his past five contests, which included a masterful 40 save performance against the Kelowna Rockets in the team’s first win last Wednesday.
The Royals will look to maintain their positive momentum as they take on a red-hot Winnipeg ICE (7-1-0-0) squad that currently holds the number one spot in the CHL rankings and has posted seven wins over their first eight games.
The ICE are considered one of the best all-around teams in the country, with depth and talent up and down the lineup. However, forwards Connor Geekie and Matthew Savoie – both of whom were top-15 picks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft – remain the marquee names on the Winnipeg roster.
Coach Klimchuk spoke on some of the challenges Winnipeg presents as an opponent:
“A lot of special players on that team, some real high-end talent,” said Klimchuk. “So being aware when those players are on the ice and playing a certain style against them is definitely going to be a focus of ours.”
Savoie is widely seen as one of the best playmakers in the WHL, amassing 90 points on 25 goals and 55 assists over 65 games last season and maintaining that rate with six points on two goals and four assists over four games this season. His ability to produce on the offensive side of the puck is one of the primary reasons the Buffalo Sabres selected Savoie ninth-overall at the NHL Draft this summer.
Meanwhile, teammate Connor Geekie provides an equally dangerous offensive threat for the ICE and will be another player the Royals will need to contain if they are to walk away with a win on Tuesday.
The Arizona Coyotes prospect has built an impressive WHL career over the past few seasons, scoring 100 points on 38 goals and 62 assists in 101 games, with seven of those points (five goals, two assists) coming in seven games this year.
On top of the arsenal of offensive weapons throughout the Winnipeg lineup, the team also retains one of the league’s top goaltenders in Daniel Hauser. The Chestermere, AB native has picked up right where he left off last year – where he led all netminders in wins, shutouts and goals against average – by posting a perfect record of 6-0-0-0 and leading the league with a 1.48 goals against average and a .944 save percentage over six starts this year.
One player on the Royals’ roster who has faced the ICE in the recent past is forward Caleb Willms, who played a number of games against Winnipeg during his days as a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Willms has tried to pass on some of his knowledge of the ICE to his Royals teammates, hoping to give them an edge on Tuesday:
“Obviously they’re a very skilled team, with a lot of draft picks,” said Willms. “Lots of speed and very skilled, but I think we can definitely skate with them and it’s going to be a really good game.”
The two sides will get reacquainted with one another on Tuesday night where puck drop is set for 7:05 pm at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in downtown Victoria. The game will include $15 tickets and $5 Granville Island Brewing beers. Tickets can be purchase at selectyourtickets.com.
Impact players to watch:
Victoria:
#14 Carter Dereniwsky (F) – 10 GP, 6 PTS (4G, 2A)
#28 Riley Gannon (F) – 10 GP, 6 PTS (1 G, 5 A)
#3 Justin Kipkie (D) – 9 GP, 3 PTS (2 G, 1 A)
Winnipeg:
#17 Owen Pederson (F) – 8 GP, 12 PTS (4 G, 8 A)
#94 Connor McClennon (F) – 8 GP, 11 PTS (5 G, 6 A)
#4 Ben Zloty (D) – 8 GP, 7 PTS (1 G, 6 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.
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