Royals Resume Road Trip With Matchups Against Broncos, Tigers
October 27, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Victoria Royals News Release
Victoria Royals’ Brayden Schuurman on the ice
(Victoria Royals)
Victoria, B.C. – The Victoria Royals will continue their Eastern Conference road swing with a pair of games against the Swift Current Broncos and Medicine Hat Tigers this weekend.
Victoria (2-9-2-0) began their six-game tour of the prairies with a loss at the hands of the unbeaten Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday night.
The game saw the team celebrate a pair of important milestones as defenceman Kalem Parker marked his 100th career appearance and Royals’ top prospect Cole Reschny played in his first WHL game.
Victoria will look to get back in the win column as they take on Swift Current on Friday, before travelling back over the Alberta-Saskatchewan border for a date with Medicine Hat the following night.
The play of forward Teague Patton has been a bright spot for the team of late and the team will need him to continue to play well if they are to find success in the coming games. The 18-year-old is currently riding a three-game scoring streak that has seen him record six total points on three goals and three assists.
Saturday’s game in Medicine Hat is also set to be something of a homecoming for Patton, who spent his first three junior seasons as a member of the Tigers before being acquired by the Royals in a trade this summer.
Another vital part of the team’s success this weekend will be the play of goaltender Tyler Palmer, who has shouldered a heavy load for the team this season, making 10 of 12 starts for the club and playing a league-high 645 minutes in the crease this year.
Through those 10 starts this year, the Fernie, BC product has posted a 2-7-2-0 record with a 3.90 goals against average (GAA) and a 0.882 save percentage (SV%).
The Royals first game of the weekend will be against the Swift Current Broncos, who currently sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-7-0-0 record on the year.
The Broncos are filled with talent throughout the lineup, including a number of NHL prospects.
One of those top prospects is defenceman Owen Pickering, who was selected with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The St. Adolphe, MB native has made six appearances for Swift Current this year, recording eight points on two goals and six assists.
20-year-old Gage Alexander and 18-year-old Reid Dyck have split time in net for the Broncos this season, each making five appearances.
Alexander has been in net for two of Swift Current’s three wins this season, earning an overall record of 2-2-0-0 with a 4.30 GAA and a 0.855 SV%.
Meanwhile, Dyck has been the slightly statistically better goalie despite posting an 0-5-0-0 record to start the year, recording a 4.17 GAA and a 0.875 SV%.
Following their game in Swift Current, the Royals will head back west for a date with the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday night.
The Tigers have enjoyed marginal success in 2022, currently occupying ninth place in the East with a 4-5-1-0 record on the year.
Latvian-born defenceman Bogdans Hodass has been the top producer on offence for Medicine Hat this season, recording 11 points on ten assists and a goal through 10 appearances.
18-year-old forward Oasiz Weisblatt is the top returning scorer for the Tigers this year, having amassed 29 points in 64 games during the 2021-2022 season. He is off to a hot start this year, recording eight points on three assists and five goals through 10 games.
19-year-old goaltender Beckett Lankow has made all 10 starts in net for Medicine Hat this year, earning a 4-5-1-0 record with a 3.44 GAA and a 0.882 SV%. His 593 minutes between the posts this year ranks second to only Royals goaltender Tyler Palmer.
Nanaimo, BC product Evan May is expected to provide backup duties should the Tigers choose to rest Lankow on Saturday.
The Royals first game of the weekend against the Broncos is set to begin at 6 pm PT on Friday, Oct. 28 at the InnovationPlex in Swift Current, SK.
The team will then face-off against the Tigers on Saturday, Oct. 29, where puck drop is set for 6 pm PT at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat, AB.
Impact players to watch:
Victoria:
#34 Jake Poole (F) – 11 GP, 10 PTS (5 G, 5 A)
#8 Kalem Parker (D) – 13 GP, 8 PTS (8 A)
#11 Matthew Hodson (F) – 10 GP, 7 PTS (5 G, 2 A)
Swift Current:
#10 Matthew Ward (F) – 10 GP, 12 PTS (5 G, 7 A)
#21 Connor Hvidston (F) – 8 GP, 8 PTS (2 G, 6 A)
Medicine Hat:
#39 Brendan Lee (F) – 10 GP, 10 PTS (6 G, 4 A)
#34 Andrew Bashsa (F) – 10 GP, 10 PTS (4 G, 6 A)
The next set of Royals home games will be on Nov. 11 and 12 against the Portland Winterhawks. Tickets can be purchased at selectyourtickets.com.
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