Checking in on Royals Alumni
Over the years, the Royals have had some incredibly talented and determined hockey players don their jersey, some of which have gone on to play at the next level. In most recent times, the organization has been elated to see some of their most notable and decorated players succeeding in the AHL and NHL, including Matthew Philips, Joe Hicketts and Noah Gregor. These three alumni have continued to prove to the hockey world just how talented they are.
Right winger Phillips has continued his career after leaving the Royals and is looking to have a breakout season this year in the AHL. The 23-year-old Calgary Flames draft pick had some phenomenal seasons in Victoria, including the franchise’s most prolific of all time in 2017-18, when he scored 48 goals and 64 assists for 112 points in 71 games. Calling him one of the best Royals of all-time is no stretch of the imagination, as he sits second in all time points behind only Tyler Soy and is first in career points per game.
This year, Phillips is playing with Calgary’s AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat. He has recorded 12 points in 12 games and is the team’s #1 winger on the right side. Although Phillips has only played in one regular season game with the Flames so far in his career, continuing this solid start to the season may create more opportunities for the Alberta native to play at the top level more consistently in the future.
Another former Royal who continues to shine at the next level of his career is Joe Hicketts. The 25-year-old Kamloops native holds the record for the two highest scoring seasons in Victoria as a defenceman, and also leads the organization in career points at his position. After going undrafted in the 2014 NHL entry draft, Hicketts was invited to the Detroit Red Wings development camp and signed an entry level contract with the team soon after.
It wasn’t until 2016 that Hicketts started playing in the AHL for the Grand Rapids Griffins, but he ended up staying there for four years. During that time, the Kamloops native played in 22 NHL games and tallied six assists. This year, he’s with the Minnesota Wild’s affiliate team, the Iowa Wild. In 12 games, he has five goals and seven assists, which has him tied for the AHL lead in goals scored by a defenceman, as well as tied for second on his own team in points. Although it may be tough to crack the lineup of the very defensively strong Minnesota Wild, Hicketts has definitely cemented himself as one of the top players on his AHL squad so far this year.
Finally, there’s Noah Gregor. Although he only played with the Royals for the second half of the 2017/2018 season, he made a large impact on the team. The 2016 NHL draft pick had 29 points in 30 regular season games, as well as 12 points in playoff games that year. He’s also played more NHL games than any other former Royals player with a 59-game career so far that includes eight goals and three assists for the San Jose Sharks.
This season, Gregor has played one game with the Sharks and eight with their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. Gregor is tied for the lead in points with 12 for the Barracuda, despite playing four less games than the other players. The Alberta native could soon get the chance to play a more permanent role for the NHL’s Sharks if he continues to perform in this capacity all season.
It’s always exciting to see where our star players end up in their hockey careers, and these three have set a great example for the next crop of Royals. Hopefully, some of Victoria’s current drafted and undrafted players will be able follow in the footsteps of Phillips, Hicketts, and Gregor.
