Get to know one of the newest Victoria Royals draft picks: Kash Alger-East
The Victoria Royals selected Kash Alger-East with their 25th overall selection in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
Hailing from Meadow Lake, Sk., Alger-East dreamt of being drafted into the WHL from a very young age. The 5’11” center played with the North West Stars in the SAAHL (U15) last season where he proved his skill, scoring 35 goals and adding 44 assists for 79 points in just 28 games played.
The Sasketchewan boy is thrilled to be drafted by Victoria, but will miss his hometown of Meadow Lake.
“Its going to be an end of era of sorts. I have a lot of friends out here that I will have to say goodbye to when the time comes to move to Victoria. But I think it just means I’m growing up”.
“Kash is a dynamic forward with high end puck skills and a deceptive shot. He is a gritty competitor who has the ability to impact the game regardless of the situation or the style of play. We are very excited to be able to partner with him in his development in the years to come,” said Royals General Manager and Head Coach, Dan Price.
While hockey has been in his DNA since a very young age, Alger-East credits his family for providing a stable situation in which he was able to excel.
“They’re really proud of me. Not to mention hockey isn’t cheap, so I think they’re just glad to see me go somewhere with it.”
The 15-year-old said he likes to model his game after two players in particular: Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames and Johnny Gaudreau of the Columbus Blue Jackets. While the two players provide different elements to their games, Alger East focusses on the way in which they’re able to produce offense while offering a deceptive shot that can fool goaltenders.
Alger-East played a large role on his team last season as evident by his stat-line, but he took more from the experience than just the points.
“I took away a lot from last year. It was a solid year, but we lost in the first round. I would say it was a humbling experience, so something I can take with me going forward.”
While Alger-East has excelled in his hockey career to his point, he is focussing on explosiveness this summer to help take his game to the next level.
“I have a couple trainers out here in Meadow Lake that I will be working with this summer, as well as working with my team next season on my explosiveness.”
The 15-year-old will be enjoying the summer life out in Meadow Lake as he enjoys the typical summer sports: golf, fishing and maybe a little bit of surfing.
About the Victoria Royals
The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey club 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.
