Preview | Feb. 7 | Royals @ Rockets

Kelowna, BC – It’s the second game of the Victoria Royals four game road trip, as the team is in Kelowna to face off against the Rockets. Puck drop is set for 7:05 PM Wednesday night at Prospera Place in Kelowna.

FRIENDLY FOE

The Royals seem to have Kelowna’s number as of late. Dating back to last season, the Royals have won 10 of their last 11 games against the Rockets. This season, the Royals have won four of their five games against the Rockets.

RED HOT LAVENTURE KEEPS THE STREAK ALIVE

Ever since coming over in trade from the Swift Current Broncos, Tyson Laventure has consistently produced. Laventure heads into Wednesday’s game riding an 11-game point streak, including all 9 games he’s played as a member of the Victoria Royals. Over those 11 games, he’s scored 8 goals and 15 points, and he now leads the Royals in goals. He’s closing in on the longest point streak of the season for the Royals, chasing Cole Reschny’s 14 game streak from October 9th to November 24th. Laventure was acquired in trade at the WHL Trade Deadline for a 5th round draft pick.

ROSTER NOTES

16-year-old prospect Caleb Matthews has been returned to the Calgary Buffaloes of the AEHL. Matthews, a fifth-round pick of the Royals in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, was recalled for the team’s last two games against the Seattle Thunderbirds. The 6’2” forward has produced 16 goals and 55 points in 29 games for the Buffaloes.

ROYALS LAST GAME

It was a Sunday game at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington between the Victoria Royals and Seattle Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds goalie Spencer Michnik and Royals’ goalie Braden Holt got the start in net. The Thunderbirds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period off goals from Sam Popowich and Sawyer Mynio. Midway through the second period, they’d stretch the lead to 3-0 when Nishaan Parmar scored his first career goal. With four minutes left in the second, Dawson Pasternak’s 20th of the year got the Royals on the board, cutting Seattle’s lead to 3-1 through two periods. In the third, goals from Teydon Trembecky and Casper Evensen Haugen tied the game at three, but the Thunderbirds would retake the lead on Brayden Holberton’s first career goal. Seattle would add an empty net goal courtesy of Antonio Martorana to clinch the 5-3 win.

THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET

KELOWNA

Back on November 14th the Rockets and Royals faced off at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria. The starting goalies were Jayden Kraus for the Royals and Jari Kykkanen for the Rockets. The Rockets would strike first on a goal from Marek Rocak, but three Royals goals from Dawson Pasternak, Matthew Hodson and Robin Sapousek gave the Royals a 3-1 lead through one period of play. The Royals would expand their lead, scoring twice in the first two minutes of the second period, on goals from Deegan Kinniburgh and Casper Evensen Haugen, making it 5-1. Those two goals spelled the end of Rockets goalie Jari Kykkanen’s night, as he was replaced in net by Jake Pilon. Sparked by the goalie change, Ethan Neutens would score to cut the lead to 5-2. In the third, a Tij Iginla goal would be the lone goal of the period, as the Royals held on to win 5-3.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

ROCKETS

• The oldest son of NHL Hall of Fame member Jarome Iginla, Tij Iginla has been an engine for the Kelowna Rockets offense. Iginla is fresh off a two goal, three-point performance on Sunday against the Spokane Chiefs. This season Iginla is tied for fifth overall in the WHL in goals scored, with 34. He has 60 points through 34 games for Kelowna this season.
• A second-round draft pick (40th overall, 2023 NHL Entry Draft) of the Washington Capitals, Andrew Cristall has been an offensive dynamo for the Rockets. Cristall has 28 goals and 78 points in 43 games.

VICTORIA

• Macklin, Saskatchewan’s Cole Reschny has continued to be a key player for the Royals this season. Reschny has had points in back-to-back games while finding quick chemistry with the newest Royal, Tyson Laventure. The 16-year-old centre has 16 goals and 43 points in 45 games this season for Victoria.
• Teydon Trembecky has found himself playing up the line up and he has capitalized on the opportunity. Trembecky has five points over his last five games, including a pair of goals. The Sherwood Park, Alberta local has 9 goals in 32 games this season.

SEASON RECORDS

vs ROCKETS

• Oct. 09 @ KEL • 9-7 Win
• Oct. 25 @ KEL • 6-3 Loss
• Nov. 03 @ KEL • 2-1 Win
• Nov. 13 v. KEL • 3-2 Win
• Nov. 14 v. KEL • 5-3 Win
• Feb. 07 @ KEL • 7:05 pm
• Feb. 16 v. KEL • 7:05 pm
• Feb. 17 v. KEL • 6:05 pm

LAST 5 GAMES

ROYALS

• 5-3 L @ Seattle (02-04-2024)
• 3-2 L v. Seattle (02-02-2024)
• 3-2 W v. Vancouver (01-28-2024)
• 7-6 L v. Vancouver (01-27-2024)
• 5-3 L @ Vancouver (01-26-2024)

ROCKETS

• 8-5 L @ Spokane (02-04-2024)
• 11-1 L @ Portland (02-02-2024)
• 4-3 W @ Portland (01-31-2024)
• 3-2 L @ Kamloops (01-27-2024)
• 4-3 L v. Kamloops (01-26-2024)

ROYALS UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• Feb. 09 @ PG • 7:00 pm
• Feb. 10 @ PG • 6:00 pm
• Feb. 14 v. VAN • 7:05 pm
• Feb. 16 v. KEL • 7:05 pm
• Feb. 17 v. KEL • 6:05 pm

WATCH AND LISTEN

Radio broadcast

Royals games will be broadcast on 91.3 FM the Zone this season with Marlon Martens calling all of the action.

Online video stream

All Royals games will be available on WHL Live.  WHL Live is available to fans anywhere in the world, providing high-quality streaming of WHL games on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV platforms, via mobile with iOS and Android, and on web using Safari or Google Chrome web browsers. Visit watch.chl.cafor complete details and subscription options.

Written by Graham Morrison