Preview | Mar. 9 | Royals @ Silvertips

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Royals have finally returned home to Victoria, kicking off a five game home stand to end the WHL regular season. The first game of the home stand is against the visiting Everett Silvertips. Puck drop is set for 6:05 PM at the Barn on Blanshard, the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET

Just last night the Royals visited the Silvertips in Everett for their third of four meetings this season. It was a duel of familiar goaltenders, as former Royal Tyler Palmer got the start in goal for Everett, while former Silvertip Braden Holt started for Victoria. The lone goal of the first period came from Royals forward Ben Riche (15) when he made a nice move around a defenseman and wired a shot past Palmer. It only took nine seconds into the second period for the Silvertips to tie the game at one, when Cade Zaplitny (11) received a fortunate bounce and put the puck in the wide open net. The Silvertips would add two more in the second, from Ben Hemmerling (27) and Jesse Heslop (18) to take a 3-1 lead into the third period. Midway through the third, Julius Miettinen (28) scored the period’s lone goal off a nice give and go with Ben Hemmerling, powering the Silvertips to a 4-1 win. Braden Holt made 42 saves in goal for the Royals in the losing effort.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

SILVERTIPS

• Czechia winger Dominik Rymon sits second on the Silvertips in scoring. The 19-year-old has scored 32 goals and 73 points in 53 games this season for Everett, and has five points in three games against the Royals this year.
• Austin Roest has been a productive centreman for the Silvertips this year. The Nashville Predators prospect is tied with Rymon for the Silvertips goal lead with 32. In 57 games this season, Roest sits just over a point-per-game with 63 points.

VICTORIA

• 20-year-old winger Dawson Pasternak leads the Royals in points this season. The versatile winger has scored 24 goals and 67 points in 57 games, all of which are career highs in his first year with Victoria. Pasternak was acquired at the beginning of the season from the Brandon Wheat Kings for a conditional draft pick.
• The leading goal scorer for the Victoria Royals is Tyson Laventure. Acquired at the trade deadline, Laventure has scored 12 of his 27 goals with the Royals, producing 25 points in 19 games since the trade. Overall, the 6’3” winger has 61 points in 58 games.

SEASON RECORDS

vs EVERETT

• Sep. 23 @ EVT • 5-3 L
• Oct. 13 VS EVT • 8-1 L
• Mar. 8 @ EVT • 4-1 L
• Mar. 9 v. EVT • 6:05 PM

LAST 5 GAMES

ROYALS

• 4-1 L @ Everett (03-08-2024)
• 6-3 L @ Spokane (03-05-2024)
• 5-4 OTL @ Portland (03-02-2024)
• 6-4 W @ Tri-City (03-01-2024)
• 5-2 L v. Portland (02-24-2024)

SILVERTIPS

• 4-1 L v. Victoria (03-08-2024
• 5-3 W v. Regina (03-02-2024)
• 8-7 L v. Moose Jaw (03-1-2024)
• 3-1 W @ Seattle (02-24-2024)
• 4-0 W v. Portland (02-18-2024)

ROYALS UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• Mar. 15 v. PG • 7:05 pm
• Mar.16 v. PG • 6:05 pm
• Mar. 20 v. WEN • 7:05 pm
• Mar. 22 v. WEN • 7:05 pm
• Playoffs: Dates TBD

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.ca for complete details and subscription options.

Written by Graham Morrison