Royals Announce Scouting Staff Ahead Of 2023-24 Campaign

The Victoria Royals have announced their scouting staff ahead of the 2023-24 season. The scouting staff will be composed of familiar faces and a collection of new hockey minds to help forge the future of the franchise.

“We want to be a skilled, fast, hard working team and our scouting staff will play an instrumental role in identifying players for the WHL Prospects Draft that fit how we want to play,” said Jake Heisinger, Associate General Manager. 

Tanner McCall has been appointed as the Royals Head Scout. He comes to the Royals organization after spending the past two years as a scout with the Winnipeg Ice. McCall spent five seasons with the Weyburn Red Wings of the SJHL in a variety of roles, before joining the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2018-19 as a scout. McCall’s primary focus will be in his home province of Saskatchewan as well as attending tournaments/showcases across Western Canada.

Another new face in the scouting department will be Tyler MacDonald as he will be the Senior Regional Scout for Manitoba. MacDonald entered the scouting world back in 2011-12 when he joined the Kootenay Ice. He would spend three seasons with Kootenay before joining the Winnipeg Ice during the 2019-20 campaign.

Royals Associate General Manager, Jake Heisinger worked closely with McCall and MacDonald during his tenure with the Winnipeg Ice and is excited to welcome them into the fold as they work together to develop Victoria into a top destination in the CHL.

“We are very excited to have Tanner and Tyler join our scouting staff,” said Heisinger. “I know they will be key contributors to the success of drafting future Royals.”

Scott Fukami returns to Victoria for another season as the Senior Regional Scout in Calgary, AB. Fukami will be entering his seventh season as a scout with the Royals. As a resident of Calgary, Fukami will continue to bring his wealth of knowledge from the Albertan hockey market.

Glen Naka returns for another season as a Regional Scout in Kelowna, BC. Naka joined the Royals during the 2013-14 season. He also has seen the game from ice level as he served as the Head Coach for the U17 Rink Hockey Academy prep team during their 2021-22 season.

Peter Kasowski will be entering his eighth season as a regional scout for the Royals. Kasowski will be focusing on the Alberta capital as he is stationed in his hometown of Edmonton, AB. Kasowski first got his start with the Royals during the 2013-14 campaign.

Claude Aucoin gears up for his fifth season as a scout with the Royals. The product of Cheticamp, NS., will serve as a regional scout in Victoria. Aucoin entered the scouting world back in 2009 with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Rounding up the staff will be Matt Hanak as he will serve the role of the regional scout in Calgary, AB. Hanak served as the assistant coach with the U18 Calgary Royals during the 2022-23 season.

The Royals are just under a month away from their season opener as they open up the 2023-24 campaign on the road with a matchup against the Vancouver Giants on September 22.
 
About the Victoria Royals Hockey Club

The Royals are Victoria’s Hockey Club, playing in the WHL (a member of the CHL, the highest level of junior hockey in Canada) out of the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre since 2011. The Club is owned and operated by GSL Group, and the franchise is known for its strong values and inclusive approach to game day experiences. The Royals are committed to growing the sport of hockey and are active in their community through The Victoria Royals Foundation. The Royals won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL Regular Season Champions in 2016, and each year the organization develops many skilled players who go on to professional hockey careers in the NHL and around the world. The Royals strive to provide the best sports entertainment experience on the Island. For more information, visit victoriaroyals.com.

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.