Royals Punch Ticket to Postseason for the First Time Since the 2019-20 Campaign
Victoria, BC –The drought is officially over; the Victoria Royals have clinched their berth in the 2024 WHL Playoffs, marking the first time since the 2019-20 season that the team has clinched.
Coming into the season, Victoria aimed to bounce back from a 17-43-6-2 record in the 2022-23 season, which saw the team fall 16 points out of the last playoff spot. Off-season trades saw Teague Patton, Jason Spizawka, Carter Dereniwsky and the rights to Hiroki Gojsic moved, while the team acquired Hayden Chaloner, Escalus Burlock and multiple draft picks. Off the ice, several additions were made. Joey Poljanowski was appointed Vice President of Hockey Operations, Jake Heisinger was named Associate General Manager, while James Patrick was brought in as Director of Player Development.
The Royals season was off to a rocky start, as the team dropped their first four games. The team would go on to win 13 of their next 20 contests, and make a coaching change in November. James Patrick took over as Head Coach and has guided the team to their first playoff berth since prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Over the course of the season, some key pieces were brought in. Notably, on October 5th, a pair of major moves brought fresh faces and a surplus of draft picks to the organization. The first move saw the Royals trade Kalem Parker and Brayden Schuurman along with an 8th round selection in 2027 to the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for Ben Riche and four draft picks. The Royals’ second move saw the team acquire forward Dawson Pasternak from the Brandon Wheat Kings in exchange for a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2024.
Two more new faces were brought into the mix prior to the Trade Deadline as the team acquired steady blueliner Jaren Brinson from the Regina Pats on January 6th in exchange for a pair of draft picks. The second move occurred on January 10th and saw another 20-year-old brought into the mix, in Tyson Laventure.
While new faces were brought into the organization adding to the current roster, there has also been a strong focus on building towards the future. A total of ten draft picks were acquired by the Royals via the above trades. The cupboards were restocked with a first and fourth round pick in 2024, two second round picks and an eighth round selection in 2025, a first, fourth, and fifth in 2025, as well as a third and fifth round selection in 2027.
Taking a look at the players acquired, both players acquired via trade on October 5th have been major factors in the Royals’ march to the postseason. Riche made an immediate impact, scoring a hat-trick in just his second game with the Royals on October 9th as Victoria earned a 9-6 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. Since then, Riche has accumulated 14 goals and added 17 assists for 31 points in 56 games since joining the Royals. The second player acquired that day, Dawson Pasternak, has played a significant role in the Royals success this season. The product of Winnipeg, Manitoba, leads the team in assists (43), points (67), and is second in goals (24).
While Jaren Brinson has played steady minutes for the Royals down the stretch, and has put up 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in 23 games. Meanwhile, Tyson Laventure has been a scoring machine since his acquisition. In 19 games since the trade, the veteran forward has tallied 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points. His 27 goals on the season are the most by any Royal.
Outside of the mid-season acquisitions, there have been plenty of individual successes to watch. Starting with 16-year-old Cole Reschny, the third overall selection in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft has been a player to watch in his rookie campaign. The 2025 Draft Eligible forward is currently sixth amongst rookie scorers across the Western Hockey League with 21 goals and 32 assists for 53 points in 55 games so far this season. His strong play has been recognized across the league, as he was named the November Rookie of the Month, and Rookie of the Week on two occasions. He also carried a staggering 14-game point streak between October 9th and November 25th.
Arizona Coyotes prospect Justin Kipkie has had a career season with the Royals after being selected in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Currently, Kipkie sits in a tie for eighth in WHL defenseman scoring. His 16 goals and 34 assists combine for 50 points in 61 games, which is his career bests in each of those categories. Some of the highlight moments for Kipkie this season include a hat-trick on November 13th against the Kelowna Rockets, and back-to-back overtime winners on December 30th and January 1st.
18-year-old Reggie Newman has also been having a career year with the Royals. In 62 games so far this season, Newman has earned 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points. The towering forward is continuing momentum in his third season in Victoria, and his growth was recognized last summer as he was invited to participate in the Arizona Coyotes development camp.
Veteran Royal Tanner Scott is in his fourth season with the Royals. Scott appeared in his 200th Career WHL game back on February 2nd against the Seattle Thunderbirds and has accumulated 19 goals and added 35 assists for 54 points in 62 games, which marks career highs in all three of those categories for Scott.
Netminder Braden Holt has been solid between the pipes for Victoria in his final season of junior hockey. After being acquired during the 2022-23 season, Holt has been an integral part of the Royals success this season. Through 42 games this year, Holt boasts a 20-13-4-3 record with a 3.43 GAA and .897 save percentage. His 2,291 minutes played is the most of his career which surpasses his previous high of 2,041 back in 2021-22. He has also set a career high in saves, making 1,143 to date.
19-year-old Nate Misskey has been a force on the blueline this season. Although his season has been paused due to injury, his first 40 games made headwaves across the WHL. His six goals and 26 assists helped him amass 32 points, and to date, Misskey sits in a tie for 26th amongst scoring defencemen in the WHL regardless of missing the past 22 games played. His goal, assist and points totals have set career highs for the Melfort, Saskatchewan native. His success in the 2023-24 season hasn’t gone unnoticed as he was ranked 66th Amongst North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting during their mid-term rankings.
Individual stats aside, Victoria has proven to be the cardiac kids of sorts, showing their home fans that staying in their seats until the end of the game can pay off. Victoria has earned six come-from-behind victories on home ice (Oct. 20th VS SPO, Oct. 21st VS SPO, Nov. 10th VS SEA, Nov. 13th VS KEL, Dec. 30th VS EDM, Jan. 1st VS CGY). The club has also gone to overtime or a shootout on 15 occasions.
While a postseason appearance has been secured, there is a lot of work left to do. Victoria has a total of six regular-season games remaining. That stretch will start tomorrow night against the Everett Silvertips. Following that, the Royals will close out the regular season with five consecutive home games as they continue to jockey for playoff positioning in the WHL’s Western Conference standings.
