ROYALS LOOK TO TAME BRONCOS
The Victoria Royals and Swift Current Broncos have the stage to themselves in the WHL’s lone game Thursday night.
This will be the only meeting this season between the Royals and Broncos as Victoria plays the first of four straight road games against Eastern Conference teams prior to the holiday break. The Royals go into the game on the heels of back-to-back losses to the Vancouver Giants, the first time since early November that the club has not followed a loss with a victory. The Royals will take a 20-13-0-1 record into Swift Current, good for fifth in the Western Conference and one point behind the red-hot Seattle Thunderbirds, who have won seven in a row.
Ben Walker scored twice in the Royals’ Tuesday night visit to Vancouver, which gives the Edina, Minnesota, product four goals and an assist over the last three games. With a helper on Walker’s first goal of the game, Brandon Magee extended his point streak to a season-high four games, with three goals and five points over that time.
The Broncos have a five point cushion on the Prince Albert Raiders for first in the East Division with a 19-12-0-3 record for 41 points. The Broncos were on a three game win streak until the Kelowna Rockets ended that Tuesday night with a 4-2 win at the Credit Union i-Plex. Broncos’ fans have not left the rink unhappy with the result very often this season, as Swift Current holds one of the best home records in the WHL at 12-3-0-2. New Jersey Devils’ prospect Graham Black leads the Broncos with 44 points and has 10 points over his last five games. Captain Colby Cave has a team-high 18 goals and is also on a five-game assist and point streak, with three goals and eight points over that span.
The Royals will continue the road trip in Medicine Hat Saturday, followed by games in Lethbridge and Edmonton prior to the break. The Royals will return to action on Friday, December 27 at home against the Prince George Cougars, which starts at 7:05pm.
Give the gift of hockey this holiday season by purchasing a Royals Holiday Combo or an Island Savings Kids Club membership! The Holiday Combo, available for $60, includes four anytime ticket vouchers and a gift. Kids Club memberships, for fans 12 years and younger, are available for only $20 and include four child tickets, a t-shirt, newsletters from Marty the Marmot and much more!
