McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective: Victoria Royals

Victoria, B.C.- The thrill of Austin Zemlak’s earliest hockey memory is something that sticks with him more than a decade later.

“I was four and it was my first hockey game,” the Victoria Royals defenceman recalled. “I was so happy I scored my first goal- but it was on my own net. But I didn’t care because I was so happy that I scored a goal.”

Zemlak is now helping dozens of kids experience that same rush through the Royals’ partnership with Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS) Hockey and two local elementary schools.

HEROS provides hockey gear, ice time, transportation and off-ice support to children in grades four to eight who might not otherwise have the opportunity to try hockey.

“Organized sport, for a lot of these kids, is very challenging because, as you know, hockey’s very expensive,” Quadra Elementary School Teacher Sean Gorman said. “This opportunity allows for them to be part of something and it’s something to look forward to.”

Twenty-five students in grades four and five from Quadra Elementary School hit the ice with the Royals for the first time on January 11, 2023.

“I didn’t really know how to skate,” Safa, a grade five student, admitted. “But I gave it a shot and it was fun. It’s really, really exciting!”

The Wednesday practices with the Royals have become the highlight of the week for many students and Gorman has seen firsthand how the program has helped build self-esteem and leadership skills as well as on-ice prowess.

“The first time everyone was on the ice, no one could stand. It was like a yard sale of equipment out there,” Gorman grinned. “But yesterday, I went home and I was talking to my wife and I said, ‘Wow, we’re looking like a real hockey team out there’. The progression has been pretty staggering. We’re doing real drills and it’s been really amazing in that regard.

It’s the Royals, but it’s also like their support staff and people who work at the arena. They always come and help… It’s all the stuff behind the scenes as well that we’re so appreciative of and when the (Royals) guys can come out and lend a hand you know, my kids are starting to know them by name and a lot of the players are coming down and know a bunch of the kids by first name.”

Safa and her teammate, Akram, were even invited to read the Royals’ starting lineup for a game against Tri-City in December and were featured as part of Hockey Day in Canada festivities on January 20.

“Just seeing their growth from where they started to now has been astronomical,” Zemlak added. “It’s actually unreal to see how much all of them have grown and how much they love playing the game now.

I hope that they stay involved in the physical activity community, whether it’s hockey or another sport, just keep that going throughout their lives. I think that’s a big part of every childhood for most kids.”

The partnership between HEROS, Quadra Elementary and the Royals has seen so much success that a second ice time, featuring students from nearby George Jay Elementary, has just launched.

“Last week, we all went to Sport Chek, and Kevin (Hodgson) and Norm (Flynn) from HEROS Hockey joined for that, getting the kids all the equipment and everything,” George Jay Elementary School teacher Katie Hotchkiss said. “A lot of them had no idea what they were doing, but they were so excited. And then we got the first ice time on Wednesday.

“We had kids who were just so surprised at their ability and their success- especially one kid in particular who was a bit hesitant to join. We convinced him to come once and he was one of the ones that was able to skate right away. He was just like, ‘How am I doing this? How am I doing this? This is something new that I can do!’ The whole energy just shifted.”

Between the Royals, HEROS, the teachers, and perhaps most importantly, the players themselves, the group hopes to form an ever-growing team that’s bigger than the game.

“Having our kids kind of see kids the same age and in the same program just a few months ahead and the difference in their skating abilities, I think was pretty neat for them to see, and quite motivating,” Hotchkiss added. “like, ‘Yeah, this is hard, this is new, this is awkward, but we want to stick with it and we want to persevere.'”

“I’m looking forward to going to middle school and I’m probably going to come back to visit Quadra,” Safa added. “There’s going to be a whole bunch of other grade fives and grade fours who are going to do hockey- just like me.”

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The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming environment in communities close to our 22 clubs in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team has the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate about. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.

Through the McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective, we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club throughout the season.