WHL Stars of Tomorrow: Keaton Verhoeff, Victoria Royals

It’s always been Keaton Verhoeff’s dream to play in the WHL.

While most hockey-loving youth shared aspirations of playing in the NHL, a very special few – including Verhoeff – had a craving to become a familiar junior hockey face across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

Growing up in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., the star defenceman’s eagerness to play in the Western League was apparent since he was at least four years old. The age when he first began frequenting trips down to Edmonton, Alta. with his family to catch Oil Kings games.

There the future WHL prospect watched in awe as the top talents in the League battled head-to-head, wishing that one day he would be the one hitting the ice.

His urge to join the WHL only grew when his cousins, Colton and Kirby Dach – yes, those Dachs, entered the League.

“My family has grown up in this League and I’ve watched it ever since I was a little kid. Even going out to Oil Kings games when I could, it was such a unique experience to go watch and such a cool atmosphere,” Verhoeff shared. “I knew as soon as I could skate, I wanted to play in this League.”

And, now, the 16-year-old is living his childhood dream, having been selected fourth overall by the Victoria Royals at the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.

For Verhoeff, his draft experience is a memory he will never forget.

“Still to this day, it’s quite surreal and still a pretty big moment in my young career so far,” he shared. “I’ve seen my cousins play, I’ve seen my uncles grow up in this League. The WHL is that peak level of junior you want to play at in Western Canada, so it’s huge for me.”

🚨WHL DEBUT🚨

Our fourth overall selection from the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Keaton Verhoeff will make his WHL Debut tonight in Kent! pic.twitter.com/QlEFiQkULW

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) December 6, 2023

While playing in the WHL was always the vision for the blueliner, watching Colton and Kirby carve their own paths before finding spots in NHL organizations further reinforced his need to play in this League.

“[Colton and Kirby] are prime examples of the players that this League can create, with them both being drafted to the NHL,” Verhoeff said. “The WHL can lead you to where I want to go, which is eventually the NHL. So, it’s cool to see the alumni succeed and thrive in the leagues and next level going up, which is obviously huge for my decision to come to [the WHL].”

Years of guidance from his older cousins have also positioned the blueliner in a spot to succeed in the junior hockey scene. The tips, tricks, and lessons that have been passed down to Verhoeff have already become crucial during his time with the Royals.

“They played a big part in guiding me. Now more than ever. I skate with them all summer, and I see them all summer, but I’d say they play a super big role right now in my life. Showing me what to do, showing me the rights or wrongs, and leading me through my hockey experience because they’ve been through all this and they know what’s going on,” Verhoeff shared. ”

The countless sheets of ice they share over the summer also better prepared Verhoeff for the intensity found regularly on the WHL ice. After all, there’s no way the Dachs take it easy on each other or their younger cousin.

“It gets pretty crazy sometimes on the ice, I know when we get into games, we aren’t playing half out – we’re playing to win. It gets pretty chippy. If you give them a little whack, they’re going to whack you back. That’s for sure.”

The U18 Prep BC/US Division 2nd Team All-Stars:

F: Liam Payne – North Shore Warriors
F: Shane Purves – North Shore Warriors
F: Brendyn Van Oene – Shawnigan Lake School
D: Ethan Armstrong – Shawnigan Lake
D: Keaton Verhoeff – RHA Kelowna
G: Spence Hunnam – Yale Hockey Academy pic.twitter.com/kXvr5xDPCo

— CSSHL (@CSSHL) April 15, 2024

As a top prospect heading into the 2023 WHL Draft, Verhoeff was on countless clubs’ radars.

So, when his selection came, the crafty blueliner couldn’t be more ecstatic to be a member of the Royals. In just one season with the organization, he already feels at home on the Island.

And, according to Verhoeff, the future is very bright for the Club.

“The fans are so great there. I know the organization itself, with the management and the coaches, is going to play a huge role in our development as a team as we go on and continue to become a better team over these next couple of years,” he said. “I know that in Victoria we’re building up right now, and I think our main goal is to make sure we come back this year strong, and we’re building a consistent game.”

Last season, Verhoeff starred in a dozen regular season outings with the Club, impressing both the fanbase and management at just 15 years old. In that time, the up-and-coming defenceman posted two assists.

Laventure gets his 27th of the season to pull us level!

Keaton Verhoeff notches his first career WHL Point in the process as he tallied the secondary assist. pic.twitter.com/YFThkB6oYo

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) March 3, 2024

While happy for any opportunity to skate for the Royals, Verhoeff’s extended stint with the club was due to a large sum of defencemen going down to injuries in the latter half of the regular season. Victoria’s injury woes also seeped into the 2024 WHL Playoffs, as the 6-foot-4 Albertan was once again thrust into the Western League spotlight.

Despite exiting the postseason in Round One, Verhoeff’s season-long performance gave the Royals hope for the future.

In the eyes of the Royals’ Head Coach James Patrick, what Verhoeff did wasn’t easy.

“He just played with a lot of poise, a lot of confidence,” Patrick shared. “Especially with young kids, you do want to protect them and you want to give them a chance to succeed. But, he exceeded expectations and we had no choice, because of injuries, to play him more.”

The Royals’ lead bench boss playing defence as a 15-year-old is a tougher task than most. Yet, it was a job Verhoeff handled almost perfectly. Patrick also believes that, in his extensive time as a coach, Verhoeff’s on-ice build is something he’s unfamiliar with. Instead, Verhoeff shows shades of several defencemen who’ve trekked through the WHL.

“What he showed coming into the League, as a 15-year-old, there weren’t many defencemen who did that,” he shared. “There’s a bit of  Nolan Allan to his game. There could be a bit of Carson Lambos, there could be a bit of [Carter Yakemchuk]. I just think he’s a real solid two-way defenceman who has some size and mobility to his game.”

Always happy to reminisce about his first season in Victoria, the majority of Verhoeff’s focus is now set on cracking the Royals’ opening night roster. For him, the job isn’t nearly over.

“Every guy in the WHL can stick handle, every guy can shoot and every guy can skate. It’s just going to come down to compete.”

Having posted a pre-season record of 2-1, the Victoria Royals will now wait until Friday, September 20, to open up their regular season campaign.