Sports stats

WHL Victoria Royals

Royals Return Home to Host Winterhawks for Two-Game Weekend Set

November 10, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Victoria Royals News Release


Victoria Royals right wing Jake Poole
Victoria Royals right wing Jake Poole
(Victoria Royals)

Victoria, B.C. - The Victoria Royals will return to the friendly confines of the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre this weekend after two weeks on the road as they host the Portland Winterhawks for a pair of games beginning Friday night.

Victoria (3-12-3-0) is coming off a close overtime loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the final leg of their six-game tour of the Eastern Conference last week.

After spending the majority of the past two weeks on the bus traveling from citytocity, they will be happy to have the home crowd behind them for the first time since mid-October as they host the first-place Winterhawks.

General Manager and Head Coach Dan Price expects the home crowd will provide his team an extra boost on the ice this weekend:

"We know exactly what to expect [from Portland]," said Price. "They're a very aggressive team as far as attacking goes...We take so much energy from our fans and from being in this building, and the guys have done a great job of preparing to get ready for Portland, but at the end of the day, once the puck drops Friday night it's all about the level of competition and that's something we're trying to ramp up as well."

One Royal that seemed unaffected by the heavy travel schedule was defenceman Kalem Parker, who has recorded eight points (one goal, seven assists) over his past seven games and leads the team with ten assists on the season.

The Clavet, SK product will hope to keep up that production as his team shoots for the upset this weekend:

"I think I've just been playing simple," said Parker after practice Wednesday. "I've been getting pucks through and the team's been helping me out as well. I think our forwards have been playing really good in front of me and we need to just continue to improve on the things we know we need to."

Goaltender Tyler Palmer will play another key part in his team's success this weekend, as he has all season. The Fernie, BC product has played a league-high 831 minutes in net this year, posting a 3-9-3-0 record with a .881 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.90 goals against average (GAA) through 14 games.

With two games in as many nights, we could also see backup netminder Logan Cunningham make his fourth appearance of 2022. The Sherwood Park, AB native made his first WHL start during their recent road trip, and totalled three appearances against the Red Deer Rebels, Swift Current Broncos and Calgary Hitmen.

Standing in the Royals' way this weekend is a talented Portland (11-1-1-1) squad that currently holds first place in the Western Conference and ranks inside the top 10 teams in the country.

The Winterhawks are led by the dangerous offensive duo of Robbie Fromm-Delorme and Gabe Klassen, both who have put up impressive numbers through the first two months of the season.

The 20-year-old Fromm-Delorme leads the team in scoring with 21 points on seven goals and 14 assists in 14 appearances this season. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Klassen has been nearly as efficient, counting 17 points on a team-high 13 goals and four assists over 10 games this year.

On the other end of the rink, Winnipeg, MB product Dante Giannuzzi and Czech-born netminder Jan Špunar are expected to provide goaltending duties for the Winterhawks this weekend.

Giannuzzi has made the majority of starts for the team this year, accruing a 7-1-1-0 record to go along with a 3.55 GAA and a .874 SV% in nine games. Meanwhile, Špunar has been a solid partner in the tandem, earning a 4-0-0-1 record with a 2.70 GAA and a .885 SV% over his six appearances in 2022.

It's set to be a special weekend at the SOFMC, as the team is set to host their Remembrance Day celebration featuring a ceremonial puck drop by a Canadian Forces veteran prior to the game. There will also be a charity bottle drive taking place at the rink during and prior to the contest, with all proceeds going to benefit the Canadian Legion Poppy Fund, supporting veterans and their families nationwide.

Additionally, the following night, Saturday Nov. 12, will see the Royals host their 'Hockey For All' celebration, promoting diversity and inclusion in the game.

The Royals have invited members of the Victoria Reign girls youth hockey program and a group from the Victoria Immigrants and Refugee Society which will give newly arrived individuals and their families their first chance to see a live WHL game.

The team will also dawn rainbow 'Pride Tape' during their warmups in celebration of 'Hockey For All'.

The first game of the weekend is set to get underway at 7:05 pm on Friday, Nov 11, with game two getting underway at 6:05 pm on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in downtown Victoria. Tickets can be purchased at selectyourtickets.com.

Impact players to watch:

Victoria:

#34 Jake Poole (F) - 16 GP, 15 PTS (9 G, 6 A)

#29 Teague Patton (F) - 18 GP, 12 PTS (4 G, 8 A)

#24 Luke Shipley (D) - 17 GP, 9 PTS (2 G, 7 A)

Portland:

#13 James Stefan (F) - 12 GP, 17 PTS (5 G, 12 A)

#5 Luca Cagnoni (D) - 14 GP, 14 PTS (5 G, 12 A)

Follow the Royals on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, TikTok and visit victoriaroyals.com to find out more about ticket sales and to learn the latest news about the team.

Get Your Ticket Packs Now

Multiple ticket packages are available for purchase, including a Family Pack, Prospect Pack, VictoriaNow Family Section and Molson Ice Seats. Call our ticket office at 250-220-7889, send an email to tickets@victoriaroyals.com or visit our website to learn more victoriaroyals.com/ticket-promos.

Check out the Victoria Royals Statistics




Images from this story

Victoria Royals right wing Jake Poole
Victoria Royals right wing Jake Poole
   



Western Hockey League Stories from November 10, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Victoria Royals Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central