Victoria Royals update
Saturday, February 18, 2012
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| Logan Nelson crashes the net in a 4-2 win over the Cougars |
LAST GAME: The Royals defeated the Cougars 4-2 Friday night by scoring 4 goals in the second period. Victoria trailed 1-0 after a first period which saw 5 fights. The Royals got goals from Brandon Magee, Steven Hodges, Jamie Crooks, and Dakota Conroy. Victoria’s power play went 2 for 5, while stopping all 7 of Prince George’s man advantages.
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| Cougars leading scorer Troy Bourke. |
The Royals who snapped their five game winless streak last night, wrap up their five game homestand tonight (1-3).
SEASON SERIES: Victoria now leads the season series 4 games to 1. They’ll finish the eight meetings next Friday and Saturday in Prince George.
Prince George 2 @ Victoria 4 (Feb 17 2012)
Prince George 1 @ Victoria 5 (Feb 1 2012)
Prince George 4 @ Victoria 2 (Jan 31 2012)
Victoria 6 @ Prince George 5 (Oct 1 2011)
Victoria 5 @ Prince George 4 (Sep 30 2011) SO
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| D Tyler Stahl returned to the line up for the Royals |
WHO’S HOT: With a goal and assist last night Jamie Crooks extends his point streak to 8 games (6g 3a), and is tied with Oscar Moller for 3rd all time in goals with 71. Steven Hodges and Ben Walker had two point nights. Logan Nelson has assists in back to back games and tied for 3rd in rookie scoring.
COUGARS STATS: The Cougars have scored the fewest goals in the league, with the fewest shots for. They have the 22nd ranked power play and have taken the 5th most penalty minutes per game on average.
LEADING SCORERS:
For Prince George:
Bourke (10-30-40)
Carlson (8-25-33)
Fo rsberg (12-19-31)
Asuchak (15-13-28)
Fraser (13-11-24)
For Victoria:
Crooks (31-30-61)
Nelson (20-33-53)
Soudek (22-27-49)
Magee (20-22-42)
Rintoul (13-29-42)
ISLAND BOYS: The Cougars boast two local players, F Greg Fraser from Nanaimo, and D Cody Carlson from Victoria who is second on the club in scoring with 33 points.
DRAFTED/NHL SIGNED PLAYERS: For Victoria: D Tyler Stahl (Carolina, 6th rd 2010), and D Jordan Fransoo (Ottawa, 7th rd 2011). For Prince George: D Ricard Blidstrand (7th PHI ’10).
TOP PROSPECTS: Central Scoutings mid-term rankings of North American players positions Victoria’s Steven Hodges (55), and Logan Nelson (108). For PG: Troy Bourke (107).
INJ:
For Prince George:
#21, Shane Pilling, Upper body, day to day
#27, Alex Forsberg, Lower body, day to day
Additions #3, Marc McNulty, from AMHL
For Victoria:
#3, Zach Habscheid, Lower body, 1 month+
DOWN THE STRETCH:
Victoria: Home Games (7), Away (7)
Opposition: Prince George x 3, Everett x 2, Vancouver x 3, Spokane x 2, Kelowna x 1, Portland x 2, Kamloops x 1
Victoria Royals update
Friday, January 20, 2012
PREVIEW: VICTORIA AT PRINCE ALBERT
By Marlon Martens www.twitter.com/Voice_VicRoyals VoiceVicRoyals.blogspot.com
It’s game number 5 of a 6 game eastern road swing for the Victoria Royals (14-27-2-3) who are in Prince Albert (15-27-1-2) to take on the Raiders Friday night.
With a win against Brandon and losses in Regina, Swift Current, and Moose Jaw, Victoria is 1-3 on their 6 game eastern road swing which concludes Saturday night in Saskatoon. Pregame show at 4:45 on The Zone at 91.3 FM
SERIES: Last Season Prince Albert won the only meeting 5-2 in Chilliwack. The franchise is 2-2 in the last 5 season against the Raiders.
LAST GAME: The Royals have dropped their last 2, most recently a 2-0 loss in Moose Jaw Wednesday night. The Warriors latest acquisitions provided the scoring, James Henry in the first, and Cam Braes in the third. Keith Hamilton was named 3rd star with 27 saves. It was the first time Victoria had been shut out all season, now only scoring once in their last two.
Victoria lost 3 players to injury by the end of the second. D Zach Habscheid took a hard hit from Quinton Howden into the boards, and F Tim Traber had his eye swollen shut in a fight with 6’4, Dallas Ehrhardt. Both are Day to Day, put possible. Defenseman Jesse Zgraggen has an upper body injury after taking a check to the head from Dylan McIlrath. As he waits for suspension from the league, McIlrath talks about the hit here: http://bit.ly/xWKWco
Prince Albert has lost their last 3, the latest an 8-6 defeat in Saskatoon Saturday night. The Raiders took a 3-2 lead into the second period when the Blades scored three times on four shots. Prince Albert twice got back to within a goal but couldn’t equalize. Raiders 16 year old defenseman Josh Morrissey, had a goal and three assists.
STANDINGS: Both teams have similar records, with 33 points each. Victoria is 8th, 2 back of Seattle, but just one up on Prince George - who have 2 in hand. Prince Albert sits last in the east, 14 points out of a playoff spot.
RAIDERS NUMBERS: The Raiders enter tonights contest with 6 days rest in between games. A competitive 2 under .500 at the Art Hauser Centre, and winners of 5 of their last 10 games overall.
While averaging the 8th most shots on goal per game, the Raiders have given up the second most goal against - only the Royals have given up more. Their power play is 10th to Victoria’s 15th, and both clubs Penalty Killing is near the bottom (19th, and 21st respectively). Prince Albert has scored 11 short handed goals, good for second most – but have given up more short handed goals (12) than any team.
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| Mike Winther |
For Victoria, Jamie Crooks leads the team in goals (23) and scoring with 45 points. A story on Crooks here: http://bit.ly/AbrTIU. Logan Nelson is second in scoring (42), and 3rd in rookie scoring. Hayden Rintoul is 10th among defenseman in points with 33.
DRAFTED/NHL SIGNED PLAYERS: For Victoria: D Tyler Stahl (Carolina, 6th rd 2010), D Jordan Fransoo (Ottawa, 7th rd 2011). For Prince Albert: D Harrison Ruopp (PHX ’11), F Mark McNeill (CHI ’11).
TOP PROSPECTS: Central Scoutings mid-term rankings of North American players positions Victoria’s Steven Hodges (55), and Logan Nelson (108). Mike Winthers or Prince Albert is ranked 26th.
WHO'S OUT: For Victoria: D Tyler Stahl, Upper body, 1 month+ has missed 42 games. D Jesse Zgraggen, Upper Body, D Zach Habscheid and F Tim Traber, Day to day, but possible. For Prince Albert: D Tyler Hart, Lower body, expected back tonight after missing 10 games. F Carson Perreaux, Upper body, day to day.
RAIDER TRADES:
The Tri-City Americans traded D Riley Guenther (17) to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.
The Kamloops Blazers traded F Logan McVeigh (17) and a second-round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for F Brandon Herrod (20).
The Prince Albert Raiders traded G Eric Williams (18) and F Todd Fiddler (18) to the Spokane Chiefs in exchange for F Anthony Bardaro (19), G Luke Lee-Knight (18), and a fifth-round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.
Victoria Royals update
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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| The Royals with hockey players in Vanguard |
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| Top-Todd Hornung, Patrick Marleau |
Marc Habscheid took his players out for a unique practice on Monday, to a vintage, small community run rink in Vanguard Saskatchewan. Located 20 miles south and 20 miles east of Swift Current with a population of 180, the town has produced such players as Todd Hornung and Patrick Marleau.
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| Vintage Vanguard Crest |
With rosy cheeks, red ears and noses, the players took to the ice with much anticipation, ready for their taste of a truly Canadian hockey experience.
With no heating (a balmy –32), the chilly, almost 60 year old rink brought back fond memories for the head coach and GM of the Royals.
“I think for myself personally a lot of the passion for game really grew from towns like this, and just playing for the love of the game – you just throw on a toque and some gloves and you go out and play, and you’re never cold because your doing something you love.”
Marc even allowed some aspiring hockey players to skate with the club after practice for a giant game of shinny.
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| Local players skate with the Royals after practice. |
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| Ben Walker plays shinny |
“It’s kind of the fiber of hockey, I really think it’s important for these guys to see this and experience this…they read about it and see it but, a lot of these guys haven’t been in towns with rinks like this that mean so much to their community, that really keep the community afloat…”
In classic pond hockey style, the club wore different colored socks on their heads to signify which team they were on (that or to warm their ears).
“…gives them a chance to see what grass roots hockey is really about, and why and how the game was played in small town Saskatchewan.”
Steven Hodges put on a stick handling clinic, as Ben Walker zipped around in a massive game of keep away. Keith Hamilton stacked the pads while the youngsters tried to fire pucks over top.
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| Victoria's Brandon Magee & Robin Soudek |
Afterwards they signed autographs and all warmed up with some of the best hot chocolate and poutine around.
With a big smile frozen on his face, assistant coach Ben Cooper wimpered that his eyes were watering. He wore a toque the entire time.
“The neat thing was you could hear everyone skating” said assistant Coach Enio Sacilotto in regards the acoustics with the curved walls so close to the ice. “It was lots of fun, good to get back to the grass roots of hockey.”
For those keeping count, a Large Coffee was just $1.25. Now that's keeping it real.
Victoria plays in Swift Current Tuesday night, Moose Jaw Wednesday and wrap up 6 games in 9 nights Friday and Saturday with stops in Prince Albert and Saskatoon.
Listen here to Marc Habscheid's interview:
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| The rink in Vanguard, Saskatchewan |
Victoria Royals update
Friday, December 9, 2011
ROYALS VICTORIOUS IN WILD GAME ON TEDDY BEAR TOSS NIGHT by Dustin Forbes BCIT Intern
The Victoria Royals entered Friday night’s tilt with the Lethbridge Hurricanes having lost five consecutive games at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre, but the Royals sent a sell-out crowd of 7,006 home happy with a crazy 8-5 win over the visiting Hurricanes in the last home game before Christmas. Kevin Sundher and Jamie Crooks lead the charge for the Royals combining for five goals in the game; Sundher scoring twice, while Crooks adding his second hat-trick of the season in the win.
Things weren’t peachy off the start as the Royals came out flat in front of the sell-out crowd, allowing the Hurricanes to score the first two goals of the hockey game courtesy of Juraj Bezuch and Jaimen Yakubowski. However, the line of Zane Jones, Ben Walker and Austin Carroll chipped in with a monstrous shift that would eventually result in the Teddy Bear Toss goal. Jones deflecting a Walker shot past Hurricanes netminder Liam Liston at the 18:11 mark of the period which propelled a raining of teddy bears onto the ice. With the goal, Jones continued his hot hand – he now has scored in four straight games and has goals in five of his last six contests; while the assist for Ben Walker kept his point-scoring streak intact, he now has a four-game point streak.
The two teams would take their intermission break following the goal and would return to finish the first period before the start of the second. And before the first period was officially over, Kevin Sundher would tie the game with his team-leading 20th goal of the season. Sundher would strike again 1:38 into the second period on a backhand shot while he was falling to the ice to give the Royals their first lead of the night. However, the Hurricanes would score the next two goals to regain the lead. Jamie Crooks would score his first of three on the night to tie the game at four, but it was short-lived as Brody Sutter scored to put the ‘Canes up after 40 minutes of play.
Kevin Sundher was stymied on two breakaways in the middle frame, and after the game when asked what he need to improve on, Sundher said, “for me, maybe my breakaways because I haven’t scored in about my last ten.”
The Royals would explode in the third period for four goals. Jamie Crooks was the recipient of a beautiful tic-tac-toe goal on the power play just 46 seconds into the period to tie the game at five. Just 31 seconds later, persistence would pay off for Brandon Magee with him potting his 8th goal of the year. Just over two minutes later, Jamie Crooks would complete the hat-trick with a snipe to the top shelf for his 15th goal of the season – the goal would chase Lethbridge goaltender Liston and see Damien Keito take over. Five minutes later, Steven Hodges was pulled down on a shorthanded breakaway resulting in a penalty shot and Hodges would make no mistake roofing one of the goaltender for his 12th goal of the year. The Royals would steer things home, holding onto the 8-5 victory.
After the game, Head Coach and General Manager of the Royals, Marc Habscheid said, “It was an ugly game. I’ve learned not to be upset about a win, so I’m not going to be upset about that, but it wasn’t pretty.......I can live with certain things, but lack of work, no way.”
It’s a quick turnaround for the Royals as they go out onto the road for a four game trip to wrap up the first half of the season, beginning Saturday night in Seattle against the Thunderbirds, before three games through Alberta against the Edmonton Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat.
You can catch all the road games, on The Zone @ 91.3.
Victoria Royals update
Monday, November 28, 2011
After making Team WHL in the Subway Super Series, Royals forward Kevin Sundher was held off the list of 16 WHL invitees to Team Canada's National Junior Team Selection Camp.
The Camp takes place Dec. 10-14, in Calgary.
Here's Kevin's thoughts on not receiving an invite:
Head Coach and GM of the Royals Marc Habscheid on Sundher:
Some WHL noteables include Moose Jaw Warriors' Quinton Howden who helped Canada earn a Silver Medal at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, NY. The WHL’s current leading scorer Mark Stone (Brandon Wheat Kings), Montreal Canadiens top prospect Brendan Gallagher (Vancouver Giants), first round 2011 NHL Draft picks Mark McNeill (Prince Albert Raiders) and Joseph Morrow (Portland Winterhawks).
List of players invited here: http://whl.ca/article/16-whl-players-invited-to-canada-s-jr-camp
The Royals sit tied with Kelowna for 3rd in the BC Division after dropping pair on their weekend road swing into the interior, 4-1 in Kamloops Friday and 6-5 in Kelowna Saturday.
It’s the fourth loss in a row for the Royals and longest skid of the season.
Victoria will now face Kamloops in back to back visits on home ice Tuesday and Wednesday. The Royals have lost both meetings of the season versus the Blazers who are 9 games over .500 and one point back of Vancouver for top spot in the division.
Catch all the action on The Zone @ 91-3.
