Victoria Royals head coach James Patrick said he sees a lot of similarities, of the blue-collar type, between his team (9-4-3) and the Kamloops Blazers (7-8-1).
“They [Blazers] don’t have high-end scoring but they play their system well and they compete hard. We always expect a real tough challenge against them,” said Patrick, heading into the two-game set against Kamloops at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
That was borne out in a hard-scrabble 4-3 Blazers win over the Royals on Tuesday night on a goal by Jordan Keller at 1:33 of overtime in a game that came down to one shot. The back end of the set is tonight at 7 in the Memorial Centre.
“If we play our system we have a chance with our team, with this group,” said Patrick.
“I know we have to score by committee. Our top forward is [2025 NHL draft first-round projected] Cole Reschny, who is only 17, and that’s a big load for a young player. I believe we can play with anyone and if we play the right way, we give ourselves chances to win.”
The Royals gave themselves that by outshooting Kamloops 36-30 but it was the Blazers who skated away with the two points, leaving Victoria to salvage just the one.
Reggie Newman and Teydon Trembecky, each with their sixth goals of the season, gave Victoria a 2-0 lead in the first period. Harrison Brunicke scored for Kamloops in the first period and captain Emmitt Finnie and Josh Kelly in the second to put the Blazers ahead 3-2. Nolan Stewart, a forward Patrick said he wants to give more opportunities to, scored his fourth goal of the season to tie it 3-3 at 9:59 of the second period.
Sophomore Jaden Kraus, rated for the fourth/fifth rounds of the 2025 NHL draft by Central Scouting, played in goal for Victoria and veteran Dylan Ernst for Kamloops.
Victoria is 1-2 this season against the Blazers, including a 5-2 win and 6-3 loss in Kamloops.
Tonight’s rematch against the Blazers in the Memorial Centre closes out Victoria’s four-games-in-six-days homestand, which began with a loss Friday against the Moose Jaw Warriors and an overtime victory Sunday against the Saskatoon Blades.
The Royals will embark on their longest road trip of the season, eight games from Saturday in Seattle to Nov. 27 in Everett, with an entire Eastern Division swing sandwiched in-between.
