“What, me worry?” became a generational touchstone saying, thanks to Mad Magazine. They are not exactly Boomers, but worry time might be looming for the Victoria Royals, if it hasn’t already set in.
The Royals have the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst in the Western Hockey League heading into tonight’s game in Kamloops against the Blazers.
What started out as a mid-season bump has become the size of Everest with the Royals in the midst of a mountainous 16-game winless streak that has yet to have the team taste victory this calendar year, which is now into mid-February.
The biggest question, if the trend continues this season, is whether it’s part of an outlier campaign, even though the Royals also placed last in the WHL in the pandemic-abbreviated 2021 mini-season. Is this the way it is?
The Royals are among 15 of the 22 WHL teams that have been impacted by COVID protocols this season, although Victoria’s added-on injury situation has been more dire than most teams’. But injuries and the thin roster explanation can only go so far. It happens to a lot of teams. That’s when team depth comes into play.
The Royals are finally rounding into health with forward Evan Patrician the last notable player listed as being out heading into Kamloops. The time for excuses may be at an end.
“We’ve been eagerly waiting for a replenished roster,” said Royals GM and head coach Dan Price.
Turning things around tonight seems a daunting task for the Royals (12-28-5) against the Canadian Hockey League top-10 Blazers (33-12-1). Kamloops has two players, Matthew Seminoff and Fraser Minten, selected on the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game rosters announced Tuesday. The game will feature the top-40 major-junior players eligible for this year’s NHL draft, including 15 from the WHL. The Royals did not have a player selected, despite that forward Brayden Schuurman as the 58th-ranked North American skater for the draft, was likely on the bubble.
Price said the Royals are buoyed by their last meeting with the Blazers being a tight 3-2 loss on Feb. 6 in Victoria.
“We were in a position to win and that gives us a high level of confidence heading into Kamloops,” he said.
Tonight begins a stretch of five consecutive road games for the Royals, continuing Friday evening at the Langley Events Centre against the Vancouver Giants, Saturday night in Everett, Washington, against the Silvertips, and Monday afternoon and Feb. 25 back in Langley against the Giants.
