A familiar face will return to the Victoria Royals bench this season, not on it, but behind it. Former Royals defenceman Ralph Jarratt has been added as an assistant coach of the Western Hockey League club.
Jarratt, 24, played five steady seasons with the Royals from 2014-15 to 2018-19. He will have the distinction of one the scrimmage teams named in his honour when Royals rookie camp opens today at Pearkes Arena with practice at 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and scrimmages between Team Soy and Team Fizer at 2:15 p.m. and Team Jarratt against Team Fizer at 5 p.m.
The other teams are named in honour of former Royals forwards Tyler Soy, who played overseas last season with the Belfast Giants, and Tarun Fizer, last year’s captain.
Rookie camp swings to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday with scrimmages at 11:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. and on Sunday at 9:45 a.m. and noon.
Main camp opens Monday at the Memorial Centre with Team Phillips playing Team Hicketts at 2 p.m., Team Outhouse against Team Hicketts at 3:45 p.m. and Team Outhouse versus Team Phillips at 5:30 p.m.
The scrimmage sessions are at the same times Tuesday. The intra-squad game is Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.
The main-camp scrimmage team names are in honour of former Royals — quicksilver and elusive forward Matthew Phillips, a Calgary Flames draft pick, who has spent his career to date in the AHL with one NHL game; offensive-blueliner Joe Hicketts, who was with the Iowa Wild of the AHL last season and won gold with sa国际传媒 at the 2015 world juniors and has played 22 NHL games; and goaltender Griffen Outhouse, who is in U Sports with the University of New Brunswick.
Joining Jarratt on the Royals bench this season as an assistant coach will be fellow WHL alumnus Morgan Klimchuk, 27, a 2013 NHL first-round draft pick of the Flames out of the Regina Pats, who played in the AHL with one game up in Calgary.
The third assistant coach, behind head coach and GM Dan Price, is the veteran returnee Jeff Compton, whose speciality is strength and conditioning. Lynden Sammartino returns as goaltending coach and former Victoria Cougars WHL star Scott Fukami and Stu MacGregor, Garry Pochipinski and Kalen Wright return as senior regional scouts.
Former assistant coach J.F. Best, with the club since 2017, has skated upstairs to become the Royals’ new director of player personnel and player development. Best will retain his existing role as assistant general manager.
Best replaces Ed Fowler, on the scouting staff since 2013, who has retired as Royals director of player personnel and development. Price said Fowler “has left a legacy here and his positive impact will be felt for years to come. J.F. [Best] will take up the torch.”
Dara Festinger is promoted to senior manager of hockey operations and player personnel with Dave Prestage manager of hockey research and data analysis.
