The future arrived early for the Victoria Royals. The two cornerstone players of the Western Hockey League club’s future have done everything the past week except drive the team bus and wash the jerseys after games.
Forward Cole Reschny, 16, was named WHL rookie of the week Monday for a second time this season after scoring three goals and adding two assists for five points in two games as Victoria beat the Tri-City Americans 6-4 in Kennewick, Washington, and lost 5-4 in overtime to the powerhouse Winterhawks in Portland.
Rookie defenceman Keaton Verhoeff, 15, was called up to supplement an injury-depleted Royals blueline and was all over the ice in both games and looked well beyond his years.
Finishing so low in the standings the past few seasons has led to high WHL prospects draft picks for Victoria and paid dividends at least in that regard for the Royals. Reschny was selected third overall in the first round in 2022 and Verhoeff fourth overall in the first round of the 2023 WHL draft.
Reschny is projected for the second round of the 2025 NHL draft and Verhoeff should be in the same range for the 2026 NHL draft after he represented sa国际传媒 at the 2024 Youth Winter Olympics in January at Gangwon, South Korea.
“The ceiling is high for young players Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff,” said Royals head coach James Patrick, who played 21 seasons in the NHL.
“It’s been a really good development year for Cole Reschny. For a 16-year-old, he’s had to play all season against 19- and 20-year-olds. Especially since Robin Sapousek [the Royals’ injured Czech two-time world junior championship-medallist forward] went out, the match-ups Cole has faced have been much tougher. It can be frustrating some nights but I know he’s going to be better for it. He is really strong on the puck for a 16-year-old with really good offensive instincts. Cole sees the open ice and can make plays and can also shoot the puck. He’s at the top end for a 16-year-old.”
As a 15-year-old, Verhoeff is limited to how many games he can play in the WHL this season, but has made them count in seven appearances.
“Keaton has been really good for us in the minutes he has been able to play. We’ll see when Keaton gets here next year and plays on a full-time basis,” said Patrick.
“We’re really excited about him and where his game can go. He is a big, mobile, solid, two-way defenceman with obviously a huge upside. We really look forward to what he’s going to bring to us.”
But Patrick is wary to keep things in perspective. The world is littered with youthful talent not fulfilled: “They both have a long way to go. Obviously, they are young players that you get really excited about, but also knowing they have to get better every year. The challenges are going to keep coming for them.”
The Royals (28-24-9) have seven regular-season games remaining and are in Spokane tonight to play the Chiefs (25-28-6). Fifth-place Victoria’s magic number is one with any combination of a Royals win or overtime/shootout loss, or a loss by the ninth-place Tri-City Americans, will clinch for Victoria a post-season berth five years in the making. It would be the first post-season appearance by the Royals since 2018-19 after the pandemic forced the cancellations of the 2020 and 2021 playoffs and Victoria failed to qualify for the last two post-seasons in 2022 and 2023.
