Regular Season Schedule Released

The Victoria Royals released the team’s regular season schedule today, opening their 3rd campaign on the road against the Vancouver Giants September 20th.

The Royals’ home opener is the the following night against their same BC Division rival Giants, the team they’ll face the most of any club, a total of 10 times.

Victoria’s first meeting against Kamloops, the team they fell to in the opening round of the playoffs, will be on the road October 4th.

For the first time, the WHL adopted the same scheduler that the NHL, AHL and ECHL uses.  Royals GM Cam Hope:

The Royals will have 3 separate 5 game homestands next season which all mark the longest home stretches for the club.

The club will hold 14 home double headers this season, where clubs come to the Island for two game sets.

Victoria’s longest road trip of the season will see the club play 7 games over a 16 day period as the team makes its bi-annual visit to the prairies.

The WHL and the  Cities of Red Deer and Lethbridge will serve as the official hosts for two games of the 2013 SUBWAY® Super Series in November.  The CHL Top Prospects game features the Calgary Hitmen hosting the top NHL Draft-eligible prospects on January 15th, 2014.

The 2013 WHL Opening Weekend will launch on Thursday, September 19th, with the Regina Pats hosting the Swift Current Broncos.

Victoria’s next order of business is the CHL Import Draft on Wednesday July 3rd, where the Royals will draft 31st overall.

2013-14 Schedule Facts:

By Team:

Brandon: 0 home + 1 road = 1 game
Calgary: 2 home + 0 road = 2 games
Edmonton: 1 home + 1 road = 2 games
Everett: 2 home + 2 road = 4 games
Kamloops: 4 home + 4 road = 8 games
Kelowna: 4 home + 4 road = 8 games
Kootenay: 1 home + 0 road = 1 game
Lethbridge: 2 home + 1 road = 3 games
Medicine Hat: 1 home + 1 road = 2 games
Moose Jaw: 0 home + 1 road = 1 game
Portland: 2 home + 2 road = 4 games
Prince Albert: 0 home + 1 road = 1 game
Prince George: 4 home + 4 road = 8 games
Regina: 0 home + 1 road = 1 game
Red Deer: 2 home + 0 road = 2 games
Saskatoon: 0 home + 1 road = 1 game
Seattle: 2 home + 2 road = 4 games
Spokane: 2 home + 2 road = 4 games
Swift Current: 0 home + 1 road = 1 game
Tri-City: 2 home + 2 road = 4 games
Vancouver: 5 home + 5 road = 10 games

By Divison:

B.C. Division: 17 home + 17 road = 34 games
U.S. Division: 10 home + 10 road = 20 games
East Division: 0 home + 6 road = 6 games
Central Division: 9 home + 3 road = 12 games

By Month:

September: 3 home + 2 road = 5 games
October: 7 home + 5 road = 12 games
November: 7 home + 6 road = 13 games
December: 5 home + 5 road = 10 games
January: 7 home + 5 road = 12 games
February: 4 home + 9 road = 13 games
March: 3 home + 4 road = 7 games

By Day:

Sunday: 1 home + 2 road = 3 games
Monday: 1 home + 2 road = 3 games
Tuesday: 4 home + 4 road = 8 games
Wednesday: 6 home + 4 road = 10 games
Thursday: 0 home + 1 road = 1 games
Friday: 12 home + 11 road = 23 games
Saturday: 12 home + 12 road = 24 games


2013 VICTORIA ROYALS PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE:

Friday, Aug 30,  Victoria @ Everett         -Everett, WA         7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Aug 31,  Victoria @ Seattle    -Everett, WA        3:00 p.m.

Sunday, Sept 1,  Victoria @ Tri-City     -Everett, WA          11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Sept 14,  Vancouver @ Victoria     -SOFMC         1:35 p.m.

Sunday, Sept 15,  Victoria @ Vancouver     -Ladner, BC          2:00 p.m.

Pre-Season Schedule Announced:

ROYALS ANNOUNCE 2013 PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE

Victoria to play five exhibition games including home date on September 14^th.

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Royals today announced their pre-season schedule in preparation for the 2013-14 WHL regular season.

The Royals will play a total of five pre-season games against teams from both the U.S. and B.C. Divisions. Victoria will take part in the Everett Silvertips’ annual pre-season tournament for the first time this season, which will account for the team’s first three games. The first will be played on Friday, August 30^th against the host Silvertips with puck-drop slatted for 7:00 p.m. The Royals will then face-off against the Seattle Thunderbirds the following day at 3:00 p.m. before they conclude the tournament on Sunday, September 1^st against the Tri-City Americans at 11:30 a.m. All tournament games will take place at Comcast Arena.

Victoria will complete their exhibition schedule with a home-and-home series against the Vancouver Giants. The Royals will host Giants on Saturday, September 14^th in their only home pre-season date. Game time is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The series will finish following day with a 2:00 p.m. game in Ladner, BC.

2013 VICTORIA ROYALS PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE:

Friday, August 30, 2013

Victoria @ Everett

Everett, WA

7:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Victoria @ Seattle

Everett, WA

3:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Victoria @ Tri-City

Everett, WA

11:30 a.m.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Vancouver @ Victoria

Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, Victoria, BC

1:35 p.m.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Victoria @ Vancouver

Ladner, BC

2:00 p.m.

Here Comes the Blue! Season ticket packages for the 2013-14 season are on sale now! Call 250-220-7889, visit www.selectyourtickets.com, or head down to the Victoria Royals ticketing office at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for more information.

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For further information contact:

Corey St. Laurent

Manager of Communications and Hockey Operations Coordinator

Victoria Royals Hockey Club

250-220-2613

corey.st.laurent@victoriaroyals.com

WHL - Annual General Meeting

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12^TH, 2013

WHL CONCLUDES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The WHL concluded its Annual Meeting today in Vancouver, where one of the highlights of the meetings was a report on the WHL Concussion Management Safety Program indicating that concussions were down over 20% overall during the 2012-13 season compared to the 2011-12 season. The reduced number of concussions is largely a result of the WHL’s Seven Point Plan, a comprehensive education and prevention program designed to reduce contact to the head and concussions, introduced prior to the 2011-12 season.

“We are very encouraged by the research indicating concussions are down significantly compared to previous seasons,”  WHL Commissioner Ron Robison commented. “We believe the Seven Point Plan has been very effective in addressing player safety overall and reducing the number of concussions on a league wide basis.”

Other matters adopted by the WHL Board of Governors in preparation for the 2013-14 season, included the following:

·         The use of video replay in the offensive zone to review goal situations when a player may have scored as a result of a hand pass or high stick.

·         A new computer assisted scheduling system. This year, the WHL will release its pre-season schedule for the 2013-14 season on Tuesday, June 25,  while the regular season schedule will be released the following day on Wednesday, June 26.

Other agenda items at the WHL Annual Meeting included a review of the WHL officiating  program; new goaltending development initiatives; and the hosting of the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup.