By Daniel Marley
A proud Western Hockey League era came to an end in 2011 with the Chilliwack Bruins relocating to the British Columbia capital of Victoria.
The sudden move of the Bruins came earlier this year with the expiration of the lease to Chilliwack’s Prospera Centre and the fear of a National Hockey League relocation of a team to Winnipeg, which would have resulted in a relocation of the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose to Victoria.
According to reporter Allan Maki of Globe and Mail, the relocation of the Bruins was done to preserve the popularity of the WHL in the league’s British Columbia Division and prevent an AHL team from relocating there and “hogging up” all of the media outlets in the province.
Fortunately for all leagues involved, the Moose relocated to the Newfoundland and Labrador capital of St. John’s and the WHL market in the Western Canada province was not disrupted.
For the second time in WHL history, semi-professional hockey will have operations in Victoria. Fans will be graced with the physical style of play that the Bruins fans have adored since their inaugural season in 2006, leading the league in penalty minutes last year with 1,553.
Last season, Chilliwack finished third in the B.C. Division and sixth in the Western Conference with a 33-31-8 record for 74 points. They made the playoffs, only to lose to the Spokane Chiefs in the first round.
This year, the Royals look to generate their new fan base by preserving their physical game while incorporating a stronger offensive core and restructuring their goaltending for a better push towards their Ed Cynoweth and Memorial Cup dreams.
With the loss of key players like forwards Roman Horak and Ryan Howse and defensemen Brandon Manning and Jeff Einhorn to league age restrictions and regulations, the Royals have done almost everything to fill in these missing roster spots.
The Royals’ restructuring began at the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft and the WHL Bantam Draft early in the offseason with the selections of Czech Republic center Lukas Kralik and defenseman Joe Hicketts respectively.
The Royals were relieved to see Kralik still up for grabs by the time they made their selection. He is highly revered for his offensive production and physical presence. According to Hockey Scout and Analyst Dan Sallows, he is a “strong skater who has a good shot, nice hands, and displays good puck protection, reminding hockey fans of a young Ilya Kovalchuk.” Expect him to make a push for a spot on the top line and for his talents to be utilized on the special teams units.
The selection of Kamloops native Hicketts is the perfect compliment for the loss of Manning for his effective two-way defensive game. Scouts view him as a dominant force that stands up for his team and puts points on the board. With the Kamloops Jardines Blazers Bantam AAA in 2010/11, he registered 18 goals, 41 assists, 54 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of 98, 300 hits, and 33 blocked shots in 51 games. He also showed great leadership with his Triple-A club, and if he proves himself this year, he will earn a captaincy down the road.
Other 2011 Victoria draft picks include defenseman Zach Peterson of the Edmonton SSAC Bantam AAA club and center Brendon Benson of the Lethbridge Bantam AAA club.
After the draft, the Royals continued their tweaking by trading for defenseman Hayden Rintoul of the 2011 Ed Chynoweth Cup Champion Kootenay Ice and goaltender Keith Hamilton of the Western Conference Champion Portland Winterhawks.
Rintoul’s strength on the blue line was a key component to Kootenay’s championship run. The perfect replacement for Einhorn, Rintoul will catch the interest of Victoria fans with his defensive zone concentration and leadership. In 51 games last season, he registered 24 points with 51 penalty minutes and a plus-16 rating.
The loss of Chilliwack goaltender Lucas Gore made the Royals trade for a goaltender like Hamilton. After serving as Marc Carruth’s backup in Portland, Hamilton has shown that he deserves the starting role with the Royals. For three Bantam draft picks, the Royals got a player who is known for his positioning and eye for the puck. In 28 games played, Hamilton recorded a 17-6-2 record with a 2.91 goals against average, a 91.4 save percentage, and one shutout.
There are two players from last year’s roster that will make a huge impact this year in their new home. They are forwards Kevin Sundher and Robin Soudek.
Former 2007 first rounder Sundher now has the role as primary goal scorer with the departures of House and Horak. He is well known amongst the Chilliwack fan base for his offensive mindset and consistency. He can generate plays in the offensive zone and make accurate passes to his teammates on the ice.
Last season, Sundher registered 52 assists and 76 points in 70 regular season contests and seven points in five playoff games. He had a career best in the month of February when he shined offensively with 19 points in 12 games.
Soudek has seen his offensive production and his physicality increase since he left the Edmonton Oil Kings after the 2009-10 season. His point totals doubled, as well as his time in the penalty box. In 61 games in 2010, Soudek scored 25 goals and assisted on 32 with 70 penalty minutes.
Other key players include forward Brandon Magee (12-17-29) and defensemen Mitch Topping (5-11-16) and Tyler Stahl (1-9-10).
The Victoria Royals open up their inaugural season with a home-and-home series on September 23 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver and September 24 at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria against the Vancouver Giants.
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