On Wednesday the WHL released the 2019-2020 regular season schedule. The Victoria Royals see a return to a more normal schedule after last season saw a major adjustment in order to make way for the World Junior Championship tournament in Victoria.
Victoria opens with a game on the road as they play the Everett Silvertips on Saturday, September 21st.
The Royals home opener is set for Friday, September 27th versus the BC Division foe the Prince George Cougars.
(photo_Gord Rufh ISN Sports)
Victoria will play a single “three-in-three” series in 2019-2020, a “Coastal Clash” versus their recent rival the Vancouver Giants. The three-game set will start in Langley on Friday, February 28th, then moving to Victoria for a pair of games, the second being a 3:05 pm start on Sunday. The matchup will be one to circle on the calendar, as both teams will hope to have the postseason in their sights.
Speaking of the Vancouver Giants, the Royals will face them in a matinee on New Year’s Day, a 2 pm start in Langley. For Victoria fans, it is a great opportunity to take the trip over to the mainland and enjoy some holiday hockey on the road.
The longest homestand for Victoria sees the club play a five-game stretch from Friday, October 25th to Saturday, November 2nd. The Royals will welcome division rivals in the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets twice each, and then returning Head Coach Willie Desjardins brings the Medicine Hat Tigers to the Island. Desjardins return to the WHL after some notable coaching positions in the NHL with Vancouver and Los Angeles.
The club will hit the road at the end of January, a tour that will see them play all six teams from the Eastern Conference’s East Division. Starting Friday, January 24th through to Saturday, February 1st Victoria will match up against the Brandon Wheat Kings, Winnipeg ICE, Saskatoon Blades, Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, and the Moose Jaw Warriors. In all, the bus time for the Royals on this trip is approximately 60 hours with 5,500 kilometers on the road.
Victoria will welcome the Eastern Conference’s Central Division for six matchups at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena. In the only games they will play versus the Central, the Royals host the Swift Current Broncos, Red Deer Rebels, Calgary Hitmen, Medicine Hat Tigers, Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oil Kings.
The winter months of December and January see some of the U.S. Division teams roll into town. First, the Seattle Thunderbirds are in Victoria for a pair of games starting December 6th. Then it is the Spokane Chiefs turn as they arrive December 17th for a pair of weekday games.
Portland will see a familiar face when they arrive on January 10th and 11th. Acquired this offseason from the Winterhawks, goalie Shane Farkas could play his first game against his former team.
The last U.S. Division team to make its way through Victoria will be the Tri-City Americans. The Americans play a pair of back-to-back weekday games, starting on January 14th.
48 of Victoria’s 68 games will be played on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. For the weekday fans, there are 20 games on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Victoria will not play a game on a Thursday unless a game is rescheduled.
