DUBNetwork game of the night: Victoria Royals (25-15-3-0) @ Brandon Wheat Kings (24-17-1-2) 7:30 PM CST
In junior hockey, the focus is often on the players and not the coaches and managers. Tonight is one of the rare occasions to talk about the coaches. Specifically one coach: Dave Lowry.
It is the first time that the Brandon Wheat Kings Head Coach will face his old team, the Victoria Royals, since returning to the Western Hockey League. Lowry was the head coach of the Victoria Royals from 2012-13 until 2016-17.
Lowry has the Wheat Kings playing absolutely amazing right now as the team has won nine straight games and vaulted into third in the East Division. The team is now just four points out of first in the division. Nine of its next 10 games are against teams with a record of .500 or better currently. Brandon is 13-7-1-2 at Westoba Place.
Victoria is no slouch either. Dan Price has quietly gotten the Royals into second in the BC Division. The team has lost its last two games but has some wiggle room with Kelowna eight points back. The Royals have embarked on a six-games-in-eight-days road trip through the East Division. They are 11-7-2-0 on the road this season.
With seven points since his arrival on Vancouver Island, Brayden Tracey has helped spark a fire under the Royals offense. He is currently the team leader in points with 45 (17G, 28A) in 34 games. In his third season with the Royals, 18-year-old Tarun Fizer has already eclipsed last season’s goals and assists totals. With 40 games this season under his belt, Fizer has 14 goals and 23 assists. 20-year-old Gary Haden rounds out the top three scorers for the Royals with 15 goals and 20 assists in 41 games.
The Royals have some difficulty generating offense from the blue line; none of their skaters have more than three goals. Mitch Prowse leads the way in points with 19 (2G, 17A) and he’s followed by Will Warm with three goals and 11 assists.
The Wheat Kings are led by a trio of forwards that starts with Colorado Avalanche prospect Luka Burzan. He is slightly over a point-per-game pace with 24 goals and 21 assists in 44 games. Not far behind is Ben McCartney. The 18-year-old recently passed his career-best points total by hitting 16 goals and 27 assists. Just over a week away from his 20th birthday, Cole Reinhardt is averaging over a point-per-game as well, currently with 39 points in 37 games (22G, 17A).
The defense is in good hands on the Wheat City squad as both Braden Schneider and Chad Nychuk have more than 25 points from the back end. Schneider is NHL draft-eligible and leads the team’s defensemen with five goals and 25 assists. Nychuk is enjoying a breakout season, tallying five goals and 23 assists.
The game could very well wind up as a goaltender duel as both Shane Farkas and Jiri Patera are among the league leaders in a number of goaltending categories. Farkas is 18-7-1-0 with a sparkling 2.11 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. Patera is 15-7-0-2 with a very decent 2.38 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Farkas has won his last six starts. Not to be outdone, Patera has wins in seven straight.
The Royals and Wheat Kings are neck and neck when it comes to the power play, although both teams are stuck in the middle of the pack. Victoria is 33-for-164 (20.1%) while Brandon is 29-for-199 (19.6%). The Wheat Kings have had the second-most power plays in the WHL. The penalty kill is the same story, but the teams are near the best of the best. The Wheat Kings are fourth with an 85.6% success rate while the Royals are fifth with an 84.3% success rate.
This game has all the makings of a regular-season classic. You can tune in on WHL Live, or on the radio from Victoria or Brandon
In other WHL action:
Edmonton Oil Kings (31-7-6-3) @ Prince Albert Raiders (23-14-5-3)
For the third time in 13 days, the teams hit the ice for battle. Each took a one-goal victory over those 13 days, with the Oil Kings requiring a shootout to post their victory. Overall, the Raiders are 2-0-0-1 against the Oil Kings. Edmonton is 1-1-1-0.
Lethbridge Hurricanes (27-11-2-5) @ Regina Pats (13-25-3-2)
The Hurricanes have won all three previous games between the two squads. Tonight will be the final game of the season series. The Hurricanes are looking to keep themselves in front of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who are a single point back but have an extra game in hand.
Medicine Hat Tigers (29-13-1-1) @ Saskatoon Blades (22-18-1-2)
Medicine Hat has taken all three previous games by a score of 19-7. The last time out, Medicine Hat took an 11-3 win in Saskatoon. The Blades will be out for revenge while looking to keep pace with the Brandon Wheat Kings, who are four points up. Medicine Hat would like to keep pace with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Moose Jaw Warriors (11-28-2-0) @ Swift Current Broncos (9-30-1-3)
The basement battle has been waged twice this season and each team has gotten the better of the other once. Two points separate the teams, though Swift Current has played two more games. The Broncos are also the only team without 10 wins on the season and the only team with 30 regulation losses. This game will be a good chance for some young players to show their stuff.
Tri-City Americans (14-23-4-1) @ Portland Winterhawks (33-6-2-1)
How many times do you write about the Winterhawks, now ranked #2 in the entire CHL? They have taken all four previous games with the Americans by a combined score of 23-6. They are riding a 19-game point streak and are tied for the league lead in points with 71 (playing three fewer games than Edmonton). Tri-City has struggled this season and is four points out of a playoff spot.
Kamloops Blazers (30-11-2-1) @ Prince George Cougars (12-24-3-4)
The BC Division leaders have struggled with the last-place Cougars this season. Over eight days in November, the Blazers and Cougars played three times with Prince George winning two games. Kamloops won a 1-0 nail-biter in the first game. The Blazers have a 10-point lead on the Victoria Royals for the division lead.
Seattle Thunderbirds (18-22-2-1) @ Kelowna Rockets (21-20-1-2)
This is a weird four-point game between two teams in different divisions. Kelowna holds a six-point lead on Seattle but is at risk of falling into the wild card picture. If that is the case, these two teams will be fending each other off for the first or second wild card position. Kelowna has already taken the first two games of the season series. It is also likely the return of Kyle Topping. The two teams have been trading partners since last season and there are all kinds of stories to watch as well.
