Thursday’s WHL Bantam Draft proved fruitful for the Victoria Royals, where they took a few key pieces, including defenceman, a goalie, and better yet – identical twin brothers!
Royals’ first round pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft was Jason Spizawka – his twin brother, Ryan, was selected by the team in the seventh round. Both hail from Victoria, though they most recently played in Abbotsford.
Jason was selected 19th overall in the first round of the draft, it being the second time in so many years that the Royals chose a defenceman as their first pick.
Also a defenceman, his identical brother Ryan was taken in the seventh round, adding yet another defender to the team’s repertoire.
Jason and Ryan both played their last seasons at Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford – Jason posted two goals and 25 points in 28 games, while his brother Ryan had eight goals and 20 points in 29 games.
Aside from defenceman, the Royals snagged goalie Shane Farkas from the Portland Winterhawks, in a trade that entailed an exchange for a 2019 fourth round pick.
Shane Farkas posted a record of 30-12-3-3 last season with the Winterhawks, with a 2.71 goals against average and 0.906 save percentage.
Honoured to be drafted by the @victoriaroyals thank you to my family, billet family and my coaches for giving me the opportunity to get to this point. https://t.co/OE88ctA4q3
— Ryan Spizawka (@RSpizawka) May 2, 2019
