The Victoria Royals have officially secured a spot in the 2025 WHL Playoffs, clinching their berth on Monday afternoon.
With a record of 32-15-3-6, the Royals are primed to begin their pursuit of the Ed Chynoweth Cup this spring.
Despite a hard-fought 3-2 loss to the Everett Silvertips, the Royals punched their ticket to the postseason thanks to the Spokane Chiefs’ victory over the Kamloops Blazers.
The Royals currently lead the BC Division and sit second in the Western Conference with 73 points.
With the playoffs set to begin the weekend of March 28th-30th, the team now shifts its focus to securing the division title and home-ice advantage.
Leading the charge is 17-year-old forward Cole Reschny, a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft. The Macklin, Sask., native has been electric this season, tallying 22 goals and 54 assists for 76 points in 51 games.
His linemate, Teydon Trembecky, has significantly elevated his play, posting 36 goals and 34 assists for 70 points.
The Royals strengthened their roster at the trade deadline with the acquisition of 20-year-old forward Kenta Isogai from the Wenatchee Wild. The veteran winger has made an immediate impact, notching 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points since joining the team.
Another major deadline pickup, Brandon Lisowsky, has provided an offensive boost, ranking among the top five WHL goal-scorers with 35 tallies.
The Port Coquitlam product is closing in on his career-high of 42 goals and is just nine points shy of reaching 300 career regular-season points.
His linemate, Brayden Boehm, has been producing at nearly a point-per-game pace, while rookie Markus Loponen has impressed in his first WHL season.
On the blue line, Justin Kipkie, the Royals’ first-year captain and Utah Hockey Club prospect, has been a force.
His 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) place him among the top-scoring WHL defencemen. Meanwhile, rookie Keaton Verhoeff has been a standout, racking up 38 points in 51 games.
His 15 goals rank him fourth all-time among 16-year-old WHL defencemen, and he’s just four goals shy of setting a Royals franchise record for goals by a defenceman in a single season.
Nate Misskey, a San Jose Sharks draft pick, has also delivered a steady presence, hitting the 30-point mark for the second straight season.
In net, Jayden Kraus has emerged as one of the league’s top goaltenders, posting a 2.71 goals-against average (4th in the WHL) and a .911 save percentage (2nd). The Royals further bolstered their crease with the addition of Johnny Hicks from the BCHL’s Brooks Bandits.
Hicks led the BCHL with a 1.37 GAA and .943 save percentage before joining Victoria, where he has continued to impress with a 2.29 GAA and .922 save percentage through seven games.
With a playoff berth secured, the Royals now shift their attention to locking up the BC Division title.
Their next challenge comes on Friday, February 21st, when they face off against the Prince George Cougars.
Playoff ticket availability and pricing will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can stay updated by visiting victoriaroyals.com, and following the Royals on social media.
