As the Victoria Royals prepare to hit the ice in Kennewick, Washington tonight with a second chance to close out their first-round series against the Tri-City Americans, three of their standout players have earned major recognition from the Western Hockey League.
After wrapping up one of their most successful regular seasons in years and launching a strong start to their postseason, goaltender Jayden Kraus, forward Kenta Isogai, and defenceman Keaton Verhoeff have each been nominated for prestigious WHL awards.
Kraus is up for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the WHL Humanitarian of the Year.
Off the ice, the netminder has made a huge impact through his Saves for Mental Health initiative, which raised over $1,000 in support of Canadian Mental Health Association programs.
His campaign helped spark important conversations around mental health in sports, particularly among young men, and earned him an invitation to speak at the CMHA’s 2025 Headstrong Youth Summit.
Kraus continues to champion the message that it’s okay to ask for help, encouraging sports organizations to build better support systems for athletes.
Jayden Kraus has been named a finalist for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy for WHL Humanitarian of the Year!
Learn more > https://t.co/m0qNSuj2kM pic.twitter.com/TtF5cLl1YB
— xy – Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) April 2, 2025
At the other end of the ice, Kenta Isogai has been nominated for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy, recognizing the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.
Acquired from the Wenatchee Wild at the trade deadline, the Nagano, Japan native quickly became a key piece of Victoria’s offence, tallying 78 points in 59 games while spending just 12 minutes in the penalty box all season. His disciplined, high-skill playstyle has been a perfect fit for the Royals’ playoff push.
Kenta Isogai has been named a finalist for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy for Most Sportsmanlike Player.
Learn more > https://t.co/vQJS8R6gTu pic.twitter.com/5NiCAQobQI
— xy – Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) April 3, 2025
The third nomination highlights a future star in the making. Keaton Verhoeff, just 16 years old, has been nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year.
The Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta native is already turning heads, setting a new Royals franchise record for most goals by a defenceman in a single season with 21.
That also places him third all-time in WHL history for goals scored by a 16-year-old defenceman, and the most since 1985. Verhoeff is widely expected to be the highest NHL draft pick in Royals franchise history when eligible in 2026.
Keaton Verhoeff has been named a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year.
Learn more > https://t.co/eaPkhqtHpk pic.twitter.com/Vtz95u6oBy
— xy – Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) April 3, 2025
The WHL Awards will be announced between April 22nd and May 7th, but for now, the Royals remain focused on the task at hand—finishing the series against Tri-City.
Game five goes tonight at 7:05 p.m. PST, with the Royals leading the series 3-1. A win would send them to the Western Conference semifinals.
After taking the first three games of the series, Victoria suffered their first setback in game four. Tri City broke through with six goals—each from a player who had yet to score in the series—en route to a 6-4 win. It was a back-and-forth battle, with the Americans jumping to a 2-0 lead before Victoria answered with a power-play goal from Cole Reschny and a tying marker from Isogai early in the second.
But the Americans regained momentum with two quick strikes, chasing Royals goalie Johnny Hicks from the crease after he allowed four goals on 18 shots.
Despite a two-goal performance from Winnipeg Jets draft pick Markus Loponen, Victoria couldn’t climb back.
Tri-City’s Lukas Matecha stopped 40 of 44 shots to secure the win for the Americans.
If necessary, game six will be back in Victoria on Sunday.
But the Royals are hoping it doesn’t come to that. Tonight, they’ll look to bounce back and punch their ticket to the next round—riding the momentum of a record-setting season and the leadership of three WHL award-nominated stars.
There will be another Victoria Royals watch party at the 6 Mile Pub in View Royal tonight.
