They may only be one game into their Western Hockey League (WHL) season, but the Victoria Royals have already given fans plenty to get excited about.
Following a 4-2 road victory over the Kamloops Blazers last weekend, the Royals climbed two spots to become the number one ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
Now, Victoria is coming home.
The Royals will host the Vancouver Giants for their 2026-27 home opener at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday, September 26th.
The home opener comes less than six months after Victoria finished a heartbreaking two points shy of making the playoffs.
Since then, the Royals have assembled what the CHL described as a “win-now roster,” adding several of the league’s most exciting players to an already-promising returning group.
Their opening-night away win offered an early look at that potential.
Rookie goaltender Cole Prelusky stopped 34 of 36 shots in his WHL debut and earned first-star honours, while Caleb Matthews opened the season with a two-point performance.
Marek Peroutka scored a power-play goal in his first WHL regular-season game, Hayden Moore and Cruz Waltze also found the back of the net and newcomer Savin Virk picked up his first assist as a Royal.
Perhaps the most impressive part is who was not in the lineup.
Victoria earned the win without Dallas Stars prospect Cameron Schmidt, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Filip Novak and St. Louis Blues prospect Vladimir Proskurin, who were away attending NHL camps.
Novak and Proskurin have since been returned to Victoria by their NHL clubs, while Schmidt was assigned back to the Royals after dealing with an illness.
Their availability for Saturday’s game has not yet been confirmed, but the home opener could provide Victoria fans with their first regular-season look at something much closer to the Royals’ complete lineup.
One of the WHL’s most dangerous scorers is now a Royal
Much of the excitement surrounds Cameron Schmidt, who was acquired by the Royals in a blockbuster off-season trade.
Schmidt led the WHL with 51 goals last season and added 49 assists, finishing with 100 points in 72 games between the Vancouver Giants and Seattle Thunderbirds.
He was the only WHL player to reach both 50 goals and 100 points, and finished as a finalist for WHL Player of the Year.
The 19-year-old is also a Dallas Stars prospect after being selected 94th overall in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Royals fans already received a glimpse of what Schmidt can bring during the preseason.
In his first game wearing a Victoria jersey, Schmidt recorded a hat trick, an assist and 13 shots as the Royals defeated the London Knights 7-1 during the Clash of the Kingdoms series.
Saturday’s matchup would carry an additional storyline if Schmidt dresses. The Prince George product was originally selected by Vancouver in the first round of the 2022 WHL Draft and spent parts of three seasons with the Giants.
The new firepower does not end with Schmidt
Victoria also made headlines in August by acquiring Savin Virk from the Tri-City Americans.
The Surrey product led Tri-City in goals, assists and points last season, finishing with 27 goals and 38 assists across 66 games.
Virk has already recorded 111 points in 116 career WHL games and wasted little time making an impact in Victoria, scoring during his Royals preseason debut before contributing an assist in Saturday’s regular-season victory.
The Royals also added Novak, a seventh-round selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Proskurin, a fourth-round selection of the St. Louis Blues.
Peroutka, a 6’4” Czech forward selected alongside Proskurin in the CHL Import Draft, has already made his presence felt.
They join a returning group that includes captain Miles Cooper, Nolan Stewart, Hayden Moore, Caleb Matthews, Ludovic Perreault and several other young players expected to take another step this season.
That depth may be what makes this Royals team so intriguing.
Victoria did not need its biggest name to win its opening game, and the team could become considerably more dangerous as its NHL prospects return and the revamped roster begins to find its rhythm.
The Vancouver Giants will also arrive in Victoria with a 1-0 record after defeating the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 in overtime in their season opener.
That sets up an early battle between two undefeated BC Division rivals, along with an opportunity for Victoria fans to welcome home a team that suddenly finds itself at the top of the CHL rankings.
After the disappointment of last season, the Royals have wasted little time giving the city a reason to believe this year could be very different.
Saturday night will be the first chance for Victoria fans to experience it for themselves.
Victoria Royals home opener
- Where: Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, 1925 Blanshard Street
- When: Saturday, September 26th, puck drop at 6:05 p.m.
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