There is a palpable sense of anticipation as the Victoria Royals announced Monday they will open the 2016-17 WHL regular season with four consecutive home games, beginning Sept. 23 against the Prince George Cougars.
That’s because of the myriad upcoming-season plotlines for the defending WHL regular-season champions. Five-foot-six Royals forward and 2015-16 WHL rookie of the year Matthew Phillips, the smallest player taken in the 2016 NHL draft over the weekend, is a short story worthy of O. Henry.
Phillips went to his hometown Calgary Flames while Royals teammates Tyler Soy (Anaheim Ducks) and Vladimir Bobylev and Jack Walker (both Toronto Maple Leafs) are a trio of draft-redemption projects selected in their second years of eligibility.
All four drafted Royals are expected to return to the Victoria lineup.
Royals schedule highlights include a season-long eight-game homestand Nov. 1-22. The longest road trip will be six games from Oct. 5-14. The season concludes with the now-traditional closing home-and-home set March 17-18 against the Everett Silvertips.
The Royals will play three home games on Sundays, seven on Tuesdays, five on Wednesdays, nine on Fridays and 12 on Saturdays. Mondays and Thursdays will be dark nights on Blanshard.
