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Presence of captain Tarun Fizer helps Victoria Royals nick a point against Blazers

Victoria earned a point in a 3-2 overtime win over the Kamloops Blazers in WHL play.
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Victoria Royals Captain Tarun Fizer skates the puck up ice past Kamloops Blazer forward Fraser Minten at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. KEVIN LIGHT, VICTORIA ROYALS

The Victoria Royals are looking for the return of captain Tarun Fizer to provide stability in the midst of a spiralling season. He did just that Saturday night to help Victoria earn a point in a 3-2 Kamloops Blazers WHL victory in overtime before a season-high 3,819 fans on Military Appreciation Night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

The Royals’ winless streak climbed to 12 games to break the club record of 11 from 2013 as Victoria fell to 1-11-2. The Blazers, the No. 5-ranked team in the CHL top-10 poll, moved to 11-1.

Tanner Scott gave Victoria a 2-0 first-period lead on his fourth and fifth goals of the season, the first of which was on a shorthanded breakaway. But ­Kamloops levelled on goals by Quinn Schmiemann and Tye Spencer before the ­second period was three-minutes old. The 20-year-old blueliner Schmiemann won it on the power play at 3:23 of three-on-three extra time.

The Royals are youthful so they should heed Fizer’s advice upon his return this weekend from an extended tryout with the Colorado Eagles of the professional AHL following a free-agent invite to the NHL training camp of the parent Colorado Avalanche.

He kept tabs on each ­Royals game while he was with the Eagles, getting into one AHL game to make his pro debut.

“It’s been a tough month for Victoria and hopefully I can help keep the team calm and on track,” said Fizer, who had seven shots on a line Saturday with ­fellow 20-year-old ­veteran ­Bailey Peach and team co-­leading points scorer (with Peach) Brayden Schuurman.

The Royals players are eager to hear of Fizer’s experiences in Colorado.

“Yeah, I got a bunch of questions from the guys about what it takes to be a pro,” said Fizer, whose first game back was ­Friday night’s 6-0 Kamloops win at the Memorial Centre.

“I told them the pro players prepare their bodies so well. Learn that now, not when I did.”

Fizer, 20, was undrafted so this was his first taste of the pros.

“I will try to show the guys how to prepare and help out where I can,” he said.

The most impressive thing about Avalanche training camp, he said, was when Colorado captain Landeskog made a point of coming over and introducing himself to a mere free-agent tryout prospect from junior hockey. That is true leadership, said Fizer, and something that will always stay with him and aid him this season as captain of the Royals.

Fizer made his pro debut in an AHL game against Stockton, which features Calgary Flames-prospect Matthew Phillips, who was Royals captain during ­Fizer’s rookie WHL season.

“He congratulated me and it was the same Philly — always smiling,” said Fizer.

Former BCHL Victoria ­Grizzlies captain Alex Newhook, world junior silver medallist with Canada and first round ­Avalanche draft pick, was an AHL Eagles teammate. The two had not previously met but had the Island in common, albeit on different teams in different junior leagues.

“Alex introduced himself and we talked about playing in ­Victoria and both agreed it’s an unbelievable place,” said Fizer.

But perhaps not this season, at least in terms of on-ice results for the Royals.

The Blazers moved to 5-0 on the season against Victoria with a 27-8 goals advantage. Kamloops has won 13 consecutive games against Victoria dating to 2019. Seven Blazers went to NHL training camps this fall compared to Fizer and San Jose Sharks draft-pick Gannon Laroque of the Royals.

New York Rangers prospect Dylan Garand of Langford, the projected starting goaltender for Canada in the 2022 world junior championship, was given the night off by the Blazers. Back-up Dylan Ernst made 24 saves in just his second start of the season, both against Victoria. The far busier Tyler Palmer was a standout in making 39 saves for the Royals.

The Royals host the Spokane Chiefs next Friday and ­Saturday in the first visit of a U.S. ­Division team to the Memorial Centre in 20 months.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com