The Swift Current Broncos made their first visit to the Island in four years on Saturday. A pandemic will do that. It was a rude welcome back as the Broncos ran into a Victoria Royals team hungry for redemption following an 8-1 brow-beating the night before at the hands of the Everett Silvertips.
The Royals regrouped and took it out on the Broncos with four power-play goals en route to a 7-2 Western Hockey League victory before 3,205 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“This was a big test for us,” said Royals head coach Dan Price.
“It was a very difficult morning with a video session that was really ugly. The coaches didn’t say a word. It could have gone two ways. But the guys responded. We were confident they would.”
The Royals (3-5) won for the third time in four games after dropping their first four games of the season.
The Royals blue-liners feasted on the power play with Justin Kipkie, Nate Misskey and Austin Zemlak each scoring a goal and adding an assist and Dawson Pasternak recording three assists.
“Friday night was tough. We fixed a few things and came together tonight” said Kipkie, an NHL draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes.
“One thing about this league is that you have to reset very quickly because things come at you very quickly. But we want to stop this roller-coaster effect and keep the momentum rolling.”
Forward Teydon Trembecky scored twice for Victoria and said: “We put [Friday] night in the rearview mirror and came out harder and better tonight. It’s a new season and we’re just getting our feet wet but are bonding quickly. We want to be consistent and not get too high or too low.”
Energetic forward Tanner Scott’s non-stop motor was running with a goal and three assists: “This shows resiliency after an off-game Friday. The bounce back is great.”
Reggie Newman added a goal and assist for Victoria.
It was a return to the Island for Joey Rocha of Nanaimo as the six-foot-two Broncos goaltender allowed five goals over two periods before being replaced for the third by Reid Dyck.
The Broncos (3-5-1), captained by six-foot-three rearguard and 2022 Pittsburgh Penguins first-round pick Owen Pickering, got a goal and assist from Ty Coupland.
Victoria rookie goaltender Jayden Kraus made 26 saves for his first career WHL victory.
The Royals continue their five-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Medicine Hat Tigers (5-2-1) and 15-year-old phenom Gavin McKenna from Whitehorse, who has five goals and 14 points in eight games, and is only the third player to be granted exceptional player status by the WHL after Connor Bedard and Matthew Savoie.
ICE CHIPS: Matthew Phillips of the Washington Capitals is the only full-career Royals alumnus currently on an NHL roster. Brayden Pachal won the Stanley Cup last season with Las Vegas and Noah Gregor is with the Maple Leafs but both former Royals are better known for winning the 2019 WHL championship with the Prince Albert Raiders to close out their junior careers.
