After narrowly missing the playoffs, the Victoria Royals will begin to prepare for next year’s campaign.
The Royals will get the third overall pick in the Western Hockey League’s prospect draft next month and will have the seventh overall pick in the U.S. priority draft on May 18.
Players eligible for the prospects draft reside in Canada and some American states, while the U.S. priority draft pulls players from 20 states.
While some new faces will be brought in, some current Royals were recently celebrated for their performances on the ice this season.
Bailey Peach, Gannon Laroque and Tarun Fizer all received B.C. Division honours on Thursday (April 21).
Laroque was named the division’s Defenceman of the Year after scoring 10 goals and 42 assists, giving him the third-most points on Victoria. The 18-year-old San Jose prospect recently received a call up to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate and will head to the Sharks’ NHL camp at the end of summer before a potential return to the Royals.
Laroque and Peach were named B.C. Division first-team All-Stars. Peach put up 78 points on the year, including a team-leading 37 goals, and will go on to play for Acadia University’s men’s hockey program while working towards a business degree.
Fizer, who totaled 51 points in just 35 games, was named a second-team All-Star and, like Peach, has aged out of the league. Fizer signed a pro agreement with the Utah Grizzlies, the NHL Colorado Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate, and is on the roster for their opening-round playoff series against the Tulsa Oilers, which begins Friday (April 22).
READ: Victoria Royals miss playoffs after dropping must-win final game
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