Defenceman Justin Kipkie captains the local WHL club this winter – his third full season with the Victoria Royals.
“It became clear last season that Justin is very respected by his peers and looked to as one of the leading voices on the team, he plays the game with passion and leads by example,” head coach James Patrick said in a news release.
Kipkie, from Calgary, Alta, was drafted 160th overall in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes (Utah Hockey Club). In 142 regular season games with the Royals, Kipkie has scored 24 goals and 61 assists for 85 points.
The leadership group will include three assistant captains, Nate Misskey, Reggie Newman, and Cole Reschny.
Misskey was drafted in the fifth round, 143rd overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft and is entering his third full season with the Royals. He scored seven goals and 27 assists for 34 points in 44 games during the 2023-24 campaign.
Newman enters his fourth full season with the Royals, coming off a career year in 2023-24 where he scored 19 goals, 21 assists and 40 points in 64 games.
Reschny, in his second season with the Royals, scored 21 goals and 38 assists for 59 points in 61 games during his rookie season and went on to represent Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer, where he tied for the lead in scoring for gold-medal-winning Team Canada.
The local WHL club also shifted broadcasting this season.
Royals games begin broadcasting on JACK 103.1 when the team takes on the Portland Winterhawks on Oct. 4. Fans tuning into the broadcast will hear the new voice of the Royals, Remy Zanotto.
The team will play 34 home games at the Save on Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria this season.
The next home game is Friday, Oct. 11 against Wenatchee.
Get tickets online at selectyourtickets.com, by calling 250-220-7777 or in person at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The box office is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and opens at 11 a.m. on Saturday home game days.
