619 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

The RBC Lion is clearly hoarding his piggy bank with his left paw......and the WHL Lion is hitting himself in the snout with his hockey stick.

Not close at all.

[Lorenzo]

The RBC Lion is clearly hoarding his piggy bank with his left paw......and the WHL Lion is hitting himself in the snout with his hockey stick.............

There goes my coffee!

[Number Six]

I think the new jersey looks great. The logo looks classier than a lot of the other WHL logos (Rockets, Ice, etc.). The "Royals" wasn't my first choice but in the end I think they've done a good job tying it all together.

[LJ]

^Agree

[Nparker]

I think the new jersey looks great.

Clearly you've never been to Newark.

[Number Six]

Clearly you've never been to Newark.

Did the Devils make you do that?

[jonny]

I like the new name, and the logo and jersey look good. The silver, blue and black colour scheme on the jersey looks especially sharp and the logo looks much better in colour than the original black & white image we saw. The swoosh under the word 'Royals' is a nice touch. The lion is growing on me too.

The marketing effort seems to be a bit slow getting going which surprises me. I noticed today there is a Royals billboard southbound on the Pat Bay. I'm sure we'll see the marketing ramp up now that the name and logo have been unveiled.

[VicHockeyFan]

I like the new name, and the logo and jersey look good. The silver, blue and black colour scheme on the jersey looks especially sharp and the logo looks much better in colour than the original black & white image we saw. The swoosh under the word 'Royals' is a nice touch. The lion is growing on me too.

The marketing effort seems to be a bit slow getting going which surprises me. I noticed today there is a Royals billboard southbound on the Pat Bay. I'm sure we'll see the marketing ramp up now that the name and logo have been unveiled.

That was a Salmon Kings billboard until last week.

They attracted over 3200 brand new Facebook fans in their first 48 hours. That puts them immediately into the top-15 in the city. That is impressive marketing.

After this push, there is not too much point spending advertising dollars trying to attract fans over the summer, when hockey is not on the mind. It just is not money well-spent. Yes, their team is working hard behind the scenes, but don't expect a big ad budget right now, it's not the time for it.

[Phil McAvity]

So, i'm supposed to be excited that Victoria has gone from a professional hockey team to an amateur one?

While Victoria playing in the East Coast Hockey League was ironic, at least they were pro players.

[Baro]

So this new team in the city isn't paid?

[Bernard]

WHL players get a small stipend, though large enough that they do not qualify for US University scholarships.

The WHL is one of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada and the primary source for the players in the NHL. One average, 1/3 to 1/2 of the players drafted by the NHL each year are from Major Junior Hockey

[VicHockeyFan]

WHL players get a small stipend, though large enough that they do not qualify for US University scholarships.

You could attend on a English scholarship. But you cannot even PLAY for an NCAA team if you have played WHL.

[G-Man]

They really get paid nothing. I know I am not going to pay to watch high school hockey.

[jonny]

They really get paid nothing. I know I am not going to pay to watch high school hockey.

I couldn't agree less.

In the 2011 NHL entry draft, 21 of the 30 first round picks were from the CHL. Five of those were from the WHL, including the first overall pick, Burnaby native, and Red Deer Rebels centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Nugent-Hopkins is pojected to be a top line player in the best hockey league in the world.

The WHL has some of the best players in the world at that age group. Some WHL players represent Canada at international tournaments, and will become the stars of tomorrow.

The prospect of seeing star players is very exciting to me.

[yodsaker]

WHL is major junior, a big stepping stone to the NHL.
I've seen a number of kids playing major junior, the calibre is high. They were "high school" players like Bobby Orr, Bernie Parent, Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques Lemaire and others.

[G-Man]

So the best high school student hockey players in western Canada still not making at all interested.

[Greg]

The prospect of seeing star players is very exciting to me.

Yes, no way could minor league professional hockey be as exciting as the much-hyped press release today about a ninth grader.

[VicHockeyFan]

http://www.thezone.f.../#royals_om_nom

FACEBOOK event.

So there are about 120 players on the ice today and tomorrow, before they make cuts in time for this intra-squad game at 7pm.

The game is admission-by-donation, and if you go to the first link there, you can print off some coupons for $1 hot dogs, popcorn and pop.

[mc9]

WHL is a fantastic league to watch. The game is fast paced and the kids still have a chance of making it to the NHL and so they pour their guts out onto the ice. Its not a bunch of older guys who still have the 'dream' or making it big when they are not going any farther up.

And the Rebels, they are the best

[VicHockeyFan]

WHL is a fantastic league to watch. The game is fast paced and the kids still have a chance of making it to the NHL and so they pour their guts out onto the ice. Its not a bunch of older guys who still have the 'dream' or making it big when they are not going any farther up.

And the Rebels, they are the best

I suppose most of this is true, but sometimes that "fast-paced" action is because these guys don't play positional hockey very well, they certainly aren't as good as our ECHL guys.

I'll say this again, 98% of ECHL players were drafted by NHL teams, so they were GREAT juniors. The vast majority of our Royals will never be drafted. We'll see the odd good one, most will end their hockey careers at age 19 or 20.

Take Taylor Ellington, selected by Vancouver Canucks round 2 #33 overall. In his two years pro, he hasn't exactly ripped up the league(s) (AHL and ECHL). Yet he was a very highly touted junior.

http://www.hockeydb....y.php?pid=80327