582 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League Board of Governors is meeting today to evaluate next steps for the WHL and its 22 member Clubs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More information will be provided as it is available.

[Victoria Watcher]

While the Western Hockey League has “paused” the season until further notice, there are few details about what this means for the Victoria Royals going forward.

 

Cameron Hope, president and general manager of the Royals, addressed the concerns in a brief press conference outside the Royals’ dressing room on Thursday afternoon. According to Hope there are no players or staff within the WHL that have any kind of infection, but he says the move to pause the season is a smart one.

 

“Were in the business of gathering people together and being in close quarters and we’ve dealt with infections and mumps and those sorts of things before in the past and all the protocols are in place to minimize this sort of a thing,” he said. “But when it gets to be a global situation, everybody needs to accept their role.”

 

https://www.vicnews....-weekend-games/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 March 2020 - 02:19 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

all three chl leagues have cancelled the season and the playoffs and the memorial cup.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Victoria Royals are moving on from the only general manager the team has had since moving to the province’s capital city in 2012.

 

The team announced Wednesday that Cameron Hope will not be returning in his role as president, general manager and alternate governor. Hope, a lawyer by trade, was hired as GM in 2012 after serving in the NHL as an assistant to Glen Sather and the New York Rangers.

 

He added the title of Royals president in 2014.

 

“We would like to thank Cameron for contributions and for guiding our franchise,” said Graham Lee, CEO of the GSL Group that owns the Royals and RG Properties, which runs the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. “The COVID-19 crisis has given us the time to reassess our organization and to set a new direction. We are committed to finding strong leadership that will help the Royals reach their full potential both on-and-off the ice.”

 

https://www.vicnews....n-from-gm-hope/

 

 

 

fired because of COVID?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 April 2020 - 07:46 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

“We would like to thank Cameron for contributions and for guiding our franchise,” Royals owner Graham Lee said in a statement announcing the decision.

 

Lee is CEO and president of the GSL Group of Vancouver, formerly RG Properties. His company owns the Royals and operates the City of Victoria-owned Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

 

“The COVID-19 crisis has given us the time to reassess our organization and to set a new direction,” added Lee.

“We are committed to finding strong leadership that will help the Royals reach their full potential both on and off the ice.”

 

Lee did not return calls Wednesday requesting more details. Hope also did not return calls.

 

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...e-gm-1.24126800

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 April 2020 - 08:30 PM.

[Greg]

That seems like a very strange decision. Bu I guess you never really know what is going on behind the scenes.

[GetLisaSomeHelps]

Was announced a little while ago but Dan Price will assume GM duties while remaining head coach. Interesting but not an uncommon thing in jr hockey.

[Victoria Watcher]

so seeing as fans are unlikely to turn up anyway if they were allowed I would probably say the upcoming whl season is likely to be cancelled.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Western Hockey League continues trying to stickhandle through the pandemic.

 

The league is expected to announce today that its start date for the 2020-21 season will be pushed back to Dec. 1. The WHL had previously set a start date of Oct. 2 due to COVID-19. Regular-season play normally begins in September.

[Victoria Watcher]

WHL aims for Dec. 4 start to season

https://www.timescol...ason-1.24182553

[Mike K.]

Here are the finalists for the Braves rename:

🔹Saanich Summit, Riptide, Predators, Squid or Defenders - Braves hockey team reveals shortlist for rename🔹

August 28, 2020, Victoria, BC - Owners of the Saanich Junior B Hockey team have released a list of potential team names and are seeking input from the community on their favourites. The team recently announced they had dropped the name Braves out of respect for First Nations. They are now looking for community input on a shortlist of potential team names.

“We’ve had an overwhelming response from the community and from the world of sports in recent weeks as we have begun the work of renaming our team,” said Edward Geric and Norm Kelly, team owners. “We started with a huge list of names that mostly came from the community and we’ve even had some very creative folks develop logos and jersey designs. We’ve now shortened the list to five names that we think would represent our team really well and we want feedback before we make our final decision.”

The potential names are:

The Saanich Summit - a strong and steady team, the Saanich Summit are connected to their natural surroundings and stand in the way of their opposition as they strive for the top.

The Saanich Riptide - energetic and action-oriented, the Saanich Riptide is an unpredictable, powerful team that surprises their opposition with their speed and skill.

The Saanich Predators - a throwback for the team owners and local hockey lovers who remember The Victoria Predators, a team of high performance players managed by the same ownership group. The Saanich Predators play with honour, using stealth, strength and teamwork to thrive against their opponents.

The Saanich Squid - clever and quick, the Saanich Squid adapt to anything their opponents throw at them on the ice and proudly play in a place surrounded by the ocean.

The Saanich Defenders - a team that knows there is strength in numbers, the Saanich Defenders work together, look out for each other and build momentum the opposition can’t handle.

The public has until September 4, 2020 to share their thoughts on the shortlist of names. Based on feedback, a new name and logo will be developed and announced in the coming weeks.

Want to participate? Connect with the team via Instagram at @saanichbraves

[Victoria Watcher]

squid.  hands down.

[Victoria Watcher]

Price said the indefinite nature of the delay is not of concern to him: “I believe what the league has said that it can’t [set a firm restart date] until it gets more information from the health authorities and it won’t likely get that information until the new year. The league first needs that information. It is doing every single thing it can to play when it is safe to do so.”

 

The current B.C. pandemic restrictions, for instance, run until midnight on Jan. 8. Complicating matters is the number of governments, boards and authorities the league is dealing with. The WHL straddles four provinces and two U.S. states.

 

“Given the public health restrictions that are currently in effect, we are not in a position to determine a new target date for our season,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison said in a statement.

 

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...gain-1.24255859

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 December 2020 - 04:37 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Western Hockey League will begin play across the Rockies but no clarity was provided for the B.C. Division. The WHL will open the season on Feb. 26, but for Alberta teams only and without fans.

 

The move to rent out Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre as a homeless shelter from March through May might be an indication the Victoria Royals could play in a B.C. Division single-site bubble, perhaps in Kelowna or Kamloops.

 

https://www.timescol...imbo-1.24274409

[Mike K.]

You’d think the safest bubble would be on the Island.

[Jackerbie]

The Western Hockey League will begin play across the Rockies but no clarity was provided for the B.C. Division. The WHL will open the season on Feb. 26, but for Alberta teams only and without fans.


The move to rent out Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre as a homeless shelter from March through May might be an indication the Victoria Royals could play in a B.C. Division single-site bubble, perhaps in Kelowna or Kamloops.

https://www.timescol...imbo-1.24274409

WHL is a go in BC, with games to be played in Kelowna and Kamloops. Teams will play in a BC Division, and will not face any out of province rivals.

The Victoria Royals will have "home ice" at Prospera Place in Kelowna. Via https://dailyhive.co...-resume-play-bc

[Victoria Watcher]

june:

 

 

 

 

If there are no fans, it could be no go for the Western Hockey League.

 

Commissioner Ron Robison said the league will need minimum 50 per cent capacity in its arenas, including Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre for the Victoria Royals, for the 2020-21 season to be economically viable amid the pandemic.

 

“We are a ticket-driven league and we need to have spectators in order to make it work,” Robison said during a virtual press conference Thursday.

 

“If we can’t get to a certain spectator level, we will not be in a position to start play.”

 

https://www.timescol...says-1.24156019

 

 

 

 

 

 

october:

 

 

 

The WHL will play with or without fans in January

https://calgary.ctvn...nuary-1.5147294

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 March 2021 - 07:22 PM.

[Mike K.]

Sounds like positioning for some government dollars.

[spanky123]

^Why not, everyone else is getting money. I am sure that RG had a clause in their lease to BC Housing that if the season restarted and SOFMC was still being used as a housing facility then they would get an extra $50K-$100K a month.

Edited by spanky123, 03 March 2021 - 06:19 AM.

[pontcanna]

Someone at Black Press/Vic News spells phonetically:

 

Victoria Royals defenceman drafted by San Hose Sharks

Gannon Laroque was selected in the fourth round of the NHL’s entry draft

 

https://www.vicnews....an-hose-sharks/