CdnSailor
09-24-2011, 12:08 AM
Vancouver Giants beat Royals 5-2 in Victoria team's WHL debut
Royals scored their first goals, now they're going for first win in home opener Saturday
VANCOUVER — It was the Victoria Royals' WHL debut, so, naturally, it was a night of firsts.
But it was on enemy territory, and the Pacific Coliseum public address announcer underscored the challenge, introducing the Vancouver Giants Friday night as "arguably the most successful Western Hockey League franchise of the past 10 years."
The Victoria Royals weren't arguing with that assessment as the Giants spoiled the Royals' WHL debut with a 5-2 victory.
Victoria's home curtain raiser is at 7 tonight at a sold-out Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the same Giants, who look to be a troublesome rival.
Despite the loss, the game was noteworthy for Victoria hockey because everything on the night was a Royals first.
Forward Steven Hodges tapped home the first goal in Royals history, on a scrambly sort of play, at 1:35 of the third period. That cut Vancouver's lead to 3-1.
The first shot in Royals history came from a Vancouver Island boy, rookie defenceman Kade Pilton of Parksville, from the point at the five-minute mark.
The first Royals hit was delivered by defenceman Zach Habscheid, who later also recorded the first penalty a Royal has taken, at 5:35 of the first period for hooking. The first Victoria Royals save was made by starting 20-year-old goaltender Braden Gamble.
The first goal in a Royals game, however, went to Anthony Ast of the Giants at 18:22 of the first period. Second-period goals by Marek Tvrdon and Cain Franson made it 3-0 at the second break.
Newly minted captain Hayden Rintoul led the Royals onto the ice Friday for their first-ever WHL regular-season game under that banner, although the franchise played the five previous seasons in the Fraser Valley as the Chilliwack Bruins.
"I'm very proud to be the first-ever captain of the Victoria Royals," the 20-year-old defenceman Rintoul told reporters before the start of the game.
The steadily reliable Rintoul was anointed with the "C" Friday by head coach Marc Habscheid, who also named 19-year-old forward and Buffalo Sabres draft pick Kevin Sundher, 19-year-old rearguard and Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Tyler Stahl and 17-year-old dynamo Brandon Magee as the assistant captains.
They were all part of history Friday as Victoria returned to the WHL for the first time in 17 years.
Victoria has been out of the WHL since the Cougars departed to Prince George following the 1993-94 season after 23 WHL seasons in the capital, the last five in which the dismal club consecutively missed the playoffs.
Friday began a new WHL era for Victoria.
The Royals operated the last five seasons in Chilliwack before being bought in the off-season for a reported $5.5 million by RG Properties owner Graham Lee of Vancouver. As well as owning the Royals and the now-defunct professional Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL, Lee's RG Properties operates the city-owned Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Royals scored their first goals, now they're going for first win in home opener Saturday
VANCOUVER — It was the Victoria Royals' WHL debut, so, naturally, it was a night of firsts.
But it was on enemy territory, and the Pacific Coliseum public address announcer underscored the challenge, introducing the Vancouver Giants Friday night as "arguably the most successful Western Hockey League franchise of the past 10 years."
The Victoria Royals weren't arguing with that assessment as the Giants spoiled the Royals' WHL debut with a 5-2 victory.
Victoria's home curtain raiser is at 7 tonight at a sold-out Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the same Giants, who look to be a troublesome rival.
Despite the loss, the game was noteworthy for Victoria hockey because everything on the night was a Royals first.
Forward Steven Hodges tapped home the first goal in Royals history, on a scrambly sort of play, at 1:35 of the third period. That cut Vancouver's lead to 3-1.
The first shot in Royals history came from a Vancouver Island boy, rookie defenceman Kade Pilton of Parksville, from the point at the five-minute mark.
The first Royals hit was delivered by defenceman Zach Habscheid, who later also recorded the first penalty a Royal has taken, at 5:35 of the first period for hooking. The first Victoria Royals save was made by starting 20-year-old goaltender Braden Gamble.
The first goal in a Royals game, however, went to Anthony Ast of the Giants at 18:22 of the first period. Second-period goals by Marek Tvrdon and Cain Franson made it 3-0 at the second break.
Newly minted captain Hayden Rintoul led the Royals onto the ice Friday for their first-ever WHL regular-season game under that banner, although the franchise played the five previous seasons in the Fraser Valley as the Chilliwack Bruins.
"I'm very proud to be the first-ever captain of the Victoria Royals," the 20-year-old defenceman Rintoul told reporters before the start of the game.
The steadily reliable Rintoul was anointed with the "C" Friday by head coach Marc Habscheid, who also named 19-year-old forward and Buffalo Sabres draft pick Kevin Sundher, 19-year-old rearguard and Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Tyler Stahl and 17-year-old dynamo Brandon Magee as the assistant captains.
They were all part of history Friday as Victoria returned to the WHL for the first time in 17 years.
Victoria has been out of the WHL since the Cougars departed to Prince George following the 1993-94 season after 23 WHL seasons in the capital, the last five in which the dismal club consecutively missed the playoffs.
Friday began a new WHL era for Victoria.
The Royals operated the last five seasons in Chilliwack before being bought in the off-season for a reported $5.5 million by RG Properties owner Graham Lee of Vancouver. As well as owning the Royals and the now-defunct professional Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL, Lee's RG Properties operates the city-owned Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.