Fifteen Western Hockey League players are competing in the 2025 world junior championship tournament, including eight for Canada. But even with the world championship raging in Ottawa, the business of club junior hockey goes on.
The WHL resumes play following the Christmas break tonight on several fronts, including with the Prince George Cougars visiting the Victoria Royals tonight and Saturday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The set against the second-place Cougars (18-9-5) will be a telling one for the fifth-place Royals (17-10-5) to see where they really stand in the Western Conference hierarchy.
The Royals don’t have a player in the 2025 world juniors but that could change over the next two years with forward Cole Reschny a possibility for the 2026 tournament and defenceman Keaton Verhoeff for 2027. They would join a list of five players from the Royals to have played in the world juniors since the club came to the Island in 2011-12. Forward Robin Sapousek won silver and bronze for Czechia in 2023 and 2024 and defenceman Joe Hicketts twice played for Canada, including winning gold in 2015. Keanu Derungs played for Switzerland, Phillip Schultz twice for Denmark and Igor Martynov for Belarus.
“Growing up as a kid you think about that all the time and watch the world juniors at Christmas. That’s a goal for me in my career to make that 91原创 team. This year wasn’t it. And next year hopefully it’s my year,” said Reschny, before the break.
The playing-making centre has so far hit on every level of representative play for Canada through Under-17 and Under-18. It is highly unusual to make the 91原创 world junior team in the first year of eligibility – that is the domain of prodigies such as Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini and Gavin McKenna – so next year will be Reschny’s turn in the normal course of things.
“But right now it’s just about focusing on the Royals and club play and preparing for a playoff run,” said Reschny.
ICE CHIPS: Players from the WHL Victoria Cougars, from 1971-72 before the move to Prince George in 1994-95, to have played for Canada in the world juniors were double-medallists, including gold-medallists Mark Morrison and the late Paul Cyr, and medallists Curt Fraser, Mel Bridgman and the late Gary Lupul and Rick Lapointe. Russ Courtnall of the Cougars also played in the world juniors but did not medal. Current Royals head coach James Patrick won gold in 1982 and bronze in1983.
