Four Victoria Royals are headed for NHL development camps to start July – two with the newly minted, yet unnamed, Utah Hockey Club.
Formerly the Arizona Coyotes, now in Salt Lake City, they welcomed Royals defenceman Justin Kipkie – selected 160th overall in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft – and forward Reggie Newman to development camp Monday (July 1) that winds up Friday at Park City Ice Arena. It’s a second appearance at an NHL development camp for Kipkie, who attended Coyotes camp last summer.
One of a dozen blueliners on the camp roster, Kipkie, a Calgary, Alta. product led all Royals in scoring, while having the 14th most points by any defenceman in the WHL during the 2023-24 season. Newman comes off a career year with 19 goals, 21 assists and 40 points as one of 15 forwards at Utah’s development camp.
Nate Misskey – selected 143rd overall in the fifth round of recent NHL draft – will attend the San Jose Sharks camp July 2 to 5. The blueliner from Melfort, Sask. previously attended the Edmonton Oilers 2023 camp. The 19-year-old also scored career highs this season with the Royals with seven goals, 27 assists and 43 points this past season.
Misskey is one of 17 blueliners attending the Sharks camp.
Defenceman Austin Zemlak is at the Vegas Golden Knights Development Camp. The 19-year-old from Fort McMurray, Alta. is among 14 blueliners at the Golden Knights camp July 1 to 6. Zemlak is coming off a career high with six goals, 16 assists and 22 points during his 50 games in the 2023-24 season.
The Victoria WHL club kicks off its 68-game season at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Sept. 20 and 21 in back-to-back matchups against the Tri-City Americans.
Ahead of that, the team tackles three pre-season games – all on the road. The Royals open preseason in Port Coquitlam against the Vancouver Giants on Sept. 7 with a rematch the next afternoon and wind up with a Sept. 11 game bout against the Seattle Thunderbids.