After the Victoria Royals open the 2024-25 Western Hockey League regular season at home Sept. 20-21 against the Tri-City Americans, they’ll hit the road to face a couple of B.C. Division opponents.
The Royals will play their first road game Sept. 27 in Kelowna against the Rockets before heading to Kamloops to play the Blazers the next night.
It had been earlier announced the Royals will open the 68-game regular-season Sept. 20-21 against Tri-City at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The full 2024-25 WHL schedule was announced Tuesday. It will conclude for Victoria on March 21-22 with back-to-back games in Prince George.
It is the Eastern Conference East Division’s turn to visit the B.C. Division with the Prince Albert Raiders coming through the Memorial Centre on Oct. 18, the defending WHL-champion Moose Jaw Warriors on Nov. 1, the Eastern Conference runner-up Saskatoon Blades on Nov. 3, Regina Pats on Dec. 3 and the Brandon Wheat Kings on Jan. 15.
Victoria makes its once-every-two-seasons visit to the Eastern Conference Central Division, beginning in Medicine Hat against the Tigers on Nov. 15 and continuing in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes on Nov. 16, in Edmonton against the Oil Kings o Nov. 20, in Calgary against the Hitmen on Nov. 22 and in Red Deer against the Rebels on Nov. 23.
The longest homestand for the Royals will be eight games between Feb. 17 and March 14th.
Of the Victoria home dates on Blanshard, 15 are on Fridays, nine on Saturdays, two on Sundays, one on a Monday, four on Tuesdays and three on Wednesdays. The only dark night in the season will be Thursday.
The longest-duration road swing will consist of eight games between Nov. 9-23.
The WHL regular season will consist of 748 games.
The Royals will play three exhibition games, all on the road, ahead of the 2024-25 season. The Royals will meet the Vancouver Giants Sept. 7-8 in Port Coquitlam and the Seattle Thunderbirds on Sept. 11 in Kent, Washington.
