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Victoria Royals pause WHL activities season due to COVID protocols

Team said multiple players, staff are displaying symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19
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Evan Patrician (12) and the Victoria Royals, in action in November against the Vancouver Giants, are on pause for the Western Hockey League season. The Royals announced Friday (Jan. 7) their upcoming games against Spokane Jan. 11 and 12 are cancelled due to players and staff being added to the WHL’s COVID protocols list. (Gary Ahuja, Langley Events Centre/Special to Langley Advance Times)

The Victoria Royals are pausing all team activities as multiple players and staff have been added to the Western Hockey League’s COVID protocol list.

Those added have either tested positive for COVID or are displaying symptoms, the team stated in a release.

As a result of the pause, the Royals’ games against the Spokane Chiefs scheduled for Jan. 11 and 12 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre have been postponed to a later date, yet to be determined.

The Royals two games this weekend in Prince George against the Cougars were postponed on Wednesday, for the same reasons. No details were available on whether more Royals had become sick or tested positive over the past two days.

“We’re keeping in touch with the players daily and working with the league on a timeline for a safe return to team activities,” Royals head coach and general manager Dan Price said in the release. “We’re looking forward to getting back together at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre when this pause is concluded.”

It’s the second time these games between the Royals and Chiefs have been postponed, having been rescheduled from November due to COVID-19.

Tickets for the postponed January games will remain valid for the rescheduled dates. Ticket holders for either the postponed Nov. 12 and 13 or Jan. 11 and 12 games are also able to exchange their tickets for any remaining regular season games by contacting the box office at 250-220-7777.

The Royals reminded that WHL policy requires all rostered players, hockey operations staff and other team and league office personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a Health Canada approved vaccine.

READ MORE: Peach scores franchise, record-breaking seven-point night in Royals win over Giants


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