Rebels snap a six game winless streak and defeat the Victoria Royals with a score of 7-3 on Ref night or what ever it was with all the refs out on the ice before the game. Reffing is a tough job I can’t say it enough. Red Deer scored seven goals for the first time this season and after managing just nine total tallies on their six-game U.S. road trip.
Tonight marks the return of Kalan Lind for the first time in 14 games since suffering a lower body injury. The Rebels have called up Dmitri Toporowski a 2006 born d man from the La Ronge Ice Wolves of the SJHL. If the name Toporowski sounds familiar his father (and other relatives) played in the WHL years ago. They won a few sportsmanship awards or something like that if I recall correctly.
Victoria called up 15 year old Ludovic Perreault from the Winnipeg Wild. Last night was his second game. Perreault was one of the Royals 2 first round picks in the 2024 WHL Bantam Draft. Perreault went 18th overall. The Royals also selected 8th overall in that draft too and picked Jacob Schwartz from Vancouver. Also on the game sheet it lists Cosmo Wilson as a 09 birth year. It is an 05. He played with the Warriors last season.
Beckett Hamilton got a a nice goal to open up the scoring at 4:47 of the opening period while on a 2 on 1 with fellow rookie Steven Steranka to make it a 1-0 Rebels game.
Kalan Linds return was short lived and just 7:45 into the game he was ejected for a hitting from behind.
Jaxon Fuder scored his 4th goal of the season on a tip in to make it a 2-0 game for the Rebels at 16:17 of the first period. The assists on the goal went to Matteo Fabrizi and Luke Vlooswyk.
Shots on goal in the first period were 17-11 for Victoria
Former Wenatchee Wild forward Hayden Moore got the Royals on the board on a screened shot while shorthanded. The assists on the goal went to 2023 4th overall pick in the Bantam draft Keaton Verhoeff at 14:05,
Ollie Josephson made it a 3-1 Rebels game when he scored his 7th goal of the season at 14:37 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Hunter Mayo and Dmitri Toporowski.
Calgary native Caleb Matthews scored at 17:08 of the second period the assists on the goal went to another Calgary native in Captain Justin Kipkie and Victoria native Wyatt Danyleyko at 17:09 of the second frame.
Winnipeg Jets 2024 5th rounder & Finnish Import Markus Loponen tied the game up when he was standing all alone basically in the crease at 19:13 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Saskatoon native Logan Pickford and Keaton Verhoeff.
Shots in the second period were 19-8 for the Royals.
Just 90 seconds into the third period, Trae Wilke ignited the Rebels’ comeback. He took a slick pass from Matthew Gard and rifled the puck bar down, beating Michnik. That was Wilke’s third tally of the season and his first since the October 16 game in Calgary. The other assist went to Jhett Larson.
Jaxon Fuder was gifted a goal when he was forechecking and the Royals defenceman (who already had 2 assists on the night for his own team) decided to help out the Rebels. That made the game 5-3 Rebels at 11:40 of the third period.
Matthew Gard made it a 6-3 Rebels game 13:39 of the second period with the assists on the goal going to Jhett Larson and Trae Wilke.
Carson Birinie then makes it a 7-3 game when he tips in a Hunter Mayo point shot when Ollie Josephson won the draw and fed it back at 14:18 of the third period.
At 17:57 of the third period Jaxon Fuder dropped the glove with the Royals Reggie Newman thats Fuder’s second fight in as many games.
Shots on goal in the third period were 15-8 for the Rebels. The Royals outshot the Rebels in the game though 44-34.
Chase Wutzke made 41 saves on the 44 shots that he faced for the win for the Rebels. For the Royals Sylvan Lake, Alberta native Spencer Michnik made 27 saves on the 34 shots that he faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Matthew Gard 2) Ollie Josephson 3) Jaxon Fuder
Attendance in Red Deer was 5054
Rebels next game is Sunday November 24th at 4pm in Edmonton against the Oil Kings
Cole Reschny is set to turn heads in the 2025 NHL Draft, despite his smaller build. This pint-sized dynamo from the Victoria Royals, who racked up an impressive 59 points in 61 games at just 16, is no ordinary prospect. His standout performances at the U17 in November 2023, where he notched 8 points in 7 games, and at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup with 7 points in 5 games for Team Canada, speak volumes.
This kid’s got the full package and operates at a speed that leaves others in the dust. That’s the mark of not just a talented player, but a truly exceptional one. Reschny, the left-handed center from Canada, is that rare breed. Every time he laces up, you’re crossing your fingers he gets the puck because, trust me, when he does, magic happens on the ice.