In a seismic shift for the Victoria Royals, two of their most electrifying talents, Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff, are trading the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the bright lights of the NCAA, committing to the University of North Dakota for the 2025-26 season. This move delivers a gut punch to a Royals squad riding high after clinching their first B.C. Division title in a decade, with aspirations of WHL dominance next year. Losing these cornerstone players—both draft picks of the Royals (Reschny in 2022, Verhoeff in 2023)—casts a shadow over Victoria’s promising trajectory, leaving fans and management grappling with a future without their star power. Yet, for Reschny and Verhoeff, this leap to North Dakota signals a bold step toward their NHL dreams, joining a program eager to reclaim its status as an NCAA juggernaut after a 21-15-2 season and a tough NCHC semifinal exit.
Reschny, an 18-year-old dynamo from Macklin, Saskatchewan, dazzled with 92 points in 62 games last season, adding 25 playoff points to cement his sophomore breakout. A standout for Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship with eight points in five games, he’s a projected first-round pick for the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Keaton Verhoeff, a towering 6’4″ defender from Fort Saskatchewan, turned heads in his rookie year, racking up 21 goals and 45 points in 63 games, earning whispers as a top-five prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. Both shone on the international stage, helping Canada secure gold at the 2025 IIHF World Hockey Championships, and remain in the conversation for the 2026 World Junior team. Their departures, fueled by a new CHL policy effective August 1 that preserves NCAA eligibility for major junior players, reflect a growing trend of elite talents seizing new pathways. While Victoria bolsters its roster with local star Eli McKamey, the void left by Reschny and Verhoeff will challenge the Royals’ ambitions, even as their move underscores the WHL’s evolving role as a launchpad for hockey’s brightest futures.
