Royal Knights raring to go

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This article was published 01/10/2021 (1512 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 2021-22 season marks the 40th anniversary of the River East Royal Knights’ tenure in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League, and this year’s squad is read to make the most of it.

“It’s great to be back in Terry Sawchuk Arena,” Blake Bonni, head coach and Royal Knights alumnus, told The Herald. “There’s a spirited feeling for the guys being back in that rink, having grown up playing in that rink, you can tell the guys are looking forward every day getting back into the rink.”

This time last year, the MMJHL was just getting started its regular season. By the end of October 2020, as COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations began to rise, the season was put on pause. It would eventually be cancelled entirely.

Now, players and coaches are looking to make up for lost time.

“We got a good vibe going that started right from Day 1 in training camp,” said Bonni, who is in his fourth season behind the bench. “Guys came up engaged and responsive to getting back on the ice and being in the dressing room and the arenas again. We’re happy from training camp that that’s continued on to the season.”

The River East Royal Knights are off to a solid start, going, 2-1 in the first three games of the season,  including a 3-2 win over northeast rivals Transcona Railer Express on Sept. 26. 

“We’re more than happy with the start. The players deserved those results,” Bonni said. “They put in the work since Day 1 at camp and they’ve been rewarded. But you can tell the group is focused and motivated, looking forward to the next game.”

But Bonni said the club, which has not made the playoffs in the 10-team league since the 2014-15 season, is not taking its fresh start lightly.

“We enjoyed the success of the first week of the season, the home opener and collecting a couple wins,” Bonni said. “But the feeling is we’ve already put that behind us and are looking ahead here to the next week. We want to be a team that gets better after every week of the season.”

While this year’s Royal Knights squad skews towards youth, the team is led by 21-year-old captain Austin Thorarinson, 20-year-old defender and assistant captain Ryden Fedyck, and returning goaltender Ashton Howarth.

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“Even guys who were rookies last year, because of the shortened season, it’s an overall youthful make up, along with some new players who came on our radar this year,” Bonni said. “We’re happy with what we’re seeing with both vets and new players.”

Bonni added that this year’s roster features a good mix of speed and physicality.

“We’re seeing guys play responsible, and we like that we can play at both ends,” he said. “We have guys that can fly and guys who enjoy bringing that physical aspect to the game. It’s been well rounded out of the gate.”

Most important for Bonni and the Royal Knights brass is a positive team culture.

“Number one to us is looking after the locker room first, and looking after the on ice stuff next,” Bonni said. “We’re happy with the vibe in there.”

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112

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