The Victoria Royals are suddenly finding themselves at the heart of the WHL’s summer exodus.
Captain Justin Kipkie, a cornerstone of the Royals’ blue-line and second all-time leading scorer among defencemen in franchise history, is the latest to bolt, committing to Arizona State University for the 2025-26 season.
The move comes just weeks after Kipkie was drafted 141st overall by the Minnesota Wild at the 2025 NHL Draft.
“Thank you Victoria,” Kipkie wrote in a farewell post. “Couldn’t have asked for a better place to play for the last three seasons. Thank you to everyone that made this place so special.”
Royals captain and Minnesota Wild draft pick Justin Kipkie is a Sun Devil 😈
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) July 10, 2025
Last season he recorded 62 points in 64 games to round out a WHL career that includes 147 points #BeTheTradition pic.twitter.com/tR3sU2sUaw
The soon-to-be 20-year-old Calgary product capped off his WHL career with 206 regular season games and a career-best 62-point campaign last season. But instead of returning as one of the league’s premier overage players, he’ll head south to Mullet Arena in Tempe to suit up for the Sun Devils.
Kipkie’s departure adds to a staggering list of Royals players electing the NCAA route.
He joins Teydon Trembecky (Michigan Tech), Cole Reschny (North Dakota), Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota), Nate Misskey (UMass-Lowell), and Johnny Hicks (Denver) – all players who were eligible to return next season.
The roster hit doesn’t stop there. Veterans Brayden Boehm (Michigan Tech), Brandon Liwosky (Colorado College), and Marcus Loponen (HPK, Finland) are also gone, while Kentia Isogai has aged out.
With Kipkie and Trembecky now out, Victoria has officially lost its top eight scorers from last season – six of whom are heading to the NCAA. For a team that took major strides last year and returned to the playoffs, it’s a brutal blow.
The Royals aren’t the only WHL club feeling the pinch.
Medicine Hat, the defending league champions, are reeling after Gavin McKenna – the CHL Player of the Year and top 2026 NHL Draft prospect – committed to Penn State on Tuesday. Ryder Ritchie (Boston University) and Cayden Lindstrom (Michigan State) are also out.
Another top prospect, Jackson Smith of the Tri-City Americans – selected 14th overall in this year’s NHL Draft – is also heading to Penn State.
While the NCAA has long offered a different development path, the lure of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) money is shifting the landscape fast. McKenna’s deal reportedly lands in the $700,000 range – and it might only be for one season with the potential of being selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
For WHL teams like Victoria, that’s a tough number to beat.
