The Victoria Royals have reeled in a piece of their city’s hockey history for a special theme night later this month.
Last week, the Western Hockey League club in British Columbia’s capital city unveiled the throwback jerseys they’ll wear on Saturday, January 31, when they host the Red Deer Rebels for Salmon Kings Night. The Victoria Salmon Kings played in the ECHL from 2004 to 2011.
The new Salmon Kings jerseys have a navy blue base and feature the Salmon Kings’ primary logo on the front — a silver fish wearing a pale gold, green and red crown with “SALMON KINGS” written on the front. Pale gold, navy blue, silver and white stripes run around the waist, the socks and each forearm, mimicking the Salmon Kings’ uniforms from later in their ECHL stint. Another detail carried forward from the team’s ECHL days is the red panel under each arm.
The collar is pale gold with navy blue trim and a navy blue insert at the front. Both shoulders have a Salmon Kings’ secondary logo of a crown in front of the initials “SK,” with “VICTORIA” in small type above the K. Names and numbers on the back and sleeves are white with a pale gold outline.
The Salmon Kings began life in the ECHL as the Erie Panthers in 1988 and played in Pennsylvania until 1996, when they moved to Louisiana and became the Baton Rouge Kingfish. In 2004, the franchise relocated to Victoria, becoming the first-ever ECHL team in Canada. They played in Victoria until the end of the 2010-11 season, when ownership opted to fold the team after the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins moved to Victoria to become the Royals.
