The Victoria Royals have named the club’s eighth captain in franchise history ahead of the upcoming 2020-21 WHL season.
Tarun Fizer will don the ‘C’ for the upcoming hockey season, succeeding Phillip Schultz who was dubbed the captain for the COVID-shortened season in 2019-20.
Fizer, born in 2001, hails from Chestermere, Alberta and will be entering his fourth season with the Victoria Royals.
In 2019-20, Fizer finished third on the squad in scoring, tallying 53 points in 57 games played.
The 5-11, 168 lb winger — who has spent his entire WHL career with Victoria — has recorded 94 points (34g-60a) to go along with 34 penalty minutes in 170 regular-season games.
“Tarun is a driven competitor who sets the standard for dedication, leadership and behaviour for our organization,” Royals’ General Manager and Head Coach Dan Price said. “He has earned this opportunity and we know that he is ready to take on this added responsibility. Tarun is, and will continue to be, an outstanding leader for us both on-and-off of the ice.”
Fizer will become the eighth captain in team history following former Royals Hayden Rintoul (2011-12), Tyler Stahl (2012-13), Jordan Fransoo (2013-14), Joe Hicketts (2014-16), Ryan Gagnon (2016-17), Matthew Phillips (2017-18) and Schultz (2019-20).
Fizer was selected by the Royals in the fourth round, 69th overall, in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.
Victoria fans will not be able to catch Fizer and the Royals in action on home ice this season as the Western Hockey League will be resorting to bubble environments in Kamloops and Kelowna for the new season amid COVID-19.
The puck drops for the 2020-21 season on March 26.
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Graham Cox
