By Marlon Martens

Pasternak, Laventure & Holt Recognized

Royals Honour Graduating Players

Mar 18, 2024 | 6:01 PM

There was a touching moment in a pregame ceremony before the Victoria Royals game Saturday night where they hosted the Prince George Cougars.

The Royals honoured their three soon to be graduating players, by having public address announcer Cliff Lequesne introduce each one, rattling off accolades and milestones, while the player skated over to the Zamboni bay to be greeted with flowers, and his family. Also on the carpet was a framed Royals sweater with their name and number on full display. Shaking their hands as they arrived was Head Coach James Patrick and Assistant Morgan Klimchuk, both giving quick words in a brief exchange.

One by one, each given their own moment of reflection, forwards Dawson Pasternak, Tyson Laventure and netminder Braden Holt put their arm around their mothers and looked on as a :90 second career highlight reel hit the jumbo-tron.

That’s when the emotions emerged, the gravity and weight of the reality of the situation hits like a tonne of bricks, and suddenly there’s a lump in the back of your throat. The realization that their Major Junior Careers were nearing an end, something that seemed so far away when they entered the league. They were always warned by veteran players to enjoy every second and is goes by fast.

While both Pasternak and Laventure would gather up all the emotion and transfer it into energy by each hitting the score sheet, Holt watched on from the bench, after starting 10 of the clubs last 11 games. He made way for freshman netminder Jayden Kraus, who’s last start was exactly three weeks prior.

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Pasternak was acquired on October 5th 2023, from the Brandon Wheat Kings and has been the clubs MVP. Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft, Pasternak has scored 45 goals in his career, and added 77 assists for 122 points.

Pasternak will play his 150th game Wed. March 20th against Wenatchee.  He has more goals this season (24), than all his time with Portland (10) and Brandon (10) combined.  His 68 points this campaign is good for 12th all time among Victoria Royals in a single season.

Credit: Wayne Beaton

Laventure was originally a second round selection of the the Prince Albert Raiders, he’s also played for Lethbridge and Swift Current before joining Victoria at the January trade deadline.

Laventure’s 1.19 points per game average is 14th best all time among Royals in a season.  He’s having his best outing statistically with 66 points, 18 more than his previous best last year.  Laventure has scored 72 goals and 91 assists in the WHL for 163 points in 257 career games.  His 8 playoff games is tied for the most on the Victoria Royals current roster with Ben Riche.  (Holt 5) (Brinson 4).

Since coming over in a trade from the Broncos, Laventure has scored 14 goals and added 14 assists for 28 points in just 23 games played.

Credit: Wayne Beaton

In the 2023-24 campaign, Holt continues to set career highs in minutes played and saves, while posting his second-highest win count (20). Holt led the league in saves last season with 1505, first in games played with 55, and 2nd in minutes played with 3068 split between Everett and Victoria.

He was selected 262nd overall in the 12th round of the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft by Everett. Since then, he has played 146 games, recording 71 wins and making more than 4,000 career saves.

Holt needs 4 more contests to reach 150 career games played.  His 71 career games with Victoria places him 4th most in Royals history, only behind Outhouse (196), Vollrath (165), and Polivka (96).