It’s been a red-hot start to the 2021-22 Western Hockey League for Abbotsford’s Brayden Schuurman.
The Yale Hockey Academy product has scored five goals and two assists in his first four games with the Victoria Royals, and was named the WHL’s player of the week for the week ending Oct. 10.
Schuurman collected his first career WHL hat trick on Oct. 8, helping the Royals earn a 6-3 win over the Kelowna Rockets. He followed that up with two more goals in the Royals 6-4 loss to the Rockets on Oct. 9.
Want to see all 3 Brayden Schuurman goals? Don't worry, we got you 🎩🎩🎩#ReturnOfTheRoar pic.twitter.com/pIui790s3h
— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) October 9, 2021
His output has him tied for fourth in WHL scoring early into the season. Schuurman and the Royals sit in fourth place in the B.C. division at 1-3.
The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately cut a lot of potential WHL experience for the Abbotsford native, as prior to this season he’s played just 23 games in two seasons. In 2020-21 he scored 11 points in 22 games with the Royals.
He was named the Royals rookie of the year for 2020-21.
Schuurman was a fourth round (69th overall) selection of the Royals in the 2019 WHL Draft. He racked up impressive offensive numbers with YHA, scoring 49 points in 53 games with the U15 team and 40 points in 34 games with the U18 team in 2019-20.
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Schuurman is draft eligible for the National Hockey League in 2022. He and the Royals host the Kamloops Blazers tonight (Wednesday) and then head to Prince George to take on the Cougars on Saturday (Oct. 16) and Sunday (Oct. 17).
The next trip for the Royals to the Langley Events Centre to battle the Vancouver Giants is set for Nov. 20.