Royals sign Jayden Kraus to Standard Player Agreement

The Victoria Royals announced the signing of 15-year-old goaltender Jayden Kraus to a WHL Standard Player agreement on Thursday.

The Prince Albert, SK native becomes the first signee from the team’s 2021 draft class after being picked by the club in the third round (46th overall).

The team believes Kraus was one of the top goaltending prospects available in this year’s draft, with the potential to become an impact player in the near future:

“Jayden has the size, athleticism, quickness and flexibility to be a very good WHL goalie.” said Ed Fowler, Director of Player Personnel for the Royals. “His grit and determination are what stand out the most. He has a high level of maturity and work ethic that we value in Victoria,”

The six-foot, 170 pound net-minder currently mans the crease for the Prince Albert Mintos U18 AAA of the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL), where he has posted a 8-5-0-1 record with a 2.64 goals against average and 0.915 save percentage in 16 games this season.

The signing of Kraus should help secure some long-term stability in net for Victoria, who could potentially lose the services of current goaltender Campbell Arnold–who recently celebrated his 20th birthday–at season’s end.