Royals ready for 2026-2027 OEHL season

By Lee Griffi

The Tavistock Royals finished the last Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) season by losing Game 7 to Seaforth in the second-round playoff series. The team finished in fifth place in the league’s South Division with 12 wins in 20 regular season games.

Head coach Tyson Zehr said the Royals have some new faces on the roster as the team prepares to open this season with a game in Ridgetown against the Rebels, the league’s newest franchise. Zehr said he is excited to see the on-ice product.

“We made some additions that we think can have a big impact for us, including Sam Rhodes, Tyler Schwindt and Abram Snider. They’re all really talented players who bring different things to our lineup, and we’re excited to see what they can do in a Royals jersey.”

Rhodes, from Virginia, is coming off a season in the Southern Professional Hockey League where he led the Pensacola Ice Flyers with 38 points in 58 games. He also spent four seasons at Wilfred Laurier and three with the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts.

Schwindt, a New Hamburg native, played eight games last season with the Binghamton Black Bears of the Federal Prospects Hockey League after four seasons with Elmira College, an NCAA Division III team.

Snider, from North Bay, played two years at Newman College, an NCAA Division I school. Zehr added he’s also expecting two local players to have an immediate impact.

“We’re also really excited about adding Carter Arseneau and Will Schlotzhauer. They’re both great local guys, which makes it even more exciting for us. Having players from the area who want to come back and play for their hometown team is something we really value, but ultimately, we recruited them because we believe they can be really good players for us.”

Arseneau spent four full seasons with the Tavistock Braves, having his best offensive output last season with 51 points as the team made it to the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) championship series.

Schlotzhauer spent four full seasons with the Braves up until the 2024-2025 campaign.

“Overall, I think we had a really good offseason,” said Zehr. “We added a lot of talent and depth, and we have a group that I think can be really competitive. We’ve got some great competition for spots throughout the lineup, and that’s only going to make us better.”

He added last year he thought the team’s biggest strength was its depth, rolling four lines and getting solid contributions throughout the lineup.

“I think we’ve added to that this year. At the same time, the players we have brought in give us a bit more top-end skill. They can make plays and create offence, and I think that adds another dimension to our team. We feel really good about the balance of the group.”

The Royals play in the league’s South Division where five of nine teams had winning records and close games were the norm rather than the exception. Zehr doesn’t expect this season to be any different as the league welcomes Ridgetown, the latest expansion team.

“I think the league continues to get better. There are always going to be differences between teams, but overall, I think the quality and depth in the league has improved quite a bit. As for Ridgetown, I think expansion is great for the league. It gives more players an opportunity to play at this level and it creates more interest in the communities involved. We don’t know a ton about them yet, but we’ll get to know them pretty quickly as they are our first game of the year.”

Part of the team’s success has always been the off-ice talent in the form of volunteers, executive members and fans. Zehr explained it’s a huge part of why players want to play in Tavistock.

“Growing up in this town, you understand pretty quickly that the community is what makes hockey here so special. You see how much people care about our teams and how much time and effort the volunteers put in every year. The Royals are extremely fortunate to have that kind of support. From the volunteers who are here every night to the people who come through the doors and support the team, it doesn’t go unnoticed by the players or the coaching staff.”

He added the players really enjoy playing in front of a good crowd, and they take a lot of pride in representing the community.

As for Ridgetown, the league said the move represents the continued growth of the OEHL’s vision of building senior hockey throughout southern Ontario with strong, sustainable small-town franchises.

“We are excited to build a long-term, high-calibre hockey team within our community that represents the vision and values of the OEHL ,” said Ryan Wilson, Ridgetown Rebels president.

Ridgetown represents the OEHL’s first member club located in Chatham-Kent and will play out of East Kent Memorial Arena in the OEHL’s South Conference. As a result, the Erin Outlaws have been moved into the North Conference.