Victoria Royals’ forward Alex Edwards receives 25-game suspension from WHL

Victoria Royals’ forward Alex Edwards has been suspended 25 games after committing an illegal hit in a game against the Everett Silvertips on Sept. 23, the Western Hockey League announced.

Edwards received a match penalty for intent to injure and a game misconduct midway through the second period after hitting Silvertips’ defenseman Dexter Whittle from behind.

The Silvertips won 5-3.

The Silvertips announced Tuesday that Whittle went to a hospital after the hit but has since been released. He will be out indefinitely with no set timetable to return.

The league said other factors went in the decision to suspend Edwards for over a third of the season, including the severity of Whittle’s injury, as well as this being Edwards’ third suspension in his WHL career.

In November 2022, he was suspended one game after receiving an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of a game against the Prince George Cougars.

In March 2023, he was suspended for two games after receiving a five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct at the end of a game against the Vancouver Giants. The Royals were fined $1000 for his actions.

Edwards, 18, signed with the Royals in December 2021, and has played a total of 58 games over three seasons in Victoria, scoring five goals, three assists, eight points and recording 110 penalty minutes.

Whittle, 19, signed with the Silvertips in September 2021, and has played a total of 96 games over three seasons in Everett. He’s scored two goals, 27 assists for 29 points while recording 95 penalty minutes.

Edwards will be eligible to return to the Royals’ lineup on Dec. 1.