"I know fans are not going to be happy with us right now, and we understand. But rebuilding is a process and right now, this was a necessary step toward having a sustainable farm system built to feed our success for the long haul. We were very happy with how our season was coming together, however, this was not meant to be our year. We still have our eye on the top draft pick, and right now our success is getting in the way of that. It's a strange situation, but we have full confidence that our strategy will payoff sooner than later. This really is short-term pain." said GM Nagle.

With the team essentially icing a farm roster in Riverview, fan reaction is surely to be negative. While their success this season has lent to sizeable crowds in Riverview, the rest of the season will certainly be played out with some scarce crowds at home.

"Its not the best atmosphere to play in for sure. When you look up and can only see your cousins in the crowd because even your mom is too embarrassed to come to the game, it hurts. But we'll play along for this year with the understanding that next year, things will improve. I am here for the long haul and have full confidence in the guys upstairs to get this right. All I can do is concentrate on the ice ahead, and not look too far into the stands." said youngster defenseman Kaiden Guhle.

The Royals dissention in the bowels of the ODBHL standings is surely to unfold in the weeks ahead. With a difficult schedule against formidable foes like Saint John and Miramich coming up, there will be some dark nights for sure. However, with challenge comes opportunity, and with a roster built around plugs and unknowns, someone is bound to step up. It will be interesting to see who does, it may be the only reason to pickup a StubHub ticket to a Royals game for dimes on the dollar.