Spruce Kings Crusader

A Tough 3rd Period Leaves a Sour Taste

2012-02-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

Their was good news and bad news coming out of tonight's game. The good, over 2100 fans took in the contest, a capacity crowd. The bad, they unfortunately were not able to witness the Spruce Kings seventh win in a row. The crowd was buzzing for the start of the contest, both for the chance to see the Spruce Kings, as well, everyone in attendance had a chance to go home with a brand new truck. The anticipation was at a maximum, and the first period did not disappoint as number 9 in your program opened up the scoring against his former club with a filthy goal. His brother Myles would add the only assists, and the crowd was quickly showed just how talent these bunch of players can be.

The lead would only last for about seven minutes though as the games eventual first star, Brenden Forbes, put a puck past Kirk Thompson that he most certainly wanted back. It was a dirty goal, but the Clippers didn't care, they were on the board. Two minutes later though, Jarryd Ten Vaanholt would intercept a clearing attempt and score an even filthier goal that Leo Fitzgerald did earlier. All in all, it was an entertaining period of hockey that saw the Spruce Kings as the aggressors.

The second period didn't see any goals scored, but it saw a ton of penalties and chippy play from both sides. It was apparent that neither team wanted to give up the lone contest of the season to the other. But, it was the Clippers who proved to want it more in the third. Not only did the score the only goals of the period, they carried most of the play, attacking from all angles. The tying goal and the eventual game winners came just 1:58 apart, as Graeme McCormick and Mason Blacklock helped pushed the Clippers to victory.

It was a disappointing end to a game that had so much buzz around it. The trucks were not given away, as the fans missed on the shoot to win, and the Kings came up empty handed. A big amount of the credit should go to Nanamio's defensive play and game plan tonight. IN their own zone, the entire Clipper squad constantly had active sticks that were breaking up passes and shots. In the Spruce Kings zone, they were often found cycling the puck and creating good scoring opportunities while wearing down Prince George. AS the game went on, you could see that the Spruce Kings were fatigued from the Clippers hard work and from the emotional win they endured just last night. Credit Nanamio's goaltender Bill Faust as well, as he stood tall when they needed him to be.

For a complete recap of the box score and to see the three stars, click here

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings now have all week to think over this loss and get prepared for a 3 game road trip. Next weekend they will face Westside, Salmon Arm and Penticton over a three day period. Thanks again to all the fans who helped make tonight a sell out crowd. Go Spruce Kings

"Tip, Tac, Toe"

2012-02-18T00:50:00.000-08:00

Going into the game, both teams talked about the playoff atmosphere they were anticipating. By the time the game came to a close, everyone was talking about the playoff atmosphere that we all just experienced. It was one of the best games we've seen this season at the Castle as the Spruce Kings topped the Chiefs 4-3 in overtime. The game was played in front of over 1000 Prince George faithful, all of which were rocking all night long. Although it didn't start out all roses for the Spruce Kings.

The first period started a way we hadn't seen yet this season, as Ben Woodley was in the box before the puck was even dropped. It was eventually announced that Woodley had left the ice too late after warm up and was accessed a minor. The Chiefs took full advantage of this, scoring 36 seconds in to take the early lead. Derek Huisman was given the official marker as he took a feed on top of Swabb and made no mistake. Prince George wasn't ready to lay down that easy though, as they carried the play soon after the goal and began pressing and challenging Chiefs goaltender Mitch Gillam. I took 10 minutes, but Michael Colantone eventually put home a Jarryd Ten Vaanholt pass on the power play to make it 1-1. The period would end that way with the shots 16-8 in favour of the Spruce Kings.

The second period didn't see any goals exchanged, but it did see plenty of fine end to end action. But the third period was a completely different story as the play and teams were blown wide open. Michael Colantone would score his second power play goal of the game to help the Spruce Kings take their first lead of the game. The Chiefs worked quickly though to end that, as Trevor Hills scored just 5 seconds later to make the game even once again. It would stay this way until the 9 minute mark as Jarryd Ten Vaanholt, the games eventual first star, scored Prince George's first even strength goal of the game. It would be Ten Vaanholt's 3rd point of the night as he was easily the best Spruce King skater.

Things would get even more wild with about 6 minutes left as Michael Colantone was hauled down on a short handed breakaway. The building was buzzing as Colantone stepped up at centre to take the penalty shot, but they would quickly be sat down as he lost control of the puck and Gillam made an easy save. 39 seconds later, the Spruce Kings fans would have even less to cheer about as Derek Huisman scored his 2nd of the night on the power play. Then, with 1:30 left in the period, Chiefs defencemen Matthew Hutchinson took a holding penalty to put the Kings a man up. They couldn't do anything with it during the 3rd, but they took that momentum with them into overtime.

After a quick break, both teams hit the ice, 4 Spruce Kings and 3 Chiefs. Pg would add a few chances, but the man advantage proved in affective for the first time in the game. Luckily for the 1056 in attendance, it didn't matter as Gerry Fitzgerald would send them home happy after redirecting home a Ben Matthews pass. It was a play that we dubbed in the booth “Tip, Tac, Toe” and it would help lift the Spruce Kings to victory, but more importantly give them 2 points more in the standings.

At the start of the contest, Todd and I talked about how we thought this had all the makings of for a “game of the year” candidate. Luckily for ourselves and the fans, that's exactly what we got. Both goaltenders made some fine saves with Gillam ending up facing 43 pucks. Both teams had some fancy work in the offensive zone and both threw their weight around. The bottom line, these are two very evenly matched teams across the board, and it's a treat to watch

To recap tonight's game with the official box score and to check out the Three Stars, click here

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings will now turn around and get set to host the Nanamio Clippers tomorrow night. The game is a big one for fans as the Spruce Kings and Save on Foods will be attempting to give away a truck during the second intermission. So make sure to get down to the Castle for 7pm. If you can't, then be sure to listen in with myself and Todd for FREE on our Ustream channel

Clean Sweep

2012-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

The Prince George Spruce Kings headed out on the road for three games this weekend starting with a double header in Trail and then a Sunday afternoon game in Salmon Arm. Before the first puck dropped the Spruce Kings knew they were five points back of the Merritt Centennials for 2nd place in the Interior Division with two games in hand. When the final buzzer sounded, the Spruce Kings had completed the weekend sweep playing both of their games in hand on Merritt and taking over second place in the Interior Division.

Gerry Fitzgerald scored two game winners and set up the third
as the Spruce Kings swept their weekend set

The weekend started out in Trail against the Smoke Eaters. Zack Rassell had the Spruce Kings on the board first; the Smoke Eaters were able to tie it up before the end of the first but that would be as close as they would come. Gerry Fitzgerald scored the eventual game winning goal 47 seconds into the second period. Jujhar Khaira scored both of Prince George's goals in the third period including an empty netter to get the Spruce Kings a 4-1 win.

On night number two and with the Merritt Centennials sitting idle scoreboard watching, the Trail Smoke Eaters opened the scoring on the powerplay. It would take almost five minutes before the Spruce Kings would tie it up, but they did exactly that with Gerry Fitzgerald's first of two in the opening period at the 9:00 mark. Myles Fitzgerald gave the Spruce Kings the lead with an unassisted tally at 13:12 and Gerry Fitzgerald scored the game winner at 17:49.

The Trail Smoke Eaters would not go away and would not let the Spruce Kings nurse their lead. After a scoreless second period, the Smokies scored a short handed tally in the first minute of the third period. Jujhar Khaira answered that goal back to re-establish the two goal lead and the eventual 4-2 win for the sweep of the double header in Trail.

After the game, the Spruce Kings hit the road for Vernon getting in just after 3 in the morning. With a long bus ride behind them, the players got as much sleep as they could before heading to Salmon Arm for their third game in as many days. Over the years in the BCHL, three game road trips are not uncommon for the Spruce Kings but coming home with a winning record is. In their 17 season history in the premiere junior league in Canada, the Spruce Kings have brought home 5 points out of a possible 6 only twice before - in 2004 and 2006.

The Spruce Kings wouldn't start writing their own history until after they found themselves down 1-0 at 6:47 of the first period. Sixteen seconds later the player that wears jersey 16 for Prince George led his team's top line down the ice and completed the play that tied the game at 1. Jujhar Khaira scored his 27th goal of the season with assists to Paul De Jersey and Michael Colantone. Less than a minute later a pair of former Silverbacks combined to give the Spruce Kings a lead they would not relinquish when Jarryd Ten Vaanholt scored the first of his three on the night off a Paul De Jersey rebound.

Before the first period was done the Fitzgerald triplets put themselves on the score sheet with the goal that would stand up as the game winner from Leo, Myles and Gerry Fitzgerald. It was more of the same in the second period as the Spruce Kings converted on back to back powerplay chances to open a 5-1 lead on goals from Paul De Jersey and Gerry Fitzgerald. For De Jersey the goal was his BCHL leading 40th of the season. Myles Fitzgerald would complete the Fitzgerald hat trick as all three brothers scored in the game, Myles goal coming at 9:55 of the second period. That gave the Spruce Kings a 6-1 lead after two periods of play.

Jarryd Ten Vaanholt ended a goal scoring lull that lasted over 13 minutes when he scored an unassisted goal at 3:08 of the third period and would complete the hat trick for himself with his third of the night at 7:56. The Salmon Arm Silverbacks, who had opened the scoring, would also score the game's last goal but that would be as close as they would come.

The Spruce Kings 8-2 win, their fifth in a row and their 27th on the season, propelled the team past the Merritt centennials in to second place in the Interior Division with 60 points (27-17-2.4). The Spruce Kings, with ten games remaining in the regular season, return home for a pair this weekend against the Chilliwack Chiefs Friday night and the Nanaimo Clippers Saturday night. Both games are expected to be well attended with the game Saturday expected to draw the largest crowd the Coliseum has seen in recent years.

The BCHL Championship trophy, the Fred Page Cup, will be on display at the Coliseum for both games and on Saturday night there will be a chance for two fans to win a pickup truck each in a promotion put on by Save On Foods, Northland Dodge and Hub International. For more information, contact the Spruce Kings office at 250.564.1747.

Stretch Drive

2012-02-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

and Weekend Preview

With just 13 games remaining in the regular season it is safe to say that the Prince George Spruce Kings are well into their stretch drive towards the playoffs and, knock on wood, their first appearance in the post season in three seasons. With the team on the road for a double header this weekend against the Trail Smoke Eaters and a Sunday matinee affair in Salmon Arm before returning home, six points would be a nice touch.

I've already knocked on wood, but to be sure I'll do it again before previewing three games against teams that the Spruce Kings not only have a winning record against but an undefeated record against. A year ago it was the Spruce Kings that found themselves where there opponents are now and for a few on the roster they also remember how important it was for morale to go out and look for wins where they weren't otherwise found.

The Spruce Kings will have to be focused on the task at hand starting with the puck drop at 7:30pm Friday night in the Cominco Arena and the first of two in a row against the Trail Smoke Eaters. The Smokies may find themselves on the bottom rung of the Interior Division ladder, but they have been performing at a better than .500 pace since reeling off back to back 5-4 overtime wins against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Surrey Eagles. They also picked up wins against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and the Chilliwack Chiefs to start off the month of February before dropping a 3-1 decisions to the Vernon Vipers earlier this week.

One of the players that has been leading the Smoke Eaters of late is former Spruce Kings forward, Connor Tiechko. After starting the season in Prince George, Tiechko finds himself playing a prominent role for the underdogs this weekend but appears to have gained his confidence and scoring edge. With the Spruce Kings last season, Tiechko scored 13 goals and 13 assists in 58 games and after starting this season with only one assist in six games, Tiechko has equaled his goal output of 13 in just 31 games and also has 16 assists, good for second on the team scoring with the Smoke Eaters.

After the double header on Friday and Saturday nights in Trail, the Spruce Kings will head over to Salmon Arm for their seventh meeting of the season against the Silverbacks. Coming off back-to-back losses in Prince George last weekend and getting a scheduling favour with Saturday night, this game could be the most important of the weekend set. The Silverbacks feel that they were a few posts and some bad luck away from a better outcome in their games against Prince George. With the recent memory of playing them and being fresh themselves, the Silverbacks can be expected to come out fast and hard against a road weary team Sunday afternoon.

Although the Spruce Kings matchup favourably in every stat, they can't let that become a crutch for them this weekend with points at a premium. Currently sitting five points back of the Merritt Centennials, Prince George will end up playing both of their games in hand that they have on the Cents. The Merritt Centennials will be in Vernon to take on the Vipers on Friday night in a game that has a significant impact on the Spruce Kings desire to maintain or improve on their current position in the Interior Division.

Before the team headed out on the road for this road trip, I did catch up with the team's General Manager and talked a little bit about the season so far and the portion still remaining. I asked Mike Hawes to talk about the season so far and what lays ahead for the Prince George Spruce Kings.

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Spruce Kings Want A Victory For The Vees

2012-02-07T00:14:00.000-08:00

Penticton Vees have the Spruce Kings blessings
as they go for 30 consecutive wins

On Tuesday February 7th 2012, the Penticton Vees are poised to complete the formidable task of reeling off 30 consecutive wins and they have the backing of the Prince George Spruce Kings even though the team's General Manager has a connection to the original record set back in the 1989-1990 season. Mike Hawes was playing for the New Westminster Royals to start the season that saw a talent heavy squad run the table through the better part of season and collect two points from 29 straight opponents.

As Mike Hawes told me in this interview, it wasn't an easy task back then and it certainly can't be thought of being any easier this time around with the Penticton Vees equaling that record and now poised to go one better. There is expected to be a packed house at the Prospera Centre, home to the Chilliwack Chiefs and the site of this historic game. No matter the outcome, it will be historic either for the Penticton Vees who will set the new record or for the Chilliwack Chiefs who will be known as the giant slayers, doing something 29 teams before them couldn't do.

In 47 games, the Penticton Vees have only lost 3 times in regulation time and twice more in overtime. One of those overtime losses was at the hands of the Prince George Spruce Kings in the Coliseum, the other overtime loss was to the Merritt Centennials and that was the last time the Vees lost a game this season. The three regulation time losses were to the Vernon Vipers, Trail Smoke Eaters and the Chilliwack Chiefs; so you know the team formerly known as the Quesnel Millionares believe that they can find that magic formula again and do what has seemingly become the impossible.

The game takes on an interesting perspective for the Prince George Spruce Kings and especially for Mike Hawes. As mentioned, the Spruce Kings General Manager has a connection to the existing record but more importantly there is a little more at stake in the game for Hawes. The Chilliwack Chiefs are currently three points back of the Prince George Spruce Kings with a game in hand - the game being played tonight. A Chiefs loss and the Spruce Kings maintain their pace over their rivals and can head out on the road with a little breathing room.

A Vees win and of course the legend of the Interior Division Juggernaut will grow. So I had to ask Mike Hawes which way he was leaning in this big game and he gives us the answer after he talks a little bit about the 1989-1990 New Westminster Royals and his small role on that team.

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Make That Six in a Row VS. Salmon Arm

2012-02-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight the Spruce Kings had a task in front of them that they had failed to accomplish two weekends in a row. Against Chilliwack and Vernon the two previous weekends, they would win the first game, but then lose the next night at the Castle. Heading into tonight, it's a thought that was on many people's minds, could they topple Salmon Arm again? The difference between the other two squads and this one? It's a team they had beaten 5 times already this season. It's a team that they had outscored 20-9 through those 5 games. And it's a team, that would help them get over the hump tonight.

The first period was an explosion of offence for the Spruce Kings as they scored goals fast and furiously. Myles Fitzgerald started things off 2 minutes in as he and his brothers moved in on a three on one. Latrell Charleson would add the only assist on the opening goal. Just over 2 minutes later Jarryd Ten Vaanholt would convert on a beautiful passing play started off by Ben Matthews and Ben Woodley. It was a highlight reel goal that got the Castle rocking and Salmon Arm scratching their heads for an answer. Unfortunately for them, while they were looking for a way out of this mess, Paul De Jersey was going to work, adding his league leading 39th goal of the season. His line mates Jujhar Khaira and Michael Colantone would each get a point on the play, and that would take us into our first break.

The second period saw the Silverbacks come out with a purpose as they caught the Spruce Kings sleeping. Garrett Hendrickson would get the first Salmon Arm tally 2 minutes in, after some nice work from Mike Berry and Jeff Kennedy. It seemed that the Silverbacks were primed and ready for a comeback, but then the Spruce Kings would provide what we named in the broadcast booth, the crowning moment of the game. Zack Rassell stepped out of the box after serving a 5 minute major for fighting and raced into the Silverbacks zone. He would then steal the puck and find a streaking Jarryd Ten Vaanholt who would put home his 2nd of the night. It was the hard work and hustle of Rassell that made the play, and although it didn't go down as the game winner, it did halt the Silverbacks early momentum. Brendan Kennedy and Jujhar Khaira would trade goals for each side before the end of the period.

The third started out in favour of the Spruce Kings this time, as Myles Fitzgerald would score his 2nd of the hockey game. Morgan Zulinick would add two power play markers to make things a little interesting towards the end, but there was no mistaking which team was the better on the ice tonight. With the win, the Spruce Kings move their season series record versus the Silver backs to 6-0. They have out scored the Silverbacks in those 6 games 26-13.

When it was all said and done, we saw a lot of the same from the Spruce Kings that we've seen throughout the season. When they are on, they can put up points and goals like mad men. They can paint a master piece on the ice when all the cylinders are firing. But, they did have a few different alert signals pop back up. They seemed to take their foot off of the gas pedal for a bit in the second period, which didn't hurt them tonight, but it is something that you cannot do against the Penticton's of the league. Also, Kirk Thompson made some fine saves tonight, but a few of the goals he most certainly wants back. But at the end of the day, a win is a win and lessons can be taken to move forward with. They have 13 games left in the regular season, and as Todd and myself said during the broadcast, they control their own destiny at this point.

To read the official box score of tonight's game, click here

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings will now get ready for three in a row on the road next weekend against Trail and Salmon Arm. It should also be noted that the Chilliwack Chiefs lost to Trail tonight, so the Spruce Kings now have a 3 point lead for third place in the division. Chilliwack has a game in hand, but that game will be played against the high flying Vees. Enjoy the week, we'll be back with you Friday to get yo set for the divisional weekend.

A Statement, Now They Need Another One...

2012-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

Last night was quite the night for the Spruce Kings, as they defeated their Interior Rivals Vernon 7-2. It was a game that was so lop-sided due to a 4 goal onslaught in the second period. It was a game that showed jut how dangerous the Spruce King can be when they are on. It was a game that could go a long way towards helping them get back into the post season. The Spruce Kings came into this match up 4 points ahead of the Vipers. They had just beaten the Vipers a few weeks earlier, and needed to make a statement in front of the Prince George Faithful.

They started the contest exactly how you would hope if you were Coach Dave Dupas. The Spruce Kings took advantage of a defensive break down on the Vipers part as Tyson Witala put home a Cody Bardock rebound. It was long after though that Ben Matthews took a penalty that would cost his team their first lead. Vernon has the 3rd ranked power play in the league, and it showed as Patrick Macgillis scored 12 seconds in to tie the game up.

The second period was the breakout frame for the Spruce Kings, and as Todd and myself said in the broadcast, maybe the best second period this team has played all season. Jujhar Khiara scored 39 seconds in to light the crowd up. Jarryd Ten Vaanholt, Paul De Jersey and Zach Rassell would all adds goals in the 2nd to take complete control o fthe hockey game. The period was a fast and furious one, but it was a definite statement from a team that was looking to prove that they desereved to be where they are.

The third period saw the Vipers add a goal from Ben Gamache, but it was sandwiched in between Gerry Fitzgerald's 1st of the game and Khaira's 2nd. Ty Swabb would skate away with the win, making 33 saves in the victory.

A couple of key thoughts that I took away from this game. Sean Landrey has really found his stride with the Spruce Kings. The youngster struggled a bit out of the gate this season, but he has found a way to use his size in a postive and violent manner. Landrey has dropped the mitts and thrown his weight around quite a bit in the past few games, and it has worked well for the Prince George native. The Fitzgerald's didn't play one shift together tonight as Coach Dupas had they split up with a different variety of lines all night. Nobody is sure if this is going to be a recurring thing, but it seemed to work for tonight. And, Paul De Jersey and Jujhar Khaira continued to have success against the Vernon Vipers. Through 5 games against the Vipers, De Jersey has 6 goals and 6 assists while Khaira has 4 goals and 6 assists.

To read the full box score, click here

Next Up:

These two teams will reunite this afternoon at the Castle for another tilt. The Spruce Kings need to build off of last night's win and continue to push Chilliwack below them in the standings. Last weekend we saw they squander a chance to send Chilliwack home with 2 losses and they can let the same thing happen today. Puck drops at the Prince George Coliseum today at 3pm. If you cannot make it to the rink, you catch the game here

Go Spruce Kings!!!

Who Wants It More? Game Preview for January 28th

2012-01-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

After sitting and watching the BCHL scoreboard, the Spruce Kings finally get to see action tonight and take matters into their own hands. Over the past few nights the Spruce Kings have seen the Chilliwack Chiefs take over third place in the Interior Division and watched as the Vernon Vipers have inched closer to that fourth and final playoff spot in the Interior Division.

The Spruce Kings are as close to 100% as they have ever been this season with the lone exception being Skylar Pacheco who will miss his seventh game since January 6th. Last weekend, many of the players were battling a winter bug and were shorthanded five players for their last game; a valiant effort against the Penticton Vees.

The playoff push is on the forefront of everyone’s mind tonight as the final quarter of the regular season approaches. The Spruce Kings sit in fourth place with 47 points and the Vernon Vipers right behind them with 43 points and a game in hand. For Prince George, coming up with a pair of wins in this double header will help to cushion their playoff spot but the Vipers know that wins in both games will put them inside the playoff race.

Paul De Jersey will also get tonight to put some more offensive numbers with his name as he sits one point up for top spot among the League’s leading scorers. Michael Colantone (who missed one game last weekend) and Jujhar Khaira are also looking for the chance to add to their offensive output this season and get back in to the Top Ten.

The Vernon Vipers are coming off a 4-1 win last night over the Westside Warriors and looking for their first two game winning streak in the month of January. Danny Todosychuk (5-2) gets the start Friday night for the Vipers while Ty Swabb (4-3-1) gets the nod for Prince George. This is the first time since October 28 that these two teams have met in the Castle; in that game the Spruce Kings were victorious 3-2. In fact three of the previous four meetings have all been won by the home team except for the last time the Spruce Kings were in Vernon and came away big with a 5-1 win.

Neither team is thinking this is going to be an easy game and will really come down to the cliche of who wants it more. There's a lot here to excite any hockey fan and the expectation is for a good sized crowd on hand to witness this BCHL matchup. If you can't make it to the game, you can still catch all the action on BCHL Pay Per View or listen for free on the Spruce Kings Ustream feed beginning at 6:40pm.

Looking To Knock Down The Beast

2012-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

This afternoon the Spruce Kings will look to accomplish something that hasn't happen since November 5th of last year. That thing, is beating the high flying Penticton Vees. The Vees have been almost untouchable this season, using their success to become the top Junior A team in all of Canada. With a balanced set of forwards, a solid back end and a goaltender that has been playing outstanding, the Vees don't seem to have a weakness. To beat Penticton, you must play a solid, full 60 minutes, and even then you may not come out on top.

But stats and places in the standings won't scare away a determined Spruce Kings squad that is looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time in 2 years. After all, Prince George is one of five teams to defeat Penticton this season. It was a win that could b called most important win this season as Michael Colantone scored the double overtime winner with .2 seconds left on the clock. It was a win that propelled them to 5 straight victories and 20-13-2-2 record afterward. The Spruce Kings and the Vees have played just once since that moment, a 4-0 win for Penticton last Saturday.

The bad for the Spruce Kings today, they will play yet again with a short roster. Prince George will dress just 9 forwards and 5 defencemen due to injuries. Every player will be required to double shift throughout the game, making it that much harder to stop the speedy Vees. Stellar goal tending will be essential to come away with a win tonight, it's not known who sill start at the moment, but both men best be mentally prepared.

An interesting stat to go forward with, this afternoons meeting will feature 9 of the top 10 leading scorers in the league. The Spruce Kings own only two of them, but one of those men, Paul De Jersey, leads it.

The Season Series:

Prince George: 1-3-0-0

Penticton: 3-0-0-1

Click here to check the Interior Conference Standings

Game Time:

These two will meet three more times this season, February 26th, March 11th and 12th. The question is though, will the Vees have made history by then, breaking the record for most consecutive wins, or will Prince George be able to stop the runaway train that is Penticton. It should also be noted, that the Spruce Kings are able to get back into the playofs, the Vees are a team they could meet in the first round. Today, they find themselves down 4 players, but sometimes, that's the way it goes. It's how you stand up to that adversity that people will remember. Go Spruce Kings

The Spruce Kings Explode in The Third...

2012-01-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

We expected a close, entertaining contest and we received nothing less. Prince George and Chilliwack have played 5 one goal game's this season (counting the 4-2 game due to an empty netter) with a couple of those going into overtime. It's obvious that these two squads are very evenly matched and it showed once again tonight. Thankfully for the home town fans, the Spruce Kings stepped their game up when they needed to, and skated away with the victory. It was their second win in a row, as they avenged a loss just six days earlier to the Chiefs.

The first period didn't start out so well for the Spruce Kings though, as Jeremy Gossard put a weak one past Kirk Thompson at 5:21. It was a momentum killer for the Spruce Kings as they were leading in the shots department 10-2 before the opening score. Prince George didn't wait long to answer as Leo Fitzgerald potted his 7th of the season on the power play. Both teams would trade chances, but head into the intermission tied at one.

After an intermission that featured the always entertaining youngsters fall over for five minutes, we were back at it with more of the same. 5:38 into the second Malcolm Gould put home a puck that Kirk Thompson yet again would have liked back. It was another good start for the visiting team, but ultimately it would be their last one of the game. The newest Spruce King Jarryd Ten Vaanholt would get his first with his new team after taking a nice feed from Paul De Jersey. It was his second point of the game for Ten Vannholt, as coach Dave Dupas line shake up was proving to benefit him greatly.

The third period looked like it was going to produce yet another one goal game, but the Spruce kings had other plans as Paul De Jersey fired one five hole on Mitch Gillam just 1 minute in. 15 minutes later Paul De Jersey would split two Chief defenders and put home a beautiful goal to seal the deal. Michael Colantone would add salt to the wound late as the Spruce Kings took home the victory with a 5-2 decision.

It was a great third period for Prince George, which included a couple of fabulous saves from Kirk Thompson to either keep the game tied, or to hold onto the lead. Paul De Jersey continued to prove he has some of the best hands in the league while netting 4 points. Jarryd Ten Vaanholt would have a very nice home debut as well, grabbing 3 points of his own. This was the Spruce Kings first win over Chilliwack at The Castle. It brings the season series to a 3-3 tie

To read the official box score, click here

The Three Stars:

3) (PG) Jarryd Ten Vaanholt - 1 Goal 2 Assists
2) (PG) Ben Matthews
1) (PG) Paul De Jersey 2 - Goals 2 Assists

Next Up:

These two teams will renew the rivalry tomorrow night at the Coliseum. The puck will drop at 7pm as the Spruce Kings look to grab a firm hold of third place in the interior conference. To listen to the FREE audio broadcast tomorrow night, click here

Rivalry Intensifies Tonight

2012-01-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

If the BCHL had just one objective of creating intense rivalries when they decided to do away with the first round of the playoffs, then their goal was achieved; especially when these two teams play each other. Not even this cold spell can cool the intensity caused by having the Chilliwack Chiefs and the Prince George Spruce Kings separated by a single point in the standings when they start their double header.

In the five games, four of which have been played in Chilliwack, both teams have an overtime victory and only the Spruce Kings can lay claim to a victory with more than a one goal differential (4-2 December 28). There have been no more than seven goals scored in any game between the two nor have there been less than five. Every game has featured at least one lead change with the teams usually swapping leads twice.

The two teams have fought each other hard and it shows in the penalties with the teams combining for a total of 116 minutes of infractions not counting any misconducts. Total odd man situations have been 46 with Chilliwack having six extra power play chances. On the power play the Spruce Kings are 6/20 while the Chiefs are 7/26.

At the trade deadline, the Chiefs brought back their big defenceman Anderson White while the Spruce Kings added offensive depth with Jarryd Ten Vaanholt and Zack Rassell. Rassell started contributing almost immediately and was rewarded for his hard work with a pair of assists in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Vernon Vipers. Ten Vaanholt is looking for his first point(s) with his new team and came a goal post away from doing just that in Penticton.

The Spruce Kings are getting their offense from the top line of Paul De Jersey, Jujhar Khaira and Michael Colantone. The trio combined for 11 points in that December 28th 4-2 victory over the Chiefs and continue to roll along at the top of the BCHL leader board. Combined, the trio has 177 points (74 goals and 103 assists) in 113 games.

De Jersey is leading the league with his 70 points (33 goals and 37 assists) and has a chance to take the number one spot with goals as well making him the true scoring leader in the premier junior league in Canada. Khaira is the leading 17 year old player in the league with his point production of 19 goals and 35 assists. Colantone, who had two hat tricks in three games, is looking to carry himself into the top ten with a good outing this weekend.

Defensively, the Spruce Kings have been steady with both Ben Woodley and Chase Golightly contributing at almost a point a game pace offensively as well. In the nets, both Ty Swabb and Kirk Thompson find themselves near the top for both goals against average and save percentage. Swabb has the slight edge in both those categories with a 2.65 GAA and 91.6 SV% while Thompson comes in with a 2.74 GAA and 91.0 SV% good for 2nd and 4th in the Interior Division respectfully.

An area of concern and an area that needs improving though for the Spruce Kings remains with special teams, especially the powerplay that currently languishes near the bottom of the league with less than 20% effectiveness. The penalty kill is much better keeping the opposition off the board 81 percent of the time. Still, you have to know that the Chilliwack Chiefs will be looking at this stat as perhaps a way of getting to the Spruce Kings and trying to take advantage making this another one of those games that fits right in with the ongoing rivalry.

Perhaps best left for closer to February 17th, when these two teams will play their final regular season game against each other, we will lament the loss of such a storied rivalry with the BCHL set to realign the league and separating the Quesnel Millionaires (yeah I know they're the Chilliwack Chiefs, but they're still the Millionaires to me for this season) and the Prince George Spruce Kings.

With both teams fighting to stay ahead of the cut for a playoff berth, this is a pair of must-see games for Prince George hockey fans. Puck drop is set for 7pm both Thursday and Friday night at the Prince George Coliseum. Dress in layers, but prepare to peel those layers off as the action on the ice is sure to heat up the place. If you can't make it to the game, you can listen online for free from the Spruce Kings Ustream Feed or catch the BCHL Pay Per View Feed.

3 Game Road Trip Begins Tonight...

2012-01-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings have a big three game road trip ahead of them, and it all starts tonight in Chilliwack. The Kings have won their last four games, with one of the “W's” coming against the Chiefs. That meeting was on December 28th as Prince George skated to a 4-2 victory. These two squads have been very evenly matched all season, with their first three games being decided by just 1 goal.

January will be a busy month between these two teams, as they will play twice more after tonight, both being in Prince George. As it sits right now, the Spruce Kings are 3 points up on Chilliwack in the standings, although the Chiefs do have 2 games in hand. With the new playoff format set to be broken out this season, wins over division opponents are crucial. Vernon, who sits in 5th and is on the outside looking in, are 3 points back of Chilliwack and 6 back of Prince George for those final playoff spots. With Penticton running away with 1st place, the battle for 2nd, 3rd and 4th will likely be decided in the final week of the season, so teams are going to want to have an advantage in the season series going forward.

The battle between the goaltenders is one of the key match ups tonight. For the Spruce Kings, both goalies have seen action against the Chiefs this season, but only Ty Swabb owns a victory. Look for Kirk Thompson to still get the start tonight as he is coming off of a two win performance last weekend against Westside.

Bryton Udy and Mitch Gillam have split starts against the Spruce Kings, both winning one and losing one. The Chiefs come in having lost their last five games, with both Udy and Gillam receiving work. It's not known who the Chiefs will send to battle tonight in hopes of stopping the slide, but with Udy taking the last loss, I’d guess we'll see Gillam get the start at Prospera tonight.

Who's hot:

The Spruce Kings top line continues to tear it up in the BCHL. Paul De Jersey is riding a 20 game point scoring streak. Michael Colantone has 7 goals in his past four games, including two sets of hat tricks. Not to be outdone, Jujhar Khaira was just ranked as the 80th best North American in the mid season Central Scouting Rankings. You can read all about the rankings here.

New Acquisitions:

The Spruce Kings picked up two new forwards at the trade deadline in hopes of going on a run in to the post season after missing out in the two previous tries.

Game Time:

The puck drops at the Prospera Centre tonight at 7pm. You can get the web cast or the FREE audio of the game here. The Spruce Kings will then travel to Penticton tomorrow and Vernon on Sunday.

Go Spruce Kings

Welcome the New Kids

2012-01-13T00:53:00.000-08:00

With the trade deadline behind them as well as the hours and miles to get to Prince George, Jarryd Ten Vaanholt and Zack Rassell are officially Spruce Kings. The pair don't know each other but they share the same excitement to put on the jersey with the Crown emblem and represent Prince George in a series of tough battles this weekend.

I caught up with the pair shortly after a morning skate and just before the team headed out on the road for games this weekend against the Chilliwack Chiefs (Friday), Penticton Vees (Saturday) and Vernon Vipers (Sunday). For one of them, the rivalry is a familiar one and for the other, well he just wants to be a part of it as soon as possible.

Jarryd Ten Vaanholt was the first to arrive in Prince George, getting in late Wednesday night. Ten Vaanholt was able to get in two practices with the Prince George Spruce Kings and is very much looking forward to rejoining a teammate from last season and long time friend Paul De Jersey. The two are both from West Vancouver and have basically played hockey together since Jarryd was six years old.

My apologies for the quality of the audio file as the wind did create an interference with the recording that I didn't know about when I was standing outside the bus asking Jarryd his thoughts on being traded to Prince George.

download audio file

I also had a chance to talk with Zack Rassell who I can tell you has already impressed with his first practice. Having driven all day Wednesday and getting in to Prince George late the night before a morning skate, there was a sense that he would be a little sluggish, but that didn't seem to be the case at all. Zack felt he was a little rusty and wasn't afraid to admit it when I asked him his thoughts on leaving the Alberta Junior Hockey League for the Prince George Spruce Kings.

download audio file

For their first game with the Prince George Spruce Kings, Jarryd Ten Vaanholt has been placed on the left side of the line with Tyson Witala at centre and Michael Betz on right wing. Look for Zack Rassell to take the draws from centre with Patrick Chore and Sean Landrey on either side. With Skylar Pacheco currently an injured scratch, Latrell Charleson will see a regular shift on the blue line paired up with Cody Bardock.

Fillion Ready to go with Michigan Tech Huskies

2012-01-12T23:08:00.000-08:00

What follows is an excerpt from the Mining Gazette, an online newspaper that covers the Michigan Tech Huskies NCAA Division I hockey program among other things. In this article - Husky Hockey Gets Reinforcements - Prince George Spruce Kings alumni Justin Fillion is featured as he prepares for the potential of playing in his first collegiate hockey game.

January 10, 2012
by Stephen Anderson - DMG Sports Writer (sanderson@mininggazette.com) , The Daily Mining Gazette

Defenseman Justin Fillion moves the puck during Michigan Tech
hockey practice Monday at MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
(photo by Stephen Anderson)

HOUGHTON - The 2011-12 Michigan Tech hockey team has a problem that the injury-riddled 2010-11 Huskies would have loved to have: too much depth. Consistent playing time has already been tough to come by for some players, but now the addition of junior forward Chad Pietila and freshman defenseman Justin Fillion to the active roster gives Tech 31 healthy players - 18 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goaltenders.

"We've got so many guys and they've all handled it well," Tech coach Mel Pearson said. "It'll stiffen the competition and competition is good."

But nobody on the Huskies will face as quick of a transition as freshman Justin Fillion, who was originally slated to join the team in the fall with Tech's six other true freshmen.

Complications arose with the departure of most of last year's coaching staff and some academic issues that have since been resolved, and now Fillion faces the unenviable task of joining the team mid-season.

"There was a big kerfuffle ... so it's just one of those things that didn't work out, but I'm here now," Fillion said. "It's a great school, and a great hockey program."

While the Prince George, British Columbia native is a recruit from the previous coaching staff, his style as an offensive defenseman fits well with what Pearson wants on his team.

"He looks good and it looks like he'll add some things that we don't have a lot of on the team, which is puck handling and offensive ability from the back end," Pearson said. "We're happy to have him here - he skates well, thinks the game well and he can put up some numbers."

He totaled 56 points in 62 games during the 2010-11 season, which was split between the Prince George Spruce Kings and Victoria Grizzlies. The 21-year-old freshman tallied 123 points in 178 career games in the BCHL, and he spent last fall working out at home.

"I skated with my local junior-A team back home and hitting the gym every day, and working out in that sense, but it was definitely tough mentally not being here with the guys, but ever since I've been here, all the guys have been welcoming," Fillion said. "It's going to be really tough adjusting. I don't expect to play all that much - I just want to come in here and play my best."

Ultimately, the coaching staff will play the lineup they think will give Tech the best chance to win, but the decision won't be easy entering a key Western Collegiate Hockey Association home series against Alaska Anchorage this weekend.

On a bit of a sour side note, another Spruce Kings alumni that started his junior season with Alaska Anchorage will not be in the lineup for the Seawolves. Wes McLeod, who played with the Spruce Kings for three seasons (2007-2010) and finished out the 2009-10 season with the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, is no longer listed on the team's roster with no explanation offered.

Kevin Genoe, another Spruce Kings alumni (2007-2009), is in to his third season with the Michigan Tech Huskies and has seen his numbers improve this year. Sitting with a record of 1-2 in his four games played so far, Genoe has a save percentage of .872 and goals against average of 2.74.

Spruce Kings Find Offense For Playoff Push

2012-01-11T01:39:00.000-08:00

Now that the BCHL Trade Deadline has come and gone I can tell you what the Spruce Kings did on this day; although there was a reasonable expectation as to what would happen, I can say that the Spruce Kings met their objective and were able to fill the vacancies in the roster. As the day started Spruce Kings General Manager, Mike Hawes had an idea of what type of player he was looking for and in the end was quite happy to announce the acquisitions of Jarryd Ten Vaanholt and Zack Rassell to the team.

Through a relatively quiet start to the trade deadline, Hawes stuck to his plan and weighed options and offers and, in his opinion, got the players that take an already good team and make them better. As the Spruce Kings head into the final third of the regular season, it is clear to see that Hawes has his eyes firmly fixed on the post season. In order to get there the Spruce Kings will have a number of key matchups to test their character and fortitude and with a full 21 man roster, the feeling is that the team will rise up to the challenge.

For the Spruce Kings the day started by acquiring Jarryd Ten Vaanholt from the Victoria Grizzlies out of the Coastal Conference of the BCHL. Ten Vaanholt played his first season in the BCHL out of the Interior Division with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks right alongside current scoring leader, Paul De Jersey. From West Vancouver, Ten Vaanholt is a 6' 2" 205lbs twenty year old left handed forward that adds some more size and skill up front. In 38 games he has picked up 41 points (17 goals and 24 assists) to go along with his rookie season record of 22 goals and 28 assists in 58 games.

Before the 6pm inter-league deadline the Spruce Kings had also finalized the deal that brings a 19 year old 6' 1" 192 lbs right handed forward and 3 year vet of the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Canmore Eagles. Third among team scoring with 30 points (9 goals and 21 assists), Rassell has a AJHL career record of 20 goals and 57 assists in 123 games played.

After the deals were done, I had a chance to sit down with Mike Hawes and ask him about the players and about the game plan heading into the trade deadline.

download audio file

As Mike Hawes mentioned, Jarryd Ten Vaanholt is already here at the time of this posting and Zack Rassell is expected to be in later on Wednesday. At the earliest convenience I will sit down and talk to both players about the trade and coming to Prince George and joining the Spruce Kings as they push hard to secure and prepare for a playoff spot.

Latrell Charleson Added to Spruce Kings Roster

2012-01-09T00:51:00.000-08:00

In Monday's edition of the Prince George Citizen, Sheri Lamb has an excellent article on this past weekend's roster change. I have posted the entire article here and added a picture taken by Les Gagnon of LG Photography to ensure that everybody has a chance to read it. Thanks to Sheri and the Prince George Citizen for your coverage of this and other Spruce Kings related stories ...

Latrell Charleson will stand out on the Prince George Spruce Kings' blueline.

The six-foot-four, 220-pound 16 year old signed with the Kings after competing in his final game Sunday with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League.

"Last year I learned a lot from my [Hawks] coaches especially playing with a lot of the older guys," said Charleson. "I'm looking forward to jumping up even higher now, playing at a faster pace and learning more."

Charleson led the Hawks defencemen in goals with seven this season and added seven assists in 23 games. He played in three British Columbia Hockey League games with the Kings as an affiliate player, including a pair of wins over the Westside Warriors last week, which extended the team's win streak to four. He also suited up for the Kings in a pre-Christmas game in Chilliwack.

Jesse Leung, Hawks assistant coach, said the team is going to miss the big defenceman.

"You can't replace a player like Latrell," said Leung. "All you've got to do is look at the faces of his teammates to know the impact he has - he's irreplaceable. He'll be missed."

Kings general manager Mike Hawes said it's nice to know Charleson had as good an impact off the ice as he did on it with the Hawks.

"It's good to know that Latrell is going to be missed," said Hawes.

"He did well within the peer group here with his midget team and we expect that he's going to get along well with all our players and be an easy transition for him.

"He's a very physical player and has some great size," added the Kings' GM. "He's going to come in and provide that physical presence for us on the back end. He's young so it's going to be a steep learning curve for him, but he's definitely going to be a good player for us in the next few years."

At the same time the Kings were welcoming Charleson to the fold, they said goodbye to 16-year-old forward Michael Klonarakis.

The rookie parted ways with the Kings after Friday's 5-2 win over the Warriors and will head back to his midget club, Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna to finish the season. In 30 games with the Kings, Klonarakis had one goal, four assists and four penalty minutes.

"It was just a situation where Michael needed some more playing time to get his confidence back up and as we move down to the last one-third of our season here Michael's playing time probably would've been a little bit less," said Hawes. "For his development it's a good fit for him right now."

Klonarakis' departure frees up a second spot at forward and with the BCHL trade deadline on Tuesday, Hawes expects to fill those roster spots soon.

"Yes, there will be some moves before Tuesday for sure," said Hawes. "The phone's been ringing off the hook and I've been communicating with lots of different teams. I definitely anticipate there being some roster moves."

The Kings (19-13-2-3) have an important weekend ahead as they try to catch the Merritt Centennials (21-10-2-5) for second place in the Interior Conference with games in Chilliwack, Penticton and Vernon from Friday to Sunday. Prince George has posted a pair of wins over the Chiefs (19-14-0-2) in their last two trips to Chilliwack, while Penticton leads the league and Vernon is always dangerous.

"Those are the types of challenges I want our group to go through," said Hawes. "It's going to be a really good test for us and a good gage to see where we're at going up against the No. 1 team in the league."

Make That Four in a Row..

2012-01-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings are officially on a roll as they downed the Warriors 5-2 tonight at the Castle. It was the second win in as many nights over Westside, and a game that featured a lot of similarities to their Thursday match up. There were big hits, lead changes and even a couple of tilts featuring the Spruce Kings top players. But in the end, it was Prince George who would continue to climb up the standings, pushing Westside further down into the basement of the Interior Conference.

It did start out well for the Warriors though, as like last night, they jumped out to an early 1-0 lead and were out playing the Kings. Prince George was firing a ton of shots, but many of them were easy saves for Dwayne Rodrigue as the Westside did a good job of boxing out the Kings, allowing their goaltender to see most shots. The First period also featured our two fights for the night, as Michael Colantone dropped the mits with Izaak Berglund. A Colantone slash started the tussle, but neither man landed anything significant, leading to the bout being declared a draw. Minutes later Jujhar Khaira decided he wanted to test his punching power with Max French. This fight was more of a glorified wrestling match as both men grabbed on, attempted to throw, before crashing to the ice. The two fights from Colantone and Khaira were unrealistic, but they seemed to fire up the bench moving forward.

The Spruce Kings used that momentum to their advantage early, as 2 minutes into the second frame Paul De Jersey stick handled his way through the Warriors before dekeing out Rodgrigue to tie the game up. 10 minutes later Ben Matthews helped Prince George take the lead as hr walked in and fired a wrister home on the power play. Paul De Jersey would round out the scoring in the second after tipping a nice feed from Patrick Chore. It was De Jersey's second of the game, and 30th of the season.

The Third period started of great for Prince George, as Leo Fitzgerald snipe a shot top corner to make it 4-1. The highlight of the third period came when Cody Bardock took a shot from the point, that missed everyone, including the goaltender, giving him his first ever BCHL goal. The crowd gave him a nice salute, while Ben Matthews made sure to scoop up the puck for him. The Warriors would add a goal from Marcus Basara, but that is as close as they'd get, and have to head back to Kelowna after dropping two straight in Prince George.

The win gives Prince George 43 points on the season, which is good for 3rd place at the moment. They sit 3 points up on 4th place Chilliwack, but the Chiefs do have three games in hand. They also sit 6 points up on 5th place Vernon, who have two games in hand.

For tonight's box scores, click here

The Spruce Kings are flying high right now, having won their last 4 games. This is a team that can make some real noise going forward, as long as they stick to their game. The big three up front continue to score big goals, and they'll need to continue to do so. The secondary scoring is coming together, as the Fitzgerald are adding points at the right time, while the Defence has scored some big goals lately. The goaltending has been very strong as well, and will need to get even better as they try to get back to the playoffs for the first time in two years. Also don't forget that the trade deadline is on January 10th, and with the Spruce Kings down 2 forwards, they will likely be big players from now, until then. Stay tuned to the blog for all the updates.

The Three Stars:

3) (PG )Leo Fitzgerald – 1 Goal
2) (PG) Cody Bardock – First BCHL Goal
1) (PG) Paul De Jersey – 2 Goals

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings are getting set for a huge three game weekend. Next Friday they will battle Chilliwack. The following night they will travel to Penticton to take on the high flying Vees. Then they will head to Vernon to face off against a team that they are fighting against for the 3rd and 4th playoff spot. Be sure to head to the BCHL website to catch all the action.

The First Win of 2012

2012-01-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings have come out of the Christmas break flying, including getting their first win of 2012. The game tonight played out at the Coliseum against a feisty Westside Warriors side, one that was in desperate need of a win. Prince George though, needed a win for a different reason, and that reason was to stay in a playoff spot. They did just that, disposing of the Warriors, posting a 4-1 victory in front of the PG faithful.

It didn't start very well for the Spruce Kings though, as they found themselves badly out played in the first 10 minutes of the hockey game. The Warriors struck first as Reid Simmonds walked in and fired a beautiful wrister past Kirk Thompson. The play was opened up after Charleson laid out a big open ice hit, but unfortunately it left the Warriors on an odd man rush, and they capitalized. At this point, Westside was out shooting the Spruce Kings 9-1. It only took 5 minutes though for the Spruce Kings to get out of their funk, as Michael Colantone put home a one timer on the power play. The Warriors powered through the rest of the period, and headed into the intermission up on the shot clock 14-8.

Sean Landrey (18) provided the spark that extinguished both
Dustin Cave (22) and the Westside Warriors on this night.
Photo courtesy Les Gagnon.

The second period was a complete 180 for the Spruce Kings, as they fired chance after chance at Dwayne Rodrigue. This period also saw our one and only tilt on the night as Sean Landrey and Dustin Cave dropped the mits 3 minutes in. The fight started out with both men landing a shot, but Landrey soon got Cave's jersey over his head and landed a couple clean upper cuts that rocked the Warrior defenceman. The two men went crashing to the ice, and that's when it was notice that Landrey did indeed land a few shots on the button, because Cave's nose was broken and bent to the side. After the ice was briefly cleaned, play resumed and we saw the Spruce Kings press the action for most of the second before finally taking their first lead of the game, another power play goal, and another one form Michael Colantone. The goal came with just 10 seconds left in period, and would prove to be a huge momentum grabber going forward.

Three minutes into the third period, Ben Matthews put the icing on the cake with a shot form the point that made it's way by a screened Rodrigue. This game could have been drastically different though had it not been for Kirk Thompson, who was very good between the pipes for Prince George. Our game changing play came at the hands of Thompson, who stoned Max French of a breakaway with about 5 minutes remaining in the game. A goal would have pulled the Warriors within 1 goal, giving them considerable momentum. But the Prince George goaltender was up to the task, and eventually finished with 26 fine saves and a “W”. Colantone would eventually add a fourth goal, and finish off his second hat trick in eight days. The Spruce Kings happily skated away tonight with a 4-1 win over a division rival.

A couple of big points to add about tonight's effort, and both of them involve special teams. The Spruce Kings power play had not been good throughout the first half of the season, as they had the 16th ranked power play coming into tonight. But there is a good chance that after tonight, they will finally be out of the basement as they went 2-4 on the PP. Their penalty kill was just as good, as they killed off all 3 of their penalties tonight. In today's game, Special Teams is often the difference maker, and with all the fire power Prince George has 5 on 5, imagine what kind of team they can be if their power play becomes an effective machine. It should also be noted that Paul De Jersey got an assist tonight, meaning he now has a 17 game point streak going.

The Three Stars:

3) (PG) Chase Golightly – 1 Assist
2) (PG) Kirk Thompson – 26 Saves in the Win
1) (PG) Michael Colantone – 3 Goals 1 Assist

Next Up:

These two teams will do it all over again tomorrow night at the Castle. Puck will drop once again at 7pm, but as always if you can't make the trip, you can always listen to the FREE audio broadcast here

It Begins Tonight...

2012-01-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, and it's time for the Spruce Kings to take control of their own destiny. With a 2 point lead over Vernon in the standings, and 1 point back of the Chilliwack Chiefs, beating division rivals has never become more important. Prince George has missed the playoffs the past two years, and with the new playoff format, this year isn't going to be any easier for them. But if they up their game, even just a pinch, they can make a splash going forward and maybe, just maybe they can bring themselves and their fans back into the post season. They can start that up hill climb to the promise land with two huge wins tonight and tomorrow as they will host the Westside Warriors. Westside skates into January after a rough last couple of months, having only nabbed 3 wins in the month of December.

One of those wins though, came at the hands of the Spruce Kings, as they marched into the Castle and stole a “W” away. The very next night Prince George was able to settle the score before the teams played to a draw in Westside the next weekend. Including the game between these two in October, Westside actually leads the season series with a record of 2-1-1. They will play 3 more times this season, with two of those games being played at the Castle this weekend.

As mentioned above, the Spruce Kings control their own destiny from here on out, as they currently sit in a playoff spot. So with that in mind, they need not worry about what other teams are doing, they just need to win. Watching the scoreboard for Chilliwack and Vernon scores isn't going to help their cause, but winning will. This two game home stand against Westside will be a big tell for how the rest of the season could play out for Prince George. Taking nothing away from Westside, but these are two games the Spruce Kings need and should win. When you host a team, you usually become the favourite to win, but when you host a team that is below you in the standings, you are expected to win. Now that is not meant to take anything away from the Warriors as they are a very talented team who could turn it on at any given moment, and most likely will before the end of this season. Every team and player is in this league for a reason, and can win on any given night. But if you are the Spruce Kings, and are looking to stay in the hunt for the playoffs, you need to win the games you are “suppose” to, and that starts with tonight.

Who's Hot?:

The Spruce Kings top line continues to score big goals, and score them often. Colantone and Khaira have moved into the top ten in scoring as De Jersey continues to lead all scorers. But it's Jujhar Khaira who is getting the most praise at the moment as he was honoured with the “player of the week” this past week. Colantone also received an honourable mention as he had a hat trick in last week's game versus Chilliwack. Not to be out done though, the BCHL's leading scorer Paul De Jersey is currently riding a 16 game point streak.

For the Westside Warriors, Connor Dempsey is leading the charge, having notched 35 points so far this season. Dempsey had the tying goal in the Warriors last game, as his team eventually won it in overtime over the Centennials.

Game Time:

Kirk Thompson will get the start tonight, as both teams will be playing for the first time in 2012. The puck drops at 7pm at The Coliseum, with tomorrow night’s game happening at the same time and place. If you can't make it to the Castle tonight, you can listen to the game for FREE here. If you would like to watch the web cast, you can do so here. We hope to see you there, as the Spruce Kings march towards a return to the playoffs begins tonight

Countdown to the Trade Deadline

2012-01-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

It can be the toughest time of the year or it can be the best time of the year. I'm talking of the player trade deadline that every team and really every player must consider in their season. As always, the trade deadline across Canada falls on January 10th and with teams just getting back to business after the Christmas break. The first order of business is for teams to identify deficiencies and potential assets in their own lineup and in other teams.

Already you can hear the phones ringing a little more often and pickup that the conversations are a little more serious. On Tuesday afternoon I sat down with the Spruce Kings General Manager, Mike Hawes to discuss the upcoming trade deadline and how he sees it shaping up for the Spruce Kings. I did have to wait through a couple of phone calls that did fit inside the category of trade talks.

download audio file

2011 Ends With a Bang

2011-12-30T23:32:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings came into tonight;s match up on a high note, having dumped another division rival just two nights before. Trail came into this match up fresh off the Christmas break, and it showed on the ice through out the first 40 minutes. There was one man who brought his “A” game the entire game, and that was Smokies goaltender Lyndon Standwood. Stanwood many miraculous saves throughout the game, and really was the only reason the Spruce Kings didn't run the score u into the double digits.

The first period alone he faced 14 shots, saving all but one as Michael Colantone got his 4th goal in the past two games. The goal came on a back door feed, one that was made by Jujhar Khaira, but not before Stanwood stoned them on the exact same play minutes earlier. The Spruce Kings continued to fire pucks on the Smokies goaltender throughout the period, many of them quality chances. Ty Swabb was not tested on much on the other hand, having to stop 7 shots.

The Second Period is where the Spruce Kings broke the play wide open, and were finally able to solve Stanwood more than once. Prince George was robbed on multiple occasions in the second, but Leo Fitzgerald made it 2-0, firing home a cross ice pass from his brother Myles. Chase Golightly would add a third marker, a shot that eventually went in off the body of a Smoke Eater. Stanwood faced another 13 shots in the period, but once again, he made a handful of saves that could make any highlight real.

The third period started off with a bang for Trail, as former Spruce King Connor Tiechko put a bouncing puck past Ty Swabb to end his shutout bid. It was a goal that seemed to spark the Smoke Eaters as Brent Baltus scored his 5th of the season, bringing his team within one. The Smokies had new life, and they were pressing hard to tie the game up. The Spruce Kings were back on their heels, and needed to find a way to get another puck past Stanwood quickly before the momentum completely shifted. It would take 8 minutes, but finally Prince George's top line was able to put the icing on the cake as Paul De Jersey scored his 27th of the season. Jujhar Khaira would add a fifth insurance marker, one that ultimately wouldn't be needed as the Smoke Eaters wouldn't score again, giving the Spruce Kings a 5-2 win

The win gives Prince George 39 points through 35 games, helping them keep their fourth place spot in the Interior Conference standings. Vernon won tonight as well, meaning they still sit in fifth place, 2 points behind the Spruce Kings

Click here to view the entire league standings

Click here to view tonight's box score

The Three Stars:

3)(PG)Chase Golightly – 1 Goal 1 Assist
2)(PG)Jujhar Khaira – 1 Goal 2 Assists
1)(TRL)Lyndon Stanwood – 43 Saves

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings now have a 5 day break and will next suit up Thursday January 5th and 6th at the Castle against Westside. Until then, we hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year celebration

Smoke in the Castle

2011-12-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

Gerry Fitzgerald (21) and the rest of the Spruce Kings
will be looking to pull away to end 2011 and head into 2012

Tonight marks the end of the calendar year for the Spruce Kings as they play their final game of 2011 against the Trail Smoke Eaters. This game is an important one for the psyche of both teams ... being able to end the year on a positive note will provide the confidence required to start 2012 when the games start to heat up.

These two teams haven't seen each other except for an early season double header in the Coliseum back in the middle of October. At the time the season was young but there were signs that the Smoke Eaters were having some difficulties while the Spruce Kings were busy trying the erase the memory of a disappointing season the previous year. The Spruce Kings won both games 8-0 and 5-2. This is third and final time that the Smoke Eaters will come to Prince George this season; the Spruce Kings have two double headers in Trail in the New Year (February 10 & 11 and March 2 & 3).

For the Spruce Kings, 2011 started with the promise that things were going to get better for a team that had struggled in the first half of the season. And for the most part they were a much better team fighting right down to the wire for a playoff spot that eluded them because the hole was just too deep that had been dug. This year it is the Trail Smoke Eaters that are in that same position and will be looking to build for the future one game at a time.

This is the first game back after the Christmas Break for the Trail Smoke Eaters; despite their record, they will be coming in as unknown. In their final weekend before the break the Smoke Eaters were outscored 15-1 leaving the team with lots of time on their hands to evaluate their position. As is the case with most extended breaks (almost a full two weeks for Trail), the little aches and pains go away and the desire to compete comes back. If the Smoke Eaters used some of that time to skate, they could be a very dangerous opponent tonight and one that the Spruce Kings certainly can't take for granted.

The Spruce Kings have already played one game since the Christmas Break, a 4-2 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs in Chilliwack. Prince George was full of jump and was able to get shots and lots of them through to the goaltender, but the best player on the ice was not suffering from any turkey hangover as he turned away all 29 shots he faced in the first two periods. The Spruce Kings were finally able to break through the armour led by Michael Colantone's natural hattrick and then after the Chiefs pulled to within one it was De Jersey who put the game away scoring his 27th of the season to reclaim the lead atop the League's scoring machines.

The win gave the Spruce Kings sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Interior Conference and last night the Salmon Arm Silverbacks provided a late gift defeating the Vernon Vipers 7-4 to keep them two points back of Prince George. The Vernon Vipers also play tonight and have two games in hand on the Spruce Kings so a win tonight is essential for Prince George to maintain some distance ahead of the three time defending BCHL Champions.

Over the month of December the goals against average for the Spruce Kings net protectors has come down from 3.56 to 3.24 thanks in part to a deal made by Mike Hawes at the beginning of the month that brought Ty Swabb over from the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Since arriving in PG, Swabb has played in five games with a record of 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. To go along with the 7 points, Swabb has a goals against average of 2.50 (6th in the League) and the second best save percentage of .926 as measured for goalies having played in four or more games.

Offensively things could be a little better as the team has been in a number of one goal games and haven't been able to deliver those decisive blows on the scoreboard. Through nine games in the month of December, the Spruce Kings have scored 27 times and been scored on 21 times. Six of the nine games were decided by a single goal or less and their biggest goal spread was a 4-1 decision over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

The Spruce Kings have been getting offensive production from the top line of Paul De Jersey, Jujhar Khaira and Michael Colantone but will need to see some more scoring from the other lines. The defense has also been stepping up and delivering timely goals but as the intensity on the ice heats up, they will have to make sure their end is looked after first and foremost. De Jersey is on a 17 game points streak (11G, 19A). Since coming back with a gold medal at the 2011 WJAC, Khaira has climbed back into the League's Top Ten with 7 goals and 13 assists. Colantone has also worked his way back up the list and currently sits in 12th spot thanks to a big three goal night against the Chilliwack Chiefs (trivia buffs will like to know that this is Michael's second BCHL hat trick, his other one was against the Spruce Kings on December 4, 2010 when he scored three times and also had three asssists).

Since coming to the Spruce Kings, Michael Betz has picked up a pair of goals and added a pair of helpers to his cause, not quite the numbers he was hoping to put up but the contribution is there and his natural ability has been showing through every game. December hasn't been kind to the Fitzgerald triplets either despite their tenacious approach to the game and the scoring chances they have created. The three have combined on only three goals, something they and the coaching staff both know only need a small spark to change.

Through all of that the Spruce Kings have fought hard in every game and have a chance to end December with a record of 6-3-1-0 which is an indication of just how far they have come in a year. This will be the 52nd game the team has played in 2011 and through the good, the bad and the ugly that was 2011 they have a chance to finish on a huge positive and come out of the year with a record of 22-20-3-7 and take a record of 17-13-2-3 this season with them into 2012.

They're Back!!!

2011-12-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

To quote Whitesnake, Here we go again! The BCHL season is back underway after the players were given a break to be with family during the Christmas Holiday's. Now, the second half of the season begins, and every game becomes so much more important than before. The Spruce Kings come into tonight's match up tied for fourth in the Interior Conference, but they have played two more games than Vernon, who have 35 points this season. The team sitting in third place, is the team they will face tonight. A win, and they move within a couple points and continue to stay in the race for the playoffs. A loss, and they'll start to dig themselves into a hole that may become to much to overcome. Still lots of hockey left to be played, but these are games you must win. So let's preview the match up between the Chilling Chiefs and your Prince George Spruce Kings

The Break Down:

These two squads have battle three times this season, with every game being decided by just one goal. The last meeting was just two weeks ago, a game that was won by Prince George 3-2 in overtime. It was the first win this season over the Chiefs, and helped capture some momentum they hope to use in tonight's contest. The first two games were just as close as the third, but it was the Chiefs who got the lucky bounces and skated away with the wins. The games have all been evenly matched, and you can bet that tonight will be no different.

Kirk Thompson got the start in the first two games, but it was the Spruce Kings new goaltender who captured the teams first win over the Chiefs. Ty Swabb made 39 saves on December 16th behind Jujhar Khaira's 3 point effort and Gerry Fitzgerald's Overtime snipe helped lead the team to victory. You can bet they'll need the same type of effort tonight to get their second win in a row over Chilliwack.

The Stats:

After the first half of the season behind us, let's take a look back at who has helped their respective teams get where they are so far.

Paul De Jersey has had a break out season, potting 26 goals with 31 assists, good enough for 4th in league scoring. His line mates Jujhar Khaira and Michael Colantone currently sit in 13th and 14th respectively as these three are recognized as one of the top lines in the league.

The Chilliwack Chiefs have just one man in the top 20 so far, as Derek Huisman has 18 goals with 39 points. They do however have two other players who currently sit above the 1 point per game average. It should also be noted that the Chiefs have one of the top goaltenders in the league this year statistics wise. Rookie Mitch Gillam sits in 6th for wins, 8th in GAA and 6th in save percentage. Look for Gillam to get the start tonight after the extended break.

Game Time:

The pucks drops tonight at the Prospera Centre at 7:00pm. You can watch the game live with the BCHL webcast here. Don't forget that the Spruce Kings will have their next home game this Friday at 7:00pm as they will take on the Trail Smoke Eaters. Go Spruce Kings

The West Coast Road Swing Continues Tonight

2011-12-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings are coming off of a HUGE win last night in Chilliwack as they downed the Chiefs 3-2 in overtime. The win helped the Spruce Kings stay in the close hunt for that 4th and final playoff spot. But they don';t have much time to celebrate, as they have traveled to Langley for a battled with the newly named Rivermen tonight. This will be the first and only meeting between these two clubs this season, so it should be a good one. Let's preview the match up now, between your Spruce Kings and the Rivermen of Langley.

The Breakdown:

The Spruce Kings have had an up and down season when it comes to wins, but compared to last season, it has been a brilliant turn around. With last night's win Chilliwack, Prince George as already tied their point total from last season. It's a stat that will make the players and management happy, but it won't too much to them if they can't find their way back into the post season. Both teams have had a rough going lately, posting identical 4-4-1-1 records through their past ten games. But only the Spruce Kings head to the Langley Events Centre with a win in their back pocket from last night.

As mentioned above, Karan Toor played hero in a 3-2 victory over rival Chilliwack in Overtime. The Rivermen though, were embarrassed at home, losing a 5-0 game to Powell River. Often times you see teams strike back hard after a bad loss, and look for redemption. It becomes the Spruce Kings coaches jobs to come up with a counter attack to halt a push back form the Rivermen.

With these two squads playing in different Conferences, they don't meet very often on the schedule. They played only twice last season, with Langley taking both “W's”. One came in only the second game of the season, at The Castle, a 6-3 decision. The other happen at the Langley Events Centre a few months later, but the result was much more one sided, as the Rivermen downed PG 8-2. This will be the only meeting this season between the two, so it will be interesting to see the game plans drawn up, and what kind of game we will see.

The stat of the day as we get set for the puck drop, The Langley Rivermen have the second fewest goals in the BCHL with just 88. Compare that to the Spruce Kings who have the 6th most. So if the Spruce Kings want to make this a statement game, I'm thinking the key is score early and score often.

To check out full standings and stats before tonight’s game, click here

Game Time:

The Spruce Kings continue their West Coast swing tonight at the Langley Events Centre with the puck dropping at 7:00pm. It'll be their second game in as many nights, with their third being tomorrow being in Surrey at 4pm. Be sure to check out the web cast of tonight's game here

Go Spruce Kings

Midway Mark with Mike Hawes

2011-12-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week I caught up with the Spruce Kings General Manager to talk about what has been and what will be for the team as they move into the second half of the season. The original interview was interrupted by the news that the League had received a request for supplementary discipline for Trevor Esau on a hit in game number 29 of the season. The hit itself did not result in a penalty call from the game's official but did result in the Spruce Kings, specifically Esau, tying the game up at 3; which was ultimately how the game finished. For comments from Mike Hawes, see the previous post here on the Spruce Kings Crusader.

The conversation then turned to where it was originally intended to go and that was to discuss the first thirty games that are now in the books and to look ahead at the next thirty games in the team's 40th anniversary season. To date this has been one of the team's more successful outings in the BCHL, but as you will hear, there is room for improvement. With a record that places the team tied for the fourth and final playoff position there is a sense that things are looking up for the team. Conversely, a closer look at some recent games reveals an unsettling trend of games being decided by a single goal and most of them not in the Spruce Kings favour.

With the exception of Game 30, a 4-1 win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, the Spruce Kings previous seven games were all one goal games with the common theme being a 3-2 decision. In those seven games the Spruce Kings posted a record of 1-4-1-1 and the game against the Silverbacks was the first time Prince George scored more than three goals in a game going back to November 13th. All in all the team still has 31 points in 30 games with a record of 13-12-2-3. This first part of the interview starts with Mike answering the question of whether or not he is happy with a better than .500 record heading into the second half of the season.

download audio file

So with the future looking bright but definitely hanging on the shoulders of the players, we turned our attention to the games that still need to be played in this season. Interestingly enough the Spruce Kings has played their season series against the Merritt Centennials and won't be seeing them anymore. That leaves the Westside Warriors and the Chilliwack Chiefs to make up a larger portion of the remaining games. We talked about that but also talked about the three games that need to be played out before the Christmas break and the fact that Trevor Esau will be missing in the first two of those three this weekend.

Perhaps one of the most disappointing aspects of the immediate games to be played is that Esau will be sidelined for the two games played in his back yard. On Friday night a large group of family and friends were expected to attend the game in Chilliwack to watch "Easy" play and deliver the hard hits that have been coming with more frequency.

download audio file

On a side note, the Spruce Kings will have two AP'ed defenceman in the lineup Friday night with Latrell Charleson seeing his first action with the Spruce Kings and Karan Toor getting into the lineup for a tenth time. Charleson is with the Valley West Hawks of the BC Major Midget League and was signed to an AP card earlier this week. At 16 years of age, Charleson is grabbing the attention of scouts and not just for his impressive size - he stands 6'4" and is 220lbs and can pack a wallop. Toor is expected to be in the lineup for all three games; he has been showing an ability to play on the backend that the coaching staff appreciates, hence the extra callups.

Esau Suspended Two Games

2011-12-14T23:30:00.000-08:00

With the Spruce Kings just passing the midway mark of the season with 30 games done and 30 games to go, I thought I would catch up with the General Manager and get his thoughts on the team. My interview was set back a little bit as Mike Hawes was dealing with the League and their ruling that a Trevor Esau hit on Saturday night December 10th in Westside warranted a two game suspension. The hit in question was not penalized on the ice and led to a turnover and Esau scoring the game tying goal against the Warriors.

As part of the mid-season interview, I asked Mike about his take on the hit and subsequent suspension. What follows is that portion of the interview and then the video of the hit as posted on You Tube.

download audio file

There you have the video and the comments of the Warriors broadcaster, Jon Zacks along with the thoughts of Spruce Kings General Manager, Mike Hawes. I'm sure you have your thoughts, I know I do, and I encourage you to use the comment section below to share them.

Game Two of Three in a Row

2011-12-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings are starting a three week road swing tonight, and they are doing so in Westside. These two teams battled last weekend in a back to back series at the Castle. Each team came away with a “W”, but the Warriors still hold the lead in the season series 2-1. The Spruce Kings will play their second game in as many nights, and will also have to remember they'll have an even quicker turn around tomorrow afternoon. But let's focus on the game at hand and preview what is another important match up with an Interior Conference rival. It's the Westside Warriors hosting your Prince George Spruce Kings:

The Set Up:

As mentioned, these two have battle three times this season, two of them being last weekend, and one being back in October. That game back near the start of the season happened in Westside as the Warriors skated to a 6-2 victory over the Spruce Kings. Marcus Beesley got the start in goal, as Paul De Jersey and Leo Fitzgerald were the only goal scorers for Prince George. The Warriors powered their victory off of 2 goals scored in each of the three periods. Tyler Krause scored a couple as did Richard Vanderhoek, and that was enough to send Prince George home wondering what happened. Last weekends set of games saw each team win by just a goal. Both games were physical and close, and I’d expect more of the same tonight.

The Spruce Kings need to start stringing wins together here in December as teams like Merritt and Chilliwack are pulling away form the pack and making the battle for fourth place a close one. Vernon currently sits in fourth place with 31 points. Prince George sits in 5th with 28 points while Salmon Arm and Westside are in 6th and 7th with 25 points. The Spruce Kings have been on the wrong side of too many 1 goal losses, and soon, it's going to come back to haunt them. A win tonight, and they'll continue to keep Westside in the bottom of the pack while bringing themselves closer to catching Vernon

Last Night:

Both teams played last night, both being homes games. As you know, the Spruce Kings dropped a 4-3 decision to the Centennials. Ty Swabb got the start in net again, making 24 saves for his first loss. It's not known if he will be getting the start tonight or not. Westside was able to control the Vernon Vipers throughout their contest, and sent them home after beating them 5-2. Connor Dempsey scored twice to receive first star honors as Dwayne Rodrigue picked up the win. Chances are, Rodrigue will see action once again tonight against Prince George

Game Time:

The puck will drop at Royal Lepage place at 7pm tonight. To watch the web cast of tonight's contest, click here

Another Battle With The Centennials

2011-12-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

Prince George is getting set to host the Centennials yet again tonight. It is quickly becoming the Spruce Kings biggest in division rivalry, thanks in large part due to the fact that these two have already squared off six times this season. The two squads have each won three games, but tonight, one team will look to grab hold of the lead in the season series. The games have all been competitive and fast paced, and we really shouldn’t expect anything less tonight. So let’s preview the seventh game between the Merritt Centennials and your Prince George Spruce Kings:

The Break Down:

These two squads know each other quite well, having played multiple times this season. They started off their seasons against one another in a back to back weekend at the Coliseum. The Spruce Kings won both of those games, but only were able to take one out of the next four match ups. The most recent time fans have been able to see these two play, was the BCHL celebration weekend, where the Centennials beat PG at home, then took them out in Overtime in their own home barn. It was a couple of games that showcased the physical dislike these two teams have for one another. IN the new BCHL, with the new playoff format, every night and every point becomes that much more important. Only four teams will play more than 60 games, and right now only Merritt would make it if the season ended today. Divisional games have never been more important than they are this year, and with the series tied at three games a piece, you can bet that both coaches have prepped their boys for an all out war tonight.

Although Prince George hasn’t faired as well against Merritt as they did at start of the season, they do have one big thing on their side tonight, their fans! The Spruce Kings are tied for the second most home wins in the BCHL. Home ice advantage is always nice, and the boys have definitely benefited from having the Prince George faithfully chant their names this season. On the other side Merritt has battled this season on the road, and they come into the Castle sporting a 6-6 -2-1 record. Though it should be added again, the last time these two battled in Prince George, Merritt was able to skate away with the “W”.

Who’s Hot:

The Spruce Kings top line of Jujhar Khaira, Paul De Jersey and Michael Colantone continues to impress and put up points. Shutting these three down becomes essential for any team that plays Prince George. The Spruce Kings two newest players come into tonight’s contest having impressed last weekend. Michael Betz scored his first as a King, and had a stellar night on the ice. Ty Swabb also recorded his first win as a Spruce Kings last Sunday, and will likely look to carry that momentum into tonight.

Also earlier this week a couple of Centennials and Spruce King players made the NHL draft watch list. Prince George forward Jujhar Khaira and Merritt defenseman Reece Wilcox made the list along with six other BCHLers. A big congrats goes to all the boys as they look to be drafted this season

Game Time:

Tonight’s match up will have the usual start time of 7pm at the Coliseum. It’s also the “Drop your gloves and sock it to em” night at the Castle. Bring some new gloves, socks, toques etc in a bag, and when the Spruce kings score their first goal, toss the bags onto the ice. Hope to see you at the rink, go Spruce Kings

Another One Goal Loss...

2011-12-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

Westside came into the Castle having lost nine of their past 10. The Spruce Kings came in having lost their past three. After it was all said and done, Westside would skate away with the Win. The Warriors had an abysmal November, losing eight of nine. They started off December with a loss, but tonight, they were not going to lay down and die. The Spruce Kings didn't have as long of a losing streak, but losing three games in a row by 1 goal, isn't fun. It's a streak that continued tonight, as they dropped a 3-2 decision to Westside. It was a very entertaining game, but only one team skated away smiling.

The Break Down:

The first started off as most do, back and forth puck movement, a few chances, but no real scoring opportunities. But at the 8:48 mark, the Spruce Kings top line struck again, as Michael Colantone fired a wrister top corner on Dwayne Rodrigue to open the scoring. Ben Woodley and Paul De Jersey add the assists on the goal. The Warriors didn’t take long to tie the game up, as they took advantage off a miscue by the Spruce Kings defender and tied the game up. Brett Mckinnon was left alone out front, took a feed and one timed it past Kirk Thompson. That's where things left off heading into the intermission.

The second period would prove to be the eventual difference maker as the Warriors would score 2 goals just over a minute apart. Max French would start it off by sending a puck on net from the top of the right circle that fooled Thompson. The Prince George net minder reached out for it, and just plain missed it. Then 1:04 later, Richard Vanderhoek took a pass on a two on one and scored on a wide open net. It was a quick turn around for the Warriors of Westside, and it would prove to be too much to over come

The Spruce Kings would apply a ton of pressure in the third, thanks in large part to the a five minute power play handed to them after Garrett Skrbich was sent to the showers early for charging Kirk Thompson. Thompson would lay on the ice for a moment, before getting up under his own power to stay in the game. Jujhar Khaira would make them pay quickly, just 8 seconds into the major, he fired a shot from the top of the right circle that found it's way past Rodrigue. It was a quick strike, that gave hope to the Prince George faithful going forward with seven minutes to go. One of the turning points in the game would come during the five minute power play, when the Spruce Kings were called for too many men on the ice. It still left them with time to work with, but it essentially killed off the momentum that they had just gained.

The Spruce Kings would press, but Rodrigue held down the fort, and helped his team skate to a 3-2 victory. Rodrigue made 22 saves in the game, taking home the “W”. Thompson would be given the loss, as he made 25 saves in defeat.

The game was a very good one, but ultimately it ends up being yet another 1 goal loss for the Spruce Kings. This was Prince George's fourth 1 goal game in a row that they end up on the wrong side of. It's a tough pill to swallow, and one that leaves Coach Dave Dumas and his squad wondering what they have to do to end up on the right side of things. There were a couple of different turning points for me in tonight’s contest. One came in the second period, during Prince George's first power play. Jujhar Khaira made a backdoor feed to Paul De Jersey who had a good amount of net to look at. Rodrigue though was not wiling to let up easy, as he slip across his crease and made a split leg toe save. It was a save that may not have been noticed by many, but at the time, it kept the game all tied up. The other turning point for me came during the Max French 2-1 goal. It was a shot that Thompson should have saved, and one he would make if given another try. But unfortunately, these things happen, he missed the puck and gave all the momentum to Westside going forward.

To read the full box score and get a recap in scoring from tonight, click here

The Three Stars:

3)(WW) Richard Vanderhoek – 1 Goal, GWG

2)(PG) Gerry Fitzgerald

1)(WW) Max French – 1 Goal

Next Up:

These two teams will battle once again at the Coliseum tomorrow afternoon. This game becomes eve bigger for the Spruce Kings, as they hope to re-establish their 6 point lead on the Warriors in the standings. Tonight’s game was a good one, so be sure not to miss the rematch tomorrow as the puck drops at 3pm

The Spruce Kings Entertain the Warriors of Westside

2011-12-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings will look to get back into the win column as they host the Westside Warriors tonight and tomorrow afternoon. Prince George enters tonight's contest having dropped their last three games, all to division rivals. All three have been decided by just a goal, but you can bet that that isn't a good consolation prize for the Spruce Kings players and coaches. Tonight will feature the first time the Westside Warriors have been in Prince George since the pre season. It's a big 4 points for both teams, so let's preview the match up to see who has the upper hand on paper:

The Breakdown:

The Westide Warriors came out of the gates flying to start the season, winning their first five games. But November was a much more cruel beast to the Warriors of Westside. They only managed to win one game in November, while losing eight. December hasn't started out any better for the Warriors, as they dropped a 7-2 decision to the Penticton Vees last night. There is a big upside for the Warriors though, as they have a few high flying players returning to the line up for them in Max French and Brennan Clark. Plus with the addition of former Vernon Viper Marcus Barasa, the Warriors are poised to return to the win column, and should not be looked at as a team that comes in having lost nine of their past ten. As we know all to well, momentum is everything in hockey, and if the Spruce Kings let Westisde run out of here with 4 points, it could wake up a very dangerous beast.

As mentioned, the Spruce Kings have lost three in a row heading into tonight. The losing streak did come off the back end of a four game winning streak, but in the competitive Interior Conference and with the new playoff format, losing three games to division rivals just can't happen. The Spruce Kings would love to be able to help put the Warriors deeper in the standings this weekend. The two teams are separated by 6 points, meaning if Westside can come away with 2 wins this weekend, it will go a long way in helping them vault back into the 4th playoff spot. But, on the other side of things, If Prince George can take down the Warriors on both Saturday and Sunday, it would go a long way in helping push Westside even further beneath them.

This Season:

These two teams have met just once this year in the regular season, a 6-2 win for Westside at home. They still have 6 meetings this season to decide who is the better of the two, with three of them happening in December. It should be noted that they did also meet in pre season action back in September, Westside won that contest as well, 3-1.

New Faces:

The Spruce Kings have added a few new faces to their roster this week. Former AJHL goaltender Ty Swabb was picked up by the team via trade that saw Stefan Bazar head to the St. Albert Steel. Also coming to the Spruce Kings organization, the hulking forward Michael Betz. Betz is a 6'2 forward who has spent time in the BCHL with the Trail Smoke Eaters and the Penticton Vees. Unfortunately while adding players, Prince George had to let a few move on to make some room for the new guys. As it has been stated, the organization and it's fans would like to thank Spencer and Scott Mchaffie, Stefan Bazar and Marcus Beesley who all were reassigned or traded this past week.

Game Time:

The puck will drop on tonight's contest at 7pm at the Castle. Then tomorrow, these two teams will go at it again, this time with an afternoon start of 3pm. Both games will be broadcast on the live web cast here. You can also listen to the FREE audio broadcast of the games here

Go Spruce Kings

An Unfortunate End Halts An Entertaining Game

2011-12-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Prince George got to witness a great hockey game. Unfortunately, they also got to witness a weird ending that slowed the game right down. All night these two teams battled back and forth, exchanging chances and hits. It was a match up of two very evenly ranked teams, and it looked like we would need an extra frame to decide things. As it turned out, we wouldn't end up seeing overtime, but we would see the game end in controversy. With that in mind, let's recap tonight's 3-2 loss to the Chilliwack Chiefs.

The Breakdown:

The first period started out with a bang for the Chiefs, as their leading scorer David Bondra intercepted a pass, moved in and fired a shot pasta slightly screened Kirk Thompson. The goal came at 3:13 mark, and quickly showed that the Chiefs had no bus rust from he trip to Prince George. The Spruce Kings were not prepared to lay down that earlier though, as Michael Colantone took a nice pass from Jujhar Khaira, and scored on a brief breakaway attempt at the 7:19 mark. Prince George would follow that up with a power play goal from Tyson Witala at the 16:20 mark. They would take that 2-1 lead into the break.

The first half of the second period was all Prince George, as they were firing all sorts of shots on Mitch Gillam. Prince George would get a few more power play opportunities, but couldn't put another puck past the Chiefs goaltender. Chilliwack would reward there goaltenders fine play with a tally, as David Thompson got a lucky bounce off of Ben Woodley's leg and tied the game up at 2. Derek Huisman would get the only assist on the play as Chilliwack snatched back the momentum that Prince George was seeming to carry into the intermission with. The Spruce Kings had all sorts of chances, but not burying them in the second would prove to be a huge difference maker.

The third period was more of the same from these two talented squads. Back and forth action, big hits, and nice scoring chances. The eventual game winner came at the 11:40 mark as Trevor Hills threw a puck on net from the corner, and ended up beating Thompson. The goal didn't come without some controversy though, as Thompson appeared to have it squeezed against the post, the referring looked as though he was going to signal it dead, then the goal light came on. The Spruce Kings argued the call, but it was to no avail as the tally would count. The game would end with that score, but not before some more controversy and rough stuff over flowed onto the ice.

As time was winding down Paul De Jersey seemed to be jumped behind the play by David Thompson. Thompson stood over a turtled De Jersey and tried to pound on him before the ref jumped in. Colantone ended up without his gloves on after the brief scrum, both teams exchanged words, and then it was up to the referees to decide what would happen next. As it turned out, they decided to give most roughing minors, and tossed Ben Woodley for unsportsmanlike conduct. So with just 14 seconds left, the Spruce Kings were forced deep into their own zone, making it too much to over come. It was a weird scenario considering De Jersey was the one who was being held down and punched. The newly crowned Captain Ben Matthews didn't let the game end without sticking up for his teammates. He would dropped the gloves with Shay Laurent, dropping him in the process with a right to the nose, essentially giving his team a small piece of gratification to go home with. Gillam would get the win, making 33 saves in the 3-2 victory for the Chiefs.

It was an unfortunate end to what was a great hockey game. Prince George had their chances to win, but ultimately couldn't solve Gillam after the first period.

To read the full box score and recap of tonight's game, click here

The Three Stars:

3)(PG) Tyson Witala – 1 Goal
2)(CHW)David Bondra -1 Goal, 1 Assist
1)(CHW)Mitch Gillam – 33 Saves

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings will head into the weekend having lost 3 in a row. They will have another chance though to set the tone going forward as they host the Westside Warriors on Saturday and Sunday
Saturday the puck drops at 7pm, and Sunday at 3pm. Once again, both games will take place at the Castle.

A Sense of Familiarity

2011-11-30T01:44:00.001-08:00

Perhaps it is an old story now and something best left in the past, but for Spruce Kings fans there will be a sense of familiarity for a team playing its first visit to the Coliseum. The Chilliwack Chiefs make their debut in new threads in the Castle on Wednesday night, but behind that chief head dress logo will be a few players that know the what its like to play the role of visitor and even one that knows what its like to play in front of the home town fans.

Tyler Miller was one of the few players that went with Head Coach and General Manager Harvey Smyl from the Langley to Chilliwack. Miller is a Prince George resident in the off-season and, for a quarter of the 2009-10 season, wore the crown while patrolling the blue line for the Spruce Kings. Now in his final year of junior eligibility, Miller wears the 'C' and will be looking to punish members of the 40th edition of the Prince George Spruce Kings. Kit Sitterley, Josh Hansen and Jeremy Gossard are three other former Langley Chiefs that made the move from Langley to Chilliwack.

Malcolm Gould, Derek Huisman, Spencer Grabowski, David Thompson, Michael Spring, Matthew Hutchinson and Bryton Udy all have experience playing against the Spruce Kings as members of the Quesnel Millionaires last season. This season the group of seven are enjoying life in the Fraser Valley. Huisman and Gould play on the top line along with David Bondra where the three sit atop team scoring with a combined production of 74 points (31 goals and 43 assists). Grabowski and Spring find themselves a little lower on the depth chart while Thompson and Hutchinson make up one pairing on the blue line and Udy backs up Mitch Gillam between the pipes.

The Chilliwack Chiefs are playing out of the Interior Conference this season as a result of their off season move from Quesnel to Chilliwack, but the League has indicated that there will be a realignment coming in the off season that will address this anomaly. Through 22 games thus far, the Chiefs sit just one point back of the Prince George Spruce Kings with 25 points (12-9-0-1). Coming off back-to-back losses to the Penticton Vees during the League's Celebration Weekend, the Chiefs will be looking to get back in the win column against the Spruce Kings.

Earlier in the month these two teams met at Prospera Place in Chilliwack in a game that went to double overtime and was decided on a penalty shot after a penalty call against Prince George in that second overtime period. The Spruce Kings remember that game well and believe that they had played well enough to win in regulation time but ran into penalty troubles throughout the contest. That is a bit of a sore point for the Spruce Kings this season who have a respectable penalty kill (80.15%) but find themselves sitting in the sin bin a little too often for their own good. When skating with the man-advantage the Spruce Kings powerplay proficiency has lacked the ability to put away their opponents and has been sputtering at the bottom of the League at 14.29%.

Offense shouldn't be a problem for the Spruce Kings who have their top line sitting among the League scoring leaders. Paul De Jersey leads the way with 23 goals and 22 assists good for 3rd in the League, Michael Colantone shares a spot with three others in the top ten with 11 goals and 23 assists. Jujhar Khaira missed eight games while he was away winning a gold medal with Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge but is still in the top twenty with 13 goals and 18 assists. The trio have been clicking since Khaira came back and will be looking to get the job done again tonight against the Chilliwack Chiefs.

Defensively the two teams are almost identical allowing just under 3.60 goals against on average per game. Kirk Thompson has been coming on as of late and has earned a star in each of the Spruce Kings past three games and was arguably one the best players on the ice turning aside 42 of the 46 shots he faced. Thompson is expected to get the start for Prince George while Mitch Gillam is expected to start for the visitors at the other end of the ice. Gillam has slightly better numbers in his fifteen games with a 3.02 GAA and 90.50 save percentage.

This midweek game was incorrectly listed on the pocket schedule as being a road game for the Spruce Kings; it is very much a home game with the puck set to hit the ice at 7pm at the Prince George Coliseum. If you are unable to attend the game in person, you can still catch the action on the BCHL Pay-per-View feed or the free audio only feed.

The Centennials Take Down Prince George In a Rough One

2011-11-25T23:03:00.000-08:00

Round 1 goes to the Centennials! It was the first of a home and home series, and the Centennials were the better team tonight. They were able to capitalize on key mistakes, as all three goals came from break downs int heir own end. Kirk Thompson played a great hockey game, stopping 28 shots, many of which were stellar saves, but his team couldn't add enough insurance to capture the win at home. Round 2 goes tomorrow night, but let's recap tonight’s match up between the Merritt Centennials and your Prince George Spruce Kings:

The Break Down:

The first period started out well for the Spruce Kings, and through the first ten minutes, they controlled the action. But the Centennials were able to turn things around after that, and grab hold of the momentum. Merritt would make good on their second power play of the game, which turned out to be the second half of a four minute penalty to Trevor Esau, as Silvan Harper put home a wrap around attempt. It didn't take to much longer for the Centennials to add to their lead, as Harper potted his second of the evening, a one timer out front, at 16:29 of the first. The period would end this way, But not before Paul De Jersey and Peyton Schaefer would drop the mits. Although the fight ended with both men crashing to the ice before landing a punch, the scrap seemed to pump up both squads

The big play to remember from the second period, was an elbow that lead to the games first ejection. Myles Fitzgerald hit his man with what the referee called an elbow to the head. The call lead to Myles getting the gate early, and leaving his team with the task of killing a 5 minute major. Kirk Thompson made multiple incredible saves to help his team eventual kill off the major, leaving many to believe that this could be a potential turning point. The Spruce Kings forwards rewarded their goaltenders play with a goal 4 minutes afterwards as Paul De Jersey ripped home his 22nd of the season. Ben Woodley and Michael Colantone added the helpers on the Spruce Kings first tally. It was a 2-1 hockey game in favour of Merritt heading into the third, and momentum was starting to tilt in favour of Prince George.

Although the Spruce Kings had lots of good things to work off of starting the third, it as Merritt who once again capitalized on another Prince George mistake behind their own net. Reece Wilcox found puck that squirted out of a pack, and wrap one past the sprawling Thompson. The goal would be the eventual game winner for the Centennials. Chase Golightly would make things interesting late, firing one home form the point, but it became to much to over come for the Spruce Kings. The end of the game saw things start to turn ugly as Ben Woodley and Jakob Reichert fought, as did both teams coaching staffs. Emotions boiled over on ice, leading to a few more shoving matches, and setting the stage for an intense rematch tomorrow night. Tyler Steel received the win tonight, making 26 saves

It should also be noted just how short handed the Spruce Kings became as the game went on. Prince George started the game with just 11 starting forwards as Sean Landrey and Michael Klonarakis sat with injuries. Myles FItzgerald was the next to go, getting ejected for an elbow to the head. Stefan Bazar then left the game with an undisclosed injury, with Ben Woodley getting the gate for a fighting major late in the game. When it was all sad and done, with 8 minutes to play, the Spruce Kings had 9 forwards and 5 defenseman on the bench.

To get a check out the full recap and box score of tonight's match up, click here

The Three Stars:

3) (PG) Gerry Fitzgerald

2) (MER) Silvan Harper – 2 Goals

1) (PG) Kirk Thompson – 28 Saves

The Next Game:

These two teams will do it again tomorrow night in Merritt. This is exactly what the BCHL had in mind when they scheduled this BCHL 50th anniversary celebration weekend. It was a great game tonight between division rivals, and one that neither team wanted to lose. The emotions ran high, and boiled over on the ice and on the benches. The stage for tomorrow's game has been set, and this one is going to be a rough hard fought battle. Be sure to not miss this one tomorrow night in Merritt. The puck will drop at 7:30 and you can watch the web cast here

Spruce Kings and Cents Meet Again

2011-11-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

It is the BCHL's 5oth Anniversary Celebration weekend, and with it comes your chance to relive the history of this great league. The celebration weekend also brings us a fantastic match up division rivals, and they are games that will mean big things in the standings. These two squads have met a few times this season, and every game has been a good one. The Spruce Kings are riding a nice four game winning streak into tonight's match up, so let's preview the game to see their chances of making it 5. It's the Merritt Centennials taking on your Prince George Spruce Kings:

The Set Up:

As mentioned, these two teams are very familiar with one another this season, having met four times already. The Spruce Kings have gotten the better of things early, but their last game took until double overtime to find a winner. Before that game last week, it was Merritt who was finally able to figure out Prince George, topping them 7-4 in their own barn.

The last time we were able to see Merritt live in action was way back during the opening weekend of the season. Prince George won both of those games, but Merritt is a much different team since those games. Merritt has since gone on a run that has them currently sitting in second place in the interior conference. They are 6-1-0-3 in their past ten, having lost their past 2, with one of those coming at the hands of Westside in overtime on Wednesday.

The Spruce Kings are currently riding a four game win streak, with one of those wins coming against the Centennials. The Spruce Kings continue to house one of the top lines in the league with Khaira, De Jersey and Colantone. These three, along with a hulking blue line and some stellar goal tending performances have helped Prince George step into a tie for fourth, but they also sit just 3 points out of second place. A couple of wins in this weekends match up will go a long way to helping this team get back to the post season.

Who's Hot:

Paul De Jersey continues to be a factor for the Spruce Kings, sitting in 4th for league scoring and 2nd in the goals scored category. The trio that has really come into their own over the past few games has been the line of Tyson Witala, Stefan Bazar and Jeff Earnest. These three have combined for goals in the past three games. Look for them to be factors once again come game time tonight and Saturday.

Merritt as a whole have been hot as of late, but Regan Soquila has lead the charge for the Cents all season. Soquila has 29 points this season, good for 19th in league scoring.

Game Time:

Once again, this weekend is the BCHL’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Head down to the Coliseum tonight for your chance to win prizes and relive the rich history of the BCHL. The puck drops tonight at 7pm and then tomorrow in Merritt at 7:30pm. Tonight’s game will be broadcast a few different ways as usual. You can catch the web cast here and the FREE audio broadcast here.

Hope to see you at the rink

Dustin's View of the Weekend Double Header

2011-11-21T23:15:00.000-08:00

With a poise and delivery that could easily be considered that of seasoned broadcaster, Dustin Scafe came in from Fort St. John to put on the headset and provide the play-by-play of both games in this past weekend's double header. Scafe is working in Fort St. John at Moose FM and like so many other young broadcaster was very excited when given the opportunity to call the games from the Spruce Kings press box. Working with Todd Doherty, Scafe was well prepared and possessed accurate and indepth knowledge of players on both sides of the puck. After the games he provided his take for the blog, here is his post for Sunday's 3-0 Spruce Kings shutout victory over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

For the second time in as many nights, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks were victims of the Prince George Spruce Kings quick and vicious attack. During Saturday’s meeting between the two teams, the Spruce Kings scored goals inside of the 5 minute mark to take a 2 goal lead over the ‘Backs, and Sunday afternoon was no different as Myles Fitzgerald put the Spruce Kings up 2 goals at 3:13 of the second period with a beauty power play goal that beat Salmon Arm net minder Adam Clark with a cross crease pass. Tyson Witala sealed the deal with 16:35 remaining in the third period, with the assists going to Stefan Bazar and Ben Woodley; who had two A’s in the victory. Bazar also continued his hot play since coming over from Canmore, racking up his 10th point in just 5 games.

Opening the scoring in the first period on the power play, Ben Matthews had a goal and an assist in his better game of the home-at-home series. The goal came midway through the opening frame after Brett Knowles took an undisciplined slashing penalty. In fact, undisciplined is a good word to define the play of the Silverbacks in this game, as late in the game Ben Woodley would be forced to drop the mitts with a frustrated Knowles. Jeff Kennedy also got in to the party after Jeff Earnest and he collided in front of the net, Kennedy then proceeded to antagonize Earnest before picking up the lone penalty in the mix of things, a cross checking call. During that same stoppage, Salmon Arm coach Colin O’Hara seemed to be having some unpleasant words with the officials, resulting in his ejection from the contest.

Overall, it was a fans game. The pace was very quick, the emotions were running high, the goaltenders were hot and best of all, the home team finished with a shutout - thanks in no small part to Kirk Thompson. The 19 year old made 31 saves for his first career BCHL shutout, something I am shocked to be saying. This goaltender has the potential to lead the Kings deep in the Fred Page Cup playoffs this season. In a losing effort, Adam Clark made 38 saves in his best performance of his fresh BCHL career, Clark made several big stops and did everything in his power to keep his team in it.

As far as players who made an impression go, Connor Fynn, an AP call up from the Sicamous Eagles, came in to the Silverbacks lineup for the first time on Saturday and played one or two shifts the entire evening, but Sunday afternoon would prove to be his big chance. Fynn played each of his shifts at 200% and it resulted in his team gaining momentum from his play. He forced Thompson out of his net and he proved that even with a small body, he is capable of ripping a big league shot. The Spruce King that impressed me the most, other than the obvious Kirk Thompson, would easily be Chase Golightly. Here’s a 19 year old sophomore in the league, leading his time on the back end. The Kings have so much depth at the point, that Chase could be playing 3rd unit and still be considered a top 2 d-man on several BCHL squads. He moves the puck with such ease and has the speed to go end to end, which he did several times on Sunday afternoon.

I would like to extend a thank you to the Prince George Spruce Kings for this opportunity to step in as the play by play broadcaster for the weekend. I have never had so much fun calling a game, and I owe it to the organization for making it all happen. I hope to do it again in the near future, and I look forward to continuing chats with everyone I talked with at the Castle over the weekend. I also want to send out a personal thanks to Ron Gallo, Matt Anthony and Todd Doherty for going out of their ways to accommodate me. These things never go unnoticed and they are greatly appreciated. Also thanks to Scott Campbell, the voice of the Silverbacks, as we had some nice discussions and I feel he helped me to better my broadcast.

My name is Dustin Scafe and I hope to see you at the rink again soon!

As I mention, this young man did a very good job providing the play-by-play and recaps of both games. Thank you Dustin from everyone with the Spruce Kings. We all hope there another opportunity to get your voice on our broadcast.

Spruce Kings Post 'W' in First Half of Double Header

2011-11-20T01:07:00.001-08:00

With the civic election on this night, Matt Anthony was unavailable for the broadcast but an eager replacement found himself in Prince George and looking for the opportunity to fill in. A big thank you has to go out to Dustin Scafe, who works in Fort St. John for Moose FM. Scafe made himself available for this weekend's double header between the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Prince George Spruce Kings. I must say, the youngster did a great job ... he was well prepared, provided insightful comments and delivered a very polished call of the game. To top it all off, he even provided a recap of the game and a preview of Sunday's matinee repeat between these same two teams.

The Prince George Spruce Kings came out quickly Saturday night against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with Paul De Jersey netting his league leading 21st goal of the season just 3 minutes into the opening frame on route to a 3-2 victory over the 'Backs. It was one of those games where both teams went nose to the grindstone, and there was no shortage of board battles and traffic in front of the net. Tyson Witala scored the winner 7 minutes in to the third period after Salmon Arm net minder Kurt Williams struggled to contain the puck in his pads following a Spruce Kings point shot. Witala also picked up an assist on Jeff Earnest's first of the season, which put the Spruce Kings up 2-0 just 1:33 in to the 2nd period.

Brett Knowles made the game interesting with a short handed goal midway through the 2nd after he left the Spruce Kings defenders in his dust with a fancy toe drag. Half a minute before the goal, Brendan Kennedy was caught with a kneeing penalty on Jujhar Khaira, the Canada West gold medalist caught the short end of an awkward hit but was none the worse for the hit. Shane Hanna would tie the game with the Silverbacks enjoying a two man advantage late in the second period. Hanna's hard shot beat Kirk Thompson down low to giving Salmon Arm momentum to start the third. Several stellar saves by Thompson would give the Spruce Kings their confidence back in the third. A strong performer tonight for the Silverbacks was #9 Morgan Zulinick, the 17 year old Kamloops native picked up 2 assists, tying his point total from 2010-2011.

Kurt Williams made 25 saves for the Apes, who dressed a short bench for the second straight night. Last night against Penticton, Colin O'Hara dressed 15 players, while tonight, a 16th body was added as AP Connor Fynn made his BCHL debut. The Spruce Kings, meanwhile, dressed a full roster for just the second time this season after injuries plagued them early on in the year.

Following the game, two Spruce Kings were named the games top 2 stars, with Morgan Zulinick of Salmon Arm being named the games third star. Leo Fitzgerald, who played a very strong game using his speed and small frame to his advantage, picked up second star, while new comer Stefan Bazar picked up the game's first star honor with his exceptional performance, which included his 7th assist, giving him 9 points in just 4 games since coming to the Kings from the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He had 15 points in his first 16 games with the Eagles. Perhaps left out of the three star selections was Spruce Kings goaltender, Kirk Thompson who had to be sharp this night. On more than one occasion the nineteen year old robbed the Silverbacks of a sure goal with a quick leg save or glove that came from out of nowhere.

Both teams battled hard in the offensive zone, but misplayed neutral zone passes caused several turnovers, two of which led to goals. Prince George went 0 for 5 on the man advantage, while special teams played a big role for Salmon Arm, as they scored a short handed goal, and went 1 for 8 on the power play. The 'Backs currently sit 4th in BCHL power plays on the road and will look to improve on that stat Sunday afternoon. Puck drop will be at 3pm in the Prince George Coliseum and you can watch the pay-per-view feed live on BCHL website or listen for free online from the Spruce Kings Ustream channel with Dustin Scafe and Todd Doherty.

With the win on Saturday night, the Spruce Kings improve to 10-8-1-2 but continue to be 2 points back of Chilliwack for the 4th and final playoff spot in the Interior Conference. The Silverbacks continue to struggle near the bottom and now have a 6-11-0-5 record, good for 17 points. A win for the Spruce Kings tomorrow would move them in to a tie with Chilliwack, while a win for Salmon Arm would pull them in to 6th, leaving them 4 points back of the Spruce Kings ... a big game for both teams on Sunday afternoon.

Again, a great job by Dustin Scafe on everything he has done to contribute to his first BCHL game and now for his game two and the second half of the double header between the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and Spruce Kings. We hope you can make it to the rink for the 3pm faceoff. Along with the exciting action that has become the norm for the Spruce Kings will be the first installment of this season's Elementary School Cheeroff with Cedar's Christian School, Glenview Elementary and Sacred Heart School all vying for a chance to win a day with the Spruce Kings at their school. Good luck to all and enjoy the game.

Another Big Weekend Series

2011-11-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

It's another big set of divisional games this weekend as the Spruce Kings will look to build off of their win in Merritt. Last year Prince George was only able to defeat the Silverbacks once, but it was inside the Castle. This will be the first time this season Prince George will host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. These two squads are not separated by much in the standings, combine that with the new playoff format and that makes this weekend's games a can't miss experience. With that in mind let's preview the match up between the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and your Prince George Spruce Kings.

The Set Up:

These two Interior Division rivals have met just once this season, in Salmon Arm, and it was a game that was dominated by the Spruce Kings. Paul De Jersey, Jujhar Khaira and Michael Colantone were in on 4 of the 6 goals and combined for 9 points. The Silverbacks are coming into this weekend's contest on a high note, having won 3 of their past 4. The Spruce Kings will also ride a nice wave of momentum into Saturday's first game of the double header after posting a double overtime 3-2 win in Merritt on Thursday. Kirk Thompson was stellar in the win, stopping 39 pucks on route to victory. The Silverbacks suffered a disappointing loss last night to the Penticton Vees and then had to board the bus for the two game set in Prince George.

Who’s Hot:

The Spruce Kings continue to get superb play from their new forward and former Silverback, Paul De Jersey. De Jersey sits just one point back in the league scoring race and still leads the BCHL in goals scored with 20. Jujhar Khaira is another Spruce King who comes in on a hot streak, but for a few different reasons. Khaira returned to Prince George with gold around his neck having helped Canada West win it all at the World Junior A Challenge. Khaira also scored a goal in his first game back since the tournament.

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks have 3 different players who sit above the 20 point threshold this season, but it's their Switzerland product who leads the charge. Devin Muller has 26 points this season through 18 games. Brett Knowles and Morgan Zulinick round out the Silverback top three in scoring with 25 and 24 points each.

Bumps and Bruises:

The Spruce Kings were able to ice a full roster for the first time since the start of the season on Thursday; only Sean Landrey sits on the shelf. The Spruce Kings will once again be able to ice a full line up tonight. As Prince George gets healthy, the same can't be said for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks who currently list five players out with an injury.

Game Time:

The puck will drop in the Castle tonight at 7pm and then tomorrow afternoon at 3pm. You can catch the web cast on the BCHL website here. Or you can listen to the FREE audio broadcast here

Go Spruce Kings.

Feels Like The First Time

2011-11-17T01:31:00.001-08:00

Another Thursday trip to Merritt for a one and done game with the Centennials. With the relocation of the Quesnel Millionaires to Chilliwack this season, the Spruce Kings knew before the schedule was drafted that there would be some tough road trips to deal with. Tonight's game in Merritt is the second time in as many weeks that the Spruce Kings have to travel 6 hours south for a single game and then return home for their next opponent. It's something that does leave the team a little perplexed, but something that they know they will deal with and expect different results this time around.

Last week when the Spruce Kings boarded the bus and headed down to the Nicola Valley Arena for their third game of the season against the Merritt Centennials they were left licking their wounds all the way back after suffering a 7-4 loss. That loss seemed to inspire the team who recorded a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Grizzlies. That win along with the return of some previously missing players has injected a new level of confidence for their second appearance in Merritt.

Through the first 19 games of the season the Spruce Kings had to enlist the assistance of affiliate players (AP's) in their line up to fill the holes created by injuries and absences for players skating for Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge. In all the Spruce Kings saw a total of 35 slots filled by APs over the course of those 19 games with a total of four APs appearing at a time in five games.

Tonight's game will see a full roster of players in the game with Jujhar Khaira playing in his first game back after winning gold with Team Canada West. Jeff Earnest is also back after dealing with an upper body injury that has kept him out of the lineup since just after the season's opening weekend series against these same Merritt Centennials. But the team is not 100% healthy with some players dealing with minor issues and Sean Landrey still sidelined with his lower body injury.

I mentioned "these same Merritt Centennials" and they really are the same team they were at the beginning of the season ... at least in personnel, but in the game they seem to be so much different. After suffering an opening night 6-3 loss to the Spruce Kings, the Centennials have responded with two victories (4-3 on September 24 and 7-4 November 11) against Prince George. In their last twelve games, Merritt has picked up points in 11 of those games (10-1-0-2) and have an overall record of 10-5-1-3, good for third in the Interior Division.

There is only one Merritt Centennial in the top twenty among the League's scoring leaders and nobody on the team has reached double digits for goals scored yet. In fact the Centennials are only sixth best in the Interior Division for average goals scored in a game with 3.32 ... so where does their success come from? Regan Soguila is their leading points getter with 6 goals and 19 assists, 10 points better than Chad Brears who has the team's lead in goals scored with 7 and 8 assists.

Defensively the Merritt Centennials don't have impressive numbers here either giving up an average of 3.47 goals against per game, which is only .5 better than Prince George who has a 3.95 goals against average per game. The difference appears to be in the actual goal spread. The Centennials have been in eight overtime games so far and two more that were decided by a single goal with a record of 6 wins, 3 overtime losses and 1 tie. Of the other games that were decided by two or more goals, they have been in three two-goal games (2-1), five three-goal games (2-3) and one loss in a game that was decided with a five goal spread.

Close games seem to go the way of the Merritt Centennials, especially on home ice where they will dump and chase the puck all night long looking for a turnover that they can capitalize on. The Spruce Kings are aware of this and will have to be prepared for it if they hope to even up the season series with the Merritt Centennials. Prince George has had its own roller coaster ride already this season having been on a five game winning streak high and recently coming out of a five game winless stretch that saw them pick up only two points in some hard fought battles prior to the 5-2 win their last time out.

Game number 20 against the Merritt Centennials marks the one-third mark in the season and the Spruce Kings would love nothing more than to be one game above .500 coming back home for a double header against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Saturday and Sunday. Before they can look ahead to the home dates, they will have to deal with the Merritt Centennials and there is certainly a lot of optimism heading into that game with the return of Khaira and Earnest.

Both players are NCAA Division I committed players that have the ability to open up a game offensively while punishing the other team with their physical play. When Jujhar Khaira last skated with the Spruce Kings, he was sitting in second place among the League's leaders; he comes back still in the top 15 and wanting to start climbing back up the list. Jeff Earnest only has two games under his belt this season and wants to get back in the game and start climbing the ladder himself as he is the only player on the Spruce Kings roster without a point.

Khaira will return to his left wing position on the top line with Michael Colantone at centre and Paul De Jersey on the right side. Earnest will play left wing on a line centred by Tyson Witala and right winder Stefan Bazar. The other lines will remain the same with the Fitzgerald triplets (Myles, Leo and Gerry) skating together and the McHaffie twins (Spencer and Scott) with Michael Klonarakis. Defensively there has been very little movement with Ben Woodley, Chase Golightly, Trevor Esau, Ben Matthews, Skylar Pacheco and Cody Bardock patrolling the blue line. Kirk Thompson is expected to get the start with Marcus Beesley the backup.

I had a chance to catch up with coach Dave Dupas and talk about all of this and a few other things before the team boarded the bus to head to Merritt. I started by asking him about getting to full regular roster for the first time this season.

download audio file

I did talk to Coach Dupas about a few other things including being a .500 team, scheduling nightmares and what the team has been working on during the weekend for these next few games coming up.

download audio file

Bringing Home the Gold and a Whole Lot More

2011-11-14T23:08:00.001-08:00

Jujhar Khaira proudly displays his gold medal he won with
Team Canada West at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge

Jujhar Khaira arrived back in Prince George earlier today sporting a little something around his neck but it was the pride that beamed through loud and clear for this Spruce Kings forward. Khaira spent the last couple of weeks in Langley, BC with Team Canada West sharing a common goal of winning gold and now the hard work hangs off a black ribbon around his neck and lingers deep inside his memory bank.

Into his second season with the Spruce Kings and Junior A hockey career, Khaira has been one of those players that has turned heads, left scouts scribbling notes and broadcasters scratching their heads on how to pronounce this still relatively unknown sensation's name (for the record it is Ja_jar Care_ah). For those that know him, it is a mystery how this skilled, physical forward could have gone unnoticed previously.

At the age of 15, when other hockey players his age were hearing their names called in the Bantam Draft, Khaira did not. It left him wondering if hockey was really the sport for him. He was playing for the Cloverdale Colts and his loyalty to the team kept on the ice and in the game to the end of the season. It was during these late season games that he was spotted by a Spruce Kings scout who sat down with the teenager and encouraged him to come to Prince George.

He came as an unknown and quickly had the attention of the Spruce Kings coaching and scouting staff at the main camp who wasted no time in asking Khaira if he would like to stay and try and make the team through the preseason schedule. He made the team as a 16 year old player and began playing above his age almost immediately, looking more like an 18 or 19 year old on the ice. He had the ability to win puck battles along the board, move the puck through traffic and feather a pass to an open player at will.

These abilities earned him a NCAA Division I scholarship with the Michigan Tech Huskies as his stock continued to rise in the BCHL. In the off season, Jujhar knew that he wanted to come back for his second season as the best 17 year old possible. He worked out hard and had a growth spurt that saw him grow two inches taller and put on 20 pounds of pure muscle. His work ethic and attitude towards the game gave him a spot on the top line which he embraced.

Although he has missed six games with his time away playing for Team Canada West, Jujhar Khaira's name still sits in the top fifteen among the League leading scorers with 11 goals and 16 assists in just 13 games. That puts him on a 2.1 points per game pace which is tops in the League alongside his line mate, Paul De Jersey. With the experience that he has gained playing in the World Junior A Challenge, he certainly hopes he won't be missing a beat when he gets back into the Spruce Kings roster.

Juhar Khaira was the youngest on the 22 player Team Canada West roster having only turned 17 exactly 3 months before the gold medal game was played. Khaira found himself in more of a checking role providing a physical presence with more of a defensive assignment in the games. Spruce Kings Head Coach, Dave Dupas thinks that the experience will make Khaira more of an all-around good player and in the process make the Spruce Kings that much better as well.

I had a chance to sit down with Jujhar after he arrived back in Prince George and got his thoughts on the whole experience.

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The Spruce Kings Get Back Into The Win Column

2011-11-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

The Spruce Kings were finally able to bump the slump, taking down the Grizzlies by a score of 5-2. It was a great game from top to bottom for the home team as they created the better scoring chances and answered the bell when needed. Let’s recap the big match up today from the Coliseum between the Victoria Grizzlies and your Prince George Spruce Kings

The Look Back:

This afternoons matinee was an entertaining one, and not just because Prince George came away with the win. It was a back and forth affair that saw both teams and both goaltenders keeping their teams in the game from the start. Jamie Tucker and Kirk Thompson each made some stellar stops for their squads, but it was Thompson who received the most help. Paul De Jersey scored his first of two goals on the afternoon at the 17 minute mark of the 1st period. Michael Colantone and Chase Golightly would add the helpers on what really was a highlight reel goal. The Spruce Kings would head into the dressing room with the all important lead after one period of play.

The second period is where we saw the offence explode, mostly in favour of the Spruce Kings. Paul De jersey would tally the games second goal, his second of the game and 20th of the season at the 8 minute mark. Michael Colantone would add another assist with newcomer Stefan Bazar getting in on the fun as well. After Gerry Fitzgerald scored to make it 3-0, the Victoria Grizzlies decided that they had had enough. Cam Lawson worked his way into the Spruce Kings zone with speed, and fired a wrist shot past Thompson to put his team on the board. But, Prince George wasn’t about to become yet another team to fall to the Grizzlies after owning a sizeable lead. Myles Fitzgerald would score just 27 seconds later to re-establish the three goal lead, and help his team head into the dressing room up 4-1.

The third period saw the Grizzlies come out determined as Brad Gehl put home a one timer from Cam Lawson. The goal came at the four minute mark, leaving Victoria with lots of time left to tie the game up. Skylar Pacheco was going to have none of that on his watch though, as he scored his first ever BCHL goal just 1 minute and 18 seconds later. The rookie fired a point shot past a screened Tucker to ice the game for his squad.

The Spruce Kings played a very tight game today, and besides a few lapses in judgement in their own end, this was a fantastic performance. Kirk Thompson rallied back from a tough game against Merritt, making 28 saves in the win. Paul De Jersey continued to add to his point totals, bringing him within a point of the league lead in scoring.

To get a full box score recap of tonight’s contests, click here

The Three Stars:

3) (VIC) Cam Lawson - 1 Goal 1 Assist

2) (PG) Michael Colantone - 2 Assists

1) (PG) Paul De Jersey - 2 Goals 1 Assist

Next Up:

Prince George will now look to carry this momentum into next weekends set of games against interior conference rivals, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The Silverbacks come into next weekends match up on a high note, having scooped up 7 of a possible 8 points in there past four games. It will be a good weekend battle of division rivals, be sure to head to the Coliseum to check it out, or listen in to the broadcast

Birthday Wishes and a Homecoming

2011-11-13T00:21:00.001-08:00

Michael Colantone (26) gets to play against
his former team on his birthday

Could you pick a better day for a game than this one? Not if you're Michael Colantone. It seems that the schedule makers had a crystal ball when they were putting together dates for the inter-divisional games. With the revisited half-interlock schedule, teams only play teams outside of their conference once in the season and the kicker is that only half of those games will be played in the Castle. On this day, Michael Colantone's former and current teams will meet on his birthday in Prince George.

The speedy forward has embraced his trade to Prince George and earned his spot on the top line centering Paul De Jersey and Jujhar Khaira to the tune of 25 points (10 goals and 15 assists). Of course Khaira will not be in the lineup today, as he will be playing for a Gold medal in an all Canadian matchup at the sixth World Junior A Challenge. Khaira's spot has been filled most recently by the newest addition to the roster, Stefan Bazar.

In his first game with his new team, Bazar figured in all four Spruce Kings goals. Paul De Jersey was also in on all four of those goals while Colantone was in on two of them, although he was on the ice for all four. That chemistry is something the Spruce Kings will be banking on again as they take on an unfamiliar foe in the Victoria Grizzlies ... at least unfamiliar to most with the obvious exception being Michael Colantone.

The Victoria Grizzlies come in to the game in very similar circumstances as the Prince George Spruce Kings. Both teams had Saturday off after playing Friday night in a game both teams would rather not remember. The Spruce Kings fell into a deep hole early and found themselves down 4-1 after the first twenty minutes. They were able to stop the bleeding for the most part in the middle frame giving up only one goal before mounting a comeback that got them to within one before the Centennials finished with a pair late to win the game 7-4.

Meanwhile on the largest ice surface in the BCHL, the Grizzlies went into the South Surrey Arena to face the top team in the Coastal Division - the Surrey Eagles. The Grizzlies opened the scoring in the first period but, after giving up a pair to the Eagles, were forced to come back to tie the game twice before the end of the first period. In the second, the Eagles started pulling ahead outscoring the visitors from our province's capital 4-2 to take a 7-5 lead into the third period. In the final frame, only the Eagles would light the lamp to finish the game with an 8-5 decision.

Both teams come into today's game sitting in fifth place in their respective divisions. The Grizzlies are one point back of climbing into the top half of the Coastal Conference while the Spruce Kings require two victories to do the same after the Chilliwack Chiefs pulled out a Saturday night win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to pull four points in front of Prince George. The Spruce Kings are one point back of .500 with a record of 7-8-1-2, giving them 17 points in 18 games; the Grizzlies have 11 wins and 11 losses in their 22 games to start the season.

Looking at some more numbers a little closer, this should be a great game with lots of offensive potential. Both teams have a trio of snipers in the League's scoring race. Leading the race is Victoria Grizzlies three year vet Wade Murphy with 39 points (14 goals 25 assists), right on his heels with 35 points including a League's best 18 goals is Prince George's Paul De Jersey (18 goals 17 assists). De Jersey actually gets the better stat here with an average of 2.1 points per game having only played in 17 games to Murphy's 22. And to further sway that stat to the home team, Wade Murphy's talents were on display at the CJHL Prospects game making him unavailable for the Victoria Grizzlies.

Still with the scoring race sitting in 4th and 5th are Jarryd Ten Vaanholt (11 goals 20 assists) and Mike Moran (13 goals 17 assists). This is where the edge goes to the Victoria Grizzlies as the Spruce Kings next best include the previously mentioned and unavailable Jujhar Khaira (11 goals 16 assists) and Michael Colantone (10 goals 17 assists). Scoring depth also appears to favour the Grizzlies as they have scored 25 goals more than the Spruce Kings to this point in the season, but have also played four extra games.

Perhaps the one important stat that will ultimately determine the outcome of this game is team defence. The Spruce Kings have the edge here having given up fewer goals than the Grizzlies. The Spruce Kings have done a great job in creating a team that has the ability to shut down other teams from the blue line out and that was the key for the early season success that the team was enjoying. To get back in the win column, the Spruce Kings will need to close that door again and allow the skilled forwards to do their thing when they get the chance.

Every player wants to have a big game on their birthday and every player wants to have a big game when they play against their former team. For Michael Colantone he wants to have a big game every game so look to him to be a big factor in this game. Also look to Stefan Bazar to have a memorable game in his first game in front of his new hometown fans. Of course for Victoria, there is always the pride factor and you know that Prince George minor hockey product Victor Gervais will have his team ready to go.

Game time is 3pm in the Prince George Coliseum.

Who Will Win The Battle Of The Kings?

2011-11-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

It's game day, and tonight the Spruce Kings continue their road trip as they visit the Kings of Powell River. Prince George visits the island after dropping a 4-3 decision to the Chilliwack Chiefs, a game that was decided by a penalty shot in double overtime. The Spruce Kings have had a tough go on the road this season, winning just 1 game away form the Castle. Can they change the tide tonight, let's preview the match up and see. It's The Powell River Kings taking on the Your Prince George Spruce Kings tonight

The Break Down:

As mentioned, the Spruce Kings have had a rough go on the road, having won just one game out of six this season. They have lost two of those in overtime, but that doesn't make it any less sour for the boys. They played a dynamite 55 minutes against Vernon early in the season, but came away on the wrong side of things. Then last night, they tied it late against Chilliwack, but a penalty in double overtime gave the Chiefs a chance to capitalize, and they did just that. The only win on the road this year for the Spruce Kings was a mid week game in Salmon Arm, where they beat the Silverbacks 6-3. Prince George haven't faired very well though against Powell River the past few years. You have to go back to the 08/09 season to find the last time that the Spruce Kings have beaten the Kings of Powell River. It's the second game in as many nights for the Spruce Kings, and the second of three in a row.

The Powell River Kings also come into tonight having just played, a game that went into overtime as well, but they came away with the win. They defeated Cowichan Valley 3-2 at home, and will look to carry that momentum into tonight's match up. The Kings are off to another stellar start, sitting in second place with a record of 10-5-1 and are just 1 point out of first. The task of knocking off the Kings at home has been a hard one for every team this season, as they are a perfect 8-0 at the Hap

The Stats:

Paul De jersey was back in full form last night, scoring twice and adding an assist on the only other goal. De Jersey once again has a hold of the most goals title with 16 on the year. Ben Woodley added an assist to his point total in last nights loss. The Ontario native sits in second for the most assist by a Defenceman this season

Cohen Adair leads the charge for the Kings this season, leading in both the goals and points categories. Powell River also has a very talented defenceman who has been racking up point this season. Craig Dalrymple sits in third for scoring by a D-Man this year The Kings will be without talented youngster Evan Richardson and goaltender Sean Maguire for the next few games as they are with Spruce King Jujhar Khaira at the World Junior A Challenge.

Game Time:

This will be the only time this year that these two teams will square off, meaning we will unofficially dub this "The Battle For The Crown". Kirk Thompson is likely to get the start tonight as he had a fantastic performance against the Chiefs last night, making 42 saves in the loss. It's not known who will get the start tonight with Maguire away for the time being. Jamie Phillips started last night and got the win, but the back to back games could see former Spruce King Cameron Large start between the pipes for the PR Kings. Tonight's action takes place at the Hap Parker Arena with the puck dropping at 7:30pm. Former Cariboo Cougars play by play man Alex Rawnsley will call tonight's action on 95.7 Sun Fm. You can listen to the game live and free here, just click on the listen live link

A Rivalry Renewed, With a Twist

2011-11-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight the Spruce Kings will renew a rivalry, but with a bit of a change of scenery. Prince George has traveled to Chilliwack, as they are getting set to take on the former Quesnel Millionaires. This Chilliwack Chiefs squad is in its first year of existence since relocating, and it’s been a pretty successful start to the season. The Spruce Kings have come out of the gates flying as well, but a recent loss to Alberni Valley has let out a bit of wind from the sails. Both teams will be looking to continue to climb up the Interior Conference standings tonight, so let’s preview the match up between the Chilliwack Chiefs and your Prince George Spruce Kings

The Break Down:

For years, this was the battle of a couple of teams who lived just about an hour apart. Most teams who traveled to either Quesnel or Prince George, had a long way to go. But when these two met, having to deal with a long bus ride was not a factor. The Spruce Kings and the Millionaires met eight times last season, with Quesnel winning 5 of those match ups. Like the name change this year though, the Chiefs are a much different and better team. They have only 5 players who returned from the Millionaire days, and it shows on the ice. This organization has a new outlook and is moving in the right direction as the year rolls on. Attendance is way up compared to their Quesnel days, and right now they sit in 5th place, but having played 1 to 2 less games then most.

Speaking of new look franchises, the Spruce Kings have made a name for themselves early in the BCHL season. The top line has come flying out of the gates, establishing themselves as one of the tops in the league. Rookie goaltender Marcus Beesley has been a pleasant surprise early, and the bulking defense has showed that sized does matter. Unfortunately tonight the Kings will once again be without Jujhar Khaira as he has cracked the roster of the Junior A West Canadians. Paul De Jersey will return for his first game back since trying out for the same team. De Jersey will skate on the top line with Tyson Witala and Michael Colantone. Starting in goal tonight for the Spruce Kings will be Kirk Thompson. Thompson will be playing in his back yard, as he is from Surrey, BC.

The Stats:

As mentioned, Paul De Jersey will return to the line up tonight, as he'll look to continue to move up in the scoring race. De Jersey still sits at tie for the most goals this year. The Chiefs don't have that one player who has had a points explosion, but it really has been a score by comity approach. Every Chilliwack players has a point this season, with Malcom Gould and David Bondra leading the charge

Game Time:

The rivalry is renewed tonight as the Chilliwack Chiefs will host your Prince George Spruce Kings. The Spruce Kings sit in 5th right now with a 7-6-0-1 record while the chiefs are just 2 points behind them with a 6-6-0-1 record. It's another important match up between division rivals, and the first of eight between the two clubs. Puck drops at 7pm and you can listen to Marc Fitzgerald's broadcast of the game on he Chiefs radio station here. Go Spruce Kings

At the Quarter Mark in the Season

2011-10-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

As I work my way back into more of my usual role with the Spruce Kings I decided to catch up with the General Manager and cover what has transpired over the first 14 games of the what is the Spruce Kings 40th season. There have been some ups and there have been some downs along the way, but the one thing that is noticeable is a winning record, especially at home. I touch on that and whole lot more in my interview with Mike Hawes who had some interesting things to say about the team both positive and negative.

It was a lengthy interview so I broke it down into four parts. In this first part we just went over some of the general impressions of the season to date and talked about the pleasant surprises so far from a team that has been hovering at or above the .500 record and hanging around in the top half of the Interior Division since the opening night.

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Now certainly through the course of a season not everything can go according to plan and sometimes things go completely the opposite direction. I asked Mike about some of those games that I saw as huge positives and early season momentum boosters such as the 8-0 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters, the 5-4 double overtime victory over the Penticton Vees and the recent 3-2 win over the Vernon Vipers. But there were also some disappointing results in there as well.

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Some big tests lay ahead for the Spruce Kings including their first meeting against the reincarnation of the Quesnel Millionaires, the Spruce Kings will play the Chilliwack Chiefs on Friday night as the first of three in a row this weekend.

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I wrapped up the interview by getting his thoughts moving forward and asking about the impact some of the rule changes are having on the team and their performance especially with the pressure of having to perform every night with only four playoff positions available in each conference.

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I, for one, am very encouraged by what I have seen through the early part of the season and am looking for many more positives from Mike Hawes, Dave Dupas and the coaching staff and especially the players that have shown so much potential and have invigorated the hockey fans of Prince George with a fun, exciting, entertaining and winning work ethic on the ice.

Spruce Kings Drop a Tough One to The Bulldogs

2011-10-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

They started slow and were never able to recover tonight as the Alberni Valley Bulldogs beat the Spruce Kings 6-1 at the Coliseum tonight. The Spruce Kings were down a good chunk of their roster, including their top 2 forwards in Khaira and De Jersey as they try out for the Junior A Challenge, and it showed as the game rolled on. Here is the recap of tonight's loss

The Look Back:

The Bulldogs came out firing early, pelting Beesley with 5 straight shots within the first few minutes. It didn't take long for Alberni Valley to fit one past the Prince George local, as Josh Mitchell opened the scoring. The Bulldogs didn't slow down though, scoring 2 more in the next six minutes. Brandon Adams and Ryan Lough were the goal scorers that eventually helped chase Beesley form the pipes. Beesley would leave having allowed 3 goals on 12 shots, though it should be noted that all three goals were odd man rushes where he made the initial save. The period ended in favour of the Bulldogs by a score of 3-0

The second period was where everything started to get interesting and chippy. The Spruce Kings started the third by shuffling their lines a bit, and it helped as Chase Golightly found the back of the net at the 9:26 mark. It appeared the momentum was about to shift, when the chippiness boiled over. Ben Woodley and Trent Dorais got tangled up behind the play, with Woodley wanting to drop the mitts. Dorais elected not to take on the big man, and after a couple butt ends from both players, they were sent to the box. The play continued, but the words didn't, Woodley ended getting the extra penalty, but spent his time continuing to challenge Dorais, and the entire Bulldogs bench for that matter. When Woodley did get out of the box, he was on a mission to unleash his anger, but it boiled over in the wrong way as he hit a Bulldog player from behind and was ejected from the game. This would spell the end of the Spruce Kings momentum swing as Alberni Valley scored twice on the power play to go up 5-1 after two periods. Lars Hespo and Yan Kalashnikov added the 4th and 5th markers.

The third was more of the same, with Alberni Valley throwing their weight around and finding the back of the net. The problem was, that the Spruce Kings didn't want to seem to push back. Alberni Valley was enjoying their time on the ice, getting under the skin of the Spruce Kings and staying there. WE would eventually see a fight between Trevor Esau and Tyler Berkholtz, but it wasn't anything more then a tug of war before they fell to the ice. The game would end in the favour of the Bulldogs by a score of 6-1, with Alberni Valley winning every battle tonight. After the game though, Coach Dave Dupas had a few choice words after the game, but as he walked to the bench, Paul Esdale didn't want any part of it. Kirk Thompson made some nice saves in relief, having to face 30 shots with 27 of those being saves. Tonight was a tough game, with a lot of credit going to the Bulldogs who walked into the Castle and played as good of a road game as you can play. Score early, score often and get under their skin.

You can get the full stats and official score sheet here.

After tonight's game I caught up with Coach Dave Dupas to get his reactions to the loss. We talked about his choice words for Coach Paul Esdale, but started by asking him about the game as a whole.

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The Three Stars:

1)(AV) Brandon Adams

2)(AV) Yan Kalashnikov

3)(PG) Ben Matthews

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings will look to bounce back form tonight's loss on Friday, as they will head to Chilliwack to take on the Cheifs.

For One Day Only...

2011-10-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

The Spruce Kings will look to make it two in a row tonight as they host the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for the one and only time this season. Prince George heads into tonight's match up having defeated one of their division rivals, the Vernon Vipers, last night. Alberni Valley comes in having won their past three games, but had last night off and spent it watching the match up between the Spruce Kings and the Vipers. Will the extra scout day help Alberni Valley steal 2 points, or will the Spruce Kings make it two in a row. Let's preview the match up to get a better idea of what we are in store for

The Breakdown:

These two teams don't see each other very often, but when they do, it's Alberni Valley who usually walks away happy. Playing two games against each other last year, the Bulldogs split the two games. This will be the only time this year that these two squads meet, meaning bragging rights are on the table. As we have specified before, the new playoff formats make every game that much more important. Both teams sit in fourth place at the moment, but, they each have a couple of team’s right on their heels. It should also be mentioned that this is only the second game this season for the Spruce Kings against a Coastal Conference opponent, the first being a win over the Coquitlam Express. This will be the second meeting for Alberni Valley against an Interior Conference team. Their first meeting was a win against Chilliwack. And although this is the first time we get to see Alberni Valley this season, we will see a couple of returnees as two former Smoke Eaters, Daniel Delbianco and goaltender Matt Larose will lace up for the Bulldogs after being acquired in a trade. It's not known yet which goaltenders will get the start between the pipes for either team, but with Beesley playing solid last night, we'll lean towards him for the Spruce Kings. As for the Bulldogs, both goalies have seen action during the three game win streak, so with a days rest, either goal could and will be ready to start

The Stats:

Jujhar Khaira had a fantastic game last night potting 2 goals and adding a helper. Khaira currently sits in 4th place for league scoring and already has more goals than he did all of last year. Paul De Jersey still sits among the league elite in scoring, though he no longer leads the league. But he still sits in 2nd overall with 28 points and is on a 12 game point streak. Michael Colantone continues to benefit from his new line mates this year as he sits in 9th for scoring with 21 points, 9 of those being goals. It should also be noted that Ben Woodley is quickly moving his way up the scoring list for defenseman. Woodley is tied for second in scoring by a D-man and is riding a 10 game point scoring streak. Justin Morello leads the charge for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs with 9 goals and 10 assists through 12 games

Game Time:

Again, this is the only chance you will have to see the Bulldogs this season, so I would get out and check them out while you can. For those of you in Prince George, the puck drops at 7pm at the Castle. For those of you not able to make it to the game, you can watch the live web cast here or listen to the FREE audio broadcast here

Third Time's The Charm Against Vernon

2011-10-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

Third time's the charm when it comes to defeating the Vernon Vipers. The Spruce Kings played one of their better games of this young season tonight, handing the Vipers their 4th loss of the season. They scored 1 goal a period, and that proved to be enough to defeat their Interior conference rivals. The top line was stellar once again, as was goaltender Marcus Beesley. Let's recap tonight's match up between the Vipers and your Spruce Kings

The Look Back:

The first period started out as most do, with both teams creating chances while they tried to find their groove. It was the Spruce Kings who went to work first, as Michael Colantone put home his 7th of the year with his line mates adding the helpers. That would do it for the scoring, but that wasn't it for the action. Each team had their chances to put points on the scoreboard, but Beelsey and Kirby Halcrow each made some nice stops to keep it a 1-0 score in favour of the home team. The shots ended 8-7 for the Spruce Kings

The Vernon Vipers came out strong in the second period, and ended up tying the game up just 3:36 in. Marc Hetnik tallied first for the Vipers with Ryan Renz getting the lone assist. The Spruce Kings didn't wait long though to re-establish their lead as Jujhar Khaira scored on the power play 4 minutes later. Paul De Jersey and Chase Golightly were in on his first of the night. But Prince Georges new lead wouldn't last long either as John Knisely and Darren Nowick combined to tie up the game for the second time in the period. That's how we would head into the dressing room, with the Spruce Kings still leading the shot totals 22-20

The third period saw the entertaining game roll on with both teams getting chances, but the goalies were standing tall. For the better part of this young season Prince Georges power play hasn't been up to par, but tonight it seemed to click as Jujhar Khaira helped his team grab the lead with his second of the game. Woodley and De Jersey helped Khaira on what would be the games winning goal. Late in the third the Vipers did give it one last final push, pulling Halcrow for the extra skater, but the Spruce Kings held down the fort, winning their 7th of the season

The Stats:

Jujhar Khaira had another fantastic game, scoring twice and adding a helper. Paul De Jersey assisted on all three goals while Ben Woodley added an assist, taking his point streak this season to 10 games. Marcus Beesley was solid between the pipes once again, stopping 26 shots to record his 6th win of the season

To see the complete recap and official box score of tonight's game, click here

Three Stars:

3) (PG) Paul De Jersey

2) (VER) John Knisley

1) (PG) Jujhar Khaira

Next Game:

The Spruce Kings will look to build off of this big win tomorrow night as they will host the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. The puck drops at 7pm at the Castle. You can catch the web cast here or listen to the FREE audio broadcast here

We'll see or talk to you tomorrow

The Spruce Kings Look to Bounce Back in Vernon

2011-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

The streak came to an end last night, but that doesn't mean the Spruce Kings get to sit back and lick their wounds. Instead they have to travel to Vernon for a late afternoon match up with another division rival. Prince George will take on the Vipers of Vernon this afternoon with hopes of starting a new winning streak. Before last night's match up we talked about the importance of these two divisional match ups, and now with last night's result, this one becomes even more important with Merritt starting to find more success. The puck will drop today at 4pm, so let's preview the match up between the Vernon Vipers and your Spruce Kings

The Breakdown:

These two teams have already met once this season, and it's a game that Prince George would like to forget. The Spruce Kings lead 4-1 with 3 minutes left in the game when the Vipers stormed back, forced overtime and eventually won it. It was a heart breaking loss, but at the same time, it showed that the Spruce Kings could not only compete wth one of the top teams in the league, they can dominate. This time around coach Dupas will be reiterating to his squad that they need to play a full 60 miutes if they want to defeat one of the best. The Spruce Kings come into this game losing their first in five games, as they dropped a 6-2 desicion to Westside. The Vernon Vipers come in much happier, having just beat Trail 6-2 on the road. Speaking of the road, Prince George hasn't enjoy their time away from home very much this season. So far they own a 1-2-0-1 record away from the Castle, but are hoping to finish what they started 3 weeks ago. On the other side, the Vipers have been very good in their own barn, going 4-1 with the sole loss being against Penticton. It should also be noted that although the Spruce KIngs have a quick turn around, the Vipers are playing their third game in as many days. Fatigue will be a factory for both temas, but who will it affect more?

The Stats:

It's well documented how good Prine George's first line has been thus far, but last night they were held in check. Paul De Jersey did add a goal to his totals, but that line failed to dominate as they have in past games. Jujhar Khaira was held off of the stats sheet for the first time in 5 games. De Jersey still leads the league in goals scored, but Travis St. Denis is quickly closing in. Another Spruce King player who deserves some notice is big hulking defenceman Ben Woodley as he sits in 3rd for scoring by a D-Man. The Vernon Vipers have been using a scoring by commity approach when it comes to their games. Michael Zalewski, Darren Nowick and Adam Tambellini sit at or above a point per game average. And only 2 players on the roaster sit without a point this season.

Bumps and Bruises:

The Spruce Kings contnue to nurse some injuries early in the season. Jeff Earnest and Jared Crossan are the only player slisted on the BCHL website with injuries, but Sean Landrey, Connor Tiechko and Dylan Tappe didn't suit up last night, and likely won't again today.

Game Time:

Today's game will see the puck drop at 4pm at the Wesbild Centre. You can catch the webcast and free audio broadcast here. Just click the "Home Broadcast" link when the game starts. Go Spruce Kings

PG Looks to Steal One in Westside

2011-10-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Prince George Spruce Kings are on their first weekend road trip in three weeks, and are a much different team since that time. Prince George has rattled off 5 wins in a row, 2 of them exciting comebacks. The current winning streak has helped lift the Spruce Kings into third in the Interior Conference, but a couple of wins this weekend could see them jump into second place, even first. Tonight’s match up will be in Kelowna, as the boys will challenge the Westside Warriors. This is the first of seven regular season match ups between these clubs, and as said before, with the new playoff format, every division game becomes that much more important. So let's preview tonight's game between the Westside Warriors and the Prince George Spruce Kings and the Westside Warriors

The Break Down:

The Spruce Kings came into this season under the radar, having won just 13 games last season. But this is now a team that can no longer sneak into a barn and steal 2 points. Prince George currently holds the title of the hottest team in the league, having won 5 in a row and housing two of the leagues leading scorers. Goaltender Marcus Beesley has made a solid transition into the BCHL, having backstopped the Kings in all five of their past wins. The biggest thing to note about this new squad is that they have shown the ability to battle back when down. Twice Prince George has trailed late in the third, only to battle back and win it. This is a completely new Spruce Kings team, and teams have started to notice this, meaning things won't be getting any easier for them. The Westside Warriors are once again off to a good start, currently sitting 4th and tied with PG in points. The Warriors haven't finished worse than 4th since the 06/07 season, and look sharp once again. These two teams faced off once during pre season play, the Warriors came out on top of that one by a score of 3-1. Westside have had the Spruce Kings number as of late, winning 5 of 6 last year, and winning 9 of the past 10 contests. You actually have to go back to February of 2009 to find the last time the Spruce Kings won a game at Royal Le Page Place

The Stats:

The Spruce Kings top line is one of the hottest in the league right now as Paul De Jersey, Jujhar Khiara and Michael Colantone have found their chemistry. De Jersey and Khiara sit tied for 2nd in league scoring, while Colantone sits in 10th. De Jersey currently leads the league in goals scored with 13 through 10 games, but had his 7 game goal scoring streak snapped on Thursday. Jujhar Khaira has benefited nicely from his new teammates, grabbing 9 goals and 13 assists through 10 games and is riding a 5 game point stream with 16 points during that stretch. The Westside Warriors leading scorer this season is Connor Dempsey, who has 8 goals and 9 assists through 11 games, good for 12th in the league.

Bumps and Bruises:

The Spruce Kings have had a visit by the injury bug quite a few times this season. Jeff Earnest (Jaw) and Jarred Crossan (Wrist) currently sit on the long term shelf. While Tyson Witala has missed a few games after taking a puck off of the foot and Connor Tiechko has missed the least 4 games, and could miss out on tonight’s contest as well. The BCHL website isn't showing any Warrior injuries at the moment, so well see come game time who plays and who doesn't

Game Time:

The puck drops tonight at Royal Le page Place at 7pm. You can catch the web cast and free Audio broadcast here. Go Spruce Kings!!

Spruce Kings Win Their Fourth Straight

2011-10-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

It wasn't their best game of the season, but Prince George did find a way to capitalize on their chances beating Trail for the second straight night. The Spruce Kings actually found themselves down on the score sheet in the 2nd period, but battled back to take the lead and never looked back. Their top line had another stellar game, and Marcus Beesley back stopped them to their 4th straight win. Let's recap tonight's game between the Trail Smoke Eaters, and your Prince George Spruce Kings

The Recap:

The first period saw back and forth action, with both teams getting lots of chances. It became a goaltenders duel and Matt Larose was leading the charge. Larose had to make 13 stops in the 1st period, and 3 of them were quality saves, including a robbery of Paul De Jersey as he stretched out his paddle to get a piece of it. Marcus Beesley made a few nice saves of his own, as neither team was able to find the back of the net. It was obvious from this period of play that the Smokies were out to prove that tonight would be much different than the 8-0 loss the night before

The 2nd period started out great for the Smokies, and they seemed to snatch hold of the momentum as Nicholas Wong fired a shot from the point to open the scoring. It didn't take long though for the Spruce Kings to halt any potential onslaught of the Smoke Eaters as Jujhar Khaira put home a rebound on the power play. His line mates De Jersey and Colantone added the helpers on the tying goal. This goal seemed to wake up the Spruce Kings as Jujhar Khaira scored again 4 minutes later, with Paul De Jersey adding a 3rd goal towards the end of the frame. It was a tough 10 minutes for the Smoke Eaters, as they went from dictating the play, to chasing Prince George around the ice. We went into the break with the Spruce Kings leading 3-1. Matt Larose continued to be the Smokies best player, as had faced 31 shots through 2 periods

The third period was more of the same as the Spruce Kings were getting chances, and capitalizing on them. Sean Landrey scored his second of the season, finding the puck out front of the net as it took a weird bounce off of the boards. Trail would attempt to make a game of it as Clayton Chessa blasted a shot from the point past Beesley. The Smokies would get their fair share of chances, but couldn't bring the game any closer than it was. Paul De Jersey would put the icing on the cake, scoring his second of the game, adding to his league leading scoring totals. The Spruce Kings would finish of the sweep of Trail, tallying their fourth straight win over a division rival. The win moves the Spruce Kings record to 5-3-0-1, good to leap frog them into third in the interior conference division

The Stats Breakdown:

Jujhar Khaira was the Spruce Kings best forward on the night, scoring twice, including the game winner, and racking up an assist. The 3 point night would put Khiara into the 3rd spot of the scoring race. Leading that scoring race is one of his line mates, Paul De Jersey with 22 points in 9 games. De Jersey had 2 goals in the win, which brings his league leading goal total to 14. Michael Colantone continued to rack up points as a Spruce King, recording 4 assists, moving him up form 16th to 6th on the list. Clayton Chessa scored his 7th goal for the Smoke Eaters, bringing his point total to, 7. Marcus Beesley made 22 saves to move his record to 4-1 on the season. Matt Larose was incredible in tonight's loss, making 42 saves, many of them highlight reel.

Check out the official box score here

The Three Stars:

3) (TRA) Matt Larose – 38 Saves

2) (PG) Michael Colantone – 4 Assists

1) (PG) Jujhar Khaira - 2 Goals, 1 Assist

I caught up with Jujhar Khaira after the game to talk about his excellent play as of late, his new line mates and his new look Spruce Kings. I started by asking him about tonight's big win

download audio file

Up Next:

The Spruce Kings will have a couple of days off, and get ready to host the Coquitlam Express at The Coliseum. You can catch that game Thursday night at the Castle, on the BCHL website, or on our ustream channel

The Spruce Kings Dominate the Smokies

2011-10-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

Spruce Kings are all smiles after posting an 8-0 win

It was the most complete game of this young season and showed exactly what the Spruce Kings are capable of. Prince George controlled the game tonight, beating out the Smoke Eaters in just about every category, including the most important one - the scoreboard as they took home an 8-0 decision. The best line on the ice tonight was definitely Prince George's first line as they combined for 11 points and 5 of the 8 goals. Marcus Beesley was also a bright spot as he notched his first career shutout of his BCHL career. Let's recap tonight's game between the Spruce kings and the Smoke Eaters

The Recap:

It didn't take long for the Spruce Kings to open up the scoring as Michael Colantone picked up where he left off at the Coliseum, scoring at the 3:30 mark of the 1st to give his team the lead. The next 10 minutes saw both teams generate some scoring chances, but Prince George was still getting the better of Trail, and it continued to pay of at the 16:34 mark as Paul De Jersey added to his league leading goal total by firing one past Reed Vogt. His linemates Michael Colantone and Jujhar Khaira added assists on the goal, helping their team head into the dressing room up by two.

The second period is where the game broke open for the Spruce Kings, with nothing seeming to go wrong. Spencer McHaffie opened up the scoring in the 2nd with the first of his BCHL career. Ben Matthews and Paul De Jersey helped the twin notch his first goal. Prince George would continue to pour it on as Michael Colantone got his second of the game, Michael Klonarakis got his first career BCHL goal and Jujhar Khaira his first of two as the Spruce Kings went into the break up 6-0.

The third saw more of the same as Prince George applied pressure and capitalized on their chances while Marcus Beesley did his part stopping any and all shots thrown his way. Myles Fitzgerald and Jujhar Khaira put the official nails in the coffin as the Spruce Kings took the contest by a score of 8-0. Both goaltenders saw action for the Smokies as Reed Vojt was pulled halfway through the second in favour of Matt Larose. Vojt made 19 saves while Larose posted 11 saves.

The Stats:

Jujhar Khaira had an outstanding game for the Spruce Kings, notching 2 goals while adding a couple of assists. Those 4 points moved him up to 5th in the BCHL scoring race. Paul De Jersey added to his league leading point total scoring once and adding 3 assists. De Jersey continues to sit a top the league in scoring with 19 points. Michael Colantone had another great night for Prince George, scoring twice and grabbing an assist. As listed above, Spencer Mchaffie and Michael Klonarakis got their first goals of their BCHL careers. Congrats to those two men, and here's to many more. Beesley finished the game making 26 saves to post his first ever shutout as a BCHL goaltender. It was also Marcus Beesley's 3rd straight win.

For a full recap of the game and to check the official score sheet, click here

The Three Stars Tonight:

3) (PG) Michael Colantone

2) (PG) Jujhar Khaira

1) (PG) Marcus Beesley

Next Game:

These two teams will do battle once again tomorrow night at the Castle, with the puck dropping at 7pm. If you can't make it down to the Castle tomorrow, you can catch the game a few different ways. The webcast will be available on the BCHL website here, and you can listen to the FREE audio broadcast here. Hope to see you at the rink, or chat with you online.

Until tomorrow Spruce Kings fans.

The Spruce Kings and Smoke Eaters Square Off

2011-10-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Another weekend set of games, and once again the Castle will be on display as the Spruce Kings will host the Trail Smoke Eaters today and tomorrow. The Spruce Kings are coming into tonight's match up on a high note, having won their last two against Penticton and most recently beating the Silverbacks in Salmon Arm. The Smoke Eaters have had a tough start to the season going 1-5-1 through 7 games, and are currently in a 3 game losing streak. It's another big weekend set between division rivals, and a couple of games that can either shift your season in the right direction, or stall the momentum needed to make a run up the ladder. So, let's preview this weekend's match up between the Smoke Eaters, and your Prince George Spruce Kings.

The Break Down:

The Trail Smoke Eaters have had the Spruce Kings number over these past few years, especially last year. The Smoke Eaters swept Prince George in the season series last year and has won 9 of the past 10 match ups. You have to go back to the 07/08 season to find the last time the Spruce Kings beat the Smokies on home ice. They are hoping to change that this weekend and fans should feel good about their chances. The Spruce Kings are off to a good start to the season, putting together a 3-3-0-1 record through the first 7 games. Aside from a bad game against Penticton, the Spruce Kings have been competitive in every contest and have shown that they can put the puck in the back of the net at any moment. The Smokies only win this season did come away from their own barn, beating the Centennials in Merritt, bringing their road record to  1-2. The Spruce Kings are 2-2 at the Castle this season, and each time they have hosted a team for a back to back series, they have split the games.

News and Notes:

It looks like Paul De Jersey has found his fit in the BCHL as he currently leads the league in goals scored and points. De Jersey has 11 goals this season, which matches his goal total from his first three seasons. Clayton Chessa leads the Smoke Eaters in scoring with 6 goals and 1 assist. Marcus Beesley has started the last 2 games for the Spruce Kings, winning both. It's not known who will start tonight, but with another back to back set, expect both Beesley and Thompson to start, but the days unknown. Matt Larose has started 6 of the Smokies 7 games going 1-5. While rookie tender Reed Vogt has started 1 game, playing relief in another. It's not known who will get the start tonight, but look for each guy to get a start this weekend. This game will also see a few players square off against their old teams. Ben Matthews and Dylan Tappe played last season with the Smoke Eaters and although most of their old teammates are no longer with the team, it will still be the first time they take on their old squad. For the Smoke Eaters, Clayton McEwan is the only player to ave a link to the Prince George, having played 27 games for the Spruce Kings during the 08/09 and the 09/10 seasons.

Bumps and Bruises:

The Spruce Kings will be without a few players tonight as Jared Crossan (Hand) and Jeff Earnest (Jaw) are still rehabbing injuries. Tyson Witala has sat on the sidelines the past 2 games due to taking a puck off the foot, it's not known if he will lace up the skates tonight or not. Kyle Horseman (Wrist) is the only Smoke Eater who is listed on the BCHL website with an injury at the moment.

Game Time:

The first of this back to back home series in Prince George will start tonight with the puck dropping at 7pm. There are a few different ways for you to catch the game tonight. The best way to check out the game tonight would be to head down to the Prince George Coliseum. If you aren't in Prince George you can watch the webcast on the BCHL website here, or you can listen to the free audio broadcast here. Be sure to check the Facebook page and our twitter for more updates and analysis after tonight's game. Hope to see you at the rink

Go Sprucies!!!!

Spruce Kings and Silverbacks Preview

2011-10-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Salmon Arm, here we come! The Spruce Kings are on the bus and heading down to face the Silverbacks as you read this. It''s another important game against a division rival, and one that the Spruce Kings will be favoured to win. But this game is anything but a gimme, it will be another long hard fought battle with one team moving up a spot in the interior conference standings. With that in mind, let's preview the match up between the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and your Prince George Spruce Kings

The Break Down:

As always, especially with the new playoff format, games against conference rivals are must win games. This year, instead of 7 of the 8 teams getting into the post season, only 4 teams will see extra action in March. With Penticton, Powell River and Westside separating themselves from the pack, these games against the other 4 Interior Conference teams become even more important than they already are. Prince George currently sits in 5th place, with Salmon Arm just behind them in 6th. The winner of tonight's match up will temporarily jump into the 4th spot in the standings, and help build on tie breakers for the end of the season. This will be the first of eight meetings between these two teams this season, with the next one happening on November 19th. These two squads faced off six times last season with the Spruce Kings losing four of them.

The Spruce Kings are coming off a 2 game split with the Penticton Vees, winning the second game in double overtime with .2 seconds left. It was the Spruce Kings first win since their season opener against Merritt, and their first win over Penticton in 4 years. Salmon Arm is also coming into tonight's contest on a high note having won their last two games. It was their first two wins of the season beating the Trails Smoke Eaters in a home and home match up. The Sunwave Center is always a tough place for an opponent to walk into as the Silverbacks have found a lot of success skating in front of fans. They were 22-7-1 last season and are 1-1-0-1 this season. The Spruce Kings are yet to win agame on the road this year, going 0-1-0-1 in Pentcton and Vernon. Can Prince George grab their first win away from the Castle? Only time will tell

News and Notes:

The Silverbacks leading scorer for the season is Morgan Zulinick who sits at 15th in league scoring with 10 points . The Spruce Kings leading scorer in this early season is Paul De Jersey who sits in 3rd in league scoring with 12 points, and 1st in goals scored with 9. It's not known who will start in goal for either team come time for puck drop tonight, but it's a safe bet to say Kurt Williams will start for the Silverbacks. Williams has started 6 of the 7 games this season accumulating a 2-4 record. The Spruce Kings have went back and forth this season between Kirk Thompson and Marcus Beesley. In talking with coach Dave Dupas after Saturday's game, he didn't want reveal who would start yet, but did say at the start of the season they would ride the hot hand and Beesley is the last goalie to scoop up a win for the Spruce Kings. Look for the rookie Beesley to start between the pipes

Scrapes and Bruises:

Joel Kipp is the only Silverback who is currently listed on the roster with an injury as he has a ruptured spleen. Kipp will not play. The Spruce Kings are continuing to rehab a few starters as Jarred Crossan, Connor Tiechko and Jeff Earnest will sit on the sideline. Tyson Witala didn't play on Saturday as he took a puck off of the foot on Friday night, it is unknown if he will play tonight

Game Time:

The Silverbakcs and the Spruce Kings will face off tonight at 7pm at the Sunwave Arena. You can find the live webcast for tonight’s match up here

Go Spruce Kings

Are You Kidding Me?!

2011-10-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Michael Colantone scores the game winning goal
at the 69:59.8 mark of the game

That was the line of the night as the Prince George Spruce Kings beat the Penticton Vees in one the best games you'll see all year. It took two periods worth of overtime to settle the score, and even then it came down to the last second, literally. Those in attendance tonight witness a few different lead changes, some brilliant saves and lots of back and forth action throughout the game. Let's recap this amazing game between the Spruce Kings and the Vees.

The first period saw the Spruce Kings jump out on top as Ben Woodley potted his first of the season. Leo Fitzgerald and Chase Golightly chipped in on the first goal as Prince George was out to show that this game was going to be different. Both teams traded chances before Mike Reily of the Vees put a wrap around of off Ben Matthews stick and in. It took just over two minutes for the Vees to snatch back the lead as Fogarty, Depourcq and Benik had a nice little give in go, with Fogarty finishing the job. The period ended with the Vees on top, but the Spruce Kings once again were showing that they didn't come to lay down.

The second period started of great for the home team as Dylan Tappe put home his first of the season just 27 seconds in. Sean Landrey and Ben Woodley got the assists on the play. Then, almost as if Prince George said, anything that you can do we can do better, they scored their third goal just over a minute later. The Spruce Kings top line of Jujhar Khaira, Paul De Jersey and Michael Colantone combined on the play that took the lead for the time being. But the lead wouldn't last for long as the newly committed Notra Dame product Mario Lucia scored to tie things up at three on the power play. The period ended that way as the Vees went into the intermission out shooting Prince George 22-16.

The third period showed us more of the same as both teams traded scoring chances and hits. As talked about before the game, winning the special teams battle was key to victory, and Penticton showed once again that if you take an undisciplined penalty, they will make you pay. Mario Lucia scored his second of the game on the power play from Travis St. Dennis and Connor Reilly. Once again, both teams showed off their offensive brilliance as Beesley and Katunar made some stellar saves to keep their team in it. The Spruce Kings were then blessed with a power play chance late in the third period, and they made no mistake with it, tying the game up with 56 seconds left. It was Paul De Jersey, leading scorer for the Spruce Kings, who had the puck bounce in front of him and put it past Katunar to force overtime.

Obviously with the BCHL overtime rules there is tons of open ice for these skilled players to do their business. The 4 on 4 action was entertaining, but it almost became deadly for Prince George as Esau took a tripping penalty late in the 1st overtime. Beesley played outstanding during this penalty kill as he made many fantastic saves as his team played with just three men. After the penalty the teams went to 3 on 3 for the remainder of the second overtime. The ice was huge, and it seemed to favour the Vees as they used their speed to create multiple chances, but Marcus Beesley was up to the test. Then, we got to see something you rarely get to see as a hockey fan, a penalty shot in overtime. Paul De Jersey was taken down while moving in alone, and because of that, he had the game on his stick at centre ice.

The tension and excitement was building, but De Jersey ended up losing the puck as he deaked to his back hand and it trickled into the corner. It was an anti climactic way for one of the most exciting plays in hockey to end. But, the Prince George fans would not go home disappointed. With 12.6 seconds left, the face off was deep in the Spruce Kings zone, and it seemed the best that they could hope for at that moment was a tie. The Vees won the initial draw, but Jujhar Khaira fought Stecher for the puck at the blue line and ended up pushing it forward. The Spruce Kings Chase Golightly moved up ice on a 2 on 1 with Michael Colantone. They hit centre ice with 3 seconds remaining, and it seemed everyone was thinking the same thing, “Chase, shoot!” Luckily for us, we were wrong as Golightly made the pass to Colantone and he put home the game winner with just .2 seconds remaining in the second overtime. It was an amazing ending to an incredible game.

They were many players who had outstanding games, but the two players who won't get as much credit as they should are the goaltenders. Chad Katunar and Marcus Beesley both made some fine saves in this effort, and both made some key saves in overtime. On the last goal, it's hard to blame Katunar as it was a shot and a moment that 9 times out of 10, won't come to be. Mario Lucia was a definite star for the Vees tonight as was the entire top line. The Vees will win a lot of games this season just based on those three fine players. The top line of the Spruce Kings had a stellar game as well, as did newer Spruce Kings defenceman Chase Golightly. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Special teams battle was once again won by the Vees as they scored 2 power play goals. The Spruce Kings did take advantage of one of their opportunities, their 4th goal was on the power play. As you'll hear coach Dave Dupas say, they'll need to tone down the undisciplined penalties and eliminate the turnovers, as most times, it will cost them the game.

Your Three Stars

3) (Pen) Mario Lucia
2) (PG) Paul De Jersey
1) (PG) Michael Colantone

To catch a full recap and box score of tonight's game, click here

After the game I caught up with tonight’s game winning hero Michael Colantone. We chatted about his reaction to the goal and how he likes his new squad.

download audio file

I also had the chance to talk with coach Dave Dupas about what this win means for his squad and what we can expect moving forward.

download audio file

The Spruce Kings next game will be on Wednesday in Salmon arm and then they will host the Trail Smoke Eaters at the Coliseum next Friday and Saturday night. All three games will start at 7pm. Be sure to keep checking the Spruce Kings Facebook and Twitter for updates

The Spruce Kings Drop One To The Vees

2011-10-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

It was a spirited effort tonight, but, it wasn't enough as the Penticton Vees downed the Prince George Spruce Kings 5-2 at the Coliseum. The game saw waves of offensive attack from both sides, but it was the Vees who made the better of those chances, putting in goals every way possible. The Vees scored a power play goal, a short handed goal, an even strength goal and an empty netter in the win tonight. But, it wasn't all Vees as the Spruce Kings did have moments of momentum, and came within inches of tying the game up. So, let's recap tonight's game between the Penticton Vees and the Prince George Spruce Kings

Period one was a back and forth affair that saw both teams generate chances, with Prince George getting the better of them. The 9-1 loss to the Vees was well documented coming into tonight, and if you thought that Prince George couldn't match the Vees in speed or talent, you were wrong. The 1st period definitely swayed in favour of the Spruce Kings as they lead 10-6 after one period. Both goalies made stellar saves as Thompson and Garteig started a sew saw match of anything that you can do, I can do better. One of the turning points may have came at the end of the first as Trevor Esau was ejected from the game for a check from the behind. This penalty left the Spruce Kings short handed heading into the 3rd.

The Vees had 1 minute worth a power play to take the lead, but they needed just just 27 seconds to do so. Joey Benik put home a back door feed from Connor Reily and Travis St. Dennis. The Vees didn't take long to add to their lead as Travis St. Dennis found the back of the net on a very weird goal. The assists went to his line mates Connor Reily and Mairo Lucia as the Vees snatched the momentum away quickly and swiftly. The rest of the period saw some more back and forth action, that featured a couple of key and brilliant saves from Garteig. The Spruce Kings were playing well, and although Penalties were hurting them, they were in the game, but still were behind the eight ball

The third period didn't start out any better for the Spruce Kings as Travis St. Dennis scored on a short handed break away attempt to put the Vees up by three. Prince George wasn't willing to go down without a fight though, as the Fitzgerald triplets combined for the Kings first goal. Myles was the goal scorer, while Leo and Gerry did the dirty work to set it up. It only took 1:32 for the Spruce Kings to make things very interesting as Paul De Jersey proved why he is one of the best offensive talents in the league, riffling a shot top shelf to bring the game within one. New comer Michael Colantone and Ben Woodley added the assists on the goal. Though just when it looked like the Spruce Kings were going to tie the game and change the course of the game, the Vees found a way to deflated the building as Mario Lucia put a wrist shot past Kirk Thompson. The goal turned out to be a killer and the final dagger in the Spruce Kings. Ryan Reilly would add an empty netter to seal the deal to bring the score to 5-2 in favour of the Vees

To see the full recap and box score of tonight's game, click here

Your three stars in tonight's contests

3) (Pen) Michael Garteig

2) (PG) Paul De Jesery

1) (Pen) Travis ST. Dennis

The score isn't necessarily a good indicator of how this game went. A quick look at the box score would indicate that the Vees handled the Spruce Kings, but that just isn't the case. The Kings played extremely well 5 on 5 against the Vees and it could even be argued that they were the better team 5 on 5. But, as talked about during the pre game, special teams were the difference, and it was the Vees who owned that part of the game. They scored a goal just about every you could, and took advantage of the bounces that went their way. The Spruce Kings, although they won't want to hear it, have some good things to use and move forward with going into tomorrow night/ If they can stay out of the box, and grab a hold of the positive bounces thrown their way, tomorrow can be a completely different game

Game two of this back to back Coliseum match up between the Vees and the Spruce Kings will go tomorrow night, with the puck dropping once again at 7pm. You can catch updates on our Facebook page and on our Twitter. We'll have the webcast on the BCHL Website as usual, and we'll also have the free Audio Feed Here

See you at the rink, or online

Spruce Kings and Vees Preview

2011-10-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

The Spruce Kings will finally hit the ice at the Castle once again, and I'm sure they are very happy about this. The Spruce Kings are 1-2-0-1 through the first 4 games of the season, with the sole win coming at home. The Spruce Kings had an up and down road trip that saw them come within minutes of beating the Vernon Vipers, but also saw them take a 9-2 beating from tonight's opponent, the Penticton Vees. The Spruce Kings have dropped their past three games, but hope a home coming can swing things back in their favour. With that in mind, let's preview tonight’s match up between the Penticton Vees and your Prince George Spruce Kings:

--------The Break Down-----------

This weekends set of games will be important one's for the Spruce Kings as they work to establish their place in the Interior Conference. With the new playoff format this year, every game becomes that much more important, especially when you take on a division rival. The Spruce Kings are 0-9-1 in their past 10 versus the Vees, and haven’t beaten Penticton since November of 2007. Sprinkled in between those loses have been a couple of ties, but the Spruce Kings are definitely looking to turn things around tonight. The past 3 games have seen both Prince George net minders play, and both actually spent some time against tonight's opponent Penticton. Kirk Thompson started in goal, but made way for back up Marcus Beesley halfway through the game. It's not known who will start in goal tonight, but with a week off to rest and practice, it is thought that Thompson will be between the pipes by puck drop

The Penticton Vees are riding a three game winning streak into tonight, as we said before, they have had the Spruce Kings number over the past few years. The Vees lost their second game of the year to the newest BCHL franchise Chilliwack, but have since rebounded with dominating efforts over Prince George, Coquitlam and Trail. The Vees sit at 4th overall when it comes to power play percentage, scoring the most goals while being a man up. But, most of the goals have come at home, as they have just 1 power play goal in 15 tries in other barns. Tyler St. Dennis of the Vees is leading the league in scoring at the moment, and will definitely be a man that the Spruce Kings will need to keep their eye on as the night progresses. Goaltender Michael Garteig will likely get the start tonight for two reasons. He has been playing very well through the first 5 games, and, the big kicker being Garteig was born in Prince George. You can be sure that he will have some family in attendance tonight and will be jacked and ready to go for the puck drop

As stated, the Penticton Vees have a great power play, and lots of fire power. It will be key for the Spruce kings to stay out of the box as they allowed 4 power play goals the last time these two met. On the flip side, if the Spruce Kings can stay disciplined and receive some power play time of their own, they can start generating some chances. The Spruce Kings have had a rough start to the season, going just 2 for 17 on the man advantage

-------News and Notes--------

The Spruce Kings will have two brand new faces in the line up tonight as they made trades for former Victoria Grizzly Michael Colantone and a former Westside Warrior Tyson Witala. Colantone brings 4 assists with him and Witala brings 1 goal and 1 assist. Chase Golightly will also hit the ice at the Castle for the first time this season. Golightly played 26 games for the Spruce Kings last year, capturing 13 points

The Spruce Kings have quite a few players banged up at the moment. The list includes Jeff Ernest (Jaw), Jared Crossan (Hand), Sam Waterfield (Knee) and Cory Bardock (Undisclosed). For the Penticton Vees, Nick Aimes (Concussion Symptoms) has been ruled out for an undisclosed amount of time. It's unknown if Chad Bannor or Shane Hanna will play, but both men missed Wednesday contest against Merritt

----------Game Time-----------

The Vees will look to add to their 3 game winning streak tonight, while the Spruce Kings will look for their first win since the first game of the season. We'll see who comes out on top tonight as the puck is set to drop at 7pm at the Prince George Coliseum. You can catch updates for tonight's match up on our Facebook and Twitter. You can watch the Webcast of tonight's game on the BCHL Website and you can also catch the Audio Broadcast for free here. As for all Prince George home games, I will have tonight's call on the BCHL website and the free audio broadcast. My usual colour man Todd Doherty will not be at tonight’s game, filling in for him will be Mike Erickson.

See you at the Rink, or online

Spruce Kings Drop One To The Centennials

2011-09-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

Two games, two nights and we have a split. Two games in and we already get to use a playoff term. The Prince George Spruce Kings had a great a chance to start off the season with two wins in a row and send an Interior Conference rival home with a losing record on opening weekend. Merritt though, decided they wanted to have a happy trip back home.

The game started off nicely for the Prince George Spruce Kings as Jujhar Khaira picked up his second goal in as many nights. His new line mats Paul De Jersey and Michael Klonarakis picked up the assists to start the game. Merritt answered right back, proving that they were not going to get rolled over in game 2, as Payton Schaefer fired one past Kirk Thompson midway through the 1st. The period was just about over when the Fitzgerald Triplets all combined together on the second goal. Leo found the back of the net, while Myles and Gerry started it off. The period ended with the momentum shifted in flavor of the Spruce Kings

The second period saw the penalties come fast and furious as the Spruce Kings found themselves down a man throughout a good chunk of the period, and that is exactly how the game got all tied up. Brandon Pfeil ripped one form the point on a 5 on 3 power play and this game was even once again. It didn't take long for the Centennials to use the newly stolen momentum, and took their first lead of the game as Stephen Wall found a rebound and out it past Thompson. The possible turning point of the game came when the Spruce Kings were awarded their own 5 on 3 power play for a full two minutes. Although things fizzled quickly, as they only generated a few shots, none of which were quality scoring chances. The period ended with the Centennials heading into the dressing room with the lead

The third period saw the fast paced, physical play continue, with both teams providing entertaining action and giving the fans their money's worth. At the halfway point of the period, the Fitzgerald Triplets combined together once again to tie the game up at three. It was Leo once again who found the back of the net as his brothers made a few nifty plays. But just over 2 minutes later, the Centennials would put home the eventual winner as one of their top offensive threats Regan Soquila found the back of the net. His line mates Evan Stack and Brandon Bruce would help out on the goal. The last five minutes saw the Spruce Kings get a late power play opportunity, and saw an exciting sequence in the final minute that almost lead to a tying goal. The game ended 4-3 in favour of the Merritt Centennials as they were able to pick up a split in Prince George and head back home happy. Tyler Steel had his first start tonight, and although he was a bit shaky through the first two periods, he was exceptional in the third facing 21 of his 38 shots in that final frame

For a full recap on scoring, penalties etc, click here

The 3 Stars

3) Tyler Steel - 35 Saves

2)Leo Fitzgerald - 2 Goals

1) Regan Soquila - 1 Goal (GWG) 1 Assist

Unlike last night, the bounces just didn't favour Prince George tonight, and some undisciplined play left them shorthanded one to many times. It was a gutsy effort tonight, but again it was a tail of two teams. At one point they were firing on all cylinders, the other they made a few mistakes, and the Cents capitalized. Irk Thompson will now move to 1-1 on the season, but should be happy about his play this weekend, as he made some great saves on both nights. Overall, there are a few really good things to take away from this weekends 2 game series against Merritt. They did get a win in the opener, and a good one at that. Even though they did lose tonight, thy didn't get run over, and they were one more bounce away from forcing overtime. The top line has found some early chemistry and the Fitzgerald triplets are a lot of fun to watch.

The Spruce Kings will now have this week to work on their game and get ready for the first road trip of the season. They will play two very tough games next weekend as Friday the Spruce Kings will play in Penticton and then travel to Vernon. These are two of the best teams in the league, and will be a great measuring stick early in the season for Prince George. As always keep checking in with this blog, our facebook and twitter for all your Spruce Kings updates

Spruce Kings Win Their Season Opener

2011-09-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Paul De Jersey (8) was the centre of attention all night
and for all the right reasons, scoring twice in a
Spruce Kings 6-3 win to start the season

The Prince George Spruce Kings have opened up their 40th Anniversary season with a win! It was brilliant at times, it was slow at times, but as they say, a win is a win. The Spruce Kings will look to use this momentum tomorrow, as they will host the Merritt Centennials once again. But before we go that far, let's take a quick look back at tonight's big win.

The game started as one would expect for a season opener. Both teams spent the first half of the game trying to find their legs and establish some chemistry with their new teammates. The all important first goal went to the Spruce Kings as Paul De Jersey capitalized on a broken play and put home a bouncing puck at 11:31 of the 1st. Scott McHaffie and hulking defenceman Ben Woodley added the assists on the first goal of the season for Prince George. Then Jujhar Khaira picked up where he left off last season picking the corner with a beautiful wrist shot that bounced out of the net just as fast as it went into it. The rest of the period saw the physical play continue; the period ended with the Spruce Kings leading it 2-0

It seemed things were about to get out of hand in the 2nd, as Leo Fitzgerald fired one home after some nice work from his brother Myles Fitzgerald and Ben Woodley. But, the Cents did not come to Prince George to be rolled over. They stormed back after that goal and controlled the next 10 minutes of play, firing all sorts of chances and finally captain Evan Stack put home a power play marker at 10:23. But, as it did many times tonight, the momentum shifted once again and an ill advised penalty by the Centennials lead to Paul De Jersey notching his second of the game setup nicely by line mate Jujhar Khaira. Again, the momentum shifted, and with just 27 seconds left in the period, Chad Brears made it a two goal hockey game and gave the Cents a much needed boost going into the dressing room.

The third period saw the Centennials come out strong, and come to within a goal as Evan Stack put in his second of the game at 4:43 of the third. That was as close as they would get as Gerry Fitzgerald scored twice in the third to ice the game for the Spruce Kings including the insurance marker 31 seconds after Stack's goal. The shots on goal ended 33-17 in favour of the home team. Kirk Thompson made some sharp saves throughout the game for the Spruce Kings as did Lino Chimienti for the Cents but the bounces went Prince George's way tonight.

Overall it was a game that showed at times just how good the Spruce Kings can be but also showed they still have room for improvement, which is exactly what you want from a win.

Your 3 Stars for the game:

3)Centennials: Evan Stack – 2 goals
2)Spruce Kings: Jujhar Khaira – 1 goal 2 assists
1)Spruce Kings: Paul De Jersey – 2 goals 1 assists

I caught up with the first star of tonight's game afterwards and asked him what he thought of the win to start the season.

download audio file

For a full recap of scores, shots, penalties etc, click here

The Spruce Kings will now get ready to host the Centennials once again, tomorrow night at the Castle. Puck drops at 7:00pm as Prince George will look to start off the season with a 2-0 record. After the physicality we saw tonight, especially in the 3rd period, we should be in for a great game tomorrow night. As always, if you can't be at the Coliseum for a home game, you can find the broadcast with myself and Todd Doherty on the BCHL's website here.

Season Opener Preview: Spruce Kings VS Centennials

2011-09-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the delay and for the lack of posts this past week on the blog, I’ve just had a baby and understandably so, she has taken up a good chunk of my time. But it's finally here, game one of the 11/12 season, the 40th Anniversary Season of the Prince George Spruce Kings!! It's a brand new season and one that should have Spruce Kings fans excited. Seven players will be returning to Prince George for opening night; although Sam Waterfield won't be taking to the ice due to a knee injury.

To get a full history of the Prince George Spruce Kings as they head into their 40th anniversary season, click here

The Spruce Kings have a great chance to set the tone for this season as they will host an interior conference rival, the Merritt Centennials, in back to back games. Prince George had some mixed results during preseason play; against the NAHL's Dawson Creek Rage they finished in a tie after beating them at home in a two game series. They dropped games to the Westside Warriors and against tonight's opponents the Merritt Centennials to start the preseason. But, that is why they call it preseason - it is a chance to see which players will seize the opportunity and crack the roster, and who needs another year to develop.

Both teams will see players return to the organization, but the Cents have more familiar faces than the Spruce Kings do. The Centennials will dress 15 returnees to the Spruce Kings 7. So, let's take a look at what we can expect, a few trends from the past few years and preview the season opener between the Merritt Centennials and your Prince George Spruce Kings.

The Spruce Kings have 1 win and 4 losses in their last 5 opening night games and the last time Prince George hosted the Centennials in back to back games to open the season was in the 08/09, where the Spruce Kings won both games. These two teams battled 6 times last season, with Prince George coming out on top 4 of those 6 times. But, this is a completely different Spruce Kings squad this year. As we said, only seven players who grace the roster are returnees this season; which leaves fifteen new faces skating in the Castle on opening night. That though, is precisely why fans should be excited about this season. General Manager Mike Hawes brought in a lot of offensive fire power and big bodied defenseman at the end of the season and in the off season. Add in the fact that Jujhar Khaira now has a whole year under his belt, as does starting goaltender Kirk Thompson, and this is one to get excited for.

A few tidbits to watch out for tonight:

13 players from both rosters will take to the ice for the first time in the BCHL. How will they handle the pressure?
Both teams needed to address special teams this off season as the Spruce Kings and the Centennials were in the lower end of both the Power Play and Penalty Kill categories. Did they do enough?
-Speaking of special teams, the Spruce Kings allowed the most short handed goals against last year with 14. Here's hoping the added bulk they have on the back end can bring that number down
-Both teams now have starting goaltenders that have BCHL experience under their belts.
The majority of players that the Spruce Kings will ice tonight and tomorrow night haven’t played together before. How long will it take to find that ever important team chemistry?

Puck drops tonight at the Coliseum at 7:00pm with the big pre game tail gate party starting at 6:00pm. If you are out of town and can’t make it to “the Castle” tonight, you can catch the full broadcast with myself and Todd Doherty here. Check back after the game tonight as we’ll have a recap of tonight’s game.

See You at the Rink Hockey Fans!

Jujhar Khaira and Team Canada West

2011-09-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Jujhar Khaira, seen here in the Spruce Kings Intra-
Squad game is now trying out for Team Canada West

The Prince George Spruce Kings will be without the services of Jujhar Khaira for at least a couple of days this week and hopefully for a week in November too. Last season's rookie of the year will be off in Canmore, Alberta looking for a roster spot on Team Canada West for the 2011 World Junior A Challenge. Coming off an impressive season where Khaira went from being a player that had been passed over to a player that every team had to find ways of defending against.

Khaira was a young 15 year old player that was left behind during the 2009 Bantam Draft and was contemplating handing in his hockey gear for some court shoes and basketball shorts. He played one more season with the Cloverdale Colts where he was spotted and watched on many occasions by Spruce Kings scouts. A year ago that scout found out that Khaira had no options and brought him as a walk-on to the Spruce Kings main training camp. And the rest, as they say, is history.

"The coaches (and scouts) gave me an opportunity to play and show my stuff," said Jujhar Khaira. "I came to camp just looking for the experience and the coaches really liked how I played. That really surprised me. I surprised myself."

Khaira immediately found his grove and had other team's salivating at the prospect of taking this diamond in the rough off of the Spruce Kings hands. Of course the hockey operations team would have nothing to do with such an idea and continue to watch the young stud develop into a player that could easily play in the top six of this team or any other team in the League.

With soft hands and a long stride, Khaira possesses many talents that make him an elite player including the ability to stickhandle in a corner, win almost every puck battle and find an open man in scoring position. It was those skills and many others that landed the rookie a full-ride four-year scholarship from the NCAA Division I Michigan Tech Huskies before the month of October was over.

The amazing thing about all of that was the fact that he was only 16 years old; a youngster for sure but one that was being compared to other 18 and 19 year old veterans of the BCHL. This season, as a 17 year old, Jujhar Khaira has the potential of being one of the stars of the premier Junior A League in Canada and becoming an even brighter light on the hockey radar. He has worked hard in the off season at improving his game and returns to the Spruce Kings as a bigger, faster, stronger and smarter player.

"He had a tremendous season and did everything we asked of him as a 16-year-old," said Mike Hawes, Spruce Kings General Manager. "He worked hard over the summer. He packed on 20 pounds of muscle and grew another two inches. Not only is he gifted on the ice but academically as well and he's a good role model using his hockey to get himself an education. We need more players like him in Prince George."

The acknowledgement of what Jujhar Khaira is capable of doing and achieving this season has already started even before the regular season has officially begun. Khaira received a call about a week ago from Team Canada West Head Coach, Kent Lewis with the request that Khaira join 59 other hopefuls in Canmore Alberta on September 11th for a three-day evaluation camp. Lewis, Head Coach and General Manager of the Powell River Kings, only had an opportunity to see Khaira in game action twice, but that along with all the reports of the player was more than enough to garner the invite.

"Ever since I got the call I've been counting down the days," said Jujhar Khaira. "Hopefully it'll work out nicely."

The sixty hopefuls will begin arriving in Canmore on Sunday September 11th and will hit the ice together on Monday morning as members of three inter-squad rosters. Team Red is on first at 9:00am followed by Team White at 10:30 and then Team Black at noon and again at 4:00pm. Team Red and Team White will play in the first intra-squad game Monday night at 7pm. A similar schedule unfolds the next two days with Team Red and Team Black playing Tuesday night and then Team Black and Team White wrapping up the camp with a game Wednesday night.

Following the evaluation camp, Kent Lewis and the Team Canada West coaching staff will have to find their roster of 23 for the 2011 World Junior A Challenge that will take place from November 7-13 in Langley, BC. The Langley Events Centre will be the only venue used for the sixth edition of the Hockey Canada tournament showcasing six teams from five countries. Canada will be represented by two teams - East and West, while the United States, Sweden, Russia and Czech Republic will all have one team each in the two pool tournament.

The Prince George Spruce Kings have had representation in each of the four years that Team Canada West has come away with a medal. Ryan deVries (2006) and Jeff Forsythe (2007) helped Canada West to gold in back to back years while Kevin Genoe (2008) and Wes McLeod (2009) brought home silver medals in their respective years. Click Here for more information on the World Junior A Challenge including rosters and this year's schedule, visit the WJAC website from Hockey Canada.

The Spruce Kings Take Game 1 Against The Rage

2011-09-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Prince George Spruce Kings have their first win of the season! Alright, it was just a preseason game, but it is a great building block for what will be the 40th anniversary season.

The game started out fast paced, with both teams trying to find the right groove. The first period saw a ton of hits thrown by both teams, but it was the Spruce Kings who notched the only tally. A couple of new Spruce Kings opened the scoring as Cory Bardock found the back of the net, with some help from Paul De Jersey. The second period is where it got interesting as goals were coming fast and often. Ryan Matthews and Tyson McCallum helped the Rage take the lead with goals 1 minute and 20 seconds apart. The teams then traded goals a few minutes later before the Spruce Kings popped in three in a four minute span. Dylan Tappe, Trevor Esau, Paul De Jersey and Myles Fitzgerald helped Prince George go in to the dressing room with a 5-3 lead.

The third period saw more of the same with Prince George winning most of the offensive battles and both teams throwing their weight around. Connor Tiechko scored the eventual game winner - a highlight reel goal - to start the third period outburst, while Sean Landrey notched the insurance marker swiping a loose puck in the crease behind the netminder and Myles Fitzgerald salted away the win with his second of the game in to an empty net. Carter Page did his best to help the Rage pull within striking distance, notching a pair in the third. The Spruce Kings rotated goaltenders with Cameron Large getting the 1st and 1st half of the second period, and Prince George's local hockey product, Marcus Beesley finishing the rest. Large finished the game with 10 saves, while Beesley made 11.

Your 3 stars of the night:

PG's Paul De Jersey 1 Goal and 3 Assists
DC's Carter Page 2 Goals and 2 Assists
PG's Myles Fitzgerald - 2 Goals

When it was all said and done the Spruce Kings offence showed up in a big way finding the back of the net on 8 of their 44 shots on goal while the Rage finished with 5 goals on 25 shots. The game was a physical one form start to finish with both teams landing some hard feel-it-in-the-morning hits. These two teams will have to turn it back on quickly as they will square off Saturday night in Dawson Creek to finish off the home-and-home series. The game unfortunately will not be broadcast, but look to the Spruce Kings twitter and Facebook feeds for out of town updates.

-No cuts were made to the roster after the game and won't likely happen until after the weekend.

-Note for parents and fans who were asking, there will be a live broadcast of the next home exhibition game on Thursday September 15th when the Spruce Kings host the Westside Warriors in a final preseason tuneup.

As always, hope to see you at the rink very soon.

Prince George Spruce Kings/Dawson Creek Rage Preview

2011-09-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Prince George Spruce Kings are finally getting set to challenge a team in the "Castle" as tonight they will entertain the Dawson Creek Rage from the NAHL. This will be the second time in as many years they will play The Rage in an exhibition game. Last year they played the Rage to a tie in Dawson Creek before picking up a win at home in the final preseason game. This time around the two teams will play in a back-to-back home-and-home series that will be crucial for both teams in finalizing their rosters.

The Spruce Kings currently have 26 players on the roster and will have a few more games before they have to hand in the official 21 man roster. Tonight a few veterans who have already solidified their spots will sit in the press box and watch the action, but most will continue to fight for their jobs. One of the players sitting in the press box tonight will be 6'3" defenceman Sam Waterfield who recently had knee surgery. Waterfield came to the Spruce Kings late last season after playing with the Dawson Creek Rage. This would have marked the first time that Waterfield faced his old friends and team, but unfortunately he is not eligible to return until October 8th.

Three local products will take to the ice for Prince George in a bit of a homecoming. Marcus Beesley is one of three goaltenders who is on the roster, but of course, only two spots are open. Beesley, who is the only goaltender on the roster who didn't play with the team last year, will likely see some ice tonight and tomorrow to show the coaching staff why they should keep him around. Sean Landrey committed to the Spruce Kings after being affiliated with his home town team last year. Another recent signing and a Cariboo Cougars alumni from last year, Jared Crossan will also be in the press box watching the action from a little farther away then he would like to. Aside from the two already mentioned, Jujhar Khaira is another player that won't be donning the crown tonight. Instead Khaira is preparing to don the Canadian Maple Leaf after being invited to try out for Team Canada West and the upcoming 2011 World Junior A Challenge.

It's not known at the moment which players will and will not suit up tonight for Prince George Spruce Kings. That though, is the beautiful thing about preseason hockey. You go to the rink to see what the future holds for you as a fan. You get to see all sorts of line combinations, some that will work, and some you won't see again. You get to see the team as a whole, how they work together, how they answer to the pressure of an in game situation and all the new faces on the roster. Not to mention, you get to see all the siblings this team currently has on the roster (the McHaffie's, the Fitzgeralds and the Chore's).

This home and home series with The Dawson Creek Rage has unofficially been dubbed "The Battle of The North". It's always fun when you get to watch a team that you don't normally get to see, but then add the fact that the unofficial title of "Best Team in The North" is up for grabs, and this game brings bragging rights. Then of course, we go back to having the chance to see a young, new team hit the ice in search of chemistry and identity; all of a sudden this becomes a must see. Both games will start at 7pm, with tonight being at home and tomorrow being played at the Rage's arena, the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek. Unfortunately neither game will be broadcast this weekend, but do keep an eye on the Spruce Kings twitter feed for all the updates and analysis.

Once again, tonight the puck drops at 7pm at the Coliseum. Head to the Castle and support your new look Prince George Spruce Kings. Let's start this 40th Anniversary season off right.

Hope to see you at the rink,
Matt Anthony

Preseason Game vs Merritt Centennials

2011-09-02T01:19:00.000-07:00

It might not be "real bullets" but this is the next best thing and an excellent way to gauge what will be the 40th edition of the Prince George Spruce Kings. Looking nothing like recent versions of the team, this incarnation has both size and strength on the back end paired up with skill and speed up front. So far onlookers, evaluators, the coaches and the players themselves have only had each other to compare themselves against but tonight in 100 Mile House the Merritt Centennials will provide a new measure stick for the Spruce Kings.

Currently sitting with a preseason roster of 31 players, this first preseason game will give the Spruce Kings a chance to sit a few veterans, rest a few wary players and more importantly look at a few key prospects and promises for the season ahead. Like a regular season game, the Spruce Kings can only dress 20 players for the game but have elected to submit a roster of 21 with one player to become a game time decision to join the other ten in the stands watching the game in the South Cariboo Recreation Centre.

On that 21 man roster will be the familiar names of Jeff Earnest, Connor Tiechko and Jujhar Khaira. There will also be a few other names that Spruce Kings fans will recognize from their Prince George hockey career like Sean Landrey who dressed as an AP last season, Hayden-James Berra who is the younger sibling of RJay Berra, Jake LeBrun who is the son of NHL'er 2nd Round pick Sean LeBrun, Chase Astorino who helped the Cariboo Cougars to the BCMML finals and Marcus Beesley who played last season with the Nelson Leafs of the KIJHL.

Along with the familiar names comes the new names that the Spruce Kings traded for in the off-season with Ben Matthews and Dylan Tappe both coming from the Trail Smoke Eaters. A handful of players that were signed in the off-season will also see action in 100 Mile House including the McHaffie twins, Scott and Spencer, Cody Bardock, Skylar Pachecko and 16 year old Michael Klonarakis. There are also a few names that have survived through the grueling training camp that the Spruce Kings staff want to see play in a game scenario; Eric and Patrick Chore, Colby Braaten, Karan Toor and the young goaltender, Robert Friesen who is the sone of Spruce Kings alumni Rob Friesen (RMJHL 1994-1996).

The final name on that 21 player roster is Mattia Bortolotto and the Spruce Kings are wondering if the last five letters in his name will pay off after the 18 year old defenceman from San Mateo California was released by the Cougars earlier in the week. Looking good in practice through the week, Bortolotto will now get a chance to show what he can do in a game situation along with the rest of the cast of players set to represented the Crown in the neutral site game against the Merritt Centennials.

The Centennials are in the same position as the Spruce Kings after reducing down their preseason roster earlier in the week. The Cents will go with a mixed roster of returning vets and promising young prospects. Click here for a PDF copy of the team's 21 player roster. Game time is 7pm from the South Cariboo Recreation Centre in 100 Mile House. The local radio station will be providing play-by-play coverage but it is not clear at this time if that broadcast will be available for fans in Prince George or Merritt to listen to. The Spruce Kings will be providing information from the game on the Spruce Kings twitter feed which streams on the Spruce Kings website.

Sean Landrey and Trevor Esau Post Camp Interviews

2011-08-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

Sean Landrey (left) and Trevor Esau in a puck pursuit
battle at the Spruce Kings Intra-Squad Game

Sean Landrey is a 1993 born forward from Prince George who stands 6' 4" and 210 lbs. Landrey played last season with the Prince George Midget Tier 1 team and also suited up for the Spruce Kings as an affiliate player in seven games picking up a goal and an assist.

Landrey, who has committed to the Spruce Kings for this season, opened up the scoring at today's annual Blue vs White Intra Squad game. He also used his big frame to be notice throughout. I caught up with Prince George's own Sean Landrey after the game to talk about his new team going forward. Sean started by telling me what it was like to finally get onto the ice for some game action ...

download audio file

Trevor Esau is one of five regular returning players to the Spruce Kings line up. Esau played 51 games last year notching 9 assists. Trevor stands 6'4" weighing in at 210 pounds, but believe it or not, he is not the biggest defenceman this year on the roster. Esau is a part of a roster that see's most of the Spruce Kings back end stand taller than 6'2".

It's a definite change from last season and that is something Esau touched on in our interview after the Intra Squad game. I started by asking him how he prepared and what he worked on during the offseason ...

download audio file

Intra Squad Recap

2011-08-28T20:20:00.001-07:00

And it officially begins!! Today was the annual Blue vs White Intra-Squad game at the Coliseum and the final chance for some of these guys to show the coaching staff what they've got. The game itself was a fast paced one with little interruption through the first period as the players got used to being back on the ice. (Click here to download the game roster).

Kirk Thompson (1) makes one of his toughest saves
of the games, kicking out a screened point shot

The first two periods of play left no tallies on the board as Marcus Beesley made 12 saves in period one for Team White and Robert Freisen made 10 in period two. Both Kirk Thompson and Jacob Mattes made 7 saves a piece in the first two periods for Team Blue. Fans in attendance had to wait until 6:21 of the third period for the first goal to hit the score sheet.

Local Prince George product Sean Landrey notched the first marker, firing a wrister from the top of the right circle. Spruce Kings returnee Connor Tiechko had an assist on the goal as did defenceman Skylar Pacheco. It only took five more minutes for Team White to add to their lead as Eric Chore put one past Cameron Large. Chore's goal was assisted on the play by his brother Patrick Chore and once again Connor Tiechko. That is where the scoring ended, but not before Team Blue had a couple of nice chances, including a shorthanded breakaway opportunity for Myles Fitzgerald. Cameron Large ended the third period making 11 saves and Jacob Mattes was perfect with 9.

A few players did not suit up in the Blue VS White game as a precaution due to injury. Jeff Earnest, Leo Fitzgerald, Ben Woodley and Paul Dejersey all watched from the stands today.

There were a lot of good things to take away from this Intra Squad game as the Spruce Kings move forward into the Exhibition Season. The two Fitzgerald triplets who played (Myles and Gerry) showed some amazing offensive potential, and all though they didn't score, they were all over the ice. The defence is absolutely massive, and will be the leading force for the Spruce Kings this year. All the defenceman who did play in the scrimmage today showed the strength required to be an elite player. After last season, General Manager Mike Hawes needed to address this position, and it looks like he did just that. The goaltending today was also a big bright spot, as all six goalies showed promise and many made spectacular saves. So although only 2 goals were scored, this was due more to great defensive play rather than a lack of offence. But perhaps the biggest note to take away from today's game, this team really looks like they are having fun on the ice, which is never a bad thing.

Now the coaching staff will decide who will go forward and play for the team during Exhibition. It all starts on September 2nd as the Spruce Kings and the Merritt Centennials will travel to 100 Mile House to square off. As always keep it locked to the blog, twitter and the facebook page for all the roster updates, exhibition action and news leading into the start of the season on September 23rd

Matt Anthony

Interview With Head Coach Dave Dupas

2011-08-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

As day of 1 of the main camp came to a close, I took some time to catch up with the Spruce Kings Head Coach Dave Dupas. This really is a brand new Spruce Kings team and I wanted to get the coach's take on his new players, his returning players and what he expects from this group of guys. I started by asking Dave how it felt to finally see his team hit the ice ...

download audio file

Main Camp Day 1

2011-08-26T23:53:00.000-07:00

Spruce Kings 6' 6" d-man Ben Woodley (green jersey)
prepares to take a draw against 5' 7" Gerry Fitzgerald

The first day of main camp has come and gone, and my first thought is, it feels great to have hockey back. Over 50 players took to the ice tonight starting with a few coach's drills before they were let loose during scrimmages. We saw three sets of scrimmages with the players being put into three groups. Each group got to play two games where we saw great hustle form both the new guys and the returning vets. We even got to see a bit of a scrap as tensions ended up boiling over. I'm not exactly sure what the coach thought of two guys fighting during a scrimmage, but my thought is, as long as nobody breaks a bone, do whatever you see necessary to get a spot on the roster.

As someone who is new to the organization, here are a few observations I had from day 1

-All the players who were picked up in the off season made an impact and were seen on day 1
-The defence is HUGE
-Jujhar Khaira seems like he will pick up where he left off last season
-There is no shortage of young talent out there to scoop up at any time
-After just one day, this team seems to be having fun and ready for a breakout season
-On a personal note, it is going to be tough announcing for a team that has a set of twins AND triplets

With day 1 in the books we now get ready for days 2 and 3 on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday the teams will go through fitness testing in the morning and then hit the ice for some more scrimmages, this time with the games being two hours a piece instead of one. Then Sunday you can head down to the Coliseum to see the Blue and White Intra-Squad game which will end this weekend's main training camp. Be sure to keep it locked to the blog, twitter and Facebook for all your Spruce Kings updates and analysis. Hope to see you at the rink soon!

Matt Anthony

Mike Hawes on the Eve of his Rookie General Manager Season

2011-08-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

Spruce Kings General Manager,
Mike Hawes

Day two of the pre-camp skates and a few more bodies on the ice as more players have been arriving in Prince George for the start of the Spruce Kings main camp this weekend. Surveying the landscape at the Coliseum, I can see a few interested onlookers, a few anxious parents and family members and sitting above the Spruce Kings tunnel to the ice is where the decision makers have set up camp.

Along with the head coach - Dave Dupas, assistant coaches - Kurt Walsten and Tom Bohmer, the Vancouver Island regional scouts - Randy and Colten Buffie, the Spruce Kings president - Darcy Buryn and occasionally the trainer - Bill Baldridge, sits the Spruce Kings General Manager, Mike Hawes. For Hawzy, this is the beginning of the realization of months of hard work to shape a team for the Spruce Kings 40th Anniversary season that will bring back the glory days those 40 years have held in Prince George.

Mike has been around the game of hockey almost all his life and has seen his fair share of successful teams. His experience has seen him play through the hockey system in Prince George, gone on to play Junior A and Major Junior alongside a number of elite names in the game. He has spent almost a decade now in the hockey operations side of the game, learning the finer details of putting together a roster. All that experience and a dash of courage has led him to create his own recipe for a roster.

And now, sitting in the Coliseum bleachers calm and composed, he watches as the players he has hand picked, with input from other members of the hockey operations staff, skate in front of him. While the Zamboni made its way around the ice and we find ourselves sitting on the eve of the team's 40th Anniversary season with the start of training camp, I had a chance to ask Mike a few questions about the team, the players and the process it took to get here starting with the two pre-camp skates.

download audio file

Three Year Vet - Jeff Earnest

2011-08-25T01:12:00.000-07:00

The season opener may still be a month away for the Prince George Spruce Kings, but the work has just begun. As of Wednesday a large number of returning players, recent acquisitions and prospects took to the ice for a pre-camp skate. This was still a high tempo session with assistant coach, Jason Garneau, putting the boys through their paces with a few complex drills that used the entire ice surface.

The boys seemed to eat it up and wanted more which is a good indication that the players have been working hard in the off-season to prepare for the Spruce Kings 40th Anniversary season. Although many of the players stood out and showed that they were ready to go, it was Jeff Earnest that caught my early attention and held it to the end scoring a pair of hard one-timers from the side of the net in the game scrimmage.

Jeff Earnest picks up the puck with speed through
the middle during a skate Wednesday night

Jeff Earnest has his school papers in his back pocket for the University of Alaska Fairbanks to study and play with the Nanooks beginning next season. For Jeff, this is his twenty year old season, his third in a Spruce Kings jersey and really his fifth with the team. Jeff is one of those players that was scouted and recruited early on and has skated in a few Spring and Main Camps with the team.

From Anchorage Alaska, Jeff's hockey career includes playing for the the San Jose Jr. Sharks for two seasons before joining the Spruce Kings as an 18 year old rookie. In his rookie and sophomore years the fiesty, hard hitting yet offensively gifted right handed forward tallied 18 goals, setup 30 more and served 101 minutes in penalties in 108 games.

The interesting thing about Jeff was that he proved himself as a very versatile player that could play both an offensive role and a defensive role filling in on the back end when the Spruce Kings had some manpower issues on the blue line throughout the season. Jeff himself missed a few games last year and at times felt he could have been better.

This year, Jeff's focus will be to further develop his game especially in the offensive zone as he prepares to make the leap from Junior hockey to University hockey. After that first pre-camp skate, I was able to catch up with Jeff and talk to him a little bit about his thoughts heading in to his third and final season with the Spruce Kings.

"We have a lot of fresh faces and younger lineup," said Jeff Earnest via a Skype conversation. "But we are bigger and stronger especially on the back end and I see a lot of depth this year. I felt good out there, like I have purpose and I felt stronger as a player. It feels right coming back for another season with the Spruce Kings."

"I want a full complete season where I can put it all out there," continued Earnest. "I missed a few games because of being sick and I also spent some time on the back end as a defenceman which helped to round out my game. It improved my game by allowing me to recognize more things on the ice. My scholarship is as a forward and I want to put in a full season up front and become a player that will be ready to make the jump to university hockey. I want to end my junior career on a high note and help to push this team as far as it can go. I want to be a leader and show the younger guys what they need to be doing out there on and off the ice."

If what I saw from Jeff during his first skate back in Prince George is any indication, I can see this veteran player being a very productive one and causing a lot of grief for the opposition. Jeff will be that power forward that won't be afraid to put on his hard hard and get to work in the dirty areas and bury some goals through grit and skill.

Allow Me To Introduce Myself...

2011-08-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

Friday September 23rd is a very exciting day and one that I am personally looking forward to. Hey everyone, I'm Matt Anthony, and this season I will be taking over control of broadcasting duties for your Prince George Spruce Kings.

I figured the best way to get this ball rolling is to introduce myself. I am very new to Prince George, having only been here since the start of the summer. I spent last season in Nelson, BC doing home game webcasts and play by play for the Nelson Leafs in the KIJHL. The team had a bit of an up and down year that saw them get eliminated in 7 games of the first round. Although the team didn't get to go deep into the playoffs as one would hope, the season was a huge learning curve for myself and only helped solidify my want and desire to call hockey games on a regular basis. I've also been working in Radio the past few years as an on air announcer with Mountain FM in Castlegar, The Bridge in Nelson, BC and now with 94X in Prince George. I also spent last season being around the Trail Smoke Eaters (New Spruce King Ben Matthews and Dylan Tappe's former team) as they were broadcast on the radio station that I was working for. So although I do not bring any hands on BCHL experience, I am familiar with how exciting this league is.

There are many reasons to be excited about the Spruce Kings upcoming season. One being that this is the 40th anniversary season and two being that this team has seen a bunch of new and exciting faces added to the roster. This season see's something that has never been seen before as the Spruce Kings will dress a set of twins AND triplets. The Triplets actually already have some history with the Spruce Kings as all three brothers, while playing on a line together, scored a goal in three separate ways in one game. Plus the additions of Paul DeJersey, Ben Matthews, Jesse Ursic and the fact that we will see players returning to the Spruce Kings with experience under their belts makes this season one to watch.

I look forward to a fantastic season with you and the Spruce Kings, and I can assure you, it will be an exciting one. I bring a wealth of excitement and knowledge to each broadcast, and when September 23rd hits, you will hear that. Keep a constant eye on this blog, the Spruce Kings Twitter and facebook as I will add updates and analysis through out the season, starting with pre-camp skates on Wednesday. Please don't hesitate to ask questions and give me feedback as well. I Look forward to being a part of this history making 40th anniversary season Spruce Kings fans, let's make it a memorable one

See you at the rink,
Matt Anthony

Where is Gallo?

2011-08-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

That's a legitimate question given that Ron Gallo (me) has been given the unofficial title of the voice of the Spruce Kings. Unfortunately that voice has barely been a whisper over the last couple of months. There have been the occasional tweets and Facebook posts, but the blog has been disappointingly quiet during this time. The good news is that is about to change with the introduction of a new voice for the Spruce Kings.

Very quickly, I just want to answer the original question as to where I have been. As the season came to an end, like most people my attention turned away from the arena and to other areas of interest. I was calling games in the Prince George Senior Lacrosse League but something else came up that has taken over a large percentage of the time I used to dedicate to the Spruce Kings. I am working with the Prince George Hospice Society as their Dream Home Lottery Coordinator and have the Spruce Kings to thank for that.

As many people in Prince George and around the Province of BC know, the Spruce Kings have long raised funds for their club through the sale of lottery tickets on their annual Show Home Lottery. The experience gained from this venture 29 years in the making has made the Spruce Kings a valuable asset to the Provincial Governments Gaming Enforcement and Policy Branch and many other lotteries around the province.

The Prince George Hospice Society is one entity that approached the Spruce Kings asking questions about a Dream Home Lottery they were planning. The long and short of that is the Spruce Kings were able to answer general questions and provide feedback and suggestions for the Hospice Society to help them get their lottery off the ground. An undertaking of a lottery of this magnitude is no small matter and it became apparent that the Hospice Society could use more of a full time help in the form of a person.

Yup, that person became me and now I can joke that my wish of being listed as a future consideration in a trade has come true. I have taken on the role of Dream Home Lottery Coordinator for the Hospice Society and in a very short time have gained a whole new level of appreciation for everything that Jim Young has done as the Show Home Lottery Manager for the Spruce Kings. But aside from that, I quickly learned that I simply wouldn't have the time or energy to put back in to the Spruce Kings as I have over the past few seasons so I had to make the tough decision of finding a replacement or at very least an assistant for me and the different things I try to do to help out the Prince George Spruce Kings.

At this time I would like to introduce to you Matt Anthony, I'll leave the particulars for him to present to you in his first blog that will be posted here on the Spruce Kings Crusader. Matt will be coming on board with the Spruce Kings to provide his insight with blog posts, tweets on the official Spruce Kings twitter feed (@SpruceKings) and also status updates on the Spruce Kings Facebook page. Matt will also become the broadcast voice of the Spruce Kings home webcasts and pay-per-view feed on the BCHL website.

I am excited to have a person with the energy and enthusiasm to contribute that Matt has already shown in his brief period in our community. Last season Matt was the broadcast voice of the Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and will no doubt be looking forward to applying his experience to the Junior A level in the BCHL. Matt has a ton of potential and will quickly become a recognizable person with the Spruce Kings. Please make him feel welcome and continue to show your support of the Spruce Kings with emails, comments and feedback whenever you see us around the rink.

Thoughts from the BCHL AGM

2011-06-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend saw the various governors and team representatives meet up in Richmond for the BCHL Annual General Meeting. For Mike Hawes this was his first time at the meetings as the Spruce Kings General Manager, although he has attended in previous years as the assistant general manager and as a team representative.

The AGM is the unofficial wrap-up of the previous season and kickoff for the new season with the league and the teams looking back at their accomplishments, successes and identifying areas of improvement. This particular off-season has already had its fair share of newsworthy stories with the relocation of the Quesnel franchise and the introduction of significant rule changes.

I had an opportunity to sit down with General Manager Mike Hawes and get his thoughts on the coming season following his return to Prince George from the BCHL AGM. I started the interview by asking him how the meetings went for the newest GM in the BCHL.

download audio file

Fan Favourite Player

2011-06-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

With the Spruce Kings entering their 40th season, it is the time to start thinking back over the years at the history of the team. The banners that hang in the rafters all bring back fond memories of the times, teams and players that worked so hard to achieve success.

The British Columbia Hockey League is also celebrating a milestone this year as they enter their 50th season. The Spruce Kings first season in the BCHL was 1996-97 after purchasing the Royal City Outlaws franchise and taking up residency in the Junior A League.

Looking back over those 15 seasons I can't help but see a long list of player's names flash through the memory bank. Whether you were there for day one or your first day with the Spruce Kings was a little more recent, there's no denying that you have a favourite player or more.

Any short form list will inevitably miss an influential player but to include all 450 players that have suited up for the Spruce Kings in the BCHL would just leave far too many favourites to chose from. Currently on the Spruce Kings Facebook page I'm asking fans to identify at least one of their favourites with the option of adding a missing name to the list.

Looking through the years I find myself pulling out names and wondering if this is the one, or maybe that one ... I encourage you to look through the alumni list on the Spruce Kings website yourself and see if you can keep your list to under forty names.

The Spruce Kings have a great history in the city of Prince George and in this 40th anniversary of the team I hope you will get to relive the joy of the games played but more importantly to enjoy the games still to be played.

Names on the Player's List

2011-06-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

With the BCHL AGM going on this weekend it is safe to say that it is now officially time to start thinking in terms of the 2011-12 season. The fortieth season of the Prince George Spruce Kings is sure to be an interesting one with a new coach and a new general manager icing a new edition of the team.

Some new rules introduced as the previous season was winding down will impact on the Spruce Kings specifically with numbers. With a list of players eligible to return and another short list of players that have provided their commitments to the team, I thought I would put them together and give you a look at the list as it exists today.

Player Name	No.	Pos.	Sh.	Ht.	Wt.	Born	Hometown
LARGE, Cameron	35	Goal	Right	6' 01"	190 lbs	November 15, 1992	Nanaimo, BC
THOMPSON, Kirk	1	Goal	Left	5' 11"	165 lbs	March 1, 1992	Surrey, BC
BARDOCK, Cody		Defence	Right	6' 04"	210 lbs	July 26, 1993	Lethbridge, AB
BRYAN, Josh		Defence	Left	6' 02"	195 lbs	March 31, 1993	Sidney, BC
CROSSAN, Jared		Defence	Left	5' 11"	185 lbs	April 20, 1993	Prince George, BC
DAVIES, Isaac	24	Defence	Left	6' 04"	190 lbs	February 14, 1993	Smithers, BC
ESAU, Trevor	6	Defence	Left	6' 04"	210 lbs	May 23, 1992	Abbotsford, BC
GOLIGHTLY, Chase	3	Defence	Right	5' 10"	180 lbs	June 6, 1992	Temecula, CA
HAMBROOK, Bennett	22	Defence	Right	6' 00"	185 lbs	March 18, 1992	Kimberley, BC
PACHECO, Skylar		Defence	Left	5' 09"	160 lbs	August 1, 1994	Kitimat, BC
WATERFIELD, Sam	7	Defence	Right	6' 03"	205 lbs	August 27, 1991	Victoria, BC
WOODLEY, Ben	10	Defence	Right	6' 07"	230 lbs	December 6, 1991	London, ON
BEAIRSTO, Dustin	25	Forward	Right	6' 00"	180 lbs	May 31, 1992	Spruce Grove, AB
FITZGERALD, Trevor		Forward	Right	6' 00"	180 lbs	December 28, 1992	Vernon, BC
KHAIRA, Jujhar	16	Forward	Left	6' 01"	180 lbs	August 13, 1994	Surrey, BC
KLONARAKIS, Michael		Forward	Left	5' 09"	160 lbs	March 6, 1995	Kitimat, BC
LANDREY, Sean		Forward	Left	6' 03"	210 lbs	January 8, 1993	Prince George, BC
MANLOW, Kyle	11	Forward	Left	5' 10"	165 lbs	June 28, 1991	Murrieta, CA
McHAFFIE, Scott		Forward	Left	5' 09"	175 lbs	March 8, 1994	Victoria, BC
McHAFFIE, Spencer		Forward	Left	5' 09"	175 lbs	March 8, 1994	Chilliwack, BC
MURDOCH, Trent	15	Forward	Left	5' 11"	160 lbs	July 31, 1991	Nanaimo, BC
RYAN, Stephen	8	Forward	Left	6' 00"	180 lbs	September 9, 1994	Langley, BC
SKIRVING, Todd	21	Forward	Left	6' 02"	170 lbs	April 30, 1992	Thunder Bay, ON
TAPPE, Dylan		Forward	Right	5' 10"	175 lbs	October 8, 1992	Spokane, WA
TIECHKO, Connor	14	Forward	Left	6' 00"	175 lbs	April 22, 1992	Chilliwack, BC
WATSON, Brandon	26	Forward	Right	6' 00"	180 lbs	February 24, 1992	Keremeos, BC

Taking the recent rule changes into consideration there are still tweaks coming to this list. The rule that will have the biggest impact on this list is the rule that now limits the roster to 21 players. Currently there are 26 players on this list, which means that at least five names will have to come off it.

Another rule that impacts the roster is the rule that states every team must have a minimum of one 16 year old and a minimum of one 17 year old. Along with that rule is the limitation of a maximum of two 16 year olds. The list above shows one 16 year old player with Michael Klonarakis filling the spot. From Kitimat, Klonarakis finds himself playing a little closer to home after skating last season with the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna.

With a minimum but no maximum on the number of 17 year olds, the Spruce Kings roster currently shows five players in this age bracket. Jujhar Khaira and Stephen Ryan are on the list as returning players while the twins, Scott and Spencer McHaffie, along with Skylar Pacheco are players that have committed to the team since the April Spring Camp.

Khaira had a great rookie season that saw the then 16 year old secure a scholarship to Michigan Tech that is expected to start in the Fall of 2012. Ryan and Khaira were friends on and off the ice and pushed each other to be as good as they could be.

The McHaffie twins were the first out of town players to commit to the Spruce Kings at the Spring Camp and showed they have the type of chemistry that is seen with Henrik and Daniel Sedin. Pacheco is the only defenceman in the list of 17 year old players and is another product to come out of Kitimat.

There are no rules regarding 18 or 19 year old players, so it stands to reason that the majority of players fall in to this age bracket. A total of sixteen players including two goaltenders, seven defenceman and another seven forwards are on the Spruce Kings current list of players.

Kirk Thompson and Cameron Large not only split duties between the pipes last season, they also billeted together. Both netminders enter the 2011-12 season as 19 year olds. Eighteen year old Isaac Davies along with three nineteen year olds in Trevor Esau, Chase Golightly and Bennett Hambrook are all on the list as players eligible to return from last season. Up front is a set of four nineteen year old returning veterans - Dustin Beairsto, Todd Skirving, Connor Tiechko and Brandon Watson.

New additions to the Spruce Kings list that are either 18 or 19 years old include 18 year old defenceman Josh Bryan who was acquired from the Victoria Grizzlies. Jared Crossan and Cody Bardock are also a pair of 18 year old defenceman that committed to the team at or just before the Spring Camp.

Nineteen year olds, Trevor Fitzgerald and Dylan Tappe are two forwards that were acquired as future considerations in trade deadline deals made with the Vernon Vipers and Trail Smoke Eaters respectfully. Sean Landrey rounds out this age bracket up front as an eighteen year old that played games last season as an affiliate player (AP) with the Spruce Kings.

The last age category is that of the overagers or those that celebrate their 20th birthday somewhere in the 2011 calendar year. Teams are limited to a total of six 20 year old players. The Spruce Kings current list shows four of them being and all of them being returning players. Sam Waterfield and Ben Woodley on the back end, Kyle Manlow and Trent Murdoch up front.

As already mentioned this list is going to be tweaked and it wouldn't surprise me to see additional names added to the list before the team's main camp starts up in late August. The camp will be highly competitive with players battling to retain their spot and many more looking to take over a roster spot for the team's 40th season.

Rule Changes for 2011-12 Season

2011-05-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

There have been a number of rule changes introduced for the upcoming BCHL season that will impact the member teams, players and fans. Some of the changes include a later start and end date to the season, a reduced number of rostered players, a reduction in the number of playoff bound teams and the re-introduction of a half interlock schedule.

Although these rules did not receive unanimous support, they did receive the required level of support to see them introduced in time for the 2011-12 BCHL season. Many of the changes can be considered as cosmetic and do have some strategic advantages that many teams will be able to benefit from.

I like the idea of the later start date for the regular season. In the past the opening weekend was the first weekend after Labour Day, just as families were getting into the whole routine of being back in school and coming to terms with losing out on the lazy days of summer. Making plans to attend a winter sporting event wasn't really a high priority and many times the season was two or three weeks old before fans would be ready to head back to the rink.

The new tentative start date is now September 23. The new start date is in line with other leagues and just two weeks before the typical starting date of the National Hockey League. Where the later start date does become a problem is with training camp, preseason games and even getting those players attending school registered correctly.

It is expected that the Spruce Kings main training camp etc. will still be held at the end of August which will help to alleviate the issue of registering for school. Those out-of-town players will arrive in Prince George and be able to select their classes and post-secondary courses at the same time as all other students. The downside in this would be with preseason cuts that come later in the month of September before the start of the season but after school has already started.

The training camp and preseason will be extended to almost four weeks from its usual 10 to 14 days that it was in the past. This will give the hockey operations staff and the players themselves a longer period of time to go through the evaluation period. I see this as a benefit as well giving players the opportunity of showing off their abilities over a longer period of time while getting accustomed to their new situations.

A later start date means a later end date and that is the case with the regular season expected to end on March 11, 2012. I like this new date because it stretches out the regular season to within one week of the major junior league and, as the BCHL put it, it coincides with a more traditional hockey season. The problem with the later start date is the need to have a League Champion crowned and ready to compete for the Doyle Cup.

The winner of the Doyle Cup moves on as the Pacific Region representative to the RBC Royal Bank Cup. The week-long National Tournament is held every year with round-robin and playoff games being played in the week leading up to Mother's Day. These fixed dates combined with the extended BCHL regular season means something had to give. That something comes in the removal of one playoff round made possible by the decision to reduce the number of teams making the post-season to eight, four each from the Interior and Coastal Conferences.

The face of the BCHL is expected to change with the recent announcement from the Quesnel Millionaires that they can no longer function in the Gold Pan City. They sit awaiting League approval to see the franchise purchased and moved to Chilliwack. If they don't get that League approval, the current ownership group has stated that they will voluntarily withdraw from the League.

Although that is the subject of another post, it does leave a few questions as to the configuration of the League and whether there will be an uneven amount of teams in the two conferences. Knowing that only four teams will advance to the post-season, I would suspect that the Coastal Conference doesn't want to see growth in their division to nine teams which would leave five teams out of the playoffs. In the Interior Conference, three teams would miss out on the second season while the other four battle it out for the Ryan Hatfield Trophy.

The configuration of the League should become clearer once they hold their governor's meeting to approve or not the sale of the Quesnel Millionaires to Moray Keith and Jim Bond of the Chiefs Development Group. I suppose that there could be a cross over team to help ensure that the top eight teams make it through to the post-season but that is nothing more than speculation on my part. Either way the decision in regards to the Quesnel Millionaires franchise will impact the scheduling of games and the re-introduction of the half interlock schedule.

First seen in the 2008-09 season, the half interlock schedule sees teams play only four games on the road outside their conference while hosting the other half of the teams in inter-divisional games. Although I don't like the half interlock and the idea of missing out on seeing half of the other conference's team, this concept has the backing of the majority of teams. Seen as an opportunity to increase regional rivalries, teams in closer proximity will play each other more often.

In the 2008-09 season, the Spruce Kings played 12 games against the Quesnel Millionaires, 10 games against the Merritt Centennials and 6 games against each of the other Interior Division teams. Without the Millionaires, these numbers could change to some configuration of 6, 7 and 8 games against different teams equalling either 51 or 52 games (depending on the configuration of the conferences). So much has to be determined later this summer with the completion of the league schedule, but one thing is for sure - there is going to be more travel time for the Spruce Kings.

There are also three substantial changes that impact the makeup of a team and its roster. The maximum number of players has been reduced to 21 from 23, a specified minimum on sixteen and seventeen year old players and a pseudo-draft for 15 year old affiliate players. In October there will be a selection of 15 year old players to fill out a team's affiliate roster for the season. At the conclusion of the season, teams will no longer hold these player's rights leaving them eligible to sign with another team as a 16 year old.

In the past there was a maximum of two sixteen year old players allowed on a team with no minimum, that has now been changed to a requirement to carry a minimum of one 16 year old and also a minimum of one 17 year old player. Other rules regarding the use of import players and 20 year olds will remain consistent with the previous season. As seen at the RBC Royal Bank Cup, I would like to see an increase in the number of overagers allowed on a team which currently sits at six.

The other significant rule change is a decrease in the number of rostered players to 21 from its previous number of 23. Across the league it means 32 less players will be given the opportunity to play Junior ‘A’ hockey. I overheard Mike Hawes telling Allan Bristowe of CKPG News that a roster of 21 will take away the internal competition that players have for ice time. It will also put teams in a precarious position as far as injuries are concerned.

At the start of the 2010-11 season and throughout the year, the Spruce Kings had a number of injuries that kept regular roster players off the 20 player list for games. The Spruce Kings opening night roster consisted of 19 players on the ice and 4 sitting injured in the stands. Two weeks in to the season and there was a fifth player not dressed leaving the Spruce Kings two players short in their games. The later start to the regular season may help as other players will become known to teams and will be available as an AP.

As has been done for so many seasons before, these changes will just become one of the many aspects of the game that the Spruce Kings and other teams deal with throughout the year. Bottom line, I'm looking forward to the start of the season and the 40th anniversary of the Prince George Spruce Kings. This team has gone through many changes and continues to provide great entertainment for its fans and great value for its business and corporate partners in the community it has called home since 1972.

Spruce Kings Alumni Grieves Loss

2011-05-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

I usually try to shine a spotlight on the more positive side of hockey and those things that see the sport and those involved grow in to something wonderful ... usually. This is not one of those times unfortunately. After a "senseless act by a suspected drunk driver" on Tuesday May 3, an alumni member of the team finds himself grieving the loss of a loved one.

Cody Schlamb was one of those key acquisitions made for the Spruce Kings run in the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup. With four seasons in the BCHL and another in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Schlamb was known for his ability to shut down the other team's top guys.

Cody Schlamb (16) celebrates his first goal
with the Spruce Kings

A defensive asset but an overager that would be 21 early in January 2007, Schlamb became expendable in Surrey and was immediately claimed by the Spruce Kings. Schlamb made an immediate impact in his first game with his new team and quickly endeared himself to the fans and the hockey operations staff.

"I will never forget his first game," recalls Spruce Kings president, Darcy Buryn. "He scored a goal in that game and then found himself in a suit and tie watching the game from the seats after being tossed for a collision with the goaltender."

In what turned out to be a 5-0 win over the visiting Powell River Kings, Cody Schlamb scored the game winning goal at 16:27 of the second period. Two minutes and one second later, Schlamb would again be the focus around the net after colliding with the visiting goaltender and being assessed a five minute major and game misconduct.

In the years after winning a silver medal at the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup, Schlamb would show up at games unannounced as the Spruce Kings made stops along their Coastal Conference road trips. Calling Chilliwack home, it would not be uncommon to see Cody standing beside my broadcast location in Surrey or by the benches in Langley just to say hello and show his support for the team.

Now well away from the rink, it is my turn to tell Cody that we are there by his side to give support as he grieves the loss of his longtime girlfriend, Kassandra Marie Kaulius. Cody and Kassandra had been a couple since they met in 2004 and I can remember seeing Cody on the phone after games talking to Kassandra. As Cody puts it, he just can't imagine what his future will be like now.

In the Friday May 6, 2011 edition of The Province newspaper Elaine O'Connor published an article after speaking with Cody Schlamb ...

Cody Schlamb says his life has been ripped apart by the loss of his longtime girlfriend, Kassandra Marie Kaulius.

Kaulius, 22, of Surrey, was killed Tuesday, the victim of an apparent drunk-driver collision.

Kassandra Kaulius (Photo courtesy Les Bazso, PNG)
"She truly was my life and my future," Schlamb said Thursday.

"On Tuesday, my future was taken from me. Half of me died that night. I have the memories of our past, but when it comes to thinking of my future ... no one should have to feel the pain I am feeling right now."

Schlamb, who lives in Chilliwack, said he and Kaulius had been inseparable since they met in 2004 and they planned to get engaged this summer and move in together in the fall. They were both pursuing teaching degrees.

"We were going to become teachers and spend our summers traveling together, and have kids," said the 25 year old.

"It is crazy to think that if you asked me three days ago where my life was going, I could have told you to a 'T' and now for it to be ripped away by such a senseless act ... there are no words for it."

Kaulius was driving home westbound on 64th Avenue and waiting to turn left on to 152nd Street in Surrey when she was struck by a white panel van that raced through a red light and smashed into the driver's side of her red BMW.

Witnesses reported that the van's 34 year old female driver fled and tried to elude police. She was arrested in a nearby wooded area.

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Drew Grainger said that charges against the woman are still pending approval and that they did not expect to charge the suspect or release her name before next week. She is facing charges of impaired driving causing death.

The story is being followed in depth by the media and there are many articles available online. A scholarship trust fund has been established in Kassandra's name. The most important part of this has to be getting the message out there so that this "senseless act" and loss of life doesn't have to happen.

Don't Drink and Drive!

My condolences go out to Cody Schlamb, the Kaulius family, friends of Kassandra and to those that will never have the chance to learn from her. A memorial service held on May 12th was attended by over 1,000 family, friends and RCMP members dressed in their full red serge read more

Exciting Time In Hockey

2011-04-28T00:37:00.000-07:00

The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are in the books and eight teams now move on, one step closer to the holy grail of hockey. Just as exciting is the buzz around the start of the 2011 RBC Royal Bank Cup. This year in Camrose Alberta, the National Tournament to identify the Junior A Champion of Canada will feature five teams in a round robin format.

Starting in the West ... or actually the Pacific Region ... the Vernon Vipers have made the long journey back to the RBC Royal Bank Cup for an astounding third consecutive year and will be there as the two-time defending champions. The Vipers earned the right after going through the BCHL Playoffs and coming out League Champions and then taking seven games to dispatch their Alberta counterparts in the Doyle Cup Championship.

To make it all the way and win it just once is tough enough, but to make it there twice and win it in back to back seasons is the stuff legends are built on. To make it there three consecutive times is to flirt with the notion of a dynasty. Especially when you consider that the average duration of a Junior A player is two seasons with the same team. Between attrition, graduation and age restrictions, having a championship calibre team three years in a row is not something that just happens.

The Vernon Vipers started the season and even the playoffs as underdogs to make it to the end. Now they enter the RBC Royal Bank Cup as heavy favourites up against four strong teams from across the country. If it can be said that they quietly made it through the BCHL playoffs, their arrival to the RBC Royal Bank Cup has drawn lots of media attention and is making lots of noise across the country.

After receiving a first round bye in the BCHL Playoffs, the Vernon Vipers spotted both of their next two opponents early series leads before answering back and dispatching them in six games each. They did better than that in the League Finals, sweeping the hands-down best team in the BCHL and a top ranked team in Canada in four games.

The Vipers required all seven games in the Doyle Cup against the Spruce Grove Saints and had to win three of four games in unfamiliar surroundings in the Grant Fuhr Arena in Spruce Grove. The Spruce Grove Saints were ranked at the top of the list among Junior A teams in Canada and had only lost two games in regulation time at home all season. They had swept their first two post season opponents and in the league championship only lost one game.

The Doyle Cup games were low scoring and close with the Vernon Vipers outscoring the Saints 17-16 in those seven games. After the Vipers opened the series with a win, the Saints won the next two and brought the series home leading 2-1. The Vernon Vipers took back the lead going up 3-2 in the series but could not dispatch the Saints in game six. Game seven was a different story with the Vernon Vipers getting an early lead and never let go.

One of the teams that the Vernon Vipers will face is the host team; the Camrose Kodiaks were the only team to register a win against the Spruce Grove Saints during the AJHL post season. The Kodiaks have been to the RBC Royal Bank Cup five times before and have hoisted the National Junior A prize once winning it in 2001. Of their five trips to the RBC Royal Bank Cup they played in four championship games, the only time they missed out was in 2007 after losing to the Prince George Spruce Kings in an epic battle during the semi-finals.

This is the first time that Camrose has hosted the tournament and it will be the first time it has been held in Alberta since 2004 when the Grande Prairie Storm was the host team. Since 1990, six host teams have gone on to win it all and be crowned National Champions. The last to do it was the Weyburn Red Wings in 2005. The other five were the Halifax Oland Exports (2002), Fort McMurray Oil Barons (2000), Summerside Western Capitals (1997), Olds Grizzlys (1994) and the Vernon Lakers (1990).

The equivalent of the Doyle Cup, the Anavet Cup determines the winner to represent the West between the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Portage Terriors come into the RBC Royal Bank Cup for their third time having seen both ends of the spectrum in their previous two visits. Representing the West in 1973, the Terriors came away National Champions from the Tournament held in Brandon and Winnipeg Manitoba. More recently, in 2005 in Weyburn Saskatchewan, the Terriors were the first team eliminated not making it out of the round-robin portion of the Tournament.

The Central Region representative has a longer post season road to travel that is capped off with a round robin tournament known as the Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Wellington Dukes dispatched the host team of that tournament to earn the right of representing the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) as well as the North Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) and the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). This is the second time at the RBC Royal Bank Cup for the Dukes having finished 3rd in 2003 after losing the semi-final game to the eventual tournament winner the Humboldt Broncos.

Rounding out the five team field is a familiar name for those that remember the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup in Prince George. The Pembroke Lumber Kings will be making their six appearance this year, fourth as the East Region representative. Interesting enough the Lumber Kings once attended the Tournament as a representative of the Central Region in 1987 and one year later as the host team, finishing third both times. In 2007 they finished 4th while in 1977 and 1973 they came away with silver.

All teams have fought hard all year long to get here and this year the field looks extremely tight with all five times having a legitimate shot at hoisting the RBC Royal Bank Cup. Round robin play gets underway on Saturday April 30 with the defending champions taking on the host team - the Vernon Vipers and the Camrose Kodiaks get underway at 7pm Mountain Time (6pm Pacific Time). For complete schedule and additional information check out the RBC Royal Bank Cup page on the Hockey Canada website (click here).

Newspaper Clipping - from the Prince George Citizen

2011-04-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

This article was written by Ted Clarke and was originally published in the Prince George Citizen on April 21, 2011 ...

RJay Berra (24) and Justin Fillion (3) in Podolsk, Russia

It was a hockey game like no other for RJay Berra and Justin Fillion.

Canada versus Russia's under-20 team, with national bragging rights on the line.

It happened 11 time zones away Saturday night at the Region Centre Cup tournament in Podolsk, Russia, with 6,000 Russian fans creating a frenetic atmosphere the likes of which Berra and Fillion had never seen.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment," said Fillion. "Beating a Russian team like that in a sold-out barn is a thing that's only going to happen once, it's an experience I'll never forget and everybody else on that team won't forget it either.

"It gave us the confidence that we can play at that level and that we can go overseas and be successful at it."

Berra, a centre, and Fillion, a defenceman, both products of the Prince George minor hockey system, helped Canada to a 5-3 win. Canada built a 4-2 lead early in the second period and that spelled the end of the night for goalie Kirill Brashkin, who plays for the AK Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League, Russia's top professional league.

"To chase a goalie like that was pretty big for us," said Berra. "For the most part, that's the team they want at world juniors next year. I think we overachieved, playing against them.

"It was insane playing the Russians, the people were crazy. They chanted for Russia after every one of our goals. One of the fans jumped on to the ice and tried to fight one of our D-men, Jason Reardon. It was wild."

Team Canada, made up of players from the B.C. Hockey League -- went on to defeat the Slovakian national under-20 team 6-3 on Sunday to finish second in the three-team tournament. Canada's physical play was the difference-maker in their two victories.

"We played a hard style and definitely hit them more than they expected us to and came out with the result we were looking for," said Berra, who picked up two assists in the three games playing on a line with Mike Hammond and Bryce Gervais, both of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

Canada started the tournament with a 6-2 loss to the Russian Minor Hockey Red Stars, an under-22 national team.

"That under-22 team had a guy who played NHL exhibition games with the Penguins and quite a few pro guys who played in the KHL, so it was a good experience, really high-level hockey," Berra said.

Berra and Fillion played for the Prince George Spruce Kings until January, when Berra was traded to Grande Prairie and Fillion was moved to the Victoria Grizzlies. Both drew the attention of general manager Ron Patterson and coach Tim Kehler, who wanted them on the team.

"They picked guys for different roles and I think they did a really good job putting together the team," Berra said.

"To play for Canada, you can't even describe it when you have the flag hanging in your dressing room. The fans treat you like you're something special. You're part of the reputation of Canadian hockey players so everyone looks at you that way and it's definitely a special feeling."

The 12-day trip included stops in London and Moscow, where the Canadian players had time to do some sightseeing. Canada played an exhibition game against the Red Stars in Moscow and lost 9-2. While at Red Square, Team Canada was granted a rare invitation to visit the Kremlin, the home of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

"It was pretty surreal, something I'll never forget, to see a country like that, there is definitely a class system over there that's a lot different," said Berra. "There were some areas that were definitely struggling."

Added Fillion: "It's different, that's for sure. The rich are rich, and the poor are poor and there's a very small in-between. That was a huge eye-opener for all of us. We got treated like celebrities over there."