Spruce Kings Looked to the Future at the Trade Deadline

It is never easy at this time of the year with player's playing lives hanging in the balance while the powers that be discuss possible scenarios to make their teams better. Some want to be better right away and find that one piece that can complete the puzzle and compliment their core while others have to look to next season and beyond. For the Spruce Kings, they were the latter but with a condition that they don't want to completely give up on the current season and that was evident by the final moves on trade deadline day.

Widely rumoured to be going, Wes McLeod ended up proving all the arm chair general managers correct, but who would have expected the Spruce Grove Saints to win this lottery. The Saints are leading the Alberta Junior Hockey League and are ranked second in the country with an impressive record of 37 wins, 3 losses, 1 tie and 3 overtime losses for a total of 78 points. Not a shoe-in to win the league championship but well on their way, the Saints are 15 points up on their next closest competitor - the Grande Prairie Storm - with sixteen games remaining in their regular season.

The addition of Wes McLeod gives the Spruce Grove Saints the most NCAA committed players on an Alberta Junior Hockey League roster with five. Perhaps best of all for McLeod, who has only played for the Spruce Kings in his Junior A career, there are two other players committed to his school - the University of Alaska Anchorage. Brett Cameron is another 19 year old that will be moving on in the fall of 2010 with Wes to play for the Seawolves. Scott Allen is also 19 years old but has an option to play one more year of junior before moving up to the college level.

Wes McLeod spent the better part of three seasons with the Spruce Kings and became the centre of attention because of his play and skating style. Selected twice to represent the Prince George Spruce Kings at the BCHL All Star game, McLeod has also played in the CJAHL Prospects Game and represented Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge. Wes is a soft spoken and unassuming individual off the ice but a fierce competitor on the ice.

The only other 19 year old player to be moved off the Spruce Kings roster as part of a trade deadline deal saw goaltender Steve Papciak head to the AJHL with the Canmore Eagles. After Alex Wright was acquired by the Prince George Cougars of the WHL, the Spruce Kings struck a deal with the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL that brought Papciak over the Rockies to play in the BCHL. Papciak played in eight games with the Spruce Kings compiling a record of 4 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie before missing a handful of games due to an injury.

Three twenty year old players were also dealt on this day with Josh Pineiro being the only player to be traded within the BCHL; Brooks Robinson was traded to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and Marcus Watson to the Grande Prairie Storm. Pineiro was a mid-season acquisition from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs last year and has played in 70 games for the Spruce Kings. During his stay with Prince George, Pineiro scored 9 goals and added 27 assists.

Perhaps his biggest goal was scored in overtime on October 6th to give the Spruce Kings a 2-1 win over the Millionaires. Pineiro's goal celebration saw him slide through centre ice banging on an imaginary drum for members of the Blue Man Group to see. The musical group was so impressed with the game and the goal celebration that they requested a dressing room visit and gave the entire team tickets to their show the following night.

For the second consecutive trade deadline, Brooks Robinson is heading from a royal family in the BCHL to a team in the northern division of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Last year at this time saw Robinson dealt from the Powell River Kings to Grande Prairie where he eventually helped the Storm win the league championship, this year Robinson will be leaving the Spruce Kings to head farther north in Alberta to play for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.

Robinson led the Spruce Kings with points from the beginning of the season, finishing with 18 goals and 40 assists. His 58 points was good enough to put him in the top ten among the league leaders tied for ninth spot with Mark McMillian of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Robinson's gift was in the faceoff circle and finding the open man as evident by the number of assists he tallied over 44 games. The forty helpers he tallied with the Prince George Spruce Kings is fifth among the league leaders this season.

Marcus Watson was the only other player traded before the trade deadline going to the Grande Prairie Storm. Watson only played in eleven games with the Spruce Kings, but in that short time managed to average better than a point a game finishing with 3 goals and 11 assists. Watson was no stranger to Prince George having played here with the Cougars before being sent to the Langley Chiefs.

In his final game with the Spruce Kings, Watson was able to play against his former team. Although he recieved a warm welcome on the video screen, the same couldn't be said about the reception he recieved from his former teammates. On one rush around the Chiefs net, Watson was caught with a clean hip check that put the speedy forward horizontal to the ice surface level with the dasher. The check was hard enough to dislodge the glass behind the goal resulting in a ten minute stoppage in play.

All five deals were made with the Spruce Kings getting future considerations in return for the players. It will be interesting to see what players the Spruce Kings will get next year to compliment their roster as they will now finish out the season with still a strong core of players. I expect to be seeing a few of the holes filled for the remaining games with at least a couple of the players that the team has listed as their affiliate players or APs.

The core that remains are still confident that they can make a push for the playoffs as one of the four teams vying for the three bottom playoff spots. That core includes Sam Muchalla, Zac Rasmussen, Joe Morgan and Brad Bourke who will all finish their Junior A careers with Prince George. Justin Fillion, RJay Berra and Nick DeSousa are second season veterans that will also be called upon to fill leadership roles. The departure of the five players will provide a great opportunity for the rookies and younger players to elevate their game, push for a playoff spot and gain some much needed experience for seasons to come.

Trade deadline day is never easy for the players or those that try so hard to make sure they do the absolute best they can for the player and for the team. Perhaps lost in all of this is the thanks that needs to be given to Ed Dempsey and Mike Hawes who worked very hard over the past few days to make sure the best interests of all the players was taken into consideration before any trade was made. I wish only the best for Wes McLeod, Steve Papciak, Josh Pineiro, Brooks Robinson and Marcus Watson. I also firmly believe the players that remain have what it takes to make it to the playoffs and once the second season starts anything is possible.

Player of the Week

Congratulations to Spruce Kings forward, Brooks Robinson for picking up "Player of the Week" honours in the British Columbia Hockey League after a six point outing in two games. Brooks started the weekend off in Quesnel with a pair of helpers in the first period and then, when it started looking like the Millionaires might be getting themselves back into the game, Robinson ended up netting the game winner and insurance marker in the third period. He followed that up with a pair of assists in Saturday's game versus the Trail Smoke Eaters.

Talk about a quiet and unassuming guy, Brooks may actually be the incarnation of the true humble hard working hockey player of days gone by. Never worried about what his contributions will do for himself, Brooks always puts the team first and would prefer to stay in the shadows while other players get the glory. Seeing himself as a play maker, this twenty year old player thrives on those around him and this past weekend it was Jeff Earnest and Jonathan Gibson that received the praise of Brooks.

From the beginning of the season I have been watching him work his magic in the faceoff circle and play the role of setup man; that is where the majority of his points come from. Brooks has a total of 31 points with three quarters of those being assists ... the same trend earned him the Player of the Week nod as he scored twice and setup four others. I had a chance to sit down with Brooks and congratulate him ...


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Brooks Robinson and the rest of the Spruce Kings will now get another chance at adding some stats and points in the race going on in the middle of the Interior Division tonight when they host the Quesnel Millionaires. Game time is 7:00pm at the Prince George Coliseum with the game being broadcast on 93.1 CFIS-FM and on the Spruce Kings website from the CFIS-FM Listen Live link.

Source of Contributions

Looking at the score sheets over the past couple of games it's not hard to see who is contributing. The top line of Sam Muchalla, Brooks Robinson and Joe Morgan have combined for a total of 21 points in three games; add in Wes McLeod and there's another eight points. In fact most of those goals have come from the veteran defenceman's stick who has notched five goals in those three games.

Robinson is the leader as far as being the setup man goes and it all starts in the faceoff circle for the twenty year old centreman. Eight of his nine points are assists coming from the hard work of winning and controlling the draw. Joe Morgan may not like the idea that he doesn't have a goal to show for his hard work on the top line, but being in the right place at the right time to find the right guy has paid off with four helpers.

Perhaps the biggest breakout over the past couple of games is that of Sam Muchalla who has lit the lamp in breathtaking fashion with highlight reel goals. After getting off to an admittedly slow start on the opening weekend that resulted in missing two more games, the Spruce Kings captain has been the biggest contributor with his nine points including one game winning goal. That particular goal showed off the heads up play making ability of another veteran from the blue line, as Josh Pineiro feathered a perfect bank shot to spring Muchalla on an uncontested breakaway.

That goal was scored on Friday in front of the home town fans, but for those listening to the game in Williams Lake on Wednesday night they also picked up on the American born player registering a Gordie Howe hattrick. Pineiro was probably the happiest guy on the night and didn't need any help identifying the significance of such a feat. Pineiro's goal is the only short handed goal scored by the team so far and full credit has to go to Zac Rasmussen and Joe Morgan.

Rasmussen found the puck in his feet along the wall in front of his own bench and turned on the rockets with a move that caused one Timberwolves defenceman to blow a tire creating a two on one with Pineiro and Joe Morgan trailing on the play. Rasmussen dropped the puck to Morgan who looked to be teeing up a howitzer but instead slipped a nice pass through the legs of the defenceman and onto Pineiro's stick. The play was so perfect that Pineiro had to admit that he never realized he had scored until he got mobbed by his team mates.

One other player that has helped to lead his team to a three victories in four games and back-to-back wins over the Williams Lake Timberwolves is Alex Wright. The Prince George minor hockey product played the role of backup to Kevin Genoe last year. This year after some preseason seasoning with the Spokane Chiefs, Wright is looking at laying claim to the starter's role ... something he is well on his way to doing. Already in the top five among Spruce Kings netminders for shutouts, goals against average and save percentage, Wright is looking to find his place in the record book for all time wins as well.

Again those are hard numbers that can be crunched at any time by anybody, what isn't nearly as noticeable is the contributions of the unsung heros. Following the game in Williams Lake, Jeremy Wiebe came out of the dressing room wearing the Spruce Kings hard hat for his efforts in the game. If you don't think that is an honour, I beg to differ especially after seeing Jeremy still wearing his hard hat following a Thursday skate. Wiebe found himself involved in two fights Wednesday night and in all had to answer the call against three different Timberwolves over the two games ... that call was answered successfully each and everytime I might add.

Now all of these players and the long list of players not mentioned here comes the task of maintaining their momentum and reaching that all important .500 mark. The Spruce Kings will head into a pair of weekend games against the Surrey Eagles (Friday) and the Williams Lake Timberwolves (Saturday) with a chance to register more wins than losses on the season.

Currently sitting with three wins and four losses, the Spruce Kings know they control their own fate and will be ready for the challenge of their first Coastal Division opponent on Friday night. Game time at the Coliseum is 7:00pm with the game available on 93.1 CFIS-FM and also online from the Spruce Kings website as well as the BCHL Fanzone for those that won't be able to attend in person.

Game 7 - at Williams Lake Timberwolves

Of note ...
Due to some technical difficulties with the internet at the Cariboo Community Complex, a more detailed summary was not available at the time of the game. Look for a better write of the game later today including information on a possible suspension to one Spruce King.

Third Period Summary ...
No scoring in the third, but plenty of other action as Jeremy Wiebe, Josh Pineiro and Luke Hannas all get served with early departure notices for some extra-curricular activities. Just imagine ... these two teams meet again same place, same time on Saturday night! Could be interesting.

Second Period Summary ...
A pair of power play goals and a pair of even strenght goals has the Spruce Kings up 6-0 after forty minutes.

First Period Summary ...
Spruce Kings lead 2-0 after twenty minutes.

Game Preview ...
The Spruce Kings find themselves in Williams Lake for the back half of their home-and-home with the Timberwolves. On Friday night the Spruce Kings came away with a 6-3 home ice victory and sent the T'Wolves on the road where they came up empty on the next two nights as well. Meanwhile the Spruce Kings got to enjoy their win and plan on finding another two points again tonight, but it won't be easy as the hosts aren't likely to have forgotten Friday night.

Two points tonight for Prince George will see the Spruce Kings leap over the Quesnel Millionaires into fifth place in the Interior Division just two points back of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and fourth. The Timberwolves have the eyes set on pulling even with their visitors however, as they find themselves with only one win on the young season.

Back to Friday night in the Castle when the Spruce Kings opened up a 4-1 lead on the Timberwolves on the strength of two goals by Sam Muchalla less than two minutes apart. That night saw the Spruce Kings short-handed with five injuries limiting the available bodies to just eighteen. The shortened bench may have been the ticket that the top line was looking for to jump into the scoring leaders race.

Muchalla jumped into the top 15 with his five point performance (2 goals and 3 assists) as did Brooks Robinson with his four assist performance. Joe Morgan contributed on the top line as well, being the play maker and agitator and getting into the dirty areas. Another Spruce King with big numbers on the night was Wes McLeod who scored two of his own and added an assist to sit third among the Spruce Kings scoring leaders with nine points.

Speaking of Wes, he will be back in the lineup for his birthday after skating at the Team Canada West Evaluaion Camp in Okotoks Alberta. The camp was all about identify the next roster to represent Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge. Talking with Wes after the event he told me that the camp was high tempoed and fast paced with high calibre players demonstrating their skills for the Team Canada West management team. Wes scored in the final game and is very happy with his performance overall and will now await the decision as to whether or not he will be filling one of the five 19 year old spots on the team.

During the second intermission of tonight's game, I will have an interview with Wes McLeod to talk about the experience and a few other things. The game will be broadcast on 93.1 CFIS-FM and also available online from the CFIS-FM Listen Live link on the Spruce Kings website. If you have questions or comments, feel free to send me a comment from this post and I will get it and respond from my BlackBerry.

Rosters ...

Williams Lake Timberwolves

1 Kirk Croswell (G 5'11" 175 9/23/1990)
3 Michael Jorgensen (D 6'00" 180 3/2/1992)
4 Darren Tarasoff (D 6'01" 195 3/10/1990)
5 Colin Wandfluh (D 5'11" 180 8/8/1990)
6 Riley Sweeney (D 5'11" 185 8/31/1992)
7 Calvin Johnson (F 5'10" 165 5/28/1992)
8 Dane Rupert (F 5'08" 170 4/16/1991)
9 Josh MacDonald (F 6'00" 180 5/6/1990)
11 Ryan Stanimir (F 6'00" 175 3/4/1990)
12 Craig Eisenhut (F 5'11" 190 5/19/1990)
13 Laine Keyes (F 5'09" 170 4/13/1990)
14 Kyle Leung (F 5'07" 165 3/5/1990)
16 Anthony DeLong (F 6'00" 165 2/8/1991)
17 Cody Abbey (F 6'01" 200 1/10/1991)
19 Keagan Little (F 6'00" 170 10/3/1989)
21 Keenan Bailey (F 6'00" 175 2/10/1991)
22 Justin Bardarson (F 5'10" 190 6/6/1990)
23 Trent Murdoch (F 5'11" 155 7/31/1991)
24 Jake Harcoff (D 5'10" 185 10/17/1990)
26 Josh Garneau (D 5'09" 175 5/4/1991)
27 Jason Diehl (F 6'02" 195 7/24/1989)
28 Kyle Beaulieu (D 6'03" 195 1/16/1991)
55 Evan Dauenhauer (G 5'11" 175 12/19/1989)


Prince George Spruce Kings

1 Alex Wright (G 6'01" 185 4/20/1990)
3 Wes McLeod (D 6'02" 185 9/30/1990)
4 Clayton McEwan (D 6'00" 180 11/26/1991)
5 Justin Fillion (D 5'11" 175 4/23/1990)
7 Jesse Scrimbit (D 6'01" 180 12/19/1990)
8 Jonathan Gibson (D 6'01" 205 2/1/1990)
9 Nick DeSousa (F 6'00" 180 11/13/1990)
10 Andrew Pickering (F 5'10" 175 6/2/1989)
11 Kyle Manlow (F 5'10" 165 6/28/1991)
12 Joe Becker (F 5'10" 180 1/29/1990)
15 Luke Hannas (F 6'02" 185 9/9/1991)
16 Jeff Earnest (F 5'10" 175 2/8/1991)
17 Brooks Robinson (F 5'11" 180 8/18/1989)
18 Colten Derickson (F 6'00" 200 11/15/1989)
19 Joe Morgan (F 5'08" 180 4/7/1989)
20 Jeff Datoff (D 5'10" 160 5/26/1992)
21 Stewart Lambert (F 6'00" 175 4/5/1990)
22 Jeremy Wiebe (F 6'00" 180 7/20/1991)
23 RJay Berra (F 6'00" 180 7/26/1990)
24 Josh Pineiro (D 5'10" 211 8/25/1989)
25 Zac Rasmussen (F 5'09" 178 5/8/1989)
26 Sam Muchalla (F 5'08" 150 8/14/1990)
35 Kyle Nielsen (G 5'10" 170 7/21/1990)

The Sun Came Up

Forgive me for bringing up that old cliché, but I couldn't resist after the gorgeous start to the day on the heels of what can only be described as a meltdown from the previous night. The Spruce Kings opened their 2009/10 season with great promise and were greeted by cheers and rounds of applause by the nearly 1,500 in attendance for the home opener. Unfortunately the newest incarnation of the Spruce Kings were shown just how important it is to play a complete 60 minutes in the British Columbia Hockey League.

After the opening roster introductions and national anthem was sung, the puck dropped to open the 2009/10 season. The visiting Westside Warriors went on the attack early, but some good defensive zone coverage and some early saves got the fans into the game and allowed the momentum to shift in favour of the home team. Prince George was awarded consecutive powerplays and while up a man on a 4-on-3 situation, Nick DeSousa found himself at the right spot and the right time to open the scoring and give the Spruce Kings a 1-0 lead.

Penalty troubles continued for the visiting Westside Warriors to the point where the Spruce Kings actually had a two man advantage with a third penalized player sitting in the box waiting for his penalty time to start. The Spruce Kings were able to test out their power play with the extended two-man advantage and it was during this sustained pressure that a high shot found the newly strung (tightly strung, I might add) twine just under the cross bar and inside the goal post. Unfortunately it was ruled at the time a save because of how quickly the puck came back out into the play. Maybe that was a sign of things to come ...

After a long run with no whistles, the Spruce Kings players and coaching staff had a chance to call over the referee to plead their case, but to no avail. As the play resumed, the Westside Warriors took advantage of the seemingly confused Spruce Kings and tied the score up at one. The Spruce Kings would get that one back on a nice shot by off-season acquisition Brooks Robinson and took a 2-1 lead to the dressing room after the first period.

The Spruce Kings came out strong in the second period and drew two more consecutive penalties against the Warriors in what would ultimate prove to be the turning point of the game. In their second two man advantage of the game, Prince George was unable to get anything past the visitor's netminder despite good puck possession and control in the offensive zone. Shortly after the penalties expired, Westside went down the other end and got their first good scoring chance of the period but were stopped by a quick whistle just before the puck crossed the goal line.

The Warriors were undeterred and made the most of their limited chances in the second period, scoring three times before the buzzer sounded to send the teams to their dressing rooms to regroup. The Warriors came out even stronger in the third and limited Prince George to just six shots while scoring four times on their 13 shots in the final frame. The game ended on the rough side with a total of three fights in the final minute. I fully expect there to be a suspension or two as a result, but will have to wait until the league releases its decision.

Meanwhile, under the warm sunshine of a new day, the Prince George Spruce Kings will have to turn their attention to the return of the Penticton Vees into the Coliseum. The last time this Interior Division team was here saw an exciting playoff game go the way of the Spruce Kings as they forced a fifth and deciding game back in Penticton. It is always exciting to see the first meeting between two teams that last met in the playoffs and I don't suspect tonight's contest will lack any enthusiasm.

There is always just enough players on both squads to keep memories alive and well and this is the stuff that builds rivalries ... so let the Vees and Spruce Kings rivalry begin anew tonight. Game time is 7:00pm at the Prince George Coliseum with doors open at 6:00pm.

On a side note, the BCHL Commissioner John Grisdale will be in attendance tonight as he makes a northern road swing. Last night he welcomed the Williams Lake Timberwolves back into the league after a two season absence and, after checking out things in the northern most stop of the league, will welcome coach Glen Watson back to the BCHL when he visits Quesnel.

Taking a Closer Look - Part 2: The Returnees

Adam Baldassarre, ’89 (F) – Last season Adam Baldassarre was characterized as a pinball crashing into as many players as he could during his shifts; this season Adam has adopted a more of a pick your battles approach. The new look for Adam has helped this player find a smoother skating style that has put him in the right places at the right times. UPDATED - Unfortunately for Adam, he was released in the week prior to the start of the season. The Spruce Kings hockey operations staff had to make the tough decision because of the league requirement to carry only six 20 year old players.

Joe Becker, ’90 (F) – Entering his sophomore season, Joe Becker has worked hard during the offseason with long time friend Jordy Christian to find speed in his game. He showed that speed as well as strength on the puck during training camp. Unfortunately Joe was unable to show anything during the preseason because of an injury that he is currently working on getting back to one hundred percent.

RJay Berra, ’90 (F) – The subject of an off-season trade scenario almost too unbelievable to be real, RJay Berra found himself on three team rosters before finally returning to the Spruce Kings just before the start of training camp. The ordeal showed us a great deal of maturity in RJay as he fought through the changes and remained focused on being ready for the season no matter what. With a rejuvenated desire to play hockey, RJay played himself onto the top line during the final preseason game.

Colten Derickson, ’89 (F) – A player who continually evolves and shows new things, Colten Derickson is used to proving his spot on the roster. For Colten and the Spruce Kings it started two seasons ago when he came to the Spruce Kings as a free agent in the late stages of the regular season. This year Colten has improved his physical play and play making decisions; that depth may be what it takes to keep one of those limited overage roster spots.

Nick DeSousa, ’90 (F) – A high flying forward that can seemingly make something out of nothing, Nick DeSousa has shown a more patient approach around the net during the preseason. Noticeably stronger after working hard over the summer, Nick has added that dimension to his game this year to go along with his already good vision and puck handling skills. Add in that patience and this may very well be the pay off season for Nick with bigger numbers in his sophomore season.

Justin Fillion, ’90 (D) – Last year’s Rookie of the Year will be a key player on the blue line this year, Justin Fillion will be another defenceman expected to carry much of the work load along with Wes McLeod. Not afraid to jump up on the rush and go to the net himself, Justin will have to be a leader and work closely with his ‘D’ partners to ensure that the back end is still taken care of.

Wes McLeod, ’90 (D) – This veteran is returning for his third season with the Prince George Spruce Kings after deferring his scholarship to the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Although Wes McLeod could have attended his NCAA school this year, the situation presented with the Spruce Kings was just too appealing to pass up on. Top ice time and a role as one of the top four D-men , if not the number one guy, will be immensely beneficial for this player that has received NHL attention.

Joe Morgan, ’89 (F) – With a hard hitting feisty style, Joe Morgan will be a leader on the team this year. Joe has the ability to turn a game with a hard hit or a big play; this could be the power forward that the Spruce Kings have been looking for. He’s not afraid to go to the tough areas on the ice or get involved with the physical aftermath of being there. With a quick release on a hard shot, Joe has the ability to find the net on every shot and find himself as one of the top offensive producers.

Sam Muchalla, ’90 (F) – What is there not to say about this player? Sam Muchalla is this year’s franchise player and the reason some others were brought into the organization. Committed to Northern Michigan next season, look to Sam to take his game to another level and continue where he left off last season as the team’s leading scorer and among the top five in the league. Playing a game bigger than he is, Sam is a handful for the opposition with his skating, puck handling and ability to take and deliver a hit.

Andrew Pickering, ’89 (F) – This skilled forward was acquired from the Trail Smoke Eaters at last season’s trade deadline and impressed right away. Andrew Pickering has been playing the preseason as the left winger on the top line with Sam Muchalla and Brooks Robinson. Focused and driven to secure a scholarship, Andrew wants to show what he can do as a player and a team mate.

Josh Pineiro, ’89 (D) – The only twenty year old on the blue line is Josh Pineiro, this American born player came into camp with a desire to hold onto his overage roster spot. Josh showed his potential last year on the blue line especially in special team situations. This summer he has worked hard at building muscle mass along with speed and agility; skills that should improve this player’s already good puck moving abilities.

Brooks Robinson, ’89 (F) – A highly sought after centreman, Brooks Robinson was acquired in the offseason from the Grande Prairie Storm after spending three seasons in the BCHL, most of that with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. A good puck handling forward that can make and finish plays, Brooks comes to the Spruce Kings with a scholarship to Quinnipiac for next season. Brooks has been playing the consistently on the top line with Sam Muchalla and Andrew Pickering where he will be called upon to dominate in the faceoff circle under most situations.

Evan Smith, ’89 (G) – Now with his third BCHL team, Evan Smith can finally take on the role of being the number one goaltender. Evan is extremely encouraged by the calibre of goaltenders that have come out of the Spruce Kings organization over the past few seasons and what they have gone on to achieve. His desire is to earn a spot in a class with Michael Wall, Michael-Lee Teslak, Brad Thiessen and Kevin Genoe as well as secure a NCAA scholarship in his last year of junior eligibility.

Not Too Far Away Now

It isn't hard to see that the hockey season isn't very far away now with everything that is happening around the Coliseum these past few days. The Spruce Kings office has been busy after a few weeks of down time during the dog days of summer. There is going to be a lot to write (or blog) about over the next couple of days and I will try and get it all out there.

The Spruce Kings Hockey School is starting its final week and has been fielding requests for last minute registrations (can still fit a couple into the 12 - 14 age group). Speaking of the hockey school, that is Nick Drazenovic in a Spruce Kings jersey participating in the Junior Conditioning Camp during the second week of the School. Dave Simoes also showed up during the week and helped to push those junior and major junior hopefuls hard before they head off to their respective camps.

Talking with Nick, it sounds like he has a busy few weeks ahead of him as he will be in Edmonton this week before heading to Peoria and then St. Louis. Watching the Prince George minor hockey product on the ice was a treat as Nick had a ton of hustle and great puck sense. A trio of young men that came down from Whitehorse to skate in the Junior Conditioning Camp said they got a lot more than they bargained for and were excited they had the opportunity to skate, practice and scrimmage with the calibre of players that they did.

I will have a bit of an article on the main Spruce Kings website once the camp is done, but the early reports that are coming in speak quite favourable for the level of instruction and what the students have taken away from the rink so far. A big thank you has to go out to Bayne Koen, the Spruce Kings assistant coach drafted up a daily practice and drill schedule for the age groups. Of course the instructors deserve all of the thanks for their hard work both on and off the ice through the two weeks so far.

In the hockey ops office the ringer on the phone has been getting a work out too as other coaches and general managers touch base with Ed Dempsey and Mike Hawes. A lot of the conversations are simply catching up and going over schedules and other hockey related matters, but of course there have been a few trade talks as well and the Spruce Kings have worked a few deals that have changed their roster.

The most recent addition is Brooks Robinson, a highly respected forward that has played the majority of his junior career on the island splitting duties with the Cowichan Valley Capitals and the Powell River Kings. It was the Coastal Division Kings that traded Robinson to Grande Prairie at the trade deadline where Brooks played in the Storm's final 16 regular season games and 19 post season games.

Another name that will show up on the Spruce Kings roster when the season starts is that of RJay Berra. I know what you are thinking, RJay was on the Spruce Kings roster last year. True, he was, but in what can only be described as an interesting story, RJay also appeared on the roster of two other BCHL teams this summer. After spending the off season in Vancouver working, RJay is in the process of packing up his bags for his return to Prince George and I hope to speak to him on Monday and have that interview available on here shortly afterwards.

Expect another media release from the Spruce Kings this week as well announcing a neutral site location for the team's second exhibition season game. It is perhaps the worst kept secret as everyone at the base of Hudson Bay mountain already knows and is waiting to purchase tickets once they go on sale. Insurance and a few other pieces of red tape had to be sorted out before it could become official, but it is expected to be made official early next week that the Spruce Kings and the Quesnel Millionaires will play at the Smithers Civic Arena on September 2nd.

Okay that is it for now, more details on all of those stories and more are promised for the days ahead. In the meantime however, I am going to be working on some more sponsorships for the Spruce Kings broadcast. Hey, if you would like to show your support of the Spruce Kings with an ad in the game program or on the radio broadcast, drop me a line. Don't wait though as the game program goes to print next week and available spots in the game are limited.