Training Camp: Day 1

Assistant Head Coach, Adam Maglio with players

     Today kicked off the beginning of training camp for the Prince George Spruce kings. With summer coming to a close, 41 boys waited in the lobby of the Coliseum to sign in, and kick off a week of try-outs. After weighing in, and having their height measured, the group broke into two groups to begin practice, with one team taking the early practice, and the other taking the late night shift.

     The first group had the majority of returning Spruce Kings players, while the second had the three Cariboo Cougar players attempting to crack the line-up. Night one consisted of just drills, so it was tough to get a good read on players, but it was a good opportunity for them to gel together, and prepare for the games amongst themselves that will be going on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

     I read an article a while back about Connor McDavid, and it said that while in exhibition games he would score on his first few shifts, and then focus on passing it off to team mates from there on in. Now I'm not saying Cole Todd is Connor McDavid, but that's the kind of performance I saw tonight. The first two shots I saw him take went in, and  from there on while he tried to score, his priority seemed to shift to being a play maker. Being one of the 20 year olds on the team this year, that is exactly the type of leadership that the Spruce Kings are expecting from their returning core.

     For the rest of training camp, Tuesday will consist of fitness testing, and the first intra-squad game, Wednesday will have a "Royal Run" up near UNBC followed by a game at night, and finally Thursday will have rock climbing in the morning followed by the final intra-squad game. All games begin at 7pm, and will be held at the Coliseum.

Adam Maglio: Spruce Kings New Assistant Coach

Adam Maglio
Photo from UBC Thunderbird athletics page

Adam Maglio is the next piece to the puzzle in Prince George.

Today it was announced that the Nelson, BC native will be joining the Spruce Kings for the 2015-2016 BCHL season as assistant coach. After playing in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League for two years, he played in the NCAA for two years with Morrisville State College, and finally moved back to UBC where he spent two years in the CIS. 

As any other coach would do, Adam then moved over to Hong Kong where he directed a hockey program for two years. Last season he made the move back to the Lower Mainland where he helped coach his old team at UBC. 

I had the opportunity to chat with Adam, and get his thoughts on this coming season.




What are you most looking forward to this season in coaching the Spruce Kings?

“I’m personally really looking forward to coaching in the junior ranks. It’s a little bit of a different situation than coaching at the university level, so on my end I’m really excited on working with Mike [Hawes] and Chad [van Diemen] and developing our players.”

The BCHL is a league that has a large focus on development. How do you think you can help the players on this team develop as a recent player yourself? 

“From an off ice perspective it’s preparing them for time management, a level of fitness they need to play at that level, and it’s just a transition going into the college ranks from a mental standpoint.  I think from an on ice perspective, integrating the right systems and how to play the game the right way, knowing how they’re going to move into a university level, and how they’re going to be coached at that level is important too.” 

It's going to be both your's and Chad's first season coaching in Prince George, how do you expect that change to be both for the team, and yourselves? 

“I think it’ll be a good transition, I know coming in to the first year on the job you’re definitely really excited, and I know we’re both really excited about the game. The BCHL is a really good level, and there are good players. I think we’ll bring a lot of energy, and for me there are some learning curves as well with working in a different league and a different level of player. Chad’s been there, so he holds the experience at this level and that’ll serve him well, and serve us well as a coaching staff.”

What is your best trait as a coach? 

“I think I’m a real good communicator, I think that’s really key for me having open lines of communication with the players. Sending the right message and building the culture we want as a staff.” 

What are your thoughts on Prince George? 

“Prince George is a hockey community so I think as a coach, and as a player it’s somewhere you want to play. There’s a lot of community support, and it’s growing. It seems like a real good place to be.”

Mid Mark of the Season

Celebrating a win to mark the mid-way mark of the season

During the past weekend the Spruce Kings hit the halfway mark of their season and did so in fine fashion. Game number 28 of the 56 game regular season was played on Friday night against the visiting Cowichan Valley Capitals. In that game the Spruce Kings won a tight contest 3-1 with goals from Jeremiah Luedtke, Tanner Fjellstrom and an empty netter from Coltyn Hansen.

The win was a significant one because it put a difficult month behind the team and put them back on the winning side of the ledger to start the second half of the season. The win proved to be an important building block for team confidence that showed through with two more wins against a divisional opponent to start the season's second half.

The first half of the season finished with the Spruce Kings sitting in third place in the Mainland Division with 32 points (13-9-1-5). The first half was marked by a bit of a rollercoaster ride for the team. Before the month of October ended, the Spruce Kings earned a Top Twenty National Ranking from the CJHL only to see all of it unravel in a disappointing month of November.

Following the Friday night win I had a chance to sit down and talk to the Spruce Kings General Manager about the first half of the season. Mike Hawes was candid about where the team was and optimistic about where it needed to get to. The following audio segments make up the full two part radio interview that aired during the Spruce Kings broadcast on Saturday night.

Part One
download audio file

Part Two
download audio file

Hawes Keeps Spruce Kings Worthy

The following article was written by Jason Peters and appeared in the Prince George Citizen on Friday September 14, 2012. Please note that anything appearing in brackets has been added by Ron Gallo and does not appear in the Citizen article.

It's time to throw a little praise at Mike Hawes, general manager of the Prince George Spruce Kings. The (Spruce) Kings are off to a 2-0 start in the B.C. Hockey League and will look to go 3-0 when they play their home-opening game tonight at the Coliseum against the Trail Smoke Eaters. Hawes appears to have assembled a club that will score a pile of goals and win a lot of games this season, impressive considering that the team's top 10 point-getters from last season are gone.

That's right, the top ten from 2011-12 are no longer with the club.

Paul De Jersey, Jujhar Khaira and Michael Colantone - No. 1, 2 and 3 in team scoring last season - are all playing NCAA Division I hockey this year. Jarryd Ten Vaanholt, fourth on the points list in 2011-12, is skating in Division III of the NCAA and, like Colantone, would have been too old for the junior game this year. Defenceman Ben Woodley, fifth in (Spruce) Kings point production last season, has also aged out of junior hockey. Another blueliner, Chase Golightly, had one more year of junior eligibility left but has also moved on to the NCAA Division I level.

Then there are the triplets - Myles, Gerry and Leo Fitzgerald. They could have been in Spruce Kings colours as 20-year-olds this season but asked for a trade so they could be closer to their hometown of Port Alberni. The Fitzgeralds, who formed a dynamic second line for the (Spruce) Kings last year, are now doing their damage for the Victoria Grizzlies.

The 10th man on last season's scoring list, defenceman and captain Ben Matthews, is now a 21-year-old playing for the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. With the mass exodus, Hawes had to do a complete rebuild on the (Spruce) Kings.

Specifically with the Fitzgeralds - knowing how many players he was already going to lose - Hawes must have had a minor panic attack when they approached him with their trade request. But the GM managed to engineer a deal that benefited the triplets and the team.

In the transaction with the Grizzlies, Hawes brought 19-year-olds Coltyn Hansen and Cam Lawson north and they have meshed beautifully with P.G. minor hockey product and former WHLer Lyndon Martell on the top line. Through two games - a 4-1 win against Merritt and a 6-5 overtime decision against Langley - Hansen , Lawson and Martell have combined for 11 points.

Defenceman David London was also part of the (Spruce) Kings-Grizzlies trade but is recovering from a broken collarbone and is still waiting to make his regular-season debut.

Other impact newcomers added by Hawes include (20-year-old defenceman Brad Ryan,) 19-year-old forward Liam Board and 17-year-old blueliner Mitch Eden, (all three) from Ontario. Gone, it seems, are the days when players didn't want to skate for the (Spruce) Kings and that say a lot about the new and positive culture that has been fostered by Hawes and head coach Dave Dupas.

Hawes also hasn't been shy about dipping into the local talent pool. Along with Martell, he has P.G. minor hockey products Tyson Witala, Sean Landrey, Jake LeBrun and Tanner Fjellstrom in uniform, not to mention Quesnel boy Ryan Keis. In past years, junior hockey teams in this town were often guilty of overlooking local players because, well, somebody from outside city limits had to be better. Credit to Hawes for getting out of that mindset and utilizing homegrown skill, much of which has come through the Cariboo Cougars major midget program.

fans of the (Spruce) Kings have reason to be excited. They may need some time to figure out who's who in the home jerseys, but they'll have an entertaining and highly-skilled club to watch.

If they see Hawes wandering around the building between periods, they should give him a pat on the back.

On The Eve

The Prince George Spruce Kings are about to start their 17th season in the British Columbia Hockey League. It will be the first time since joining the League that the team will play outside of the Interior Conference. Along with that change is an interesting schedule to start the season with all teams converging on Chilliwack to play a pair of games in the BCHL Showcase.

I had an opportunity to sit down with the Spruce Kings General Manager and talk to Mike Hawes about the Showcase, playing out of the Mainland Division in the Coastal Conference and take a closer look at the team and their expectations. From what I was able to see through the Intra-Squad games and the Preseason schedule, there is reason for excitement among the Spruce Kings faithful for a team with a lot of heart and work ethic.

On the eve of the 2012-13 season, I started by asking Mike Hawes specifically about the BCHL Showcase knowing that it has already become a destination for scouts from all over the hockey world and has generated a lot of excitement with fans around the league.

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PG Citizen: BCHL Decides 2012-13 Playoff Format

[Spruce] Kings GM Hawes likes his club's chances of joining post-season party

by Sheri Lamb, Citizen staff

Mike Hawes had some satisfaction after the British Columbia Hockey League's annual general meeting.

The Prince George Spruce Kings general manager was content with the decisions made at the meeting in Richmond, June 7-9, including the decision on the new playoff format. Hawes said there was some arguing as each general manager tried to finagle the best for his team but in the end there was compromise.

Tyson Witala leaps to deflect a shot against
the Merritt Centennials during the 2011-12 playoffs

"Everybody knows they need to bend a little bit to help their partner out in the league," said Hawes. "At the end of the day everybody ends up getting a schedule they're fairly content with."

At meetings earlier this year, the BCHL decided to return to three divisions, with the Coastal Conference being split into the Island and Mainland Divisions. The Kings were also transferred from the Interior Conference to the Coastal Conference and will play in the Mainland Division.

No playoff schedule was decided upon until last weekend. In the two Coastal divisions, four of the five teams will qualify for the playoffs, with the top seed facing the fourth seed and the second and third seeds facing off. In the Interior, the top four of the six teams will qualify for the post season.

The two Coastal Divisions will play a best-of-five series in the first two rounds, switching to a best-of seven in the conference final. The playoff between conference winners for the Fred Page Cup will also be a best-of-seven series.

The Interior Conference will have two best-of-seven rounds with the winner advancing to the final.

"We did that just to make sure the number of games potentially played are about the same as what will potentially be coming out of the Okanagan so that the two teams that play in the league finals will have played approximately the same number of playoff games," said Hawes.

If all series were to go the distance, the Coastal finalist would play 17 games with the Interior finalist having played 14.

The league also decided on its 56-game schedule - four less games than last season - including two games that'll be played in Chilliwack at the BCHL's inaugural Showcase Weekend, Sept. 7-9, at Prospera Centre.

"I was happy with the way ours turned out to be honest," said Hawes. "Our home schedule looks really good. We're going to have three Thursday games and three Sunday games and aside from that the rest of our games will be on Fridays and Saturdays at home this year. For us, that's quite a good schedule."

The schedule, pending governor's approval, should be released by the end of June.

Hawes said he also likes the fact the Kings will see more than one team in Prince George on a number of weekends.

"There will be some doubleheaders with the teams from our division coming up, but they'll be a lot of weekend games where we'll get two or three different opponents in," said Hawes. "I prefer it that way.

"I'm not a huge fan of the doubleheaders," he added. "It's always hard for the home team to win both ends of a doubleheader."

The Kings will face their fiercest rival, the Merritt Centennials, when they open the season at the showcase at noon, Saturday, Sept. 8 and then their face new division rival, the Langley Rivermen, in the final game of the event Sunday at 6 p.m.

"That couldn't have worked out any better for us," said Hawes. "If we're going to play anybody it might as well be Merritt, who we had some real tough battles with last year and the team that knocked us out in the playoffs. We shouldn't have any trouble at all getting up for that game."

The Centennials earned a 4-0 sweep of the Kings in the first round of the playoffs in March.

Against their new division rival, the Kings will be looking to get the upper hand on the Rivermen early in the season.

"Not only is it going to be a big event for our players individually, it's also a big event for our team," said Hawes. "Those two games are definitely going to help to get us going and get us ready for our home games the following weekend."

As for the showcase weekend, Hawes said it's been a long time coming for the BCHL, as the other three western leagues have staged the event for several years.

"It's something that I'm definitely happy our league has gone to," he said. "We probably should've gone to it before now."

By having all 16 teams play two games in a single location, it allows scouts from various NCAA schools, and NHL teams, easy access to watch multiple players.

"Our league is heavily scouted as it is so prior to this year we didn't think it was a necessity but moving forward it is definitely something we can use to our advantage," said Hawes about why the BCHL waited so long to implement the showcase. "It maybe took us a little longer to realize that."

Other decisions the GMs made during their weekend get together included scrapping the 15-year-old player rule, increasing the roster from 21 to 22 players, adding a 30-day injury list in addition the the 60-day injury list and continuing to implement Hockey Canada's junior A supplement initiative for another two seasons.

Hawes said last season the league added the 15-year-old draft to gain more exposure for for the young players and the league, but it didn't seem to have the desired effect in drawing more attention.

"We decided, for this year, that we would scrap it and put some thought towards trying something different," said Hawes.

Two years ago, BCHL teams carried 23-man rosters, which was reduced to 21 last season but much to Hawes' delight teams will have an additional body to play with in the 2012-13 season.

"Definitely a good thing," said Hawes. "To me, [21] wasn't a good number to function within. For most teams in the league when you run into injury problems and stuff like that it definitely creates some hardship for teams trying to find players trying to fill their roster."

Hawes said with 22 players teams can each carry an extra forward and an extra defenceman.

The GMs also tweaked the wording on an old rule, which stated each team in the league had to have one 16 year old and one 17 year old player on their roster. The new rule states, "Every team is required to have two players 17 or under."

It gives teams the opportunity to carry two 17 year old players, two 16 year old players or one of each. Hawes said the Kings have traditionally carried at least one 16 year old and he doesn't see that changing.

Already signed by the Kings is 1996-born goaltender Liam McLeod of Kamloops. Hawes said as the Kings' roster sits presently McLeod would work in tandem with 20-year-old veteran Kirk Thompson in the net.

The BCHL board of governors has until June 25 to vote on the 2012-13 schedule.

Hawes doesn't count out Kings hosting Showcase Weekend

The B.C. Hockey League's decision to implement the showcase weekend where scouts from around the NCAA and various professional teams have a one-stop shopping trip to view prospective players could open up opportunities for the Prince George Spruce Kings.

The inaugural showcase weekend will take place in Chilliwack, Sept. 7-9, with each of the 16 teams playing two regular-season games each.

Kings general manager Mike Hawes said he's open to putting in a bid to host the event in the future.

"It's something we can consider but, obviously, being geographically challenged would create a bunch of extra costs within the league for teams to have to travel up," said Hawes. "That being said, I wouldn't rule it out. Who knows? We'll see what the future brings."

The Kings showed they could host multi-team events in 2007 when the Royal Bank Cup was staged in Prince George. In order to host the showcase, a team would need two ice surfaces - preferably at one location.

The Second Season Begins Tonight

In a two part interview with the Prince George Spruce Kings General Manager, Mike Hawes, we took a look back at the sixty game regular season and all of the accomplishments that were reached and all of the ingredients that went into achieving the goal of returning to the postseason. If that was at least part of the first goal, then yes the team has found success but there has to be more and that is the subject of the second half of my interview with Mike Hawes.

When we left off, Hawes was just starting to talk about the two teams that are meeting in the first round of the playoffs. Two teams that haven't seen each other since December 9th in a game that was decided by a single goal yet again. In the seven meeting between the two teams five were decided by that single goal, each team won an overtime game and each team also won by a three goal spread. The difference was that the Merritt Centennials did find three more wins then the Spruce Kings did.

Knowing that the Spruce Kings wanted to play the Centennials in the first round I was immediately reminded of the cliche that you should be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. I asked Mike Hawes if the Merritt Centennials are really the team the Spruce Kings want to play in the first round of the playoffs.

download audio file

One Last Look Back

It truly has turned in to a memorable season so far, but the message I'm hearing today from the office and even in the dressing room is that was just the regular season and the playoffs are a whole new game. It might be cliche for sure, but it is also true. Getting to the post season is just that, getting to play a few more games. The real test is take all the good that happened in the regular season and parlay that into four more wins before your opponent does the the same thing.

Heading into the regular season, the Spruce Kings were ruled out of making the playoffs by a few people but there were just as many determined to make it happen this year. I had an opportunity to sit down and talk to one of those people, the architect of this year's team. He won't say that because he believes it was a collaborative effort that encompasses the scouts that live many miles away right up to the trainers, volunteers and even the fans of the team.

Mike Hawes put in many hours over countless days looking for the right people to come in and make something out of what was really nothing for the previous two seasons. In my conversation he talks about player acquisitions that started over a year ago when he first took on the role of the team's full time General Manager. He talks about the coaches, the marketing team, the corporate supporters and the hockey fans in Prince George.

In the first of a two part feature interview with the Spruce Kings General Manager, I start by asking Mike Hawes if he thinks this season can be called a success.

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Spruce Kings Secure a Playoff Berth

Ty Swabb (35) helped backstop the Spruce Kings to a
playoff berth in a 6-1 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters

The Prince George Spruce Kings clinched a playoff spot Friday after defeating the Smoke Eaters 6-1 in Trail. The win was the team's 31st of the season giving them a 31-19-2-4 record with four games remaining in the regular season. The team now has eyes on finishing as high as second place but will have to work if they want to pass the Merritt Centennials for that spot.

"It's an exciting time for the organization anytime you can clinch a playoff berth," said Spruce Kings General Manager, Mike Hawes following the team's win Friday night in Trail. "When the season started our goal was to make the playoffs. So now that we have achieved that goal the second stage of our focus now is on the playoffs and securing a second or third seeding in the Division."

When looking at some of the aspects of change from the previous two seasons, perhaps the most notable is the number of wins. So far this season, the Spruce Kings have equaled the number of wins from the previous two seasons. Prince George started the year with that weighing on them as well as having the knowledge that only the top four teams would make the post season.

"We went in to the off season knowing that we had a lot of work to do to bring in players to make this a competitive team," said Hawes. "We maybe got lucky with a few players. We knew Paul De Jersey for example was going to be on the first line, but did we think he would be scoring leader in the League at this point in the season? Probably not, no, but that has been very beneficial for us."

"There are many other key acquisitions throughout the season," continued Hawes. "Michael Colantone has worked out well. The Ben Matthews trade we made last summer has worked out very well for us. The Fitzgerald triplets have turned into great assets for us and have improved their defensive game immensely with us. The Ty Swabb deal has really solidified our goaltending. The trade deadline deals (for Jarryd Ten Vaanholt and Zack Rassell) have made us an extremely deep team."

That depth showed on Friday night with six different goal scorers for the Prince George Spruce Kings and four players with multiple points including Jujhar Khaira and Chase Golightly with a goal and a pair of assists each. Paul De Jersey and Ben Woodley both added a pair of helpers in the game while eight more players contributed with single points in the 6-1 win.

After a scoreless first period, the Spruce Kings responded with five goals in the second period starting with Gerry Fitzgerald's 15th of the season two minutes in to the middle frame. That opening goal was followed up with three straight powerplay tallys including the eventual game winner that came off the stick of Chase Golightly from the point. That goal was scored 7 seconds after the Spruce Kings went on their second powerplay chance.

Michael Colantone was the recipient of a perfect pass from Jujhar Khaira who was set up behind the Smoke Eaters net. Colantone's 28th goal of the season came 48 seconds in to Prince George's third powerplay. Jujhar Khaira with two helpers to this point in the game, would get his 28th of the season 1:09 into the team's fourth powerplay after poking home a loose puck following a Paul De Jersey to Jarryd Ten Vaanholt scoring chance.

Myles Fitzgerald would add an even strength marker, his 17th of the season, before the end of the second period and Zack Rassell scored his 4th since becoming a member of the Spruce Kings in the third period to spot Prince George a 6-0 lead. A late penalty against the Spruce Kings led to the Trail Smoke Eaters lone goal of the game with less than two minutes to play in the third period. The goal ended Ty Swabb's shutout bid but wasn't enough to keep the netminder from improving his numbers in the BCHL.

The Spruce Kings have one more game in Trail on Saturday night and then a Sunday afternoon game in Vernon before returning home to finish off the season with a doubleheader against the Penticton Vees. As the General Manager puts it, the team can't be worried about what other teams are going to do, the players have to worry about what they can do in their final four games.

"Our work in the regular season isn't done yet," said Hawes. "Our first goal was to make the playoffs, now that we have done that we would like to secondarily finish has high as we can and get that second spot to gain home ice advantage."

"That's what we're thinking now sitting two points behind Merritt; we're going to have to do our work with a fairly tough schedule here on out. By no means is it going to be an easy task, but we have to put our nose to the grindstone and continue to play good hockey the way we have been and anything can happen."

Trail isn't about to go quietly knowing that Prince George is the only Interior Division team that they haven't been able to take points away from this season. The Vernon Vipers still have their eyes on a playoff spot and the Penticton Vees are going to want to run the table to the end of the season now that they are this close to doing just that.

Stretch Drive

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

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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Spruce Kings Find Offense For Playoff Push

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.

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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

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."

Countdown to the Trade Deadline

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.

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Midway Mark with Mike Hawes

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.

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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.

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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.

At the Quarter Mark in the Season

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.

Mike Hawes on the Eve of his Rookie General Manager Season

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.

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Thoughts from the BCHL AGM

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.

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From the Desk of Mike Hawes

I had the opportunity to stop by the Spruce Kings office earlier today, well actually it was designed as I wanted to talk to the hockey operations staff about some of the latest news surrounding the team and the league.

This past weekend marked the BCHL AGM and I'm told it covered a lot of league business and planning for the future. It also covered the usual items such as reviewing proposed rule changes and drafting up the coming schedule. Much of the meeting is about getting the chance to meet as representatives of the individual teams without the distraction of competitive games getting in the way.

On June 1st, Hockey Canada released to the teams their allotment of cards so that teams could go out and start actively filling spots for the 2010-11 season. The process of recruiting is an ongoing process that is completed when a player signs one of the cards belonging to a team. For players it adds security in knowing where they will be playing to start the coming season and for teams it is a chance to breathe a little easier knowing that the players they want to build around are in place.

That is where I started my conversation with Mike Hawes, the assistant general manager and director of player personnel for the Spruce Kings. With the announcement last week of the signing of four players, I asked Mike about the players and what qualities they bring to the Spruce Kings.

2010 Spring Camp: Sucession Planning

With the Spring Camp now just a week away I had an opportunity to understand the importance of it to both the players and the organization from Mike Hawes, the Spruce Kings Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel. With a question and answer session, Hawes provided some insight to the team's direction and expectations of this year's camp.

Ron Gallo (RG): "After a few successful camps over the past few years, the Spruce Kings are doing it again. What do you expect from this year's camp?"

Mike Hawes (MH): "You're right Ron, the Spring Camp has been very successful for us in recent years and I anticipate this year's camp to be no different. Recently the camp has drawn as many as 135 players which have been placed into eight very strong and competitive teams. This year's numbers will be close to that again and will make for another tremendous camp. What's nice is we get an opportunity to watch some of the best young hockey players in BC and throughout North American right here in our backyard."

RG: "What can these players expect to gain from attending the Spring Camp this year?"

MH: "The goal for most players attending the camp will be to earn an invitation back to our main training camp in August and then a roster spot on the team. For some of the younger player, who are not yet eligible to play in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), it gives them an opportunity to gauge themselves against some Junior 'A' caliber player. They will get to see what they need to do to elevate their game enough to play for the Spruce Kings down the road."

RG: "Do players at this year's Spring Camp have a real chance at cracking the Spruce Kings lineup for next season?"

MH: "Every year we've had players progress from the Spring Camp to the main camp and eventually to our hockey club all in succession. Last year's camp was very successful as we had six players from the Spring Camp make it onto our roster and play the whole season. What that means is that almost one third of last year's team was made up of players who started the process by attending the Spring Camp. That's what makes the Camp such a great endeavour to undertake, despite the long hours and hard work it takes to put it on. What makes this year's Camp even more appealing to players is the fact that we did not enjoy the type of on ice success last season that we had hoped for. This means that there will be a lot of on ice changes which opens up a lot of spots for players hoping to make our team and play in the best Junior 'A' league in Canada."

RG: "What format will the Camp follow this year? Will there be any changes from past years?"

MH: "There will be one significant change to this year's Spring Camp, we will be selecting the top 42 players during the Camp to participate in a Top Prospects Game on the afternoon of Day 3. Every player will register on the morning of Day 1 where they will receive their team assignment and schedule. Each team will practice that afternoon and then play a game that evening. Day 2 will feature two games for each team, each team will also play a game on the morning of Day 3 and the camp will conclude with the Top Prospects Game. every player is guaranteed one practice and four games with those players selected as a top prospect playing in a fifth game. The response from player and parents over the past few years has been tremendous in regards to the amount of ice time that each player receives at the Camp."

RG: "Is the Camp open to the public?"

MH: "Yes, the Camp is open to the public and our fans are encouraged to come down and see the future of the organization. There is no charge to take in the Camp and with all the parents and families of the players in attendance combined with our fans it will make for a great atmosphere, as always, at the Coliseum. The Camp gives our faithful fans an opportunity to see some great hockey in a great rink before summer is upon us."

RG: "Thanks Mike and good luck at this year's camp."

MH: "Thank you Ron."

Looking at the list of players registered for the Spruce Kings Spring Camp, I can tell you that all goaltender spots have been filled but there are still a few holes open for a couple of forwards and defencemen. Last minute registrations can be accepted but the sooner the better obviously ... CLICK HERE for more information, a map to the rink and to download a registration form.