Spruce Kings Never Give Up

Mitch Gillam and Kirk Thompson took a little extra time
to congratulate each other at the end of the game

The Prince George Spruce Kings season came to an end Wednesday night in Chilliwack after suffering a 5-2 loss to the Chiefs just 24 hours after PG extended the series with an identical score in the Coliseum. Perhaps it was the short series highlighted by a quick turnaround from Game 4 in Prince George to Game 5 in Chilliwack with an eight hour bus ride to the Fraser Valley, but both teams had to do it. As much as it hurts to say it, the better team did win this series but not without having to earn it and both teams were better teams after the series than before the post season started.

Both teams started the game running on adrenaline but it was obvious to see that they had been playing on for the previous four games was missing. The plays were more calculated and more defensively minded as opposed to the hard hitting in your face style that we had witnessed in the games leading up to this fifth and deciding contest.

An early goal by Prince George send waves of excitement rippling through the Province as a future star with the Spruce Kings opened the scoring just 73 seconds into the game. Lyndon Martell and David Stephens hopped over the bench with Braiden Epp joining the pair for the trio's first shift of the game. The play started with a nice defensive stick by Martell who stole the puck away and tapped it up to Stephens. The hockey product from Whitehorse took off up the left wing with Epp jumping up through the middle creating a two-on-one rush for Prince George.

With David Stephens looking to feather a pass through to Braiden Epp, the Chilliwack Chiefs defenceman committed to taking away the pass and threw his body in the lane. Stephens took an extra step to the left that pulled Mitch Gillam into no man's land and then saucered a pass over to Epp in the slot. Committed to the Prince George Spruce Kings for the 2013-14 season, Epp took the pass on his forehand with Gillam overcommitting to get back to cover a one-timer from the youngster. Epp pulled the puck back to his back hand and lifted the puck over a vulnerable Gillam for his first BCHL goal.

The lead would hold up for only six minutes before the BCHL's Coastal Conference Rookie of the Year took matters into his own hands and led a Chiefs rush down the ice the other way. Luke Esposito showed his ability to turn on the jets on this play as he drove hard down the right side wall before letting a hard shot go from outside the faceoff circle. Kirk Thompson got all of the shot with his big pads but the rebound went right out to Josh Hansen who was coming down the middle and was able to corral the puck and move in on Thompson untouched. Hansen made no mistake going blocker side on Thompson to the tie the game at a goal a-piece.

The toll of the bus ride started to show on both teams as they didn't have the legs or the life in them as the period wore on. The opening twenty minutes would end in a 1-1 tie with Chilliwack posting 17 shots on Thompson and Spruce Kings getting 8 on Gillam. In stark contrast to previous games, the first period had no penalties to show for either team; which was as much an indication of how the game was being called as it was being played. The four man officiating crew let a few borderline calls that didn't have any malice to them go on both sides.

In the second period, the teams traded penalties with Cooper Rush getting called for the hold at 2:14 putting the Spruce Kings on the game's first powerplay of the game. The Spruce Kings were able to work the puck around quite nicely and kept the pressure in the offensive zone for almost a full minute before the Chiefs were able to relieve the pressure and send the puck down the ice. Eight players were able to change with only Mitch Eden left on the ice as he went to retrieve the puck from deep in his own zone. The Spruce Kings put more pressure on Chilliwack with their second unit but couldn't get anything past Gillam. Even after being on the ice for the full two minutes and a few extra seconds, Eden came off still looking as fresh as he did when the powerplay started.

Through the next few minutes the game took on a feel that the next goal was going to win the game even though there was lots of hockey still to be played. The teams were playing defensively cautious hockey and the offense wasn't looking to get caught in a situation that could lead to an odd-man rush for the other team. Both sides were playing this one close and safe and then Chilliwack got their first powerplay of the game with Trevor Esau was called for interference after not releasing a player off the wall after the puck came loose.

Fortunately the Chiefs first powerplay was also ineffective despite getting some good cross seam passes through. The one-timers were either wide or blocked and the ones that did get through from the peripheral, Thompson was able to stop. In what looked like the makings of the Studio Cuts Crowning Moment of the Game for Prince George, just seconds after Esau was released from the sin bin, the Chiefs captain was sent to sit for two or less on a cross checking call at 9:33 of the second.

The Spruce Kings power play that had looked so good earlier in the second period on their first chance came up empty and they spent very little time in the Chiefs zone with any kind of pressure or possession. In one foreshadowing play, the Spruce Kings struggled to get the puck into the offensive zone and had to circle back no less than three times and by then the team's second powerplay was over. To make matters worse, 14 seconds later Skylar Pacheco was called for high sticking while trying to wrap the puck around the back wall.

The Chiefs embraced their second powerplay that started at 11:47 and lasted 51 seconds before the BCHL Playoff Scoring Leader was credited with his seventh goal of the post season. In a flurry of action, Philip Zielonka received a pass from the left side wall to where he was standing at the bottom of the right side face off circle. Zielonka's shot hit Kirk Thompson and redirected across the ice into the left corner. Before I could finish extolling the greatness of that save, the puck was fired back to Zielonka who took one more shot towards the net.

In a flurry of movement in front of the net and beside it, Thompson was back in position and down on the ice to take away the high percentage shot coming from Zielonka. Good positioning by Thompson was trumped by better luck from Zielonka as his shot deflected off a defender at the side of the net and ended up fluttering over the reach of Thompson and landed on the ice just over the goal line. The goal spotted a the Chiefs their first lead of the game and marked the first time in the series that a team was able to erase a deficit in a game they trailed in.

As predicted the goal changed the tide and left the Spruce Kings to try and open things up looking for the equalizer that would never come. The second period ended as a 2-1 lead for the Chilliwack Chiefs despite being outshot 13-11 in that middle frame by a desperate Spruce Kings squad. Both teams had just the two powerplays in that middle frame to work with.

To start the third period, the Spruce Kings came at Chilliwack in waves who for just the second time this series seemed content to recede into a defensive shell. The only other time I saw that from the Chiefs was late in the first game after the Chiefs scored their first goal to take away Thompson's shutout. After scoring that goal, the Chiefs just carried the puck into their own end of the ice and waited for the clock to expire. The difference between game one and game five was that there were only four seconds on the clock in game one and still twenty minutes of hockey to be played in this deciding game.

Even when playing a defense-first style of game, when opportunities present themselves, you have to take them and that happened very early in the third period for Chilliwack when Spencer Graboski forced a turnover in his own zone and was able to go down the ice with Mathieu Tibbet. Although not an offensive threat in the regular season, Tibbet provided depth for Harvey Smyl's team and on this play would pick up his third goal of the post season and seventh point.

With the Chiefs now up 3-1, Zielonka and Esposito were noticeably absent as they sat on the bench resting in case they were needed later on in the period. It was instead a steady diet of Spencer Graboski, Autin Plevy and Mathieu Tibbet for the Spruce Kings to deal with. On one particular play Plevy dove for a loose puck and ended up falling face first onto Cameron Lawson's stick.

In noticeable discomfort, Plevy went straight to the bench and the trainer started working on him. It became quite apparent that Plevy had broken his nose as the trainer put it back into place and cleaned up the forward. No sooner was Plevy back in the game then he was on the scoresheet. Just moments after having his nose broke, Plevy was set up Graboski in front and whistled his fourth of the post season past Thompson at 7:26.

Just over two minutes later, the Spruce Kings were able to get on the board on a nice play that started with Jake LeBrun protecting the puck in the left side faceoff circle while playing keep-away from three defenders. LeBrun put the puck off the wall to Shayne Morrissey who was standing behind the Chiefs net. Morrissey faked one way and came out the other passing the puck through the top of the crease to Sean Landrey who was on the inside of the left face off circle.

Landrey didn't spend any time thinking of what shot to take, he just let instinct take over and knew that Gillam would be coming back to protect the short side so he fired top shelf far side beating Gillam's glove for his first of the post season. The goal gave the Spruce Kings bench some life as they now had 10:16 remaining in the third period to come up with two more goals to tie this game up.

Dreams of seeing this game go to overtime were not shared by Chilliwack who concentrated on their defensive game first and foremost leaving the Spruce Kings with very little to go on. As time ticked down on the Spruce Kings season and the tanks empty from the adrenaline laced game just one night prior in Prince George, it started to become apparent that this series was going to go to the home team.

In one last valiant effort to maybe find fumes, Dave Dupas pulled Kirk Thompson and sent Coltyn Hansen on the ice as an extra attacker. The gamble looked like it might actually pay off as the Spruce Kings used the artificial man advantage to create a couple of scoring chances but again Gillam was not going to be letting anything more in on this night. As if the time on the clock hadn't already sealed the deal, Austin Plevy made sure of it scoring an empty net goal with four seconds remaining on the clock. Prince George outshot Chilliwack 16-11 in that final frame but only the Landrey shot beat Gillam.

The two teams shook hands at centre ice taking a little extra time to congratulate different players on both squads. While watching the graduating players go through the line, it was clear to see that there was a lot of respect for what Kirk Thompson and Trevor Esau brought to the series. It is a strange feeling to know that a pair of rookies just three season ago that gave so much to the Spruce Kings and to the City of Prince George will no longer being wearing the Crown on the ice, but will always wear the Crown on their hearts.

With the season done, the team will return to Prince George to clean out their dressing room, hold exit interviews and present recognize individual achievements with the annual Player Awards Banquet on Saturday night. I will have a wrap up of those awards that feature two new ones this year to recognize areas of play in a game that are very important to Dave Dupas and his coaching staff. Perhaps the hardest trophy to find a single recipient for will be that of Playoff MVP with so many players elevating their game in the post season and showing the true character of what it means to be a Spruce King.

Spruce Kings Take Game One

Chad Staley (22) was able to stay in the game
after taking a blindside hit from Eric Roberts.

The Spruce Kings went in to Chilliwack and did what not very many people thought they could do ... take the first game in the Mainland Divisional Semi-Final best-of-five series. The final score was 3-1 for Prince George, but the shots told a much different story with Chilliwack outshooting their opponents 44-20. The game lived up to its billing of being a physical contest with some heavy hits, a couple of tilts and even the lights going out.

In a scoreless first period of play, with the Spruce Kings just starting to get their wits about them after being outshot 10-1 prior to the BCHL timeout, four lights went out in Prospera Centre above the Spruce Kings blue line. The outage happened just as Prince George was heading up the ice looking to cash in on some of the momentum that they had got to swing their way.

On the first shift after the BCHL timeout, Jeremiah Luedtke got the Spruce Kings first real shot on goal and first quality scoring chance after rifling a shot on goal that Mitch Gillam had difficulties containing and ended up watching slide just past the far post. On the very next shift Shayne Morrissey elected to go for the shot on a two-on-one, this time Gillam was square to the shooter but gave up a juicy rebound that just got away from Morrissey. On the next shift it was Karan Toor who danced through the top of the slot before firing a shot on Gillam.

With 3:52 remaining in a scoreless first period of play, the lights went out prompting the officials to send the teams to the dressing room for an early intermission. At the time of the early dismissal, the Chilliwack Chiefs were outshooting the Prince George Spruce Kings 15-5 and when the first period resumed, they added three more for a first period total of 18-5.

The games first penalty came in the second period to David Stephens who was called for tripping. The Spruce Kings, who had been working on their penalty kill, were successful in killing of the Chilliwack man advantage and tried to use that as leverage to get back in the game with some offense. The offense didn't come easy for the Spruce Kings on this night who found themselves being turned around at every corner and challenged to every puck. The difference was the stellar performance between the pipes of Kirk Thompson.

At the 15:31 of the second period, a bit of a scare was put into the Spruce Kings bench when Eric Roberts caught Chad Staley in an awkward position and checked him into the boards with a blindside hit. The referee's arm went up in the arm immediately. Jace Hennig took exception to the hit and went right after Roberts with the two dropping the gloves and trading a couple of blows. When the dust settled, the Spruce Kings ended up with their second man advantage of the game. Roberts received two minutes for boarding, two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct and a five minute major for fighting. Henning was assessed an instigating minor, fighting major and a ten minute misconduct. With the man advantage, Mark Begert was able to use some time and space from the left point to feed the puck to David Stephens standing in the left faceoff circle. Stephens shot the puck towards the net and had the puck deflect off of Cameron Lawson's skate and into the net. With very little dispute or discussion, the goal counted and the Spruce Kings found themselves up 1-0 at 16:43 of the second.

The Chiefs poured it on immediately after that looking for the equalizer and with time ticking down in the second period, everybody in the building was brought to the edge of their seat when Luke Esposito had a chance with a shot into a wide open net. The puck fluttered on Esposito and a Spruce Kings defender may have been able to get a stick on the shot as well, but either way the end result was the same with Esposito lifting the puck over the open net and firing off the glass on the back wall. The second period ended with the Spruce Kings leading the Chiefs 1-0.

The third period was a little more even with the difference coming at the 6:38 mark when David Stephens found Coltyn Hansen on the left wing. With his deceptively quick speed, Hansen found himself a stride ahead of the defender inside the Chiefs zone as he cut to the net. From the top of the blue ice and with an extra little push of the stick, Hansen was able to get the puck to go through Gillam, who had sprawled going for the poke check. After the goal Gillam was seen looking at his jersey and his equipment for a hole or at least an explanation as to how that puck got through him.

With plenty of time left in the game, the Chilliwack Chiefs sent out a steady diet of the top line trying to manufacture a goal from the combination of Luke Esposito, Austin Plevy and Philip Zielonka. The three would all have chances with Esposito actually finding the net but only after the puck was ruled to have been touched by the hand of another Chiefs player. As the time ticked away in the third period, the game remained a 2-0 lead for Prince George with Chilliwack looking to cut that lead in half. With 1:41 remaining in the third period, Gillam was pulled in favour of the extra attacker giving Prince George a chance at the empty net.

Coltyn Hansen would get two attempts to put this game out of reach and wouldn't miss on his second try. Taking a bit of a gamble by taking the shot from the Spruce Kings side of centre ice, Hansen watched as the puck bounced into the open cage with 16 seconds remaining in regulation time giving Prince George a 3-0 lead. On the ensuing faceoff, the Chiefs forced a turnover from below the goal line where Brodyn Nielsen fed the puck to an open Matthiew Tibbet in the slot. Thompson was caught out of position with the traffic in his crease giving Tibbet the easy tap in ruining the shutout bid of Thompson.

With their loan goal coming with less than 4 seconds remaining in the game, the Chilliwack Chiefs seemed content in knowing that they had found a way to beat Thompson and score on the Spruce Kings, they didn't even bother looking for another offensive chance. The win was Kirk Thompson's first post season win and something that had eluded him in his Junior A career.

The Spruce Kings went into the game with the mantra of having "attention to detail" and although they picked up the win, they know there is still room for improvement in their game. Mitch Eden was given a ten minute misconduct for not having his jersey tie down secured, which became apparent early in the second period when he was partially jerseyed in an altercation. Jace Hennig was also given a ten minute misconduct for instigating a fight after Chad Staley was hit in the boards and in the third period Kevin Guiltinan ended up with a two minute minor for checking from behind and a game misconduct for the penalty. There should be no further discipline for that call, despite what I said on the broadcast, because the penalty was only a minor and not a major.

The Spruce Kings will get a chance now to double up their lead on Chilliwack and take a stranglehold in this short series with game two on Saturday night. Certainly the Chiefs will have something to say about that as their goal will be to get a split on home ice and force a game four in Prince George. Faceoff for game two tonight is set for 7pm from Prospera Centre with the game broadcast live on 93.1 CFIS-FM as well as online from the Spruce Kings MIXLR.com channel and pay-per-view broadcast on FASTHOCKEY.com.

Regular Season Leaders

Coltyn Hansen (10) finished the season as the team's
leading scorer hitting the 50 point plateau

At this time of the year the stats keepers are quick to release information regarding how players fared during the regular season. I guess that makes me no difference because the Spruce Kings have their statistical leaders in all those common categories too. Perhaps the best test is to compare some of those numbers around the League and through the years. I'll look a little more in depth into those numbers but for now here are those common numbers.

Coltyn Hansen finished the season as the team's leading scorer with 21 goals and 29 assists reaching the 50 point plateau. With skates a-flash, Hansen used his speed on many occasion to create scoring chances for himself and the Prince George Spruce Kings. His speed can be attributed to more than just a handful of his goals this season.

That 21 goal performance was tied by Cameron Lawson who counted 7 powerplay goals, 2 short handed goals and 5 game winning goals in that number as well. Unfortunately for Lawson, a late season injury prevented him from maybe passing his roommate and taking over sole possession of that particular stat.

Honorable mention has to go out to a pair of Spruce Kings in defenceman Mitch Eden and forward Shayne Morrissey in this category. For much of the first half of the season, Eden was the team's leading scorer contributing with setup plays from the blue line that were often initiated by him carrying the puck from coast to coast. Speaking of going from coast to coast, Shayne Morrissey came out west from St. John's, Newfoundland at the beginning of October. Even though he missed out on the eight games in September, Morrissey came to within one goal of a three way tie for goals scored and finished one point behind Mitch Eden for total points.

Being able to play a full season is no easy feat, especially this year when the team battled the flu and normal winter colds leaving the team short benched for a few games. Two of the three players were rookies this year which is sometimes its own hurdle in getting in a full compliment of games. Bryant Christian and Chad Staley were the two rookies that managed to suit up for all 56 games and play through it all this season. The other player to strike up an iron man streak in 2012-13 is Skylar Pacheco who is actually up to 71 games dating back to February 3, 2012.

There are a few stats that are kept but not listed on the BCHL website that coaches like to have at their disposal to measure some of the intangibles of a player's on-ice performance. Blocked shots and plus/minus can be huge to determine how effective a player is when he's on the ice even when there aren't necessarily any points to show for it on the scoresheet. Coltyn Hansen won the plus/minus title finishing with a plus 16 followed by Justin Rai and Skylar Pacheco.

Blocked shots is interesting stat and one that just doesn't get enough recognition. When a team is having difficulties finding a lane and getting shots through, it is because of these players that are sacrificing themselves for the team. The undisputed fearless leader for 2012-13 is Trevor Esau who blocked a total of 254 shots in 51 games. Coming in second in this category was the rookie defenceman, Karan Toor with a season total of 202 blocked shots. The entire Spruce Kings lineup all contributed to an overall team total of 1369 blocked shots, 998 among defenceman.

Between the pipes there is no question as to the contributions of Kirk Thompson who found himself in 50 of the team's 56 games for a franchise record of 2806 minutes played in a single season. Thompson also set the single season franchise record for wins at 24 with both stats helping him lay claim to the franchise record for career minutes played (6705) and career wins (46).

Silverbacks Claw Past Spruce Kings in Regular Season Finale

Derek Bulmer (26) and Riley Hawes (24) were emergency callups
from Midget Tier I Cougars saw a lot ice in their first BCHL games

The Prince George Spruce Kings fell behind early and couldn't recover in their regular season finale on Saturday night at a sold out Coliseum.

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks spoiled the party for the hosts and the 2,116 fans who packed the Castle building a 3-0 lead in the first 6 1/2 minutes and hanging on for a 5-3 win.

With six regulars out of the lineup due to illness and injury, the Spruce Kings called three affiliate players - including two making their BCHL debut.

Reece Forman took a regular shift on the blue-line, while local products Riley Hawes and Derek Bulmer played up front. Often paired together, Hawes and Bulmer generated a handful of scoring chances, with Bulmer ringing one off the cross-bar in the first.

Salmon Arm, riding high after clinching a playoff spot in Merritt on Friday night, stormed out to a three-goal lead just 6:22 into the game. First Steven Iacobellis wristed a shot over Kirk Thompson's right shoulder at 3:59; then Josh Bowes took a feed from Brayden Sherbinin, cut to the front of the net and slid one under Thompson at 5:36;then Harlan Orr lifted a rebound over Thompson's pad at 6:22.

The third goal prompted Spruce Kings head coach Dave Dupas to use his timeout and settle his team. The tactic seemed to work as a couple of shifts later Coltyn Hansen found Shayne Morrissey in front and he fired the puck past Silverbacks' goalie Angus Redmond as a pair of graduating Spruce Kings players connected at 8:17.

That score held through the rest of the first and the entire second, but it was Prince George who was beginning to take control of more and more of the play as the game went on.

Hansen got the home side within one at 13:13 of the third when he tipped home Chad Staley's shot for the prettiest goal of the game. Lyndon Martell got the play started, finding Staley with a nice pass in the high slot.

Salmon Arm snuffed any budding momentum with a goal a couple minutes later on the power play. Jordan Levesque's harmless looking point shot hit a Spruce Kings' player in front and fooled Thompson as the visitors resorted their two-goal lead.

Prince George battled back one more time, with Martell snipping a laser of a shot past Redmond at 15:58. Bryant Christian and Hansen picked up the helpers.

Ryan Schwalbe iced the game with an empty-net goal at 19:13 of the third.

The loss had no impact on the Spruce Kings final standing as they finish the regular season third in the Mainland Division and will play the second-place Chilliwack Chiefs in the first round. The best-of-five series begins Friday and Saturday in Chilliwack, with Game 3 coming back to Prince George on Monday March 18.

The Graduates

This Saturday marks the final game of the regular season for the Prince George Spruce Kings and the final regular season game of four players on the team. All four have made an impact on the city of Prince George and all admit that they will carry with them memories of the city, the fans, the team and the building they have called home.

For two of those players, the Coliseum has been home to their entire Junior A career while two others were brought in for their final season of junior hockey. From a couple of trade acquisitions to a pair of three year vets - all four have wore the crown with pride and brought the home town fans to their edge of the seats and off them.

Although he is the oldest of the four players, Shayne Morrissey's time in Prince George is the shortest. Acquired in an early season trade, Morrissey brought with him an impressive resume that included 190 Junior A games played with 102 goals and 130 assists. Playing with the Prince George Spruce Kings, Morrissey has been climbing the leader board and has found himself in the team's top four with 19 goals and 16 assists.

Morrissey's is a community minded player and has given much of his time to helping minor hockey teams in Prince George.

Coltyn Hansen was an off-season acquistion from the Victoria Grizzlies and has proven to be a huge asset for the Prince George Spruce Kings. Hansen has used his speed to his advantage throughtout the season; it is not uncommon to see #10 flying down the wing on a breakaway chance. Currently the leading points getter for the team with 20 goals and 27 assists this season, Hansen also has 19 goals and 17 assists from his previous year in the BCHL.

Knocking on wood as I count Saturday's game in the stats, Hansen has only missed out on one game this season versus the West Kelowna Warriors when a number of players were out with the flu.

The next two players both come from the Lower Mainland and came to the Prince George Spruce Kings to try their luck at making the lineup through the team's training camps. Both players have been leaders both on the ice and in the dressing room, but only one wears a letter.

The unanimous choice for the captiancy this year was Trevor Esau who has embraced the role and taken the job to heart leading by example on the ice. Although he doesn't lay claim to being the most offensive player on the team, Esau leads the team in many other categories including a few of the coach's favourites.

Coach Dave Dupas will be one of the first to sing the praises of Esau especially when it comes to the contributions on the ice in the area of blocked shots. All season long the Spruce Kings have kept track of this stat and have watched as Esau has taken away scoring chances with over 250 shots going off his shin pads or elsewhere in his equipment.

One player who appreciates that sacrifice is the Spruce Kings goaltender Kirk Thompson who has had an exceptional season between the pipes. This year Thompson has set a four team records including 2747 minutes played in a single season, 6646 career minutes played for the Spruce Kings, 24 wins in a single season and 46 franchise wins. Thompson will also finish in the top ten for both single season and franchise records for goals against average and save percentage.

It has been a treat watching all four of these players this season and especially watching the evolution of Trevor Esau and Kirk Thompson. From a pair of young rookies getting their break in the BCHL to becoming fan favourites around the league, these two players become focal points for other team's coaches and players. I, for one, certainly wish our graduating players all the best in their future hockey careers and thank them for all they have done for the Prince George Spruce Kings.

Spruce Kings Clinch Third With Win Over Rivermen

This unassisted tally from Coltyn Hansen (10) was the Studio Cuts
Crowning Moment taking the wind out of the sails of the Rivermen

Write it in stone, the Prince George Spruce Kings will play the Chilliwack Chiefs in the first round of the BCHL Mainland Division playoffs later this month.

The Spruce Kings locked up third place in the division on Saturday night with a 4-1 win over the Langley Rivermen at the Coliseum.

Shayne Morrissey scored once and set up another one as the Spruce Kings took the first of a weekend double header against their division rivals.

With Prince George leading 3-1 early in the third period, Morrissey drove to the net and tried a nifty shot between his legs. Rivermen goaltender James Barr was able to make the first save but Chad Staley crashed the net and cashed in the rebound at 2:29 to give the home side a comfortable cushion. Morrissey and Justin Rai picked up the assists.

Kirk Thompson authored another brilliant performance between the pipes for Prince George, with his signature save coming in the third period off Evan Campbell. The Prince George keeper slid post-to-post then flashed the leather to make the stop on the one-timer. Thompson finished with 33 saves, while Barr stopped 25 pucks.

Despite the win, the Spruce Kings can no longer catch Chilliwack for second place and home ice advantage in the playoffs. The Chiefs were 3-0 winners against Cowichan Valley on Saturday and clinched second place. The Rivermen were unable to clinch a playoff berth Saturday, keeping the Coquitlam Express alive for the fourth and final spot in the division.

The Spruce Kings came out flying to start the game, opening up an 11-2 lead on the shot counter and a 2-0 advantage on the scoreboard in the opening minutes. Mark Begert opened the scoring when his point shot snuck through traffic in front of Barr and found the back of the net.

David Stephens and Lyndon Martell picked up the helpers at 3:06. Just over five minutes later the Spruce Kings added to their lead on the power play. After breaking into the zone on a three-on-two, Cameron Lawson found Morrissey on the right wing and there was just enough room for Morrissey's sharp-angle shot to get past Barr at 8:25. Skylar Pacheco also picked up an assist.

Thompson wasn't tested much in the opening 20 minutes, but did stop Langley sniper Mario Puskarich from point blank range.

Puskarich didn't waste any time in the second period, burying a shot over Thompson's shoulder for his 39th goal of the season at 1:45. Evan Campbell and Turner Popoff picked up the assists.

The Rivermen came within inches of tying the game on a late-second period power play when Tanner Johnson rung a point shot off the post. Thompson had to be aware to cover up the rebound in the blue paint.

The Spruce Kings' goalie made a great save later in that same penalty kill off a hot shot from the slot by James Robinson.

Prince George also generated its own short-handed scoring chance when Morrissey and Coltyn Hansen broke in two-on-one, but Hansen's saucer pass bounced as Morrissey tried to bat it into the net. On his very next shift Hansen elected to shoot rather than pass on an odd-man rush and beat Barr with a nifty shot at 18:25. Hansen stripped a Langley player of the puck at the Prince George blue-line to start the rush on his unassisted goal.

Playing without Sean Landry (injury) and Jeremiah Luedtke (injury), the Spruce Kings were forced to use a pair of defencemen as forwards on the fourth line. Mitch Eden, who often acts like a fourth forward due to his puck-carrying abilities, didn't look out of place up front and neither did Spencer Schoech. Eden moved back to his traditional spot on the blue line for the third period.

The Spruce Kings and Rivermen complete their nine-game season series at the Castle on Sunday afternoon with a 3 p.m. matinee. There will be a fan skating opportunity after the game.

Spruce Kings Soar Past Eagles

Liam Blackburn (24) was called up from the Cariboo Cougars
and notched his first in the BCHL

The Surrey Eagles may be the Mainland Division leaders, but the Prince George Spruce Kings sure have their number so far this year.

For the fourth time in seven meetings the Spruce Kings came out victorious, decisively defeating the Eagles 4-1 at the Castle on Thursday night.

Lyndon Martell had a goal and an assists and Cameron Lawson chipped in with three helpers as the Spruce Kings improved their record against the Eagles to four wins and three overtime losses. Chad Staley and Liam Blackburn also scored for the home side, while Kirk Thompson turned aside 31 shots to earn Treasure Cove Casino first star honours. Martell, the Dairy Queen player of the game, got things started with a power-play goal at 9:07 of the opening period. His blast from the point appeared to hit something and front and fool Michael Sanatguida in the Eagles net. Jake LeBrun and Lawson picked up the assists.

Just over a minute later the Spruce Kings doubled their lead as Chad Staley and Jeremiah Luedtke broke in 2-on-2. Staley tried a drop pass to Luedtke, but the winger fanned on his first shot attempt. The puck bounced right back on Staley's stick and he lifted it over Santaguida at 10:31. Skylar Pacheco also picked up an assist.

The Eagles got one back in the second period when their most dangerous player on the night Brady Shaw capitalized. He came in on a rush, cut to the middle of the ice and fired a shot past Thompson - the lone blemish on an otherwise perfect night for the Spruce Kings' ace. Thompson had played spectacularly well against the Eagles this season, with both his shutouts coming against Surrey.

The Spruce Kings weathered a strong second period by the Eagles and carried a 2-1 lead into the third. Using all four lines all game, Prince George appeared to have more jump in the final stanza and it paid off on the scoreboard.

First sniper Shayne Morrissey restored the two-goal lead with the help of Lawson and Mark Begert at 8:26. Then Blackburn, a member of the midget triple-A Cariboo Cougars and one of three affiliate players in the Spruce Kings lineup, scored his first BCHL goal at 10:21. Santaguida made a save on a Lawson shot, but Blackburn dug out the rebound and fired it in the net. Blackburn was named the game's second star.

The game got chippy in the third and the Spruce Kings were awarded ample power play time in the dying minutes which allowed them to control possession and run out the clock.

Captain Trevor Esau was named the FortisBC Energy Player of the Game for his steady - and physical - play patrolling the Spruce Kings blue-line.

The Spruce Kings are back on the ice on Friday night when the Nanaimo Clippers make their first and only regular season visit to the Castle this year.

Chiefs Double Up Spruce Kings

Jake LeBrun (8) was tripped on this partial break-away

Generating offensive chances wasn't a problem for the Prince George Spruce Kings on Friday night, but converting them into goals was in a 4-2 defeat against the Chilliwack Chiefs.

The Spruce Kings directed 48 shots on Chiefs goaltender Mitch Gillam at the Coliseum but only lit the lamp twice in a physical game between two division rivals battling for playoff position.

The Spruce Kings also had nine power-play opportunities, including a pair of extended two-man advantages. They were able to get some great scoring chances - Justin Rai in the slot, Jake LeBrun at the side of the net and Cameron Lawson on the halfboards all came close in the first period alone, but Gillam and the Chiefs penalty killers held them at bay.

After Philip Zielonka gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead in the first period on a two-man advantage for the visitors, the Spruce Kings finally struck with a power-play goal of their own in the second. David Stephens batted a bouncing puck out of the air and past Gillam to even the score at 1-1.

The game again turned in the Chiefs favour late in the second period when Spencer Graboski caught a break on a 2-on-1 rush. Although it appeared as if he was trying to pass the puck cross ice, it re-directed off diving Spruce Kings defender Kevin Guiltinan, off the post and past Spruce Kings goaltender Kirk Thompson.

The Chiefs took that 2-1 lead into the second intermission, but the Spruce Kings came out flying in the third, generating chance after chance only to be stymied time after time by Gillam, who earned Treasure Cove Casino first star honours.

The Chiefs extended their lead when they got a goal from their affiliate player line. Brandon Volpe, Spencer McHaffie and Scott McHaffie had been giving the Spruce Kings fits all the day and all three players got on the score sheet when Volple beat Thompson with a wrister from the slot.

Bryant Christian got Prince George back within on late, with a beautiful deflection off a Mark Begert point shot. Christian was named the Dairy Queen player of the game.

The Spruce Kings pressed hard for the equalizer, but it was Austin Plevy who iced it for the Chiefs with an empty-net goal with 10 seconds left.

Plevy, who had a goal and two helpers, was named the third star and Thompson took second-star honours after a 35-save effort.

Spruce Kings captain Trevor Esau, who left the game in the second period for a bit to deal with a nasty cut on his face, was named the FortisBC Energy player of the game.

The win gives the Chiefs a seven-point lead over Prince George for second in the Mainland Division, but the Spruce Kings will have a chance to cut into that lead when the two teams face off again at 7 p.m. Saturday night at the Castle.

Kirk Thompson, Spruce Kings Shutout Surrey

Kirk Thompson (1) stops Brett Mulcahy on a breakaway in the 2nd

Turning aside 41 shots and quality shots at that, Kirk Thompson picks up his second shutout of the season and second shutout against the Surrey Eagles as the Spruce Kings close out their pre-Christmas schedule with a 2-0 win. Kirk Thompson was stopping them with his pads and even stopping them without pads as the twenty year old goaltender seemed possessed as he did his job to perfection in front of numerous family, friends and scouts at the South Surrey Arena.

The win also gives Kirk the most wins among franchise goaltenders with 38, one better than previous record holder Greg Goodwin who had 37 during his three seasons with the Spruce Kings from 2000-2003.

It started early for the netminder as he was put to the test countless times in the opening few minutes especially when the Spruce Kings were shorthanded two men for 1:40 in the early goings of the game. Thompson robbed Michael Stenerson who was standing on the doorstep and was sure he had slid the puck under the netminder. Brady Shaw and Brett Mulcahy were also robbed of sure goals in the opening minutes.

After taking three consecutive penalties, the Spruce Kings were able to mount a little pressure of their own and changed the shot clock from a 7-1 deficit to something a little more manageable finishing the period trailing 12-10. Of those shots a great majority of them from both sides were quality scoring chances as the goaltenders fed off each other and put together great games.

In the second period, the Surrey Eagles again carried the play and enjoyed three more powerplays but couldn't capitalize on any of them. Shots on goal in the second period were hugely in favour of the Eagles who counted 13 to the Spruce Kings 3 in the middle frame. After forty minutes it remained a scoreless game with the Eagles outshooting the Spruce Kings 25-13.

The third period seemed to be more of the same as the Eagles pressed hard for the game's first goal. On one shot in close, Demico Hanoun was looking top shelf and caught Kirk Thompson with the puck above the chest and shoulder pads and below the face mask hitting the goaltender in the neck. Thompson went down fast bringing a rush of concerned people to the crease but the veteran goaltender got up and shook it off and stayed in the net.

That scare must of been the spark that the Spruce Kings needed as they found themselves in the offensive zone with the Cascade Express Line cycling the puck down low. The puck would come out to Trevor Esau on the left point who took two strides to the net and let go a low wrist shot that squeezed through three sets of legs and then the five hole of Michael Santaquida who never saw the shot coming. The goal at 5:26 was the first for either team in the game and the second of the season for Esau.

After that goal the Eagles did nothing but swarm the net looking for the equalizer but there was nothing getting past Thompson on this night. In the late stages of the third period, the Spruce Kings were called for a penalty when Cameron Lawson tried to take the puck off an Eagles stick and was given a hooking call. The Eagles played the entire next minute in the Spruce Kings zone and got off a number of quality shots that were either blocked or turned aside by Thompson and one rang the iron behind the netminder.

With time running down in the game, the Eagles pulled their netminder to make it a 6-on-4 man advantage. The play went against the half wall where Trevor Esau was working at getting the puck out of his zone with his back to ice, Craig Wyszomirski came in with a blindside hit and was given a minor penalty for a check from behind that carries with it a game misconduct.

Now playing four on four, the Eagles again pulled their netminder to make it a 5-on-4. That turned into the opportunity Coltyn Hansen needed to provide the Spruce Kings with their insurance marker as he pocketed his tenth of the season into the empty net with 14 seconds remaining in the game. After the game there was a lot of disbelieve as the Surrey Eagles had more shots, more chances and carried a lot of the play but could do nothing to get the puck past Kirk Thompson.

The Spruce Kings never lost the belief in themselves this weekend even after suffering the same fate on Fridaythe night where the they had chance after chance but came up empty against the Victoria Grizzlies and the first period against the Cowichan Valley Capitals. As the weekend progressed they outscored their opposition 6-0 in the final five periods of their three game road trip.

The win puts the Spruce Kings firmly in second place in the Mainland Division with a three point cushion on the Surrey Eagles heading into the Christmas break. The Eagles do have three games in hand and will play those on December 28, 29 and 30. The Spruce Kings don't play again until January 4 when they visit the Powell River Kings followed by the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on January 5 and the Nanaimo Clippers on January 6. The next home games will be a double header against the Chilliwack Chiefs on January 18 & 19.

On behalf of all of the entire Spruce Kings organization, I would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, a happy and safe holidays and a Happy New Year.

Weekend Sweep Pushes Spruce Kings Up Standings

Kirk Thompson (1) with one of his many sensational saves

The Prince George Spruce Kings officially have their mojo back.

After a five-game losing skid saw them dip as low as fourth place in the Mainland Division, the Spruce Kings completed a perfect weekend with a 4-1 win over the Coquitlam Express on Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum. It was the team's third win in as many days for the Spruce Kings and second straight over their divisional rivals.

The three wins, combined with some losses by others in the Mainland Division, have pushed the Spruce Kings into a second-place tie with the Surrey Eagles. Both teams are four points back of division-leading Chilliwack.

It didn't take long for the Spruce Kings to carry over the momentum from Saturday night's 6-4 win over the Express. Just 25 seconds into the game Sean Landrey finished off a play set up by Bryant Christian and Jake LeBrun.

Two goals just over a minute apart midway through the second period by the team's top goal scorers, gave the Spruce Kings a 3-0 lead and control of the game. First Cameron Lawson came streaking down the right wing and fired a shot passed Express starter Cole Huggins at 8:25, with Kevin Guiltinan and Skylar Pacheco picking up the helpers. Just 64 seconds later Mark Begert found Tyson Witala with a stretch pass down the left wing and he lifted a shot over Huggins shoulder. Witala's tally allowed him to retake the team goal-scoring lead from Lawson; Witala has 14 on the year to Lawson's 13.

That was it for Huggins, who was replaced by Daniel Urbani after giving up three goals on 20 shots.

The Express did get one back in the second period as Philip Zielonka had a couple of whacks at a rebound, before finally beating Kirk Thompson on the third attempt. John Siemer picked up the only assist.

Thompson, the Treasure Trove Casino first star, excelled for the Spruce Kings making 39 saves including many of the spectacular variety. With the Spruce Kings leading 1-0 early in the second period, Thompson made his save of the game coming across the crease to rob Justin Georgeson who had a one-timer all set up. In the third he made an acrobatic save off a second-chance attempt by Zielonka, somehow stretching to get his leg on the puck.

Thompson also got some help from his defencemen, with Trevor Esau sliding to break up a 3-on-1 late in the second period. Esau, along with defence partner Karan Toor, were tasked with shutting down the Express' top line and did a marvelous job. Toor was rewarded with the Dairy Queen player of the game award.

The Shayne Morrissey-Coltyn Hansen-Jace Hennig line generated some great chances in the first period, but were held off the score sheet until the third when Hansen skated behind the net, found Morrissey stationed at the side of the net and the sniper buried his 11th of the year. Hennig also picked up an assist on the goal which came at 8:25 and restored the three-goal advantage.

Hennig was named the game's second star an Christian was the third star. Landrey was named the Fortis Energy player of the game.

It was the only goal the Spruce Kings scored on Urbani, who made 19 saves in relief of Huggins.

After the game, fans took to the ice for the skate with the Spruce Kings promotion at the Coliseum.

The Spruce Kings now have eight straight road games ahead of them spread out over the next five weeks, including stops next weekend in Victoria, Cowichan Valley and Surrey, the team's final three games before the Christmas break. The Spruce Kings aren't back in the Castle until Jan. 18, when Chilliwack comes north for a pair.

Civic Light Up Thank You

Spruce Kings players at the Civic Light Up Hay Rides

The Prince George Spruce Kings have been trying to get out to as many events as possible this season and have been enjoying everyone they have attended. Whether it be a school visit or to help out with another community event, the players have taken on the challenge of making it a memorable event for all involved.

Last week the City turned on its Christmas Lights in the Annual Civic Light Up event in the Civic Centre Plaza. The Spruce Kings were invited to help out and showed up in full force wearing all three versions of their hockey jerseys. The players helped out with the hay rides predominately and by all reports did a fantastic job.

Following the event, the organizer took the time to send out an email containing specific accounts of where the players made a positive impact on the event. What follows is that email and my thanks for recognizing the contributions of the Spruce Kings in our community.

Thank you! to the Spruce Kings for participating in the Civic Light Up on November 28, 2012. The event was fantastic with 1,500 attendees, 900 cups of hot chocolate served and over 600 hay rides taken. I hope the team had the opportunity to have fun and they as always were a welcome addition to the event.

A Special Thanks to the chaps who helped to the young girl in a wheel chair on and off the hay ride and to the fellows who sang and danced during the hay rides.

Once again Thank You for making the Civic Light Up a special event for the community to enjoy.

All the best of the season to you and your families.

Jasmine Ferris

As a person who has been with the hockey club for as long as I have, this is the kind of stuff that just energizes the team from the inside out. The players this year have been exceptional and eager to do more of these types of activities to show their appreciation of the community that shows their support of the team.

This Friday (December 7), the Spruce Kings players will be on CBC Radio as invited guests to talk about the upcoming Annual Drop the Gloves and Sock It to 'Em game on Saturday night. I will post more information that event shortly but for fans of the Spruce Kings, this is one of those anticipated games every year where fans bring new gloves, socks and toques to be thrown on the ice when the Spruce Kings score their first goal.

National Rankings

For the first time in their in the BCHL, the Prince George Spruce Kings have garnered the attention of the CJHL appearing on their weekly rankings. The team has been flying under the radar for most of the season even after picking up wins against other ranked teams around the BCHL.

This is truly a feel good moment for the team and the city that has been rallying around the Spruce Kings. The players and the coaches are all taking it in stride and quietly reveling in the spotlight but also remaining grounded in their resolve to continue with their game plan.

"We didn't start the season looking to be ranked, we want to be the best team on the ice in each of our games and that is our focus," was one of the quotes from Dave Dupas when asked about the team's current record and performance. "The rankings are just a byproduct of the hard work of the guys on the ice."

"Falling off those rankings will be easier than climbing up," added the captain, Trevor Esau. "We want to climb up those rankings and that is going to be harder now."

Esau has seen the evolution of the team from a non-playoff team to its current status as a ranked team and wants to make sure his final year of junior hockey remains a positive one. "It is an honour to be playing for the Spruce Kings right now," Esau told me. "We all want to make something of our time in Prince George and for the city that we call home during the hockey season."

Below is the official press release from the Spruce Kings following the release of the National Rankings by the CJHL on October 29th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRINCE GEORGE, BC – The latest Top 20 rankings of the Canadian Junior Hockey League were released earlier today with the Prince George Spruce Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) ranked twentieth in the nation.

Currently on a six game winning streak with a season record of 11-4-1-1, the Spruce Kings are leading the Mainland Division and are third overall in the BCHL. This is the first appearance in the CJHL Top Twenty for the Spruce Kings this season and puts them on the list with Penticton Vees (6), Victoria Grizzlies (10) and Chilliwack Chiefs (HM).

The CJHL Rankings are comprised each week in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting and are based upon a variety of factors including the league in which the teams belong to as well as recent regular season results.

The following are the CJHL Top 20 (As of Oct. 29, 2012) with the league they are members of in brackets.

1. Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
2. Truro Bearcats (MHL)
3. Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL)
4. Melville Millionaires (SJHL)
5. OCN Blizzard (MJHL)
6. Penticton Vees (BCHL)
7. Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
8. Yorkton Terriers (SJHL)
9. Minnesota Wilderness (SIJHL)
10. Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
11. Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL)
12. Winnipeg Blues (MJHL)
13. Newmarket Hurricanes (OJHL)
14. Whitecourt Wolverines (AJHL)
15. Summerside Western Capitals (MHL)
16. Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
17. St. Michael's Buzzers (OJHL)
18. Saint Jerome Pantheres (LHJAAAQ)
19. Smiths Falls Bears (CCHL)
20. Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL)

Honourable Mention: Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL), Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL), Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL), Nepean Raiders (CCHL), Yarmouth Jr. 'A' Mariners (MHL).

The CJHL is an amalgamation of 10 Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. Official Release from the CJHL.

Spruce Kings Shake Off Warriors

Jeremiah Luedtke (14) was the Spruce Kings
Honourary Captain for their Breast Cancer Awareness Game

The Coliseum was shaking twice on Saturday night, first from the earthquake and again after Tyson Witala's overtime winner for the Prince George Spruce Kings.

Witala buried a rebound off a Mitch Eden shot at 2:06 of the extra session to give the Spruce Kings a 4-3 win over the visiting West Kelowna Warriors and extend their season-high winning streak to six.

The Spruce Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit then built a 3-2 lead only to see the game go to extra time. In the end the two points gives Prince George sole possession of first place in the Mainland Division as the second month of the regular season draws to a close.

The Warriors got on the board first, with Prince George product Seb Lloyd lifting the puck over Spruce Kings goaltender Kirk Thompson at 16:30 of the opening period. Lloyd, who had a vocal cheering section, was named the game's third star.

West Kelowna opened up a two-goal advantage early in the second when Brent Lashuk beat Thompson with a high shot at 3:50. The Warriors also had a big advantage on the shot counter at that point and appeared poised to hand the Spruce Kings their first regulation loss on home ice this season.

The Prince George power play had something to say about that. In their one and only chance with the man advantage, the Spruce Kings wasted little time with Treasure Trove Casino first star of the game Liam Board taking a feed from second star Shayne Morrissey and beating Warriors starter Garrett Rockafellow at 5:06.

Shortly after that the building shook as Prince George felt some effects of a West Coast earthquake. The game didn't stop during the slight shake, although the lights at the top of the Coliseum were swaying noticeably.

Moments later the Spruce Kings drew even as Morrissey won an offensive-zone face-off back to captain Trevor Esau, who blasted a shot through Rockafellow's five-hole. The tying goal came at 9:26 of the middle stanza.

Perhaps the prettiest goal of the night came at 12 minutes of the third period as the home side took their first lead of the game. College Heights Dairy Queen player of the game Chad Staley drove to the net, but the puck was knocked off his stick, but it went right to Jeremiah Luedtke. Standing just to the left of Rockafellow, nobody would have blamed Luedtke for trying his luck with a shot, but the Spruce Kings honorary captain was patient and spotted the trailing Justin Rai. The pass was perfect and Rai blasted home the go-ahead goal.

The Warriors didn't go away easily with Brennan Clark beating Thompson at 15:41 to tie the game 3-3 and force extra time.

In the extra session it was Eden, the Fortis Energy player of the game, who set up Witala's heroics. The Spruce Kings defenceman has never been afraid to join the rush and with the extra space in the 4-on-4 situation, used his speed to drive to the net.

Although his backhand was stopped, Witala sent the crowd home happy. Thompson finished with 24 saves, while Rockafellow had 19.

The Spruce Kings are on the road next weekend, heading back to the Lower Mainland for games in Langley and Surrey. The next home game is Nov. 10 when the Fitzgerald triplets and the Victoria Grizzlies visit the Castle.

Buzzer Beater Stings Spruce Kings

Kirk Thompson (1) talks to Liam McLeod (35)
during a timeout in the game against Langley

In the return to the Langley Events Centre the Spruce Kings came up .3 of a second from picking up any points suffering a 4-3 loss in regulation time to the Langley Rivermen. The game was played on Thanksgiving afternoon, the third game in as many days and the second in a row against the Rivermen.

After allowing three goals in the third period on Saturday night, the Spruce Kings found themselves in the same hole in the first period Sunday afternoon. Going with Liam McLeod between the pipes wasn't a bad decision as the youngster has earned his time between the pipes for the Spruce Kings, but a trio of unfortunate goals made it a short outing for the rookie.

The Rivermen picked up where they left off on Saturday night, coming hard at the Spruce Kings. Early on the visitors seemed to be okay, playing defensively good positional hockey and forcing their opponents to take low percentage shots while making sure their netminder could see the puck.

Coming up with three big glove saves, Liam McLeod was seen with a big smile on his face, but an unfortunate bounce on the very next play would take that smile away and change the complexion of the game. The faceoff would come to the left of the goaltender, Langley would win the draw back to the defenceman on the right point.

Logan Smith fired the point shot in on goal, McLeod made the initial save and as the bodies moved across the top of the crease the puck would come loose. Trevor Cope poked it through the top of the crease sliding it past McLeod where it deflected off the inside of Brad Ryan's skate and into the net. The Rivermen were credited with a fifth shot on goal and a 1-0 lead 2:01 into the first period.

To try and find some chemistry, the Spruce Kings had changed up some of the lines heading into the game. As luck would have it, a miscommunication at the Spruce Kings bench would lead to an extra player on the ice and a bench minor for too many men. The Langley Rivermen would make short order of the man advantage and open a 2-0 lead at 6:16, just 13 seconds after the powerplay started.

Off the ensuing faceoff, Jakob Reichert would work the puck back to the right point for Logan Smith. Again the point man would take a big shot on goal and again McLeod would come up with the save while looking around the screen setup in front. The puck bounced off the netminder landing on Matt Ustaski's stick who wasted no time putting it back into McLeod finding the five hole in the process.

The Spruce Kings called a time out to settle down the troops and it looked like it may have worked with Tyson Witala finding Coltyn Hansen in the middle sending the Spruce Kings leading scorer in on a break away. Logan Smith upended Hansen leading to a penalty shot opportunity.

Hansen picked up the puck at centre ice and carried it in on Hogg and try to pull it away from the goaltender only to have slip off the stick. Hogg got a piece of it before Hansen could recover and even though the puck went into the net the score remained 2-0 in favour of the Langley Rivermen.

The Spruce Kings would get more chances starting with a powerplay when Ustaski was called for charging. The man advantage turned into a two man advantage when Jeremiah Luedtke was caught with a high stick sending Troy Nitsche to the penalty box with a double minor. The two man advantage would be a short one of only 19 seconds with the Spruce Kings getting two shots through on Hogg before the first penalty expired.

The Studio Cuts Crowning Moment of the Game on Saturday night came at the 39 second mark of the third period when Austin Azurdia picked up a puck and broke in all alone while shorthanded. On this night that moment would contain many of the same elements being Azurdia and shorthanded goal as a result of an aggressive penalty kill leading to a break down the ice.

After a Mitch Eden shot from the high slot and a Brad Ryan shot from the top of the faceoff circle, the Rivermen recovered the puck getting it to Austin Azurdia as he moved through the middle of the ice. Azurdia was able to gain the Spruce Kings zone with only one man back. Eden did a good job of taking away the far side of the net, but Azurdia saw just enough daylight on the short side and whistled his fifth of the season past McLeod from the faceoff dot.

The goal put the Spruce Kings down 3-0 with the Rivermen's eleventh shot on McLeod spelling the end of netminder's third start in the BCHL. The Spruce Kings still had 3:30 to work with on the double minor and would end up with yet another two man advantage after Trevor Esau was slashed. The Spruce Kings would work the puck around the Rivermen zone for a full thirty seconds without a shot before the whistle.

It would take a little more patience but finally the Spruce Kings would be able to tee one up and get a shot through on Darren Hogg. From the corner Bryant Christian was able to win a puck battle along the boards getting the puck to Mitch Eden on the top of the right side faceoff circle. Faking the shot and then dishing off to Brad Ryan on the left faceoff circle, the play saw Hogg slide too far off the back post giving Ryan the room he needed for his third of the season.

The goal came at 14:59 of the first period with 37 seconds still remaining in the two man advantage. Unfortunately the Spruce Kings would not get another shot on goal and neither would the Rivermen with both teams finishing the first period with 11 shots each. The second period was more of the same defensive battle with teams struggling for shots early in the period.

In that second period, the Spruce Kings looked to have cut the lead to one with a shot from Tyson Witala that turned on the goal light but left the referee signalling no goal. Collecting a pass from Justin Rai off the boards, Witala was able to skate through the faceoff circle before wristing one on net that deflected off a stick and looked to hit the netting just inside the goal post and fall in the blue paint behind Hogg before being cleared out of the crease.

With the goal light on, the play was allowed to carry on for almost a minute until the next whistle. During that time the Rivermen had a glorious scoring opportunity only to be robbed by the glove of Kirk Thompson who swatted the puck out of mid-air before it could cross the goal line. After the whistle the referee went talk to everybody but the goal judge sticking to his original call of no-goal.

In the third period the Spruce Kings seemed to be gaining momentum in large part from the play from the line combination of Chad Staley, Jeremiah Luedtke and Shayne Morrissey. Add in a high flying Justin Rai, hard working effort from Jake LeBrun and the chances created by Cameron Lawson and the Spruce Kings would find the recipe for a comeback.

From a neutral zone faceoff win, the Spruce Kings would gain the offensive zone on a bit of a broken play that started with Hansen having to fish the puck out of a sticks at the top of the left faceoff circle. The puck would come back to Esau on the left point who would dump it in for Cameron Lawson. The puck would then come to Justin Rai who skated straight to the net.

After an outstanding few games as an AP with the Spruce Kings that earned the Surrey hockey product a full roster spot, Rai had struggled to find his touch around the net. And on his first shot, Hogg was able to get enough of it to deflect behind the net. Rai stayed with the puck and with speed picked it up intent on finding the back of the net which he did with the wrap around attempt at 17:55 of the third period.

Dave Dupas would stay with the line that just scored for the next shift and that move would pay off less than a minute later. On another broken play, Esau was finally able to settle down the puck and carry it in just onside. The Spruce Kings captain would get the puck to Lawson who would take it to the net. This time the puck would come out in front of the crease where Rai was waiting for it to poke it under Hogg.

The Spruce Kings had finally erased that two goal deficit that had been haunting them since the first period. With two minutes remaining and time ticking down fast, it certainly seemed like these two teams were destined for overtime but that would not be the case.

In a bizarre sequence of events with less than twenty seconds remaining, Austin Azurdia and James Robinson would collide with each other just inside the Rivermen's blue line with the puck rolling out into centre ice. The Spruce Kings would fire it deep inside the zone as if resigned to the notion that this game was headed to overtime.

With eleven seconds showing on the clock, Bo Pellah would find the puck behind his own goal line feeding a stretch pass up to Azurdia going through the middle again. With 3.7 seconds showing on the clock, Azurdia crossed the blue line heading down the right side lane. with a flick of the wrist, he was able to sneak the puck through the legs of the Spruce Kings defender picking it up on the other side with time running out.

The Spruce King killer this weekend would have just enough time to collect the puck, regain his balance and flip a snap shot up and over Kirk Thompson's shoulder below the cross bar. The puck would actually cross the plane of the goal line with 1.1 seconds showing on the clock but reaction time from the off ice officials brought the clock down to 0.3 seconds.

Either way the damage was done and the Spruce Kings were robbed of even a single point. Perhaps even more unfortunate for Kirk Thompson was the fact that he gets saddled with the loss allowing one goal against on 19 shots. The Spruce Kings will now head back home to finish out the Thanksgiving weekend before getting back on the ice to prepare for the other royalty in the BCHL - the Powell River Kings - on Friday night and rematch on Saturday with the Surrey Eagles.

Game Day - Langley Rivermen

Spruce Kings defeat the Merritt Centennials 4-1
in a game that featured some physical play from both teams

The Prince George Spruce Kings have started the season on a winning note with a 4-1 victory over the Merritt Centennials in the first game of the season. Playing in the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack at the BCHL Showcase, the Spruce Kings lined up against the team that ended their season on March 20th. As Dave Dupas said in the pregame interview, that particular piece of history would fall on deaf ears with the new players on the squad so motivation would have to come from a different source.

Many of the players that played prominent roles for the Spruce Kings weren't even in the lineup at the end of the season. Coltyn Hansen, Cameron Lawson and Lyndon Martell led the way with three of the four goals while Tyson Witala had the other. Other play makers that made a difference in the game included Mitch Eden along with Trevor Esau and Skylar Pacheco.

The Spruce Kings created many scoring chances throughout the game but didn't really cash in until the third period with three goals unanswered goals. One scoring chance early in the first period belonged to Lyndon Martell who was setup by a good penalty kill forecheck from Cameron Lawson who sprung the pair on a two on one. After getting the puck from Lawson, Martell was able to come straight in on Tyler Steel pulling the puck from his backhand to his forehand. Steel was able to get a piece of the puck with his skate sending the puck just past the post.

A few minutes later it was Skylar Pacheco that was able to get the Spruce Kings moving in the right direction. Under a little pressure from the Centennials forwards, Pacheco used the back of the net to get away and find some open ice in the corner before using the wall to get the puck up to Cameron Lawson. From there Lawson found Coltyn Hansen through the middle and Hansen used his speed to get around a defenceman before cutting to the net. Hansen cruised through the top of the crease and just waited for Steel to commit before depositing his first of the season into the back of the net at 7:12 of the first period.

That's how the first period would end even though the Spruce Kings trailed 8-6 in the shots on goal stat. In the second period the Spruce Kings again created chances but were unable to capitalize on any of them. On an icing call in the middle of the second period both teams got a chance to regroup during the BCHL time out but it would be the Merritt Centennials that would eventually benefit from the break.

After winning the ensuing faceoff, the Centennials found themselves with a scoring chance. The puck was fired wide off the back boards where it was picked up by Brandon Bruce who just shoveled it towards the front of the net where it found Kirk Thompson's pads and ended up in front of the goal line against the goal post. Trevor Esau rode Bruce out of the play with a heavy check against the boards that drew the attention of Dylan Chanter who immediately dropped the gloves and went after Esau.

In the same stoppage of play, Karan Toor and Payton Schaefer also got into it with Toor getting the early edge in the fight before being tackled to the ice by Schaefer. Meanwhile Esau and Chanter had a pretty spirited battle of their own. When the dust settled, Esau was given two minutes for cross checking, two minutes for roughing and five minutes for fighting. Chanter was charged with an instigator to go along with his five minute major and Toor and Schaefer were both given five minutes for fighting and game misconducts.

The net result put the Centennials on the powerplay and would make short order of the Spruce Kings with the man advantage. Less than a minute after the scuffle, Sean Maktaak was able to find a loose puck and force it home past a down and out Kirk Thompson who thought he had it covered. The goal put the teams back to even tied at a goal a-piece and that's how the second would end.

The Spruce Kings found a new gear in the third period and were buzzing early again creating scoring chances. Even while inside their own zone, a good work ethic shone through and at 7:07 of the third period the Spruce Kings would take the lead for good as a result of the no quit attitude on the ice. From inside his own zone, Mitch Eden fought to get the puck out of the defensive zone including a last ditch dive and poke at the puck that setup Coltyn Hansen and the rest of the top line.

Hansen carried the puck through the middle and was able to get a shot on goal that left Tyler Steel looking for the bouncer. Both Lyndon Martell and Cameron Lawson got a crack it before Lawson got the last touch and was able to lob it up and over Steel to make it a 2-1 game.

Lyndon Martell for one wasn't done there and would get himself on the board a couple of shifts later and seemingly harmless looking play. After a D-to-D pass inside their own zone, Mitch Eden and Skylar Pacheco were able to get the puck to Martell cruising through the middle. At the tail end of their shift, Martell step over the blue line and instead of dumping it in decided to take a shot on goal that fooled Steel as it sailed in over his glove. The insurance goal was scored at the 14:37 mark of the third period putting the Centennials into desperation mode.

A line that has been working hard at developing some chemistry came together for the Spruce Kings fourth goal at 18:06 after Tyson Witala finished another one of those no quit type plays. Again it was just good solid work at trying to get the puck down low that resulted in the goal by both Bryant Christian, Liam Board and Tyson Witala all had a touch on the puck in the left corner before Witala was able to come out front and bury his first of the season.

The Spruce Kings did a great job in capitalizing on chances especially in the third period and if they can continue on the path they have set for themselves, could become a team that others will be forced to bring their 'A' game to play against. One area that the coaching staff will want to take a closer look at is the powerplay that came up empty on five chances. Although the penalty kill did allow one goal against, that special team did an effective job on the night.

The attention will now shift to the team that currently sits in top spot in the Mainland Division by way of their four goal victory over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on Friday night. The Langley Rivermen are a much different team than they were last season when they finished with a disappointing 19-35-1-5 record last season.

The Rivermen did keep nine of their players from last season and also acquired Jakob Reichert from the Merritt Centennials in a two for one deal. For Langley, their strength looks like it will come by committee with a couple of rookies leading the way out of the gate. Ben Butcher (2 goals) and Matt Ustaski (2 assists) combined on two of Rivermen's seven goals. Scott Moyer was the only other multiple point player with a goal and an assist.

The Langley Rivermen have the longest break between games at the BCHL Showcase after opening the tournament format on Friday afternoon and will now play in the last game of the weekend. Game time is 6pm from the main rink in Prospera Centre Chilliwack. Something will give in this game and depending on two earlier games, the winner of this one could come out of the weekend with sole possession of first place in the Mainland Division.

All five teams have two points only difference is that the Chilliwack Chiefs have played both of their games. The Coquitlam Express will face the Cowichan Valley Captials at 2pm and the Surrey Eagles will play the West Kelowna Warriors at 5:30pm. The Express picked up their two points in a 1-0 overtime win over the Victoria Grizzlies and the Surrey Eagles needed overtime as well to claim their two points in a 3-2 decision over the Powell River Kings.

The Spruce Kings and Langley Rivermen game will be available on 93.1 CFIS-FM which can also be found online as an audio feed from the radio station's website or as a Pay-Per-View full broadcast on Fasthockey.com.

Preseason Look at the Returners

Trevor Esau enters his third year with the Spruce Kings

As the roster sits now for the preseason, the Prince George Spruce Kings are carrying 28 players with them into the preseason, only six of those finished last season with the team. There are four players that have experience in the British Columbia Hockey League. Fifteen players are considered rookies in the BCHL this year and another three players that have yet to compete in the premiere Junior A league in Canada will be make up the balance.

During the off-season the Spruce Kings worked hard at finding players that could step in and fill the roles of those players that were lost to college commitments, overagers and trades. There is a nice mix of returning players, players with Junior A experience and players that have shown they can step in and make an impact in the game at this level. There are also a few players that are being given an opportunity to gain some valuable experience at a higher level.

They will all head to Chase where some will have to sit and wait for their turn to play on Wednesday while the first wave of twenty players will be up against the Trail Smoke Eaters on Tuesday night. The two games are being played at the Art Holding Memorial Arena in Chase at 7pm both nights. I should mention that plans are to provide a video broadcast of the game on the Spruce Kings Ustream Channel.

Based on the recent Training Camp and the three Intra-Squad Games, the players to watch wearing the Crown to start the preseason include the returning players led by, or rather backed by Kirk Thompson. A 20 year old in his final year of junior eligibility, Thompson will have something to prove between the pipes and will want to improve on his previous season record of 15 wins, 2.83 goals against average and 90.60 save percentage.

On defence Trevor Esau will be the leader; an assistant captain last season, I wouldn't be surprised to see him wear a different letter this year while logging a ton of time on the blue line. Skylar Pacheco is also returning for his second season with the Spruce Kings after winning Rookie of the Year last year. In the training camp, Pacheco showed that he has the ability to be an offensive player and picked up a pair of goals in the Intra-Squad game because of his ability to jump up in the play and finish what he started.

The third returning defenceman is the seventeen year old Latrell Charleson who will be joining the team in Chase after skating at the Moose Jaw Warriors camp this past weekend. In Moose Jaw, Latrell showed his strength during the fitness testing getting the best distance in the medicine ball toss. Fans in Prince George liked what they saw in this youngster in the second half of last season and the expectation is that he will be coming in bigger and stronger making him a punishing force for opposition forwards to deal with.

Up front the Spruce Kings will have Sean Landrey and Tyson Witala back as 19 year olds this season. During the summer Landrey was working up in Fort St. John and the work in the oil patch paid off with a noticeably stronger presence from Landrey. Witala also put on some size and showed what we hope was only a small part of what he will be able to do after being instrumental in erasing a three goal deficit in the third Intra-Squad game with two goals and an assist in less than two minutes.

Returning to the BCHL after playing elsewhere last season are Cameron Lawson, Coltyn Hansen and David London. Lawson, Hansen and London were all acquired from the Victoria Grizzlies in the trade that granted the Fitzgerald triplets their wish of playing closer to home. All three had good showings at the Training Camp led by Coltyn Hansen who scored three goals in the third Intra-Squad game. Cameron Lawson had a very consistent camp scoring once in all three games and adding a pair of assists. London played a solid game on the blue line and picked up a pair of helpers over the weekend. The 19 year old defenceman also had a good showing in the fitness testing and is just another one of those pieces on the blue line that will make it tough on opposing forwards.

I'm going to the let the "rookies" play a couple of games before taking a closer look at them, but really quick I just want to say that the future looks bright for the Spruce Kings as seen this past weekend during the Intra-Squad Games. From players that could light the lamp to defenceman that made it tough for many others to move freely through the zone, this team looks like it is ready for any preseason test thrown its way starting with the Trail Smoke Eaters Tuesday night from Chase, BC. Catch the game broadcast on the Spruce Kings Ustream Channel.

Esau Suspended Two Games

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.

The Centennials Take Down Prince George In a Rough One

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