While at the 2010 Allan Cup, I've had the opportunity to meet up with a handful of Spruce Kings alumni that are playing at the tournament. By far the most heavily ladened team, with players that wore the crown in seasons past, are on the host team's roster. There is one other team in the six team tournament featuring teams from across Canada that has three names that drum up memories from their time in Prince George.
The Powell River Regals roster has goaltender Mike Legg and forwards Mike Stutzel and Troy Dalton. Unfortunately Mike Legg was unable to travel to Fort St. John to play in this year's national senior amateur hockey tournament. I did get a chance to talk with Mike Stutzel who spent a pair of seasons with the Spruce Kings and was named the team's Most Improved Player in his first year and went on to earn the regular season MVP award.
As for Troy Dalton, he spent three very memorable seasons with the Spruce Kings including the year they won it all in the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League. That is one memory he shared with me as well as some candid thoughts about the game of hockey and what it has meant to him over the years and how his years with the Spruce Kings were instrumental in shaping his future. He talked a little bit about how the game of hockey has changed, not so much on the ice as much as it has changed off the ice.
The interview was conducted a short time after he arrived at the rink with his current team, the Powell River Regals for their quarter final game against the Bentley Generals. I started the interview there asking Troy about he and the rest of the team were preparing for a game against defending Allan Cup champions and a team that they had some history with.
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Troy Dalton and Mike Stutzel played strong roles for the Powell River Regals on this night, but the night belonged to the Bentley Generals who advanced to the semi finals and ended the Regals season. Friday at the 2010 Allan Cup the Fort St. John Flyers with five alumni on the roster will look to move past the South East Prairie Thunder and advance to the Championship game on Saturday.
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