Exhibition Game Ends with Gloom for Prince George

     Alberta is very flat. That’s also how the Spruce Kings felt following Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss against the Grande Prairie Storm.

     The team got off to a fast start, and led 2-0 before the Storm were able to claw back with a goal of their own in the first. Cole Todd scored the first goal when he received a great cross ice pass from Parker Colley that left him with half the net to shot into. Colley followed up shortly after with a goal of his own that took a funny ricochet off a defender’s leg.

     Before the period closed though, Ian Mclellan scored to bring his team within one goal.

     The second period would prove fruitless, as neither team managed a goal, but the Spruce Kings entered the third with some leftover power play time which gave the team an excellent opportunity to put the game away. They would come up without a goal, which proved costly as Grande Prairie added two goals within minutes of each other to take their first lead of the game.

     That would only last about 20 seconds though, as Kyle Johnson scored his first goal of the pre-season to tie the game at three.

     Both teams came close to sealing the deal before the end of regulation, but Liam McCloskey and Arik Weersink both stood on their heads in net. Weersinks best save came with seconds left on the clock when Nick Guerra was stopped on the doorstep, with a terrific sliding save.

     In overtime, Alex Stoley had a great opportunity when he jumped up for a two on one, but once again Weersink was up to the challenge. Off the ensuing whistle, Grande Prairie would storm up the ice, and slip home the dagger with a goal from Josh Zablocki.

     Prince George will finish up their pre-season this weekend when they play a home and home series against the Vernon Vipers.

Training Camp Wrap-Up

This week has been a whirlwind since the opening night practice. Three intra-squad games have been played, where the 40 man roster has been split in two, and then played full games against one another. It wasn't just games going on this week though.

Tuesday the boys went through fitness testing, where the team did the following exercises: bench press, deadlift, push-ups, chin-ups, leg raises, and finished with an interesting drill that tested their overall fitness by measuring oxygen levels while they did lateral jumps back and forth.

Wednesday took the team on the “Royal Run” where they ran up through the UNBC connector trails, and ended at Shane Lake. With his team coming first overall, Cole Todd also finished with the best personal time, and said this the day after, “You go into those events, and you just want to set the pace, and be an example for the younger guys, so that’s what I tried to do.”

Thursday brought them to YMCA, where the boys got the opportunity for some team binding through rock climbing, and an obstacle course later on.

Walk home after the Royal Run

Now after four days of training camp, the boys are ready to take on some more competition. While playing intra-squad games does bring a game like mentality, it really isn’t the same as playing a different opponent like the team will do this weekend when they take on the Merritt Centennials in a home and home match up. Friday the teams will be in Prince George, and then make their way over to Merritt for the second game of the series.

 “I’ve got a couple buddies on that team. I’d like to be in the lineup and push the pace so I’m excited,” Cole Todd added about playing the Centennials this weekend. 

The team will work on narrowing their roster to be ready for their season/home opener on September 11^th when they take on the new expansion team, the Wenatchee Wild. 

Returning Faces: Cole Todd

As the oldest member of the Prince George Spruce Kings, Cole Todd will be heavily leaned on this season both on and off the ice. Coming back for his third season with the team, Todd put up impressive numbers last year, and knows that he will need to boost those once again if he wants to earn a scholarship for down in the states.

In an interview, Todd talked about the past season, his plans for the summer, and little bit about himself.


How did you feel about last season?

I thought last year was a pretty good learning experience. We had a pretty strong team, and injuries did catch up with us but that’s not an excuse for anything. It was really nice to get over that first round because I know we’re the second team in ten years to do it, and I know the City of Prince George, and the fans really enjoyed it. Going into this year we know we can get past that first round, and we know what it takes to move on. 

What are the plans for this summer? 

Just got back from Hawaii. Hanging out with friends and family. Heading up to the Okanagan for a week, and then back to hockey. We have a cabin up on the lake in Vernon, so I get to have a couple days off there which is nice. 

Who's your favourite NHL team and why? 

I like the Washington Capitals with all their skill and speed, and the way Ovechkin plays. Barry Trotz has turned him into an all around player. He scores, he makes plays, he hits, and he’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas. That’s really appealing, and I try to look up to him, and how he plays the game. Then with LA, I watch Jeff Carter, and all those guys play, and they play a big man's game every night which helps them dominate in the West. 

With the addition of the Wenatchee Wild that means a twelve hour bus ride there. How are you feeling about all the bus rides this year?

It’s going to be long, but I enjoy it. There’s team bonding, and you get to hangout with the guys. I know some guys don’t like the long trips, but it’s something we embrace. We like to go on the road, and to go travelling, and it’s part of Prince George, plus it gives us the advantage in the long run for the playoffs and when teams have to travel.

 What are you expecting out of yourself this season? 

I guess I’m the oldest on the team, if not the oldest. I want to be looked at as a leader, and just lead the team on and off the ice. There are other guys that are twenty year olds, and other guys that are leaders, and just because you don’t have a letter on your jersey doesn’t mean you can’t be a leader, but you want to be looked at to lead the team in those tough times, and you want the rookies to look up to you, and know what’s expected on the team. 

What do you know so far of new coach Chad van Diemen?

I met Chad when he was first announced as the new coach up in Prince George, and I kind of got to talk to him during the Spring Camp. One of my good friends Jarid Lukosevicius who I played with since I was like seven years old played for Powell River, and he got coached by Chad so I kind of talked to Jarid, and Jarryd Leung who was traded to Prince George this past season was also coached by Chad in Powell River, so I kind of know a little bit about Chad, and I’m pretty excited. He’s got good connections down south, and he’s going to make us work, and hold the guys accountable in the dressing room which is a thing we need. 

Nothing Gained, Nothing Lost

Chad Staley (22) about to take the shot that leads to his
third of the season against the Surrey Eagles
photo courtesy Garrett James Photography

The Prince George Spruce Kings picked up a single point as did the Surrey Eagles in a game that went the distance and then some only to end in a 4-4 double overtime tie. In the BCHL, there is no such thing as a clear cut winner if neither team can score the winning goal through ten extra minutes of four-on-four and three-on-three play.

The Spruce Kings played a very good game and were full marks with four goals on 45 shots through 70 minutes of play but had to settle for a single point giving them a record of 7-7-1-1 and 16 points in 16 games. The goals on the night came from Bryant Christian, Chad Staley and pair from Brent Lashuk. The two scored by Lashuk came sixteen seconds apart on the same shift just moments after the Eagles had a disallowed goal that would have put Prince George down 4-2 in the third period.

The Surrey Eagles started the scoring at 14:51 of the first period on an offensive zone faceoff. Brett Mulcahy won the draw back to Danton Heinen who fired a shot that was blocked. Jesse Jenks went for the save and couldn't get back in position before Heinen would get his own rebound and fire the shot through the Spruce Kings goaltender.

The Spruce Kings would get that one back 38 seconds later when Justin Rai started the play inside his own zone winning a puck battle to Christian Weidauer. The Spruce Kings leading offensive defenceman started a three-on-two rush up the right side wall. As he gained the Eagles zone he fed the puck over to Cole Todd who let go a shot that was tipped in front by Bryant Christian for his fifth of the season. In the arena, the goal was credited to Cole Todd as the rookie's first BCHL career goal but Todd showed that he is a team first player and that he wants his first to be legitimate after letting team officials know that it was indeed Christian's goal.

Less than two minutes later the Spruce Kings would take their first lead of the game off a strong play in the corner by Mitch Barker. Fighting for the puck in the corner, Barker was able to dislodge the puck for Riley Hawes who fed the puck to Chad Staley waiting in the faceoff circle. Staley walked the puck towards the slot and when he thought he had enough room, fired a shot to the topside corner on the far side over the glove of Devon Fordyce. That goal would stand up until the 8:37 mark of the second period.

After giving up an early shot on goal in the second period, the Spruce Kings reeled off a series of chances and tallied seven shots on Fordyce through the first eight minutes of the middle frame. Under pressure in their own zone, Matt Dawson elected to go with a designed breakout play off the glass to the waiting winger on the centre ice line. Danton Heinen was able to tip the puck sending it up into the air landing just inside the Spruce Kings blue line. Brett Mulcahy picked up there and went to the net hard with Mitch Eden all over him. As Mulcahy was falling he slapped at the puck and knuckler got through Jenks to tie the game 2-2.

The Surrey Eagles would get life from that goal and applied some pressure on the Spruce Kings getting five more shots before the Spruce Kings would finish the period strong. Shots on goal in the second period favoured Prince George 15-7 and 28-15 through forty minutes. To start the third the Eagles would score first in the period just over two minutes in. Nic Pierog added a fourth goal on the weekend after a hat trick on Friday night, his wrister found twine as it worked its way through a screen set up in front of the net.

Just past the midway mark of the third period, the Eagles fired the puck on net where it sat in the blue paint among skates. With the players pushing and fighting to get a stick on the puck, the puck would go off a skate blade just as the net came off its moorings. The goal light would go on but the referee immediately indicated no-goal. After an extended conversation with his linesman, Nick Swaine stuck to his call on the ice and waved off the goal with the explanation that the net had come off before the puck crossed the goal line.

The Spruce Kings and specifically the line of Chad Staley, Jeremiah Luedtke and Brent Lashuk used that as fuel and led the charge for the visiting team. On a rush up the ice, Danny Kiraly found Staley who then slid the puck over to Lashuk who buried his third of the season to tie the game 3-3. Before the goal could be announced in the South Surrey Arena, the trio were back at it again off the faceoff win by Staley, Luedtke carried the puck over the blue line and spotted Lashuk with it who then scored his fourth of the season giving the Spruce Kings a 4-3 lead just 16 seconds after his first of the night.

Lashuk would have a chance at the hat trick as he came down the middle trailing a play that saw Staley's hard shot kicked into the slot by Fordyce. Lashuk may have waited a split second too long as he looked up before taking the shot that the Eagles goaltender was able to find.

Two and a half minutes later it would be a pair of defenceman for the Surrey Eagles combining on the 4-4 tying goal. On a play that started from behind their own net Kale Bennett spotted Matt Dawson on the right side with a nice pass that left Dawson only one option. Racing down the wall, Dawson elected to shoot as he got to the top of the faceoff circle. The puck caught Jenks on his right side and rolled through his equipment to fall behind the netminder onto the blue paint. As Jenks reached behind him to find the loose puck, it kept rolling out of his reach as it crossed the goal line.

That is how the third period would end with both teams having chances before the end of regulation time to stake a claim on both points. As the game headed to overtime, both teams were given the automatic single point and through ten additional minutes of play, neither team could find a quality shot on goal.

After the game, the Spruce Kings learned that the Coquitlam Express had lost in regulation time meaning that Prince George retains third in the Mainland Division two points back of the Express. The Langley Rivermen and the Penticton Vees also went the full distance with nothing being settled after seventy minutes in a 1-1 final. The single point for the Rivermen gives them 20 on the season and a four point cushion against their next opponent - the Prince George Spruce Kings.

It will be a quick turn-around for both teams with a 2pm scheduled puck drop from the Langley Events Centre. Sunday's matchup with be the first of the season between these two Mainland Divisional opponents. The game will be available online beginning with the pregame show at 1:40pm on Fasthockey.com and the Spruce Kings Mixlr channel.

David vs Goliath

Jesse Jenks posted his first BCHL winning after making
36 saves in the Spruce Kings 4-3 win over Penticton

For the third time in as many games played in the Castle, the Spruce Kings did the improbable and posted a regulation time win over the Penticton Vees. Coming into the game with a perfect record of 4 and 0, the Vees boosted an enviable roster that has NCAA schools chomping at the bit to get players from Penticton into their own stables. But on this night it was the Clydesdales of Prince George that showed their ability to play the game.

Despite some stellar saves from the rookie goaltender, Jesse Jenks and the Spruce Kings found themselves down 1-0 early to the visiting Penticton Vees. After a bit of bad luck bounce that came on the same play that saw Jenks make two great saves, the puck was poked in behind the 18 year old netminder at 6:16 of the first period.

The Spruce Kings mounted their own offensive push after this and with the aid of the BCHL timeout, were able to get their first goal when Jake LeBrun scored his first of three on the night. Following up on a play started by Bryant Christian, LeBrun went hard to the net with his stick on the ice and feathered the puck through a tangle of legs.

With the game tied 1-1, the Spruce Kings went on the powerplay and made short order of their man advantage. With a D-to-D pass, Caleb Thompson fed Christian Weidauer the pass who fired a shot in. Chad Staley was right there to find the big rebound and bury his first of the season to give the Spruce Kings a 2-1 lead late in the first period.

Before the first was over, the Spruce Kings went up two goals with LeBrun’s second off another loose puck in the blue paint that squeaked over the goal line. Weidauer and Christian were given the assists on the play. The goal itself, scored in the last minute of play, was the direct result of the Spruce Kings feeding off the energy created by the fans in attendance.

In the second period, the Penticton Vees made some adjustments that minimized the Spruce Kings shots and chances. A powerplay goal by the visitors made this a one-goal game with the Vees building momentum. A late penalty in the second period, that carried over into the third, saw the Penticton Vees build even more momentum.

Immediately after killing off that penalty, the Spruce Kings found themselves penalized again, but this time it was a five minute major to Cole Todd. To compound the issue, Skylar Pacheco was given a two minute minor giving the Penticton Vees a full two minutes to work with the two man advantage. When it looked like the Spruce Kings were going to kill it off, a long range shot found its way through everybody to tie the game 3-3.

Jake LeBrun would become the hero on the night scoring his third of the game, a powerplay goal at 12:25 of the third that would stand up to be the eventual game winner. LeBrun earned first star honours for his effort and shot up in to the top twenty among League scoring and second in the League for the most goals scored with 6. Jesse Jenks was given second star honours for his stellar play between the pipes and certainly can't be faulted for any of the three goals that did get behind him.

Bryant Christian earned the FortisBC Energy Player of the Game for his consistent play. Missing in the accolades was Christian Weidauer despite setting three of the goals on the night and playing a solid game on the blue line.

The Spruce Kings will now get set to take on the Trail Smoke Eaters Saturday night at 7pm in the Castle.