Game Preview vs Trail Smoke Eaters

VS
1-6-0-1	Record	2-6-0-0
13 (17th in BCHL)	Goals For	24 (13th in the BCHL)
37 (14th in BCHL)	Goals Against	38 (16th in BCHL)
7.32% 17th in BCHL	Power Play	12.82% 14th in BCHL
69.05% 16th in BCHL	Penalty Kill	86.96% 4th in the BCHL

Venue: Cominco Arena

Game Time: 7:30pm

Last Year’s Matchup: 2-0

Season Series: Spruce Kings have won the single meeting 6-3 at the BCHL Showcase.

Trail Home Record: 1-2-0-0

Smoke Eaters Leading Scorer: Kurt Black (7pts in 8 games)

Prince George Road Record: 0-2-0-1

Spruce Kings Leading Scorer: Corey Hoffman and Adam Brubacher (each with two goals and two assists for four points)

Player to watch:

Spruce Kings:

Scoring his first point against the Smoke Eaters, Adam Brubacher will be on the hunt once again. He had a pair of goals last weekend for his first markers of the season against Penticton, and is now the co-leader in points for his team alongside Corey Hoffman. The big defensemen has been logging big minutes alongside Rylan Bectel, and has skill on both ends of the ice. Brubacher is one of the most reliable blueliners, and is used at all times of the game.

In his first game against his old team, Bryan Basilico will also be a counted on veteran presence. He has one goal in two goals with his new team, and has created numerous opportunities using his big size and skill. 

Smoke Eaters:

In his last game he scored a goal, and against the Penticton Vees he was the only player from Trail with a multi-point effort. Harlan Orr had got on the board against the Spruce Kings before, and he’ll be looking to do the same at home this time around.

Currently on a four game point drought, Kurt Black will want to get back onto the score sheet. He had seven points in his first four games, but nothing since.

Beat Them While They’re Down

The Smoke Eaters are on a four game losing streak, and the Spruce Kings need to ensure they keep that streak going on a three game losing streak themselves. Four top teams are beginning to pull away in the Mainland Division, and Prince George can’t afford to fall too far behind.

The Spruce Kings are setting out on a tough two weekends in road games, and a win to start things out would be great for the team to get things rolling.

In the Standings:

With Surrey beating Merritt on Sunday, they climbed out of the Mainland Division cellar, and that’s where Prince George sits now. The Spruce Kings have 3 points after eight games, and that has them tied for last in the league alongside the Victoria Grizzlies. With a win against the Smoke Eaters, Prince George can leap frog into the 14^th place spot.

14^th is currently where the Trail Smoke Eaters sit. They started the season with four points in four games, but haven’t managed a point in their last four games. A win wouldn’t move them at all in the Interior Division, or league standings, but it would move them within two points of Merritt, with two games in hand.

Broadcast Info: For all games, you can listen to the action on Mixlr

 or watch live at BCHL FASTHockey

Spruce Kings Acquire Bryan Basilico

Photo By: Garrett James Photography

The Prince George Spruce Kings are excited to announce that they have traded for Bryan Basilico, from the Trail Smoke Eaters in exchange for future considerations.

The 20 year old forward from Macomb, Michigan will be joining the team after spending the last two seasons with Trail. In 51 games last year, Bryan posted 12 goals and 22 assists to go along with 41 penalty minutes. Prior to playing with the Smoke Eaters, Basilico spent three years in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede, Des Moines Buccaneers, and the Green Bay Gamblers. He is currently committed to playing at Lake Superior State University next season.

“Bryan is a big power forward type player who can put up good numbers offensively. He will add some size, strength, and scoring to our forward group which is something we’ve been lacking so far this season. His leadership abilities and veteran presence will also be a nice addition to our room,” said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes.

Returning Faces: Stephen Penner

Stephen Penner is both old and new to the Spruce Kings. Penner grew up in Prince George, and then played his first two BCHL seasons with his home town team. On December 1st 2014 though, that changed as he was traded to the Trail Smoke Eaters along with Cooper Leitch in exchange for Viktor Dombrovskiy. Entering the summer, Penner expected to close out his junior career with Trail, but the Spruce Kings decided they wanted their 6'5" home grown boy back. The trade was made, and Penner couldn't be happier at the idea of ending with his hometown Spruce Kings.

You've played most of your hockey career in Prince George, so what was the transition like playing for Trail last year? 

The transition to Trail took me some time to get used to but the team, my billets, and community were very welcoming and made the transition a lot easier.

What is it like playing in the BCHL for your home town team? 

Playing for my home town team is such an indescribable feeling. I grew up going to kings games and always looked up to the players. Now I'm on the other end and I feel honoured to have that privilege because not a lot of junior players have that opportunity to play for an organization like this in their home town.

How did you react when you heard you were coming back to the Spruce Kings? 

I was shocked and excited when I found out I was coming home to PG. I was not expecting to be traded back. Playing for Trail was an amazing experience and I had a lot of fun but I'm excited to get the season started in PG again.

What is your favourite hockey memory of all time? 

My favourite hockey memory is winning midget tier 1 provincials in 2012.

What is your favourite thing about the city of Prince George? 

My favourite part of PG is the variety of things to do. There's great hiking, camping, fishing, and lakes to relax at. It's a great place in the summer and winter.

Best place to eat in Prince George?

My favourite place to eat in PG is D'Lanos for breakfast.

With a big and experienced defence corps coming to play this year, how much of a strength do you expect that to be for the team? 

I'm excited to be a part of such a strong defensive group. I feel other teams will be intimidated and scared to play against us.

What do you best bring as a player? 

I bring a lot of physicality as a player. I love to hit and block shots and will stick up for my teammates. I'll do whatever it takes to win.

What are your goals for this season? 

My goals for this season is to make it to the RBC Cup.

Favourite genre of music/ favourite song? 

I like to listen to a lot of country and rock. My favourite song right now is Renegades by X Ambassadors.

Favourite movie? 

My favourite movies are the Bourne trilogy.

Who is one NHL player you try to model your game after? 

Shea Weber is a player I feel like I try to model myself my game after. I try to play the same physical style he does.

Which NHL team is your favourite, and why?

My favourite NHL team is the Vancouver Canucks because I grew up watching them with my family and they are like a home team for all of BC.

Penner is Back!

The Prince George Spruce Kings are pleased to announce the re-acquisition of 20 year old defenseman Stephen Penner from The Trail Smoke Eaters in exchange for future considerations.

The 6’5” 215lb Penner is from Prince George and played 44 games for the Spruce Kings in the 2013/2014 season. He also played 28 games for the Spruce Kings last season before being traded in early December to The Trail Smoke Eaters.

“Stephen is a big, strong, physical defenseman who can contribute in both ends of the ice. I wanted to add some size and strength on the back end and Stephen is a great fit for us. Obviously we are very familiar with Stephen and what he brings to a team. As important as his on ice ability is the fact that Stephen is a great person who is a tremendous teammate and is great in the room. He will provide some leadership and will contribute to an already strong group of returning defenseman’” said Spruce Kings General Manager Mike Hawes.

Stephen will join the rest of his Spruce Kings teammates when the team commences their Main Training Camp on August 24^th at the coliseum.

For more information please contact the Spruce Kings office at 250 564-1747.

(Press Release from the Prince George Spruce Kings)

2011 Ends With a Bang

The Spruce Kings came into tonight;s match up on a high note, having dumped another division rival just two nights before. Trail came into this match up fresh off the Christmas break, and it showed on the ice through out the first 40 minutes. There was one man who brought his “A” game the entire game, and that was Smokies goaltender Lyndon Standwood. Stanwood many miraculous saves throughout the game, and really was the only reason the Spruce Kings didn't run the score u into the double digits.

The first period alone he faced 14 shots, saving all but one as Michael Colantone got his 4th goal in the past two games. The goal came on a back door feed, one that was made by Jujhar Khaira, but not before Stanwood stoned them on the exact same play minutes earlier. The Spruce Kings continued to fire pucks on the Smokies goaltender throughout the period, many of them quality chances. Ty Swabb was not tested on much on the other hand, having to stop 7 shots.

The Second Period is where the Spruce Kings broke the play wide open, and were finally able to solve Stanwood more than once. Prince George was robbed on multiple occasions in the second, but Leo Fitzgerald made it 2-0, firing home a cross ice pass from his brother Myles. Chase Golightly would add a third marker, a shot that eventually went in off the body of a Smoke Eater. Stanwood faced another 13 shots in the period, but once again, he made a handful of saves that could make any highlight real.

The third period started off with a bang for Trail, as former Spruce King Connor Tiechko put a bouncing puck past Ty Swabb to end his shutout bid. It was a goal that seemed to spark the Smoke Eaters as Brent Baltus scored his 5th of the season, bringing his team within one. The Smokies had new life, and they were pressing hard to tie the game up. The Spruce Kings were back on their heels, and needed to find a way to get another puck past Stanwood quickly before the momentum completely shifted. It would take 8 minutes, but finally Prince George's top line was able to put the icing on the cake as Paul De Jersey scored his 27th of the season. Jujhar Khaira would add a fifth insurance marker, one that ultimately wouldn't be needed as the Smoke Eaters wouldn't score again, giving the Spruce Kings a 5-2 win

The win gives Prince George 39 points through 35 games, helping them keep their fourth place spot in the Interior Conference standings. Vernon won tonight as well, meaning they still sit in fifth place, 2 points behind the Spruce Kings

Click here to view the entire league standings

Click here to view tonight's box score

The Three Stars:

3)(PG)Chase Golightly – 1 Goal 1 Assist
2)(PG)Jujhar Khaira – 1 Goal 2 Assists
1)(TRL)Lyndon Stanwood – 43 Saves

Next Up:

The Spruce Kings now have a 5 day break and will next suit up Thursday January 5th and 6th at the Castle against Westside. Until then, we hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year celebration

Spruce Kings Win Their Fourth Straight

It wasn't their best game of the season, but Prince George did find a way to capitalize on their chances beating Trail for the second straight night. The Spruce Kings actually found themselves down on the score sheet in the 2nd period, but battled back to take the lead and never looked back. Their top line had another stellar game, and Marcus Beesley back stopped them to their 4th straight win. Let's recap tonight's game between the Trail Smoke Eaters, and your Prince George Spruce Kings

The Recap:

The first period saw back and forth action, with both teams getting lots of chances. It became a goaltenders duel and Matt Larose was leading the charge. Larose had to make 13 stops in the 1st period, and 3 of them were quality saves, including a robbery of Paul De Jersey as he stretched out his paddle to get a piece of it. Marcus Beesley made a few nice saves of his own, as neither team was able to find the back of the net. It was obvious from this period of play that the Smokies were out to prove that tonight would be much different than the 8-0 loss the night before

The 2nd period started out great for the Smokies, and they seemed to snatch hold of the momentum as Nicholas Wong fired a shot from the point to open the scoring. It didn't take long though for the Spruce Kings to halt any potential onslaught of the Smoke Eaters as Jujhar Khaira put home a rebound on the power play. His line mates De Jersey and Colantone added the helpers on the tying goal. This goal seemed to wake up the Spruce Kings as Jujhar Khaira scored again 4 minutes later, with Paul De Jersey adding a 3rd goal towards the end of the frame. It was a tough 10 minutes for the Smoke Eaters, as they went from dictating the play, to chasing Prince George around the ice. We went into the break with the Spruce Kings leading 3-1. Matt Larose continued to be the Smokies best player, as had faced 31 shots through 2 periods

The third period was more of the same as the Spruce Kings were getting chances, and capitalizing on them. Sean Landrey scored his second of the season, finding the puck out front of the net as it took a weird bounce off of the boards. Trail would attempt to make a game of it as Clayton Chessa blasted a shot from the point past Beesley. The Smokies would get their fair share of chances, but couldn't bring the game any closer than it was. Paul De Jersey would put the icing on the cake, scoring his second of the game, adding to his league leading scoring totals. The Spruce Kings would finish of the sweep of Trail, tallying their fourth straight win over a division rival. The win moves the Spruce Kings record to 5-3-0-1, good to leap frog them into third in the interior conference division

The Stats Breakdown:

Jujhar Khaira was the Spruce Kings best forward on the night, scoring twice, including the game winner, and racking up an assist. The 3 point night would put Khiara into the 3rd spot of the scoring race. Leading that scoring race is one of his line mates, Paul De Jersey with 22 points in 9 games. De Jersey had 2 goals in the win, which brings his league leading goal total to 14. Michael Colantone continued to rack up points as a Spruce King, recording 4 assists, moving him up form 16th to 6th on the list. Clayton Chessa scored his 7th goal for the Smoke Eaters, bringing his point total to, 7. Marcus Beesley made 22 saves to move his record to 4-1 on the season. Matt Larose was incredible in tonight's loss, making 42 saves, many of them highlight reel.

Check out the official box score here

The Three Stars:

3) (TRA) Matt Larose – 38 Saves

2) (PG) Michael Colantone – 4 Assists

1) (PG) Jujhar Khaira - 2 Goals, 1 Assist

I caught up with Jujhar Khaira after the game to talk about his excellent play as of late, his new line mates and his new look Spruce Kings. I started by asking him about tonight's big win

download audio file

Up Next:

The Spruce Kings will have a couple of days off, and get ready to host the Coquitlam Express at The Coliseum. You can catch that game Thursday night at the Castle, on the BCHL website, or on our ustream channel

The Spruce Kings and Smoke Eaters Square Off

Another weekend set of games, and once again the Castle will be on display as the Spruce Kings will host the Trail Smoke Eaters today and tomorrow. The Spruce Kings are coming into tonight's match up on a high note, having won their last two against Penticton and most recently beating the Silverbacks in Salmon Arm. The Smoke Eaters have had a tough start to the season going 1-5-1 through 7 games, and are currently in a 3 game losing streak. It's another big weekend set between division rivals, and a couple of games that can either shift your season in the right direction, or stall the momentum needed to make a run up the ladder. So, let's preview this weekend's match up between the Smoke Eaters, and your Prince George Spruce Kings.

The Break Down:

The Trail Smoke Eaters have had the Spruce Kings number over these past few years, especially last year. The Smoke Eaters swept Prince George in the season series last year and has won 9 of the past 10 match ups. You have to go back to the 07/08 season to find the last time the Spruce Kings beat the Smokies on home ice. They are hoping to change that this weekend and fans should feel good about their chances. The Spruce Kings are off to a good start to the season, putting together a 3-3-0-1 record through the first 7 games. Aside from a bad game against Penticton, the Spruce Kings have been competitive in every contest and have shown that they can put the puck in the back of the net at any moment. The Smokies only win this season did come away from their own barn, beating the Centennials in Merritt, bringing their road record to 
1-2. The Spruce Kings are 2-2 at the Castle this season, and each time they have hosted a team for a back to back series, they have split the games.

News and Notes:

It looks like Paul De Jersey has found his fit in the BCHL as he currently leads the league in goals scored and points. De Jersey has 11 goals this season, which matches his goal total from his first three seasons. Clayton Chessa leads the Smoke Eaters in scoring with 6 goals and 1 assist. Marcus Beesley has started the last 2 games for the Spruce Kings, winning both. It's not known who will start tonight, but with another back to back set, expect both Beesley and Thompson to start, but the days unknown. Matt Larose has started 6 of the Smokies 7 games going 1-5. While rookie tender Reed Vogt has started 1 game, playing relief in another. It's not known who will get the start tonight, but look for each guy to get a start this weekend. This game will also see a few players square off against their old teams. Ben Matthews and Dylan Tappe played last season with the Smoke Eaters and although most of their old teammates are no longer with the team, it will still be the first time they take on their old squad. For the Smoke Eaters, Clayton McEwan is the only player to ave a link to the Prince George, having played 27 games for the Spruce Kings during the 08/09 and the 09/10 seasons.

Bumps and Bruises:

The Spruce Kings will be without a few players tonight as Jared Crossan (Hand) and Jeff Earnest (Jaw) are still rehabbing injuries. Tyson Witala has sat on the sidelines the past 2 games due to taking a puck off the foot, it's not known if he will lace up the skates tonight or not. Kyle Horseman (Wrist) is the only Smoke Eater who is listed on the BCHL website with an injury at the moment.

Game Time:

The first of this back to back home series in Prince George will start tonight with the puck dropping at 7pm. There are a few different ways for you to catch the game tonight. The best way to check out the game tonight would be to head down to the Prince George Coliseum. If you aren't in Prince George you can watch the webcast on the BCHL website here, or you can listen to the free audio broadcast here. Be sure to check the Facebook page and our twitter for more updates and analysis after tonight's game. Hope to see you at the rink

Go Sprucies!!!!

CNC Challenge Cup, the Playoff Race and Magic Numbers

It comes down to this weekend to crown a champion in the CNC Challenge Cup Series between the Quesnel Millionaires and the Prince George Spruce Kings. Over the course of the nine year history of the championship between these two long-time rivals, it is the Spruce Kings that have enjoyed the bragging rights seven times including the last six in a row. Seventh heaven hasn't been nearly as easy to secure as the early championships and it could very well come down to the final game and some quick tie-breaking calculations.

This season the CNC Challenge Cup Series is based on the ten regular season matchups between the two teams. Through eight games, the Quesnel Millionaires have a slight 9-8 lead in points awarded through head-to-head wins. The Spruce Kings have a record of 4 wins and 4 losses with one of those wins coming in overtime which gave the Millionaires the one extra point with a record of 4-3-0-1.

The simple scenarios is a pair of regulation time games where four points would be split up. If the Millionaires split a pair of regulation time games, they will hoist the Cup at centre ice in the Coliseum on Saturday night. For Prince George to hold onto their title and extend it to an unprecedented seventh consecutive time, they have to pick up a minimum of one more point than Quesnel.

The scenarios of overtime, including a no-decision tie, could leave both teams with the same amount of points leading to the first tie breaker of goals for and goals against. The Spruce Kings have the edge in that stat heading into the weekend thanks to one game in particular that saw the royal ones break the bank with an 11-4 victory back on November 21st. Hang on though, don't get ahead of yourself as the differential is closer than you might think. The Spruce Kings have scored 30 goals through the eight games while the Millionaires have tallied 28 times.

Should make for an interesting couple of games from a couple of teams that have everything to gain at the other's expense. Of course there is the CNC Challenge Cup itself, but there is also the points in the Interior Conference where four teams are battling for three playoff spots. The Quesnel Millionaires head into the weekend with 17 games remaining sitting in fifth spot with 34 points. The Merritt Centennials have a share of that fifth spot with 34 points, but only have 16 games remaining. The Trail Smoke Eaters are right behind those two with 33 points and a game in hand on the Spruce Kings.

The Quesnel Millionaires and the Prince George Spruce Kings have almost identical schedules to the end of the regular season with both teams still to make the Island road trip as well as host Nanaimo, Victoria and Burnaby. Both teams have a pair of games against the Penticton Vees and a single with the Merritt Centenials. The only difference is that the Millionaires have to play the Westside Warriors, while the Spruce Kings have to go into Vernon still to play the Vipers. The extra game for Quesnel will be against Williams Lake as they still have four games remaining against the Timberwolves while the Spruce Kings only have three.

The Trail Smoke Eaters have arguable the toughest remaining schedule with a total of eight games against the top five Coastal Conference teams including two against each of the top three teams from the other division. The Smokies also have to contend with the Penticton Vees four times before the end of the season as well as a pair of meetings with both the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Westside Warriors. There is also a single against the Merritt Centennials that could become the decisive game for a playoff position.

The Merritt Centennials don't have a much easier schedule with the exception of not having any real Coastal Conference road trips remaining. The Centennials will play in Surrey and will host Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley. Where it becomes tough for Merritt is their three game sets against Penticton and Salmon Arm. The Cents also have a pair against Vernon and singles against Westside, Quesnel, Prince George, Williams Lake and that season ending home date with Trail.

It isn't fair to completely rule out the Williams Lake Timberwolves in all of this either as they have the most games remaining at twenty. The T'wolves do have one four game Coastal Conference road trip with two on the island and two in the Lower Mainland. The remaining sixteen games feature three against Coastal teams and four against the upper Interior Conference teams. It's the other nine games that are the most interesting as the Timberwolves could play the role of spoiler or even propel themselves into the hunt for one of the bottom three playoff spots.

It's still too early to be counting magic numbers but if you are wondering, the Spruce Kings magic number against the Quesnel Millionaires is 41. That's any combination of points gained by the Spruce Kings and lost by the Millionaires. It is that magic number that puts so much importance on the games this weekend as the magic number has the potential to change by eight points. The other magic numbers are 40 against Trail, 39 against Merritt and 32 against Williams Lake.