The highs and lows of running a B.C. Hockey League team came with full force Wednesday to the Prince George Spruce Kings
First the good news. Kyle Johnson has made the cut for Team Canada West and will remain with the team as they prepare for the World Junior A Challenge tournament, Dec. 11-17 in Bonnyville, Alta.
The 18-year-old centre from Port Moody has been one of the Kings' top forwards in his second BCHL season with seven goals 14 assists and 21 points in 29 games. Johnson will miss the Kings' next five games, including their two-game set against the Langley Rivermen tonight and Friday and road games next weekend in Coquitlam, Cowichan Valley and Victoria.
Kings head coach Chad van Diemen said Johnson deserves a spot on the team, which will give the Yale recruit a chance to play at a higher level as one of 11 BCHL players who will suit up for Canada West in the eight-team international tournament.
"For him to make that team is a huge accomplishment and we're really proud of him for going there and earning a spot, it's a tough team to make," said van Diemen, whose team hosts the Langley Rivermen the next two nights at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
The Kings coaching staff received the bad news Wednesday when 19-year-old left winger Jamie Huber told them he was leaving the Spruce Kings and will be returning to his home in Goderich, Ont., effective immediately.
"He's left the team for personal reasons," said van Diemen. "It's a big loss, it's a tough hole to try and fill.
"He said he was homesick. He liked the hockey, liked the team, liked his billets, but there was some anxiety there, some personal things, and he just felt it was best for him to go back home and play for old junior B team."
Huber plans to rejoin the Cyclones as soon as the two teams can work out a trade, which van Diemen said will involve future considerations.
Huber was one of the team's top recruits in the off season after an 80-point season with the Listowel Cyclones of the Greater Ontario Junior (B) Hockey League and was thriving on a line with Brett Mennear and Chong Hun Lee. Huber ranks second in team scoring with 11 goals 16 assists and 27 points.
One other Spruce King forward, Ethan de Jong, tried out for Canada West but did not make the team. He was due to return to Prince George Wednesday night and is expected to be in the lineup tonight. Forward Chong Min Lee, the 17-year-old brother of Kings right winger Chong Hyun Lee, has been called up from the junior B Port Moody Panthers.
The Kings are looking to rebound after falling last week to two of the top teams in the league, 2-1 to Chilliwack and 4-1 to Victoria. Prince George (14-12-1-2, third in Mainland Division) is four points ahead of Langley (11-13-3-2, fourth in Mainland).
"We hope we've learned from the way we played last weekend and bounce back with a better weekend," said van Diemen. "We have to be better on both sides of the puck. Offensively, we have to find ways to score more goals, and when we don't have the puck we have to play harder and do a lot more of the little things to get the puck back and not give up scoring chances."
With the Christmas break fast approaching and the season exactly half over, just eight of the Spruce Kings' remaining 29 games will be played on home ice.
Canada West will have returning players from last year's gold medalists, including Kyle Betts (Powell River, BCHL), Blake Hayward (Coquitlam, BCHL), Joseph Nardi (Whitecourt, AJHL), Carter Turnbull (Powell River, BCHL) and Cale Makar (Brooks, AJHL). Barry Wolff of the Coquitlam Express will be the head coach. Canada West plays Switzerland in its opening game, Sunday, Dec. 11.
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