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Buono's hat-trick effort ignites Spruce Kings

Fort St. John native Fairlie records first career BCHL shutout in 7-0 win over Cents
spruce kings

Christian Buono doesn’t want it to end.

He’s having too much fun scoring goals and winning hockey games.

Unfortunately for the 20-year-old from Burnaby - and for the Prince George Spruce Kings - Buono’s junior career will not extend beyond their final game of the B.C. Hockey League season on May 9.

So Buono is enjoying it while it lasts and Wednesday’s game in the Chilliwack hub certainly put a smile on his face. He scored three goals to shoot the Spruce Kings to a 7-0 shutout victory over his former team, the Merritt Centennials. For Buono, who joined the Spruce Kings in the off-season from Merritt, it was his second career hat trick and both have come this season at the expense of the Cents.

He got the Kings started on their way to their fifth straight win with the only goal of the opening period, and his second of the game late in the second period made it a 4-0 game. Buono completed his hat trick with an unassisted shorthanded goal which capped the scoring just before the midway mark of the third period.

Buono now has a team-leading 10 goals and 19 points, which moved him into eighth place in the BCHL scoring race, five points off the league-leading pace of Ellis Rickwood of the Victoria Grizzlies.

It was also a memorable evening for Spruce Kings goalie Jordan Fairlie. The 18-year-old native of Fort St. John made 16 saves to record his first career BCHL shutout. The Kings outshot the Cents 34-16.

Kings forwards Simon Labelle and Hunor Torzsok each scored their first goals of the season in the third period. Kolton Cousins and Nick Rheaume also scored as the Kings ran their record against Merritt to 7-0 this season. Rheaume’s goal 12:38 into the second period prompted a goaltending change and Brayden Melynk came in to replace starter Colton Phillips-Watts, who gave up three goals on 20 shots.

Prince George improved to 10-3-0-1-0 and regained a three-point bulge over the second-place Chilliwack Chiefs (9-5-0-0-0). Merritt (2-12-0-0-0) remained third in the Chilliwack hub. The Spruce Kings' next game is Friday in Chilliwack against the Chiefs (5 p.m. start).

LOOSE PUCKS: The BCHL announced earlier this week the season will end with the final regular season games on May 11 and there will be no playoffs this season due to the pandemic and the current travel restrictions in place which prohibit travel between health regions. With infection rates still running high, the league was not willing to risk the health of the players and team staff who would have faced more challenges leaving their sequestered cohorts to play teams from other cohort hubs… The Fred Page Cup championship trophy will not be awarded. The BCHL has not determined a champion since 2019, when the Spruce Kings won their first BCHL championship… Each hub will hand individual awards for MVP, top scorer, top defenceman, top goaltender, and top rookie.

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