He was recognized as a rising star at the junior B level. Skylar Pacheco is now taking his talents to junior A, and he'll be using them on behalf of the Prince George Spruce Kings.
The Kings announced the addition of Pacheco on Friday. The Kitimat-born defenceman skated for the Creston Valley Thunder Cats of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League last season and turned heads with his play. As a 16-year-old rookie, he had five goals and 17 points in 43 games and was chosen to play in the KIJHL Top Prospects Game.
"We're extremely thrilled to receive a commitment from a player like Skylar," said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes. "He is an extremely intelligent defenceman with tremendous offensive upside, good defensive instincts and great work ethic."
Pacheco will also bring playoff experience to the Kings. He played 13 post-season games with the Thunder Cats and, during their run, scored once and added an assist.
Since the end of the 2010-11 B.C. Hockey League season, the Kings have now welcomed a total of nine new players into the fold. Others are defencemen Jared Crossan, Cody Bardock and Josh Bryan and fowards Sean Landrey, Michael Klonarakis, Scott McHaffie, Spencer McHaffie and Dylan Tappe.
The new-look Kings are trying to rebound from a disastrous year, one in which they posted a 13-40-1-6 record and finished last overall in the BCHL.
Pacheco and the other newcomers will attend main training camp in late August.
