The top three point-producers for the Prince George Spruce Kings have new junior hockey homes.
In advance of Monday's trade deadline in the B.C. Hockey League, the Kings dealt away RJay Berra, Nic DeSousa and Justin Fillion, who were one-two-three in team scoring. The Spruce Kings also parted with Mike Puddifant and Derek Henderson. On the other side of the ledger, the Kings added four new players to their mix.
The Spruce Kings, who have had a season of misery, traded their top-end talent with an eye to the future. In the BCHL standings, they are last overall with a 10-33-0-2 record.
Berra, who had a league-leading 34 goals and was eighth in points with 55, is now property of the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. In return for the 20-year-old offensive ace, the Kings got two players -- hulking defenceman Ben Woodley and forward Dustin Beairsto -- and future considerations. The 19-year-old Woodley stands six-foot-seven and weighs in at 230 pounds. Beairsto is an 18-year-old forward who was in his rookie season with the Storm.
The 20-year-old DeSousa, who piled up 13 goals and 42 points for the Kings, was shipped to the Trail Smoke Eaters for futures.
Fillion, also 20, had 14 goals and 41 points from the blueline. He's now a member of the Victoria Grizzlies. In exchange, the Kings received 19-year-old forward Dylan Nowakowski and future considerations.
But, Nowakowski won't actually be in a Kings uniform because the club promptly dealt him and Puddifant to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for 17-year-old blueliner Ryan Renz. Then, the Kings shipped Renz to the Vernon Vipers in exchange for 18-year-old forward Todd Skirving and future considerations.
Henderson landed in Grande Prairie with Berra. The Storm is coached by former Prince George Cougars bench boss Mike Vandekamp and has ex-King Dan Correale on its roster.
In another Monday deal, the Spruce Kings picked up Sam Waterfield, a 19-year-old rearguard who had been playing for the Dawson Creek Rage of the North American Hockey League. Waterfield is six-foot-three and 205 pounds.
Woodley, Beairsto, Skirving and Waterfield are all expected to be in the lineup when the Kings host DeSousa and the Smoke Eaters on Friday (7 p.m., Coliseum).
