The Prince George Spruce Kings have not officially been eliminated from playoff contention in the B.C. Hockey League. But after trading away two of their best players Thursday they've all but guaranteed their season will end with their last regular-season game in late February.
The Kings sent 20-year-old forwards Bryan Basilico and Jake LeBrun to the West Kelowna Warriors for 18-year-old forward Tanner Campbell and future considerations.
Now in his second BCHL season, Campbell had four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 28 games with the Warriors, and the five-foot-eight, 165-pound Kelowna native has been on a roll lately. All but one of his points came in the past nine games.
In 46 games in his rookie BCHL season with West Kelowna and Chilliwack he totaled eight goals and nine assists for 17 points.
Two seasons ago with the Okanagan Rockets, Campbell lit up the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League with 29 goals and 67 points in 38 games.
"Tanner Campbell is a very talented young forward with great offensive instincts - he put up tremendous numbers in his last year of major-midget hockey and will be given every opportunity with our group to achieve similar success," said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes. "We look forward to adding Tanner to our lineup."
Basilico was tied for third in team scoring with 23 points, including 10 goals, in 33 games and was one of the team's top penalty-killers. The native of Macomb, Mich., a Lake Superior State recruit, joined the Kings in September after a trade with Trail, where he picked up 66 points over two seasons with the Smoke Eaters.
LeBrun, a native of Prince George, has been sidelined with a broken clavicle since mid-November and is still at least a month away from returning to action. Now in his fourth BCHL season, the Kings captain had 11 goals and 14 points in 24 games before he got hurt.
"It's always difficult any time you trade away two great young men like Jake LeBrun and Bryan Basilico," said Hawes.
"Bryan is a great young man and it was a pleasure having him with us. He worked hard every day and did all he could for us to be successful. This opportunity for him in West Kelowna will allow him to continue to develop and prepare for next season at Lake Superior State.
"Jake has played for the Spruce Kings for four seasons and has been associated with the team going back 10 years when he was the stick boy. He epitomizes what it means to be a Spruce King and it was a pleasure having him as a member of our team."
LeBrun led the Spruce Kings into the second round of playoffs last season for the first time in 10 years. He racked up eight points in seven games just before his injury.
In 183 games with the Kings he totaled 114 points.
The Kings (9-28-0-2) begin a three-game road trip tonight in Surrey against the last-overall Eagles (5-31-1-0). On Saturday the Kings will be in Coquitlam.
They wrap up the weekend with a Sunday afternoon game in Chilliwack. With 19 games left in the season, Prince George is 17 points behind fourth-place Coquitlam for the final Mainland Division playoff spot.
