Ben Woodley believes in second chances. Especially since he wouldn't be skating with the Prince George Spruce Kings if his parents hadn't let him return to the ice when was a toddler in
London, Ont.
"When I was three years old my parents took me out to public skate," said the 20-year-old defenceman. "I cried my eyes out and said I didn't want to skate so they took me off the ice."
"Then, I believe it would've been in junior kindergarten, I came home and said I wanted to play hockey," recalled Woodley. "My mom said to me I had to learn how to skate first."
He returned to the ice and 15 years later the six-foot-six, 230-pound defender patrols the Spruce Kings' blueline. In 49 games with the Kings this season Woodley has four goals, 39 points and 115 penalty minutes.
Woodley joined the British Columbia Hockey League franchise at the trade deadline in the Canadian Junior Hockey League last season, coming to the Kings from the AJHL's Grande Prairie Storm.
In 15 games with the retooling Kings, Woodley had six goals, 17 points and accumulated 25
minutes in penalties.
"I was really trying to build momentum from last year to this year," said Woodley.
The defenceman was one of Dave Dupas's first acquisitions when he took over as head coach for the Spruce Kings midway through last season.
"He's a big body, smart with the puck and good on the power play," said Dupas. "When he's on his game he's one of the better defencemen in the league and when he wants to use his size he's an intimidating force out there. He just has to learn to use it all the time."
Diehard Kings' fans know Woodley had a few problems early in the season balancing his emotions on the ice - which resulted in several game misconducts and
suspensions.
"He's settled that down," said Dupas. "He has to play on the edge but he went over the edge a few times. When he's just on the right side of that edge he's a very effective player."
Woodley said a conversation with the Kings' coaches made him realize he had to modify his game.
"At the start of the season I really tried to establish a physical presence and let a lot of the players know they wouldn't be getting away with anything," he said. "Halfway through the year I decided to focus more on my skill game, puck moving and tried to stay out of all the after the whistle stuff and stay out of trouble."
He spent two years playing for the Lambton Shores Predators of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he tallied 12 goals, 49 points and 189 penalty minutes in 91 games, before moving west.
Woodley made his way to Alberta after attending an NHL pre-draft tournament in Boston in 2010 where Mike Vandekamp, head coach of the Storm at the time, spotted him and convinced him that his NCAA scholarship opportunities would improve if he gave the AJHL a try.
"You get five years of junior hockey and then another four of NCAA so it really allows you to grow as a player and develop," said Woodley about his desire to land a scholarship.
Vandekamp will have an opportunity to see how his pupil has developed this weekend, since he now coaches the Nanaimo Clippers who are in Prince George on Saturday to take on the Kings at the Coliseum.
The Clippers (22-19-0-9) are 11 points out of a playoff spot in the Coastal Conference and need to win to stay alive, while the Kings (27-17-2-4) are battling with the Merritt Centennials (27-17-2-5) for second place in the Interior Conference and trying to keep ahead of the dogfight between the Chilliwack Chiefs (26-20-1-2) and Vernon Vipers (25-22-1-2) who are trying to eke out the final playoff spot.
Before the Woodley and the Kings meet the Clippers they host the Chiefs tonight at 7 p.m.
