The Prince George Spruce Kings, reshaped during the off-season by general manager Mike Hawes, will start training camp on Thursday at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
The Spruce Kings' makeover came after they finished the 2015-16 B.C. Hockey League season with a record of 14-38-4-2. In the 17-team league, they finished 16th, ahead of only the Surrey Eagles (7-48-1-2).
Hawes, in his most active summer in recent memory, brought in no fewer than eight players in his quest to move the club higher on the BCHL ladder. The new faces include: one goaltender (Stefan Wornig); four defencemen (Connor Russell, Drew Lennon, Sam De Melo and Mike Winn); and three forwards (Brett Mennear, Travis Schneider and Jamie Huber).
For training camp, players will be divided into three teams, each one coached by a former King. Team White will be led by RJay Berra, Team Blue will be run by Justin Fillion and Team Red will be under the guidance of Ryan Howse, who was hired as a Spruce Kings assistant coach in April.
This hockey season, Berra and Fillion will serve as assistant coach and head coach respectively of the Coast Inn of the North midget Tier 1 Cougars.
At camp, the teams will practice on Thursday night, with ice sessions starting at 6, 7:15 and 8:30.
After fitness testing on Friday at the YMCA, the players will move into intrasquad games, set for 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday game times are 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. After Saturday's final game, coaches and management will select players to skate in the Blue versus White game, scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sunday.
All ice sessions are free for the public to attend.
The Spruce Kings will start their pre-season with an Aug. 31 game in Grande Prairie against the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Then, on Sept. 2-3, the Storm will be in Prince George for a doubleheader, with both games beginning at 7 p.m. at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
The Kings will open the BCHL regular season with a five-game homestand. Their first opponent will be the Merritt Centennials on Sept. 9, followed by games against Penticton (Sept. 10) and Wenatchee (Sept. 14, 16, 17).
