For the first time in a long time, the Prince George Spruce Kings are a healthy bunch.
With the exception of forward Justin Rai and defenceman Karan Toor, who've been out of the lineup with season-ending injuries since January, having all hands on deck bodes well for the Kings as they prepare for the B.C. Hockey League's post-season that begins tonight in Langley.
Everyone, including forwards Jake LeBrun and Marco Ballarin who were on the disabled list with wrist and groin injuries respectively, has returned. Only defenceman Adam Clements is out with an upper body injury.
A healthy roster is something head coach Dave Dupas is not used to as the team suffered a rash of injuries over the course of the 62-game regular season.
"We now have 13 forwards available and now it's a matter of gelling together," said Dupas Monday from the bus. "We're going to have a four-line team that we didn't have all year. We're hoping that depth can help us but we'll rely on the guys who got us here. But it'll be nice to have that luxury in case some guys get hurt. But it's something that's new to us.
"It's a big boost having Jake come back and Marco come back. He played well the other night (against Langley) and he was very physical."
The Kings packed up the bus and left for Langley on Monday prior to Games 1 and 2 tonight and Wednesday in a best-of-seven Mainland Division playoff series.
The Kings finished third in the Mainland Division with a 27-24-1-6 record and 61 points, three points behind second-place Langley which went 29-23-1-5.
By virtue of their finish, the Rivermen received home-ice advantage.
The teams last played in Prince George on the weekend to wrap up the regular season. The Kings defeated the Rivermen 5-3 on Friday, while Langley doubled the Kings 6-3 on Saturday.
With only three points separating them, the teams are evenly matched.
"There's really no advantage," said Dupas. "They won two games on the road against us, we won two games in their building. We both lost in overtime. It's a dead heat. They have a little more size than we do. The first game (Friday) there was a lot more skating. The second game was more physical. But we're going to have to deal with them and everyone is upbeat and happy."
Both teams will return to Prince George on Thursday prior to Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Saturday at the Coliseum at 7 p.m.
The Kings were temporarily evicted from their home confines of the Coliseum for the last two weeks to make way for the Canada Winter Games. They wrapped up their regular season with six of their eight games on the road.
"It's been a long, trying two weeks, especially with those mid-week games," said Dupas. "We'd come home for a couple of days and then be back on the road. We're used to that though.
"But it's always exciting at this time of the year and hopefully we'll get some good crowds this weekend."
The series will return to Langley for Game 5 (if necessary) on March 9 and Prince George for Game 6 on March 10 (if necessary). If the series goes to Game 7, it's slated for March 11.
The other Mainland Division playoff series features the first-place Chilliwack Chiefs (37-17-1-3) hosting the fourth-place Coquitlam Express (25-28-1-4) and begins tonight.
Kings honour their best
Prior to their departure for the Fraser Valley Monday morning, the Kings handed out their annual year-end awards Sunday night.
Netminders Jesse Jenks and Alex Brooks-Potts were the co-winners of the Outstanding Community Service Award; forward Jarryd Leung won the Plus/Minus Award and Muchalla Family Bursary; and forward Brogan O'Brien won the Scholastic Player Award.
Cole McCaskill and Ryan Fritz were the co-winnners of the Defenceman of the Year Award and Cole Todd received the 7th Man Award.
Team captain Chad Staley picked up both the Most Inspirational Player and Most Dedicated Player awards, while his linemate Jeremiah Luedtke was voted the CNC Challenge Cup Fan Favourite Player and was also recognized as the regular season scoring leader and regular season MVP. Luedtke finished the season with 21 goals and 46 assists.
Defenceman Matthew Stief was named the Rookie of the Year and forward Braiden Epp the Most Improved Player while also being recognized as the team's Steel Man for blocking the most shots.
