While the Coquitlam Express and Vernon Vipers were battling to determine who the top team in the B.C. Hockey League's finals on the weekend, the Prince George Spruce Kings were peering into their future.
The Kings three-day Spring Prospects camp that began Friday with 110 players converging at the Coliseum, wrapped up Sunday afternoon with the top prospects game.
The players were whittled down from six teams to two, and 40 players, including four goalies, 12 defencemen and 24 forwards.
"Nobody should be surprised with the calibre of players who were here this weekend," said Kings coach Dave Dupas. "There were some outstanding players here. There are some tough decisions for us to make."
After playing an entire 60-minute game, complete with full intermissions and four on-ice officials, Team Blue shutout Team White 2-0 on goals from forwards Eric Bolden (Oswego, Ill.) and Stephen Egan (Smithers).
With a lineup of 16 returning players expected when the Spruce Kings open their main training camp in August for the 2014-15 season, the team has put out the help wanted sign to fill the remaining five spots left vacant by those who graduated from the team in March. The Kings were eliminated in the first round of the BCHL playoffs last month by the Express.
The sign includes a goalie to back up Jesse Jenks who's expected to fill the starter's role left vacant by 20-year-old Alex Murray.
On the blueline, the Kings have huge holes to fill with the departure of defencemen Mitch Eden and Christian Weidhauer. Eden, 19, is off to play NCAA hockey this fall with St. Lawrence, while Weidhauer, 20, is heading to Alaska-Anchorage on scholarship in September.
A few forwards with some scoring punch are also needed to replace the likes of outgoing captain Bryant Christian.
"The most pressing position is we need to find a goalie," said Dupas. "And we need forwards who can score. We found with our injuries in the playoffs we didn't have that depth [we needed] in the playoffs. On the back end we lost Eden and Weidhauer, and those are two huge holes to fill."
Dupas and the Kings coaching and management staff, including general manager Mike Hawes, were expected to determine by Sunday night who they'll offer playing cards to, hoping they'll commit to the team.
"There are some really good players who can play in this league," said Dupas. "Some of them have other camps to go to too, but we're hoping we can get them committed."
Since the Kings season ended last month, Dupas has been on the road, racking up the mileage, looking at prospects.
He'll continue to recruit when he returns to his home in the Okanagan this summer.
"If you stop looking for players, there are other teams out there who will find them," he said.
Coquitlam downed the Vernon Vipers 4-3 in overtime Saturday in Game 2 in the North Okanagan city to take a 2-0 series lead in the BCHL finals. The teams return to Coquitlam tonight and Tuesday for Games 3 and 4.
