The Prince George Spruce Kings will have some Illinois blood in their lineup next season.
They've recruited defenceman Drew Lennon, an 18-year-old native of Bloomington, Ill., who played last season for the Connecticut Oilers of the Eastern Hockey League.
In 39 games, the six-foot-two 180 pound Lennon picked up three goals and 14 assists for 17 points with 31 penalty minutes, and had one assist in six playoff games.
"Drew has good size, skates very well and has great vision on the ice," said Spruce Kings head coach Chad van Diemen, in a team release. "He works hard on and off the ice towards improving his overall play. He is the type of player that we are looking for to be a Spruce King."
The Kings had one of their worst seasons on the ice in recent memory in 2015-16. They posted just 14 wins in 58 games and finished 16th overall out of 17 teams, a fact that's not lost on Lennon.
"I met coach Chad out in Boston and he explained what they were trying to do there (Prince George) with the culture change," Lennon said. "That really caught my attention and is something I want to be a part of. I think I bring some strong defensive play, the ability to get the puck up to the forwards with a good first pass, and get into the rush with my skating."
Lennon played in 2014-15 for the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders 16U AAA team where he collected eight goals and 18 assists and was selected an East Coast Elite League (ECEL) U16 all-star Team. He played minor hockey in Texas, helping the U-14 Ice Jets Academy win the national double-A title.
He's expected to arrive in Prince George just prior to the start of the Spruce Kings training camp, Aug. 25.
