With a cast of 16 returning players expected when the Prince George Spruce Kings start their next training camp in August, fewer positions will be open for players hoping to stick with the B.C. Hockey League team.
Some of those players who do make the roster for the 2014-15 season will almost certainly be among the group of 110 players converging on Coliseum ice this weekend for the Spruce Kings' Spring Prospects Camp.
The camp will give prospective players a minimum of five ice times to showcase their individual talents playing for their scrimmage teams in game-type situations. Over the past three seasons, 15 players, including Chad Staley, their leading scorer in 2013-14, were signed by the Spruce Kings based on their spring camp performances.
"The numbers are down a bit from last year but there are a lot more good players here and less availability on our team," said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes. "These kids aren't dumb, and they know we have a good core group of players returning and not a lot of vacancies."
Registration is at 10 a.m. today and practices start at noon. Six teams will be formed for scrimmages that start today at 4:30 p.m. Six scrimmages are planned for Saturday and there are three scheduled for Sunday. The best players will be selected to play in the Top Prospects game Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Coliseum. All sessions are open to the public.
The camp includes 12 goaltenders, two per team.
Some of the local players to watch include forwards Austin Gray (who played last season for the major midget Cariboo Cougars) and Jordan Low (100 Mile House Wranglers, junior B), defencemen Bryan Allbee (Cariboo Cougars) and Nick Headrick (Kelowna Chiefs, junior B); and goalie Mitch Profeit (North Okanagan Knights, junior B). Gray and Low both played for the Kings this past season as affiliated players.
