The injury bug has bitten the Prince George Spruce Kings in a big way this week.
For the second-straight game, the Kings will be without their top point-getters when they host the West Kelowna Warriors tonight in a B.C. Hockey League contest at the Coliseum (7 p.m.).
Left-winger Justin Rai, who leads the team in scoring with 15 goals, 16 assists and centre Chad Staley (13 goals, 17 assists) are both listed as day-to-day, said Kings general manager Mike Hawes Monday.
Rai suffered an upper body injury in a 5-1 loss to the Chilliwack Chiefs Nov. 19 and Staley is dealing with lower body injury that also occurred during that game.
Forward Jarryd Leung, acquired last month in a trade with the Powell River Kings and has scored three goals and two assists in 10 games with Prince George so far, suffered an upper body injury Friday in Prince George's 4-3 loss to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
To replace them, Hawes has called in some reinforcements to bolster the lineup.
Colton Thomas is a 16-year-old who regularly plies his trade with the Cariboo Cougars in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League. In 17 games with the Cougars, the forward from Williams Lake has registered 15 goals and 15 assists and is third in team scoring. Thomas last suited up for the Kings on Friday.
Hawes has also called up affiliate players from the Junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers Stephen Egan (who calls Smithers home) and Austin Turner (whose home base is Terrace).
Going into tonight's game against the Warriors, the Spruce Kings are on a two-game losing streak and have slipped into second place in the BCHL's Mainland Division, sporting a record of 14-10-2 and 30 points.
They're one point back of the division-leading 15-8-0-1 Chiefs, winners of their last two games.
Tonight's game is the second meeting of the season between the Warriors and Spruce Kings. They last met Nov. 9 in West Kelowna where the Kings suffered a 5-0 shutout loss.
The Warriors sit in second place in the Interior Division at 13-6-05 with 31 points. They last edged the Vernon Vipers 6-5 in overtime Friday night.
Liam Blackburn, an 18-year-old forward who grew up in Prince George, leads West Kelowna in scoring with 11 goals and 29 assists in 24 games in his second season with the team. He's already secured a NCAA Div. 1 scholarship to New Hampshire.
Blackburn's nose for the net ranks him second in BCHL scoring with 40 points, three back of Coquitlam's Corey Mackin who leads the league with 43 points (25 goals, 18 assists).
