The good news for the Prince George Spruce Kings is they'll have three players returning to their lineup tonight against Nanaimo after a lengthy stay on the disabled list.
The bad news is three other injured Kings, including their top defenceman, haven't been cleared to play which has forced general manager Mike Hawes to yet again fill those holes on the roster through a pair of trades on New Year's Day.
Hawes confirmed Friday that captain and centreman Chad Staley, forward Jarryd Leung and defenceman Adam Clements will be on the ice tonight for Prince George as it gets set to host the Nanaimo Clippers at the Coliseum at 7 p.m.
Left-winger Justin Rai and forward Riley Hawes remain out of the lineup after suffering concussions in November, while defenceman Karan Toor is officially out for the remainder of the 2014-15 season due to a nagging groin injury he suffered during the 2013-14 season.
"That created two vacancies we had to fill [against Nanaimo]," said Hawes. "We'll have 11 healthy forwards and all seven defenceman."
Kings goaltender Jesse Jenks tweaked his knee in the gym on New Year's Day which means Alex Brooks-Potts will start in net.
Griffen Outhouse, who backstopped the Cariboo Cougars to a 2-1 overtime victory against the Regina Pat Canadians to win the Mac's triple-A midget tournament Thursday in Calgary will be the back-up goaltender on the bench for the Spruce Kings.
The Kings roster will also feature a familiar face as 21-year-old forward Michael Buonincontri returns to Prince George when he was acquired from the West Kelowna Warriors along with 18-year-old defenceman Greydon Robinson in exchange for 20-year-old defenceman Tyler Kunz.
The team also acquired 18-year-old defenceman Cole McCaskill from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in exchange for future considerations.
Buonincontri is a six-foot-two 205-pound forward from Montral who was first acquired by Prince George from the Smiths Falls Bears in the off-season. He appeared in only two regular season games with the Kings and picked up a goal and three assists before he was dealt to the Whitby Fury of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He eventually found his way back to the BCHL and the Warriors where he notched 12 goals and picked up 16 assists in 30 games.
"We were fortunate he [Buonincontri] was available," said Hawes. "I insisted on having him on dealing with Tyler. I wasn't happy to part ways with him the first time. After he left, he still communicated with the players. He's extremely excited to be back.
"[With] Tyler, he decided Prince George wasn't a good fit for him. I only want players who want to play here and he respectfully asked me for a trade."
Robinson is a six-foot 200-pound defenceman who calls Calgary home. In 24 games with the Warriors this season, he scored four goals (all on the power play) and seven assists.
As a 17-year-old last season with the Silverbacks, McCaskill collected four goals and 15 assists. In 18 games this season in Salmon Arm, he picked up four assists.
"Robinson is a 200-foot defenceman," said Hawes. "[He] has shown that he will develop into a premier defenceman in this league. He defends well and can really contribute offensively and on the power play.
"Cole is a solid two-way defenceman who moves the puck very well. He is very good in both ends of the rink and will be able to contribute in all situations for us."
Tonight's clash between the Kings and the Clippers is the third of the season.
Prince George beat the Clippers 6-4 in Nanaimo on Sept. 20 at the BCHL showcase in Chilliwack. The Clippers returned the favour with a 5-1 victory over the Kings in Nanaimo.
Nanaimo (24-11-0-1) is in first place in the Island Division and battled the Chilliwack Chiefs last night prior to making the trek north to Prince George.
The Kings are in third place in the Mainland Division (18-14-0-4) with 40 points. They hope to snap a two-game losing streak they suffered prior to the two-week Christmas holiday break.
With 22 games left in the regular season, the Kings hope to move up the standings and secure a playoff spot.
After their lone contest at home tonight, Prince George will travel to Vernon (Jan. 9), Salmon Arm (Jan. 10) and Penticton (Jan. 11) to battle its Interior Division rivals.
