Mike Hawes loves his job calling the shots in the Prince George Spruce Kings’ front office and he’s good at what he does.
The Kings are still the defending champions of the B.C. Hockey League, nearly two years after they captured their first-ever Fred Page Cup title with Hawes at the helm as general manager, and this week the community-owned team rewarded him with a three-year contract extension.
“Mike has been a dedicated member of the Spruce Kings for the last 16 seasons and we are very lucky to have him,” said Kings president David Keough, in a team release.
“Mike strives to make others around him better, from our players, coaching staff, and to our front office. He has a great reputation within the BCHL and across junior hockey which has helped our organization become one of the best in junior A hockey. I look forward to the future and the successes that are ahead of us.”
Hawes, a former WHL sniper who scored 103 goals and had 192 points in 216 games as a right-winger with Spokane, New Westminster and Tri-City, began his junior playing career with the Spruce Kings, when they were part of the Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League. In 48 games in the 1985-86 season he scored 81 goals and had 81 assists for 162 points, along with 166 penalty minutes.He joined the team as an assistant coach in 2005 and was behind the bench when the Spruce Kings hosted the Royal Bank Cup junior A championship and advanced to the national final in May 2007.
The 51-year-old balances his duties with the Spruce Kings with his full-time job as a corrections officer.
“I am excited and honoured to continue with the Spruce Kings organization,” said Hawes, now in his 10th season as GM. “The BCHL has evolved tremendously in my time in this league and I am proud of what we have accomplished and how we have embraced that evolution in Prince George to become a top team and franchise. It has taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people to get the organization to where it is.
“I have learned the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded and good people that care deeply about our community and our team. I look forward to the next three seasons as we continue down the path to make the Spruce Kings organization the best organization that it can be.”
In 2018-19, Hawes built a Kings’ lineup that carried the club to its most successful season ever. They finished one point behind the Chilliwack Chiefs for first-overall in the regular season then put together an unprecedented 16-1 record in the BCHL playoffs to bring the city its first Junior A crown. The Kings went on the defeat the Brooks Bandits for the Doyle Cup regional title and in the national tournament in Brooks, Alta., Prince George lost a one-goal decision in the final to the Bandits. The Kings retained the title as defending BCHL champions after the 2019-20 playoffs were canceled due to the pandemic.
