Fans of the Prince George Spruce Kings will be able to get more of their favourite team and players this season.
The Spruce Kings have forged a partnership with the Jim Pattison
Broadcast Group, which will have six of the club's B.C. Hockey League games
carried on 99.3 The Drive.
"The last few years we've focused on building a better product on the ice and now you're going to see a concerted effort in building a better product off the ice," said Todd Doherty, president of the Spruce Kings. "This announcement today is connecting the Prince George Spruce Kings back to mainstream media. It's baby steps, but we're moving forward and it gives us something to build on."
The Drive will feature one Spruce Kings game each month in addition to carrying all 82 regular-season games for the Vancouver Canucks. The first Kings game on the air is Saturday, Sept. 28 when the Spruce Kings visit the Chilliwack Chiefs. Other games include Thursday, Oct. 24 vs. Merritt, Thursday, Nov. 21 at Langley, Wednesday, Dec. 4 at Coquitlam, Saturday, Jan. 11 vs. Surrey and Saturday, Feb. 8 vs. West Kelowna.
Other Spruce Kings games can be picked up online through the embedded media player on the team's website (www.sprucekings.bc.ca) and the team is still trying to work out an agreement that would have community radio station CFIS broadcast games again.
Ken Kilcullen, general manager of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, said he's looking forward to the new partnership with the Spruce Kings.
"They've been an institution for the city," said Kilcullen, referring to the team's 42-year history. "We look at this opportunity to increase that participation and we like what we see. We like the way the organization's being run by the community and we sure like the opportunity to support young hockey players coming up through the system."
The Spruce Kings begin their quest to earn a trip to Vernon and the 2014 RBC Cup this weekend at the Bauer BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack where they'll take on the Cowichan Valley Capitals tonight at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Sunday game with the Nanaimo Clippers. The first home game at the Coliseum is Friday at 7 p.m., when the Chilliwack Chiefs are in town for the first of two games.
