A lineup card will be needed when trying to figure out the Prince George Spruce Kings this season.
The British Columbia Hockey League club returns only six players from last season's 13-40-1-6 team. The Kings will try to improve upon its last-place finish when they open the season at the Coliseum tonight and Saturday against the Merritt Centennials. Game time for both nights is 7 p.m.
Foward: The Spruce King will be looking for production from the Fitzgerald triplets - Gerry, Leo and Myles - acquired in a summer trade with the Nanaimo Clippers and the McHaffie twins - Scott and Spencer - from Surray. Jujhar Khaira will be looked to for leadership and points production after leading the team in scoring with 10 goals and 42 points last season. The Kings also return their second-leading scorer from 2010-2011, Connor Tiechko - 13 goals and 26 points.
Defence: Trevor Esau and Ben Woodley will be counted on to provided leadership on the back end in their 19- and-20-year-old seasons, respectively. After giving up a league high 272 goals, the Spruce Kings added Cody Bardock, Jared Crossan, Ben Matthews, Skylar Pacheco, Jesse Ursic and Sam Waterfield to the blueline corps.
Goal: The team has a veteran presence in Kirk Thompson to go along with some local flavour in rookie Marcus Beesley in the Kings' net. Beesley, 19, enters the BCHL after spending last season playing junior B.
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