Chad Staley has yet to sign his name on a letter of commitment to play college hockey at an NCAA school.
But you have to figure the scouts are going to be beating down his door wanting his autograph on a registration form if he keeps having weekends like he did on the road with the Prince George Spruce Kings.
Staley, a 19-year-old winger from Kennewick, Wash., scored four goals and added six assists to help the Kings complete a nearly-perfect weekend on the B.C. Hockey League road with two wins and a tie.
Sixteen-year-old Prince George minor hockey product Brogan O'Brien finished off a play set up by Staley and scored 3:29 into overtime to give the Spruce Kings a 3-2 win Sunday afternoon over the Salmon Arm Silvertips. A power-play goal from Kings defenceman Karan Toor with 2:25 left in third period, assisted by Staley, forced the extra session. That came two minutes after Landon Smith had given the Silverbacks the lead with an unassisted goal. Staley was also in on Jeremiah Luedtke's goal in the second period, after Silverback forward Connor Brown-Maloski opened the scoring in the first period.
Kings goalie Alex Murray was the game's first star, making 30 saves and the Kings outshot Salmon Arm 32-30.
Saturday night in Vernon, Staley scored two power-play goals and one while shorthanded, the only goal of the first period, to help the Kings to a 4-4 tie with the Vipers. Christian Weidauer had the other Prince George goal. The Vipers were down 4-2 with seven minutes left but responded with a pair of goals from Michael McNicholas to force two five-minute overtime periods, which decided nothing. Murray, a 20-year-old, had to be sharp as the Kings were outshot 41-28 and 9-8 in the two five-minute overtime periods.
Staley posted another first-star performance Friday in Trail with a goal and two assists in the Kings' 5-2 win over the Smoke Eaters. Michael Iovanna, Skyler Pacheco and Mitch Eden fired singles for the Kings. Staley now leads the Spruce Kings in scoring with 12 goals and 26 points in 24 games.
The Spruce Kings (13-7-2-2) headed into Monday one point ahead of the Langley Rivermen for first place in the Mainland Division and only one point behind the Powell River Kings (15-4-0-1) for first overall in the BCHL. The Rivermen (14-6-1-2) played Monday afternoon in Surrey, beating the Eagles 2-1 and reclaiming the first place spot in the Mainland Division and tying for first overall with Powell River.
