Thanks to a flurry of roster moves, the Prince George Spruce Kings will be a much different team when they take on the Cowichan Valley Capitals Friday night at the Coliseum.
On Wednesday, the local B.C. Hockey League club announced a pair of changes - first, that defenceman Matthew Stief will once again be wearing a Kings' jersey, and second, that forward Luc Soares is now a member of the Estevan Bruins.
Wednesday's developments came on the heels of a move announced late Tuesday afternoon. In that transaction, the Spruce Kings acquired forward Jarod Hovde from the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Stief, a product of Weston, Fla., played 58 games for the Kings last season and recorded 33 points. In the off-season, he was drafted 185th overall by the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League but he has decided to return north of the border to resume his BCHL career with the Kings.
"We're fortunate to have a player of Matt's ability and character rejoining our team," said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes in a media release. "He's excited to be back and I know he will bolster our defensive group."
Soares, meanwhile, played just six games for the Kings and was held without a point. Hawes picked him up in the off-season from the Amherst Ramblers of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. Soares was dealt to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Bruins in exchange for future considerations.
As for Hovde, the Kings gave up future considerations to Spruce Grove to get him. He appeared in three games for the Saints and was kept off the scoresheet. The 18-year-old Hovde, who hails from Camrose, spent the previous two seasons in the Pursuit of Excellence program in Kelowna. As team captain last year, he posted 43 points in 51 regular-season games and added three goals and six assists in eight playoff games.
"Jarod is a young player who possesses some tremendous skill," Hawes said. "When the opportunity to acquire Jarod arose I jumped at it knowing how talented he is and what a great young man he is. He will fit in well with our group and be a big part of our team for several seasons."
The Kings, who are off to a 1-4-0-1 start this season, also made a couple roster moves last week. They got a commitment from 20-year-old blueliner Rylan Bechtel, who originally opted not to come to Prince George after an August trade from Cowichan Valley, and they added 20-year-old forward Bryan Basilico in a future considerations deal with the Trail Smoke Eaters.
The Spruce Kings and Capitals will face off at 7 p.m. on Friday. The next night, the Kings will welcome the Penticton Vees.
