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Kings trade for Donaldson

The Prince George Spruce Kings made a move Thursday to acquire University of Connecticut recruit Sean Donaldson in exchange for 18-year-old winger Layne Sniher.
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The Prince George Spruce Kings made a move Thursday to acquire University of Connecticut recruit Sean Donaldson in exchange for 18-year-old winger Layne Sniher.

Donaldson, a 17-year-old forward from Vancouver, scored 36 goals and added 30 assists for 66 points in 34 games last season for the Burnaby Winter Club prep team, playing in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League. He also had two goals and five points in three playoff games.

"He's committed to UConn (for 2020-21) and he's a real good young player," said Spruce Kings head coach Adam Maglio. "He played at Burnaby Winter Club last year and was third in team scoring. He was looking for a bit of a change of scenery and it gives Layne a better opportunity in Trail he might not have with us.

"It gives us a player a year younger who certainly can step in and play and has a real knack around the net for scoring goals and producing, so we're excited."

Sniher, who joined the Spruce Kings this season after playing midget hockey last year with the Calgary Buffaloes, went without a point in nine BCHL games.

The five-foot-10, 165-pound Donaldson played last year with three of the current Spruce Kings - defenceman Nick Bochen and forwards Tyler Schleppe and Nick Poisson - and knows several of the older BWC alumni who now skate for the Kings.

Donaldson has been in Vancouver the past five days awaiting a trade and is expected to join the Spruce Kings Saturday night in Langley, where the teams will meet for the second time this season. The Spruce Kings beat the Rivermen 4-3 in Langley on Sept. 29.

The Kings (8-4-0-1, third in Mainland Division) begin a three-game weekend tonight in Coquitlam against the second-place Express (10-5-0-0). The same teams meet again Sunday in Coquitlam (3 p.m. start).

Two of the five losses the Express suffered this season came in the second week of the season when the Kings beat Coquitlam at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena. The Express topped the Kings 3-1 Sept. 30 in Coquitlam.

"They're a fast, aggressive team and they play really well in their own rink (the Express is 6-1-0-0 on home ice) so you have to be ready to move the puck quick in all zones of the ice," said Maglio. "They're deserving of where they're at, they've been playing really well of late."

Prince George is three points behind the Express, which has played two more games than the Spruce Kings. The Chilliwack Chiefs (12-4-0-0) lead the division with 24 points, seven ahead of the Spruce Kings, who have played three fewer games than the Chiefs.

Sickness has crept into the Spruce Kings' camp the past couple weeks and that kept Sniher and Sam Kozlowski out of the lineup for last week's games against Powell River and Salmon Arm. A few other players have been under the weather as well this week and the team took a couple days off and focused on 3-on-3 practice drills to give the players additional rest.

"We need to score a few more goals even-strength so we've put some emphasis (in practice) on our attacks and our o-zone play," said Maglio.

The Kings are coming off a 5-0 win Saturday at home over Salmon Arm, after losing 5-2 to Powell River a week ago Thursday. Bradley Cooper posted the shutout against the Silverbacks. While Maglio wasn't tipping his hand whether Cooper or Logan Neaton would start tonight, the coach figures Cooper will play in one or two of the games this weekend.

Winger Spencer Chapman (lower body), centre Michael Conlin (concussion) and defenceman Brennan Malgunas (sick) won't be available to the Kings this weekend.