Spencer DenBeste, the newest member of the Prince George Spruce Kings, did not hesitate when asked to describe what Kings' fans can expect from him when he makes his BCHL debut tonight at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena against the Surrey Eagles.
"I like to hit, score goals and make plays and just do little things right," said the 19-year-old centre, acquired earlier this week in a future considerations deal from the Springfield (Ill.) Junior Blues of the NAHL.
If DenBeste's words match his actions on the ice for the duration of the season, his value as a hard-nosed centre with college-material skills could grow exponentially as the Kings try to rein in their first BCHL championship.
DenBeste will line up at centre tonight against the Eagles on a line with left winger Corey Cunningham and right winger Chong Min Lee.
"This team is good, really good," said DenBeste, following his fourth practice with the Spruce Kings Thursday afternoon.
"I don't know much about the league but I've heard good things about it. It just seems faster and a lot more skillful than where I was before."
The six-foot-one, 178-pound native of Marquette, Mich., might well be the missing piece in the playoff puzzle for last-year's Fred Page Cup finalists. The coaches at Lake Superior State University who signed him in May to a scholarship deal which takes effect next season obviously like what he has to offer.
In 24 games with Springfield this season he had four goals and four assists, along with 20 penalty minutes and a minus-15 rating. DenBeste played in the USHL last season for two four-game stints with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Sioux City Muskateers and finished the season with the Blues, totaling six goals and three assists for nine points and 43 penalty minutes in 27 games. He played 12 games for Springfield in 2016-17, his senior year at high school in Marquette.
"It was fun but it wasn't working out for me," said DenBeste. "I wasn't getting the icetime I thought I should have been. (Prince George) is a long ways from home but I've heard good things about it."
He made his trade request known to Lake Superior State head coach Damon Whitten and it was relayed to Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes, who already was familiar with Lakers staff who signed Kings winger Dustin Manz for the 2019-20 season.
"We've had chats with the Lake State coaches who recruited him and we've watched video of him playing this year for Springfield in the NAHL and he certainly has a high work ethic and high compete (level) that we really like," said Kings head coach Adam Maglio.
"He gets around the ice pretty well for a big guy and he seems to have a pretty good head for the game too. He's a centreman and he adds some depth up the middle. I think his style of game and his age and strength will do well within our league and our team."
The NAHL is top-weighted with older juniors more likely to rely on their bodychecking ability to get the better of opponents and DenBeste expects a faster, more freewheeling pace in the BCHL. As a centre, he's looking forward to being able to use his feet to win faceoffs, not legal in the NAHL.
"(The NAHL) is definitely a lot more physical, more grinding, not as skilled," said DenBeste, who had 12 goals and 25 points in 65 NAHL games over three seasons. "I guess in my high school and midget days I was a little more skillful and then I finally realized I like to play the body and shoot the puck."
DenBeste was home in Marquette last Friday when the deal went down and spent part of the day snowblowing the driveway of his parents' home, which was buried under two feet of fresh powder. He was surprised there's no snow in his new home in north central B.C. and he's looking forward to playing in front of the Kings' crowd in the building formerly known as the Prince George Coliseum, where the fans are all in close proximity to the rink.
"I just want to get in the groove of things, lay the body around and hopefully get some points," said DenBeste. "I've heard it's pretty fun and it's pretty cool. I've never been on a team where the town is so around the organization."
Tonight's matchup pits the first-overall Spruce Kings (34-8-1-2) against the last-overall Eagles (7-24-1-2). In the only other meeting between the Mainland Division rivals this season, Sept. 28 in Surrey, the Eagles beat the Spruce Kings 3-2 in a shootout.
The Kings will be without two regular defencemen. Layton Ahac is playing for Canada West and the World Junior A Challenge and Dylan Anhorn is still sitting out a concussion. The Kings have called up Skyler Cameron, 16, an affiliated player from the Burnaby Winter Club, to fill in as the sixth defenceman. Garrett Worth, a winger acquired in a trade from Vernon three weeks ago, suffered a knee strain in a game against Langley Dec. 1 and also won't play this weekend.
The Eagles have a new head coach, Linden Saip, who moved up from his assistant role when Peter Schaefer was fired in late November.
LOOSE PUCKS: Tonight's game is the Spruce Kings' annual Drop The Gloves and Sock It To 'Em promotion and fans are being asked to bring donations of warm winter clothing to toss onto the ice when the Kings score their first goal. The donations will be distributed by the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
