Northern team in favour of BCHL move

Prince George Citizen

The Prince George Spruce Kings are all in favour of the West Kelowna Warriors relocating to Quesnel.

For the past six seasons, the Kings have been the only BCHL team in the north central region. Due to their isolation, they incur expenses other teams located close to population centres do not encounter.

Having a neighbour 116 kilometres away would help reduce the Spruce Kings’ day-to-day operating costs, which rank near the top of the 17-team league.

Next to staff wages, team travel is the biggest annual operational cost for the Spruce Kings. Hotel stays and restaurant meals cost the team about $100,000 per season — which doesn’t include playoffs.

The closest opponents for the Spruce Kings are the Merritt Centennials, 533 kilometres away, and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, a one-way trip of 633 kilometres. But both those teams are in the Interior Division, which means the Spruce Kings travel there for just one game per season. Prince George plays in the Mainland Division and the closest divisional opponent is 652 kilometres away in Chilliwack.

“We would obviously support it, to have a travel partner up here in the north would certainly be nice for us and it would be great for Quesnel,” said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes.

“I know they’re a hockey-starved community and would love to get a team in there, especially with the new facility they’re going to have.”

The $20.6 million, 1,400-seat North Cariboo Arena in Quesnel is on time and on budget, scheduled for a September opening.

The Quesnel Millionaires played in the BCHL from 1995-2011, joining the same year Prince George entered the league.

When Quesnel was in the league, the Spruce Kings played there five and sometimes six times per season. The Williams Lake Timberwolves were added as a third northern team in 2002 and lasted for eight seasons.

Last month, Warriors owner Mark Cheyne told West Kelowna city officials the team was up for sale after losing more than $300,000 last season.

On Tuesday, he said a pending deal to relocate the franchise to North Delta had perished.

That appears to leave two possibilities: a local ownership group coming forward to purchase the team or the franchise relocating.

A decision is expected today.