Kings start with a bang
Right in the nick of time, help arrived for the Prince George Spruce Kings. Their rookie Nicks – Bochen and Poisson – started the new B.C. Hockey League season just the way they had it scripted in their heads, scoring the first goals of the game on the way to a 5-1 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs Friday night.
With a crowd of 1,136 watching at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, the 17-year-old products of the Burnaby Winter Club each connected on high-velocity rippers that lit the light behind Chilliwack goalie Mathieu Caron late in the first period to put the Spruce Kings up 2-0. That set the Kings up for a night to celebrate after a convincing victory over their Mainland Division rivals.
Nolan Welsh, Sam Kozlowski and Ben Brar also got in on the scoring act for Prince George.
Kevin Wall’s second-period power-play goal was all that separated Prince George goalie Logan Neaton from his first BCHL shutout in his debut with the Kings. He made 15 saves as the Kings outshot the Chiefs 42-16.
No fewer than seven Spruce Kings on the ice Friday played for the Burnaby Winter Club midget prep team coached by program director Mako Balkovec and that pipeline continues to pay dividends to the Spruce Kings.
Bochen, who played 12 playoff games for the Spruce Kings last spring, teed off a puck Ben Poisson left for him on a platter and with Dustin Manz running the screen in front of Caron the puck sailed low between the goalie’s legs for a 1-0 lead.
“That’s definitely the best feeling I’ve ever had, scoring the home-opening goal,” said Bochen, a native of North Vancouver. “We played really good and it was just a great way to start the season. It’s an amazing feeling playing here.”
Bochen suited up for five regular-season games last year and scored his first goal in his second game, against Nanaimo. The second of his career came on a Kings’ power play at 14:45 of the opening period and less than two minutes later it was the younger Poisson’s turn to cash in. He got free with the puck in the high slot and let it go over Caron’s glove for his milestone BCHL career-first.
The Kings were sporting a new-design black third jersey with red across the top and white trim and they came out flying, generating three quality chances in the first minute. Caron was sharp and had to be because the Kings kept coming and used quick feet, physical force and smart sticks to win most of the possession battles.
After being under siege, chasing the puck in their own end for large chunks of the first period, the Chiefs did a better job of getting their bodies and sticks in the way to break up rushes and there wasn’t nearly as much time or space for the Kings to operate.
The Chiefs were on the power play early in the second period when Wall picked up a rebound and dragged it wide across the crease to tuck the puck in past Neaton.
The 19-year-old Neaton, a six-foot-three, 190-pound Michigan native who played in the North American League last year in Fairbanks, Alaska, didn’t get a lot of work but was solid positionally, handled the puck well and didn’t allow many rebounds.
The Kings padded their lead in the third period. Ben Poisson, Nick’s two-years-older brother, started the play with a left wing rush. He tried to go wide as he skated in on the net but the puck skipped off his stick and he had to chase it behind the net but regained possession and fed a pass to Welsh, standing just off the post. Welsh spotted a piece of net and put the puck in high over Caron’s shoulder.
Kozlowski, acquired earlier this week in a trade from the Coquitlam Express, played left wing on a line with Nick Poisson and an energetic Corey Cunningham and was rewarded 12:58 into the third period. Poisson won the offensive-zone face-off and put it on the blade of Kozlowski’s stick and he snapped it in. Brar capped the scoring late, set up by Ben Poisson, the third assist of the game for the Kings captain.
Bochen also drew an assist for his second point of the game.
The Kings outshot Chilliwack 20-4 in the third period.
Brar and Bochen have been invited to NCAA campuses next week. Bochen is heading to Princeton Monday and Brar will visit Arizona State, where former Kings goalie Evan DeBrouwer is beginning his college career this season.
“It’s just a great feeling when people are interested in you, just thinking where you’re going to go next and preparing for the next step,” said Bochen.
LOOSE PUCKS: The rematch at RMCA is set for tonight at 7 p.m… The Spruce Kings put up three BCHL banners to commemorate their run to the BCHL final last season. The team also hung flags in tribute to the members of the Humboldt Broncos junior A hockey team who lost their lives in the bus accident last spring and to equipment manager Malcolm Poburan, who died of cancer in April… The Chiefs have just seven returning players from last year’s RBC Cup national champions. One of their new defencemen, a familiar face around Prince George rinks, is 17-year-old BCHL rookie Colton Kitchen. Kitchen grew up in P.G. and played all 40 regular-season and six playoff games last season for the Cariboo Cougars major midgets.