The BCHL will have an expanded presence in the Kootenays.
Earlier this week, the league announced the addition of the Cranbrook Bucks as the 18th member franchise, which will begin play next season.
The move is being met very positively by Prince George Spruce Kings General Manager Mike Hawes who believes the community is better suited for Junior A hockey.
“The size of the community is very similar to a lot of other markets in our league and I think that the market is better suited for our league. I think they did well in certain years in the Western Hockey League with the Kootenay Ice as I was in that building on nights when it was full in the playoffs so I think they did a good job.”
With the addition of the Bucks, it does create a natural rivalry with the Trail Smoke Eaters who are a couple of hours down the highway.
Hawes states with two teams in close proximity to each other, it makes the road trips out to the Kootenays a lot less logistically challenging.
“Anytime you can get a team within proximity to another that certainly helps travel for all the teams in our league and that will certainly help us. It’s not like Trail and Cranbrook are side by side but with that being said, they are with an easy bus drive from each other and that makes things easier when we’re planning our schedule.”
Now that the Bucks are in place it could throw a bit of a wrinkle into the BCHL’s playoff format and divisional realignment, possibly affecting the Spruce Kings.
Prince George entered the league in the 1996-97 season and was part of the Interior Division until the 2011-12 campaign.
Ever since the 2012-13 season, the Spruce Kings have been apart of the Mainland Division, which is comprised of teams located in the Greater Vancouver area like the Surrey Eagles, Langley Rivermen, Coquitlam Express and the Chilliwack Chiefs.
“I’m certainly happy being in the Mainland Division. We were in the Interior for a lot of years and the Mainland certainly does work better for us in my opinion as far as the travel and recruiting along with many other different reasons.”
“We’ve got a period of time to come up with some recommendations that we’ll bring forward to the rest of the Board of Governors as we have some options on the table, there could be changes with realignment that could affect the Spruce Kings. We’re not sure yet.”
Cranbrook dabbled in the Junior A ranks from 1991 to 1998 where they were known as the Colts capturing the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League title back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998.