Listen Live
Listen Live
HomeSportsHart AttackHARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (SK look for success; UNBC men look...

HARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (SK look for success; UNBC men look for balance) SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2018 EDITION 697

Spruce Kings against the Chilliwack Chiefs | Photo courtesy of Chuck Chin

Just four of the 17 BCHL teams started 2-0 entering the second weekend of the regular season.

The Prince George Spruce Kings are one of them, along with the Langley Rivermen, defending champion Wenatchee Wild and the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

In the greater scheme of the picture, it means very little since each team grinds out 58 games and only one team in the entire league misses the playoffs.

With that in mind, all teams look for that extra boost that the ‘W’ gives coming out of the gate.

- Advertisement -

Expectations have never been higher for the Spruce Kings, who unveiled their first three league banners on opening night (Sept. 7th), recognizing their unprecedented accomplishments from the 2017-18 season.

From the team that reached the Fred Page Cup finals, the Spruce Kings have 13 returning players, which is more than most teams.

Granted they lost notable key contributors such as leading scorer Ethan de Jong, award-winning goalie Evan DeBrouwer, Captain Kyle Johnson and ace defenceman Chase Ruddy, but they have enough vets that have had a taste of winning.

Adam Maglio was the Mainland Coach of the Year and he has success to build upon entering his second season as the team’s bench boss.

Continuity is always a factor in trying to build a winning culture.

The Spruce Kings also have a favourable well-balanced schedule with four home games at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena (RMCA) in both September and October, seven in November, five in December and February and three in January.

From a financial standpoint, teams prefer having more home games after October when the cold weather sets in.

(Let’s hope this year is an anomaly with the cold below zero overnight temperatures in Prince George in just the second week of September)

- Advertisement -

Attendance is always a focal point for any junior hockey team.

The Spruce Kings had an announced crowd of 1,136 for their home opener, a 5-1 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs, and 823 for the next night, a 2-1 victory over the defending RBC Cup-champion Chiefs (who have just seven returning players).

This is an average of 980, an increase from the average of 875 for the first two home games last year, which were also against Chilliwack.

Overall, it will be interesting to watch, should the Spruce Kings continue to have a winning team, how that translates into fans in the stands.

The regular season average in 2017-18 was just 888, but of course, that number exploded in the playoffs with regular capacity crowds once the team went beyond the second round.

The Spruce Kings marketing department isn’t sitting around waiting for adults to shell out the regular price of $14 per ticket, per game.

This weekend, as an example, the team has offered a promo $23 special for both home games against the Coquitlam Express.

With their 2018 lengthy playoff run, the Spruce Kings were able to attract many newcomers to the rink, but how many of those will be coming back on a regular basis this season?

- Advertisement -

Every indication is that the Spruce Kings will be an elite team for a second straight year on the ice.

This takes care of one-half of the equation.

The goal is also to be an elite team at the gate.

The answer for that may be more intriguing than the team’s day-to-day results on the scoreboard.

###

Am I the only one that finds it odd that the UNBC Timberwolves are travelling all the way to Saskatoon to play just one Canada West men’s soccer game this weekend?

From a scheduling and financial point of view, this doesn’t add up.

The UNBC men play 15 regular season games, all weekend doubleheaders, except for this weekend where they travel to the Prairies to face the Saskatchewan Huskies on Sunday.

It would be understandable if it was a bus trip to Kamloops or Kelowna for a single game, but to go over 2,500 kilometres round trip for a one-off seems odd.

- Advertisement -

The UNBC women don’t have this wackiness in their schedule since the Lady Timberwolves play 14 games.

The problem stems from Regina having a women’s team and not a men’s team.

Balancing schedules among 13 men’s teams spread across Western Canada isn’t easy, but in the end common sense (or cents) should prevail.

Sure, location plays a role, but the Saskatchewan men play 14 regular season games, nicely spread over seven weekends.

Somehow, I doubt the Huskies would be too thrilled if they had to play the 15th contest in Prince George on a one-game road trip.

Canada West surely realizes that what’s not acceptable for one team, should apply to all.

When next year’s schedule comes out, soccer’s one game mammoth regular season road trip should be given the boot.

 

FROM THE QUOTE RACK:

Fantasy Football began last week. It’s a fun way for people who are bad at real sports to realize that they’re also bad at imaginary sports.

- Advertisement -

*Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon

 

If thinking too much inside the red zone hampers a quarterback, then Atlanta’s Matt Ryan is the Stephen
Hawking of the NFL.

*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

 

Detroit Tiger announcers Mario Impemba and Rod Allen reportedly got into a fistfight following a game. What’s worse is they landed more hits than the entire team got during the game.

*Comedy writer Jim Barach http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.ca/

 

The Detroit Tigers TV announcers have been suspended for the remainder of the season after a physical altercation in the booth.  Suspended?  Maybe Tigers should have invited both of them into the locker room for inspiration – they showed more fight than the team has all season.

*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

 

Seattle Mariners relief pitchers have posted a 5.19 ERA in seventh innings this season. Or as it’s otherwise known in these parts, the seventh-inning stench.”

*Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

According to Forbes, roughly eight in 10 NFL players go broke within three years of retiring. It’s a different story in the CFL, where players go broke three years into their careers.

*Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com

 

————————————————————————————————————————————

Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT.
He also is the 94.3 radio colour commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @Hartley_Miller.

- Advertisment -
- Advertisment -
- Advertisement -

Continue Reading