Ed Dempsey will continue on with his dual roles of Head Coach and General Manager. After joining the Spruce Kings in January 2004, Dempsey has become the longest serving and winningest head coach of the team since joining the BCHL. Dempsey has been named the Interior Division Coach of the Year, coached in a BCHL All Star Game and was behind the bench when the Spruce Kings hosted and won silver at the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup.

 

 “I am really excited with the opportunity to continue with this hard working, determined and committed group,” said Ed Dempsey. “This group has a great deal of passion to make the Spruce Kings a solid franchise in the BCHL and the city of Prince George. We have been working very hard to make the Spruce Kings a destination of choice for players and I’m very proud of the achievements that the Spruce Kings have made both on and off the ice.”

 

Mike Hawes has been with the Spruce Kings since the start of the 2004-05 season when he started with the club as the assistant coach. Following the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup, Hawes has been working in hockey operations as the assistant general manager and director of player personnel.

 

“Obviously I’m very happy and excited that we’re going to be able to continue on this journey that we started,” said Mike Hawes. “With the support of the board, we are going to continue to strengthen the club through recruiting, player commitments and player development. We have done okay to this point and we are going to continue getting better."

 

Ed Dempsey and Mike Hawes have worked closely together for the past five seasons and have developed a network of hockey contacts that provides the Spruce Kings opportunities to recruit with the player’s future in mind. With a long list of alumni that have gone on to play NCAA, CIS and major junior, the Spruce Kings are continuing on their mission to build a championship team and return to the RBC Royal Bank Cup.

 

“The extension of both of these contracts shows a belief in what these gentlemen can do for the Spruce Kings organization,” said Spruce Kings president, Darcy Buryn. “We have a vision for the Spruce Kings. Ed and Mike, through their hard work and commitment, have earned the right to continue to play an integral role in bringing that vision closer to reality.”