Spruce Kings Season is Done Until May

By Kelly Sharp

The Prince George Spruce Kings will have plenty of time to recover from a gruelling 7 game in 9 day playoff series. The host team of the RBC Royal Bank Cup beginning May 5th fell 4-2 in Salmon Arm as the Silverbacks won the BCHL Interior Conference quarterfinal series 4-3. After back-to-back overtime games, this one was decided in the second period when the Silverbacks erupted for 3 unanswered goals to build a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.  Brian Volpei had 2 goals and 1 assist for Salmon Arm who connected on a pair of power play goals for 14 in the 7 game series. A goal post kept Chris Shudo and the Spruce Kings from tying it 1-1 early in the second period before the’Backs beat Joe Rodwell for three consecutive goals. The Kings Darcy Huisman ended Scott Gudmanson’s shutout bid late in the second period. Prince George was within 4-2 on a Tyler Helfrich power play goal 18 seconds into the third period. But Scott Gudmanson withstood a late charge from the Kings to preserve the Silverbacks place in the second round of the BCHL playoffs.

“We ran into a hot goaltender, I thought he never let in a bad goal the whole series,” Spruce Kings assistant coach Stew Malgunas said.

“I give our guys a lot of credit, they never quit,” Spruce Kings assistant coach Stew Malgunas said.

“The one positive is we have time to heal tons of injuries ,” Malgunas added when talking about the Kings injury depleted blueline.

If there is any consolation for the Spruce Kings, the 2005 Weyburn Red Wings of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was the last host team to be knocked out early in the playoffs and win the RBC Royal Bank Cup National Junior A championship. The Red Wings went 5-1 in Weyburn.

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