The Prince George Spruce Kings are a Junior A hockey team previously competing in the BC Hockey League. As of the 2021-22 season, the team will be playing out of the Interior Conference. Founded in 1972, the Spruce Kings have been a part of the Prince George community for decades, with numerous alumni making the jump from junior hockey to collegiate or professional leagues. The Spruce Kings won their first Fred Page Cup, the championship trophy awarded to the top team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, in their 2018/2019 season.
Spruce Kings alumni that made it to the NHL include Tony Twist, Stewart Malgunas, Bryan Adams, Brad Fast, Mike Stuzel, Rod Pelley, Brandon Manning, & Jujhar Khaira.
As a community-owned team, the hockey club is a staunch supporter of Prince George, taking part in events like “Skate for Literacy”, Downtown Winterfest, and many more, while also volunteering with minor hockey practices & elementary school programs. They also partner with UNBC Mens’ Soccer & Basketball to hold a Movember competition and see which organization can raise the most funding & facial hair for the cause of men’s health in November.
In the arena, the Spruce Kings are still full of ways to give back. An example is their upcoming “Drop the Gloves” night, happening December 10th, where the community is invited to join the Spruce Kings at their game & bring new or gently used gloves, toques, scarves, and socks in a plastic bag to throw on the ice when they score their first goal of the night. The collected items are then donated to the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, where they can be distributed to those in need of warmer clothing in the winter months.
This year, the Spruce Kings are celebrating 50 seasons of play by hosting “decade nights” and honoring alumni from those decades at their special home games. Drop the Gloves night on December 10th will also be one of these honorary nights as the hockey club pays tribute to their history & alumni that joined them through the 1980’s.
The Spruce Kings are funded through ticket sales, merchandising, corporate sponsorships, and their Show Home Lottery, which recently opened to the public.
Kyle Anderson, Business Operations Manager for the Prince George Spruce Kings, explains that “without the community’s support for the Spruce Kings, we wouldn’t be here”. He thanks the community for the continued support in helping them reach the 50 season milestone & the fans that continue to cheer them on at the arena.
The Spruce Kings play their home games at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, located at 888 Dominion Street in Prince George.
