By Ethan Ready

BCHL Preseason

Spruce Kings open preseason schedule in Merritt

Sep 24, 2021 | 11:50 AM

PRINCE GEORGE – Tonight, at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, the Prince George Spruce Kings take to the ice for their first pre-season game of 2021 as they head to the Thompson Okanagan to take on the Merritt Centennials. For the Spruce Kings, it marks their first game action since May 9^th while the Centennials played their first pre-season game Wednesday night in Coquitlam.

PRINCE GEORGE SPRUCE KINGS

OVERVIEW

Head Coach: Alex Evin

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2020-21 Pod Season Record: 14-5-0-1

2020-21 Record vs. MER: 9-1-0-0

Last Game: A 4-2 victory back on May 9^th against the Chilliwack Chiefs

THE VETS

The Spruce Kings will have some familiar faces in their lineup tonight when they collide with the Centennials. Up front, newly named captain Kolton Cousins will be the elder forward for PG, but will be joined with some returning faces in John Herrington, Kilian McGregor-Bennett, Max Borovinskiy, and Linden Makow. On the back end, returning defenders Ben LeFranc, Connor Elliott, and 20-year-old Josh Wright will all slot into the Spruce King lineup this evening. Prince George also acquired some veteran presence on the back end including 20-year-old Dylan Schives who spent the last three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior League (QMJHL), Brody Gagno who is a ’02 born defenseman and former Chilliwack Chief, and 6-4 defender Ian Kern, 19, who spent the 2021 pod season with the Surrey Eagles. In between the pipes, it is the same tandem as the pod season as both Aaron Trotter and Jordan Fairlie return to the crease.

NEW FACES

Tonight marks the first time that Spruce Kings fans will get a glimpse at the bright future of the club. Jimmy Doyle, a 19-year-old out of Plainfield, IL will get his first crack in the blue, red, and white. The St. Lawrence commit spent the 2020-21 with the Bismark Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) where he had eight points in 36 games played. Other new recruits include 6’5 17-year-old Evan Fedele out of the Burnaby Winter Club, ’03 born Ty Gagno who is the younger brother of Brody, also from the BWC program, Austin Fraser, who spent the 2021 pod season with the Coquitlam Express, notching 10 points in 20 games, and newcomer Nicholas Athanasakos who hails out of Unionville, Ontario.

MERRITT CENTENNIALS

OVERVIEW

Head Coach: Dave Chyzowski

Preseason Record: 0-1-0-0

2020-21 Pod Season: 3-17-0-0

2020-21 Record vs. PG: 1-9-0-0

Last Game: A 5-1 loss Wednesday against the Coquitlam Express

HOMEGROWN

Centennial defenceman and Merritt product Talon Zakall is entering his third season with his local team. Zakall led all Centennial defenders in points in the 2021 pod season, having four goals and six assists in 19 games played. The Dartmouth commit is the longest-tenured Centennial on the team’s roster.

MAR THE STAR

Forward Wyatt Marlow was the lone goal scorer in the 5-1 setback on Wednesday in Coquitlam. Much like Zakall, Marlow in entering his third season with the Centennials and is looking to be a big catalyst offensively in 2021-22. Marlow is also one of a select few on the team’s roster with over 100 games played in the BC Hockey League.