The Prince George Spruce Kings now find themselves without a crease monkey, at least for the short-term off-season.
After Logan Neaton graduated from junior hockey and was subsequently drafted by the Winnipeg Jets, the reigning B.C. Hockey League (BCHL) champions have traded goaltender Keenan Rancier to the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in exchange for Forward Preston Brodziak.
Rancier backed-up for Neaton and started in six games himself during the 2018-19 season.
The 19-year-old from Victoria also played two periods for Prince George at the National Junior ‘A’ Championship, stopping six of seven shots against the Portage Terriers.
“He is a great teammate who did a great job in a tough role last season,” said Spruce Kings General Manager Mike Hawes in a team release.
Brodziak was traded to his hometown Estevan on June 1, which completed a transaction back in January between the Bruins and the Cowichan Valley Capitals that saw goaltender Pierce Diamond go to the BCHL for future considerations.
While playing in Duncan, B.C. last season, Brodziak recorded 26 points in 58 games (11 goals, 15 assists) and added seven more in 12 Caps’ playoff games.
“We’re excited to add Preston to our team,” said Hawes. “There are certain types of players and certain types of people we like to bring into the program. Preston is a great young man and a very good player so he checks a lot of the boxes for us. He will be a big part of this season’s team.”
The 20-year-old played in Nanaimo a year earlier, scoring 24 points in his first BCHL season.
The terms of the deal also include future considerations for Estevan from Prince George.
