Are you old enough to remember when Prince George had a national championship-winning hockey team?
As the world shifts into the 2020s next month, the Prince George Spruce Kings will hop in a time machine and go back five decades to the 1970s.
The defending BCHL champions will pay tribute to the Prince George Mohawks, a former senior-intermediate hockey club, by wearing the team’s old red, white and black uniforms on Jan. 17 as they compete against the Langley Rivermen at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena (RMCA).
The Mohawks played in the debunked Cariboo Hockey League and were a powerhouse during their time representing the northern capital.
This included a national title in 1978 when they hoisted the Hardy Cup after beating New Brunswick’s Campbellton Tigers 3-1 on home ice.
It was the second finals appearance in three years for Prince George as they lost the 1976 championship 3-2 to the Embrun Panthers (Ontario).
The Mohawks also managed to rack up five Senior AA provincial trophies, still known today as the Coy Cup, and two western regional banners.
The team ultimately folded in 1980 after the Cariboo League merged with the B.C. Senior Hockey League.
On the evening of Jan. 17, the Spruce Kings will welcome alumni of the former hockey club to the RMCA and will be honoured in a special ceremony during the first intermission.
Prince George will face-off against Langley at 7 p.m.
On Friday (Dec. 13), the ‘Kings brought back the ‘angry tree’ logo for their annual Drop the Gloves, Sock it to ‘Em night.
They play in Coquitlam tomorrow (Dec. 18) at Noon.
