The Prince George Spruce Kings have some new personnel for a new year.
The Kings, who began the 2016 portion of their B.C. Hockey League schedule with a Saturday loss in Coquitlam (4-3) and a Sunday setback in Langley (7-1), acquired a new goaltender on Dec. 30. Now with the club is 18-year-old Joseph McLeod, who played previously this season with the Castlegar Rebels of the Kootenay International Junior (B) Hockey League. McLeod made his Kings debut in Sunday's loss to Langley and gave up one goal in 7:05 of playing time.
"Joseph is a very good young goaltender who was having a great season with a strong program in Castlegar," said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes. "He's got good size, is technically strong and competes hard."
With the Rebels, McLeod appeared in 21 games and posted 13 wins - five of them by shutout.
McLeod is a product of the Pursuit of Excellence program, which is based in his hometown of Kelowna.
McLeod has replaced 20-year-old netminder Sam Tanguay, who was dealt by the Kings to the Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League on Saturday. Tanguay - acquired by the Spruce Kings in a September trade that saw goalie Alex Brooks-Potts go to the Aurora Tigers of the OJHL - had a 4-17 record with Prince George.
In other Spruce Kings news, the team announced during the Christmas break the commitment of two players for the 2016-17 season - defencemen Jesse Pomeroy and Liam Watson-Brawn. Both had already seen action with the Kings as affiliated players.
Pomeroy is from Prince George and is currently a member of the Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League. With the Cougars, the six-foot, 170-pound Pomeroy has three goals and 12 points in 26 league games. As well, he has piled up a team-leading 60 minutes in penalties.
"Jesse is a strong defender who also possesses good offensive abilities," Hawes said. "He enjoys the physical side of the game and plays a well-rounded game. It's always nice to be able to add a talented local product to our roster."
As for Watson-Brawn, he's a Vancouver resident who is skating for the Burnaby Winter Club Prep U-18 team. In 32 games, he has put up 11 points.
"Liam is a hardworking defenceman who can excel at both ends of the ice," Hawes said. "He skates well, handles the puck well and likes to get involved physically."
As an AP, Pomeroy has played two games with the Kings this season. Watson-Brawn, meanwhile, has played five.
The Spruce Kings, who sit fifth in the six-team Mainland Division with a 9-28-2-0 record, will be back on the road this weekend. They'll face Surrey on Friday, play a rematch against Coquitlam on Saturday and battle Chilliwack on Sunday.
The Kings' first home games of 2016 are Jan. 14 against the Trail Smoke Eaters and Jan. 15 against the Victoria Grizzlies.
