First it was left winger Ethan Montroy.
Then right winger Lucas Veilleux was swept up in the eastward migration
On Monday, the Prince George Spruce Kings learned left winger Skogen Schrott has joined the exodus to the Quebec Martimes Junior Hockey League.
That’s three key players in the past five weeks who have left Spruce Kings in the lurch.
That’s the new reality for teams in the BC Hockey League and other junior A leagues in North America ever since the NCAA voted to drop its eligibility ban on major junior hockey players.
Until that vote, which takes effect on Aug. 1, CHL players were ineligible to play for NCAA teams because they were considered professionals, paid a monthly stipend of up to $600 by their major junior teams.
“This new landscape that we’re dealing with, with the NCAA-CHL stuff, the league has lost probably 40 players now who have gone to major junior team,” said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes.
“The new rules have had an effect on every team in our league and every team at our level, whether it’s the USHL or BCHL, teams are losing players to the CHL and we’re just doing our best to navigate through it. Unfortunately when a player leaves they’re good players and these were big pieces for us but it just creates opportunity for the other players on our team and the teams have to do the work to now to go out and fill the vacancies with good players, which is something we’re going to do.”
Montroy, a 19-year-old from Ottawa who joined the Spruce Kings in October from the Cornwall Colts, went to the QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders. He played his last game for the Spruce Kings Nov. 30 and up to that point he was one of the top point producers on the team with 11 goals and nine assists in 20 games. He still ranks as the Spruce Kings’ third-leading scorer.
Montroy has played five games with the Islanders and has two goals and two assists.
Veilleux, 19, was in his second season with the Spruce Kings when he left the team a week ago for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL). The Ottawa native, a Colgate University recruit, had eight goals and nine assists in 28 games for 17 points, seventh in team scoring.
His left the Kings following their game at home against Nanaimo on Dec. 29.
Schrott is now with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
The 20-year-old Tampa, Fla., native was the Spruce Kings’ leading scorer with 10 goals and 21 assists for 33 points in 29 games. Schrott had 14 goals and 14 assists in 50 games last year with Prince George in 2023-24.
The Michigan Tech recruit scored two goals and had two assists in his last three BCHL games and was with Kings for their roadtrip last weekend.
Schrott had been picked for the BCHL 3-on-3 All-Star Tournament in Salmon Arm, Jan . 15-17 and will be replaced by Spruce Kings centre Brock Cummings, who has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points this season.
The Spruce Kings (10-17-3-1, ninth in Coastal Conference) host the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (19-11-1-0, fourth in Coastal) Friday and Saturday at Kopar Memorial Arena.
