The Prince George Spruce Kings will have to fill a gaping hole left by Matthew Stief.
Stief, a veteran defenceman who had a team-leading 43 points during the 2015-16 B.C. Hockey League season, has accepted a scholarship to Canisius College and will play NCAA Division 1 hockey for the Buffalo-based school next season.
Stief, who hails from Weston, Fla., was eligible to return to the Spruce Kings as a 20-year-old.
"We are very happy for Matt," Kings general manager Mike Hawes said on the team's website. "He is a terrific player and a great young man who is very deserving of this scholarship.
"We had planned to have Matt back next season leading our defence group, and he will be very hard to replace, but at the end of the day we are here to help these young men achieve their goals of moving on to the next level with scholarships in college hockey. Matt is an intelligent, poised young man with tons of hockey ability. He will do extremely well at Canisius College."
The Canisius College Golden Griffins skate in the Atlantic Hockey Conference. Shane Conacher, team MVP for 2015-16, signed a contract with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League late last month. He is the younger brother of fellow Golden Griffins product Cory Conacher, who has played in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders.
Last season, Stief had five goals and 38 assists for the Kings. The previous year, his first with the club, he notched three goals and 30 assists. In a total of 109 games, he contributed 76 points.
