The Terrace River Kings are traveling to Prince Rupert this weekend on Jan. 7 to take on the Rampage, who are currently leading the Kings by a single point in the western division.
The River Kings went into the holiday break on a high note, having just defeated the Smithers Steelheads 11 to 3 on Dec. 17. They returned to their first practice of the new year on Jan. 5.
“We play [Prince Rupert] three times in January,” said Germain Francoeur, general manager of the River Kings. “Every game is important, but Saturday night is a big one for both of us.”
As for the players, many of them stayed fresh over the break playing in the recreational league, but not all. Francoeur hopes to get all his players back in top form by the weekend.
Luckily, the team hasn’t had any injuries lately. Though earlier in the season, both Greg Tuckerman and Robert Orrey received injuries that took them out for the rest of the season.
“That’s the number one thing, we don’t want to see anyone get hurt. But I mean, it’s definitely a rough sport, so there’s not much we can do in that regard,” said Francoeur. “So far, we haven’t heard of any lingering side effects from the last game.”
The River Kings will be hosting a charity the following Saturday, Jan. 14, which will be a fundraiser for Jumpstart, a charity that provides funding to help children overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation. The game will feature the River Kings playing against recreation and Oldtimers league players.