With NHL development camps underway, the Powell River Kings have their fair share of alumni skating alongside NHL hopefuls. Nine former Kings were invited to the week-long development camps with seven different NHL franchises.
Brett Magnus – Winnipeg Jets
Magnus spent the 2014-15 season on the Sunshine Coast, suiting up for 49 games in a Kings uniform. Magnus posted a respectable 24-21-1 record with a 3.23 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. Magnus took his game to another level in the playoffs, lowering his GAA by nearly a full goal down to 2.38 and raising his save percentage to .930 in 13 games. This past season, the Montreal native played at Sacred Heart university for the Pioneers, sporting a 13-18-4 record with a 2.63 GAA and .912 save percentage. He played in 35 of the Pioneers 37 games.
Jacob Pritchard – Winnipeg Jets
Pritchard was an offensive powerhouse for the Kings during the 2014-15 season, leading the team in scoring with 39 goals to go along with 37 assists in 54 games. The Macomb, Michigan native then scored eight more goals and added seven more assists in 13 playoff games. For his efforts, Pritchard was named a Second Team All-Star. Last season Pritchard attended St. Lawrence University, finishing fourth in team scoring for the Saints with nine goals and 12 assists in 34 games.
Jamie Phillips – Winnipeg Jets
Phillips joined the two other Kings alumni at Jets development camp, but Phillips also has an NHL contract to his name. The Jets signed Phillips July 2 to a two-year contract after Phillips finished his four-year NCAA career at Michigan Tech. The Caledonia, Ontario native only spent half a season with the Kings, but posted an impressive 16-6-1 record with five shutouts in 2011-12. He had a 2.01 GAA and .921 save percentage before being moved to the Toronto Jr. Canadians of the Ontario Junior Hockey League at the 2012 trade deadline. Phillips finished his four-year NCAA career with the Huskies with a 57-25-8 record along with 10 shutouts.
Sean Maguire – Pittsburgh Penguins
Maguire was the last King to be drafted to the NHL directly from Powell River, and has now earned himself an NHL contract. A fourth-round pick (113th overall) by the Penguins in 2012, Maguire played three seasons with the Boston University Terriers, posting a combined record of 29-29-1 with five shutouts. In his two seasons with the Kings from 2010-2012, Maguire went 27-15-1 with five shutouts for his hometown team. He also showed some offensive ability, racking up six assists. Maguire made his pro debut this past season, playing 13:14 of relief on April 17 against the Hershey Bears, stopping all four shots he faced before a 2-1 shootout loss.
Luke Ripley – Montreal Canadiens
Ripley spent two seasons with the Kings from 2012-2014, scoring two goals and adding 19 assists in 75 games. The towering 6’5” defenceman has played at the University of Notre Dame for the past two seasons, scoring three goals along with 12 assists in 79 games for the Fighting Irish.
Ryan Scarfo – Columbus Blue Jackets
Scarfo spent just one season with the Kings, but it was an impactful one. The 6’0” 190-pound forward scored 17 goals with 31 assists in 50 games during the 2013-14 season, before adding three more goals and two assists in 11 playoff games. Scarfo has called Union College his home for the past two seasons, and has skated in 75 games for the Dutchmen. So far in his NCAA career, Scarfo has scored 23 goals and 15 assists.
Jonah Imoo – Los Angeles Kings
Imoo began his Kings career during the 2011-12 season, and made quite the first impression. That season Imoo had a minuscule 0.94 GAA in eight games with the Kings, before taking over as the starting goalie the following season. In total, Imoo went 41-29-3 with three shutouts during his time with the Kings, before spending his last season of junior with the Merritt Centennials. The Surrey native also represented Canada at the World Under-19 Junior A Challenge in the 2012-13 season, being named the top goaltender at the tournament after posting a 2.24 GAA and .918 save percentage in four games while helping Team Canada West to a silver medal.
Jon Jutzi – Toronto Maple Leafs
Jutzi finished his junior career with the Kings by playing two seasons after coming over from the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. From 2010-2012, Jutzi skated in 113 games with the Kings while scoring 17 times and assisting on 43 more. Jutzi saved his best play for the post-season, as he recorded three goals and 12 assists in 18 playoff games. The Tavistock, Ontario native was named a Second Team All-Star in 2011-2012. For the past four years, Minnesota State University of Mankato has been where Jutzi has played, appearing in 144 games for the Mavericks. The defenceman lit the lamp nine times and racked up 35 assists while serving as an alternate captain last season. He helped the Mavericks win two Western Collegiate Hockey Association championships in 2014 and 2015. He was named to the All-Academic Team last season, before making his pro hockey debut by playing in six games with the Manitoba Moose.
Michael Garteig – Vancouver Canucks
Like Phillips, Garteig has an NHL contract under his belt after he signed a one-year pact with the Canucks earlier this summer. The Prince George native spent two seasons with the Kings, and had perhaps the best season in franchise history for a goaltender during the 2010-11 season. Garrett went a staggering 36-8-3 while posting a GAA of just 1.69 and a .934 save percentage. Unsurprisingly, Garteig was named to the BCHL’s First Team All-Star while also being named the leagues top goaltender. Garteig’s play helped the Kings reach the league finals for the third consecutive year. The following season, Garteig led the Penticton Vees to a national championship by going 41-4-0 during the regular season before playing all six games at the RBC Cup in Humboldt, Saskatchewan with a 1.65 GAA and a .933 save percentage. Garteig played four seasons at Qunnipiac University for the Bobcats, going 78-25-16 with 19 shutouts. Garteig holds schoolrecords for career wins, shutouts and goals-against average (1.96). Last season, Garteig helped the Bobcats advance to the NCAA Championship game, where they fell to the University of North Dakota.
The Powell River Kings would like to say congratulations to these alumni, and look forward to seeing more Kings at NHL camps in the future.
