While the old adage that you can’t win without good goaltending is true, finding quality defensemen can be just as big of a chore for BC Hockey League general managers.
In the case of the Prince George Spruce Kings, they landed one of the most coveted blueliners on the trade market in Nick Marciano. The 19-year-old from Greenwich, CT was acquired from the Cowichan Valley Capitals in exchange for Connor Elliott and future considerations on Dec. 6.
Marciano finds himself in a prime position on a contending Spruce Kings team that is in a battle for a spot in the top four in the highly touted Interior Conference and the coveted home ice advantage in the playoffs that comes with it.
“I am super excited to be here. It’s a great team and great organization and I am just going to try and do what I can to help the team win it all,” said Marciano. Prior to the deal, he was one of the lone bright spots on a Capitals squad that was last in the Coastal Conference, posting 16 points in 21 games.
The first year blueliner was expecting a deal to be made with a deep playoff run less than likely on Vancouver Island. “I was talking with my coaches and my parents about a move and that a change would be great to further my development.”
Blue shirts united
Being from a city only 40 minutes from Manhattan, Marciano grew up an avid New York Rangers fan. He actually feels Connecticut is a very underrated spot for aspiring hockey players, given its close proximity to many major markets in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
“I was pretty fortunate to be in a place that has a lot of hockey and a lot of people willing to support those hockey programs. I had a lot of opportunities and I think so far, I have seized what I can.”
While most teenagers would rattle off several NHL idols, Marciano noted his inspiration is his father who also played the game and coached Nick growing up through the ranks. That said, there is one NHLer he models his game after.
“I am a Ryan McDonaugh fan but he isn’t (with the Rangers) anymore, so that is disappointing,” noted Marciano. “He uses his skating to make simple plays and I try to do the same thing. He prides himself on getting the puck out and contributing defensively. One time I went to a Rangers-Canucks game and they won in OT so that was pretty fun. MSG was certainly bumping.”
A future Ivy Leaguer
Marciano is committed to the Princeton University Tigers for next season, a school that showed no shortage of effort in acquiring him.
“I had a couple of schools looking at me but (Princeton) had a lot of interest and I always wanted to go to a school of that calibre in terms of hockey and academics. When they put out the offer, I was pretty thrilled to take it and commit there.”
Prior to making his mark in the BCHL, Marciano played for the U15 and U18 Mid-Fairfield AAA Rangers programs. From there, he spent three years playing prep hockey at Kent School with his best season coming in 2019-20 where he had 23 points in 26 games.
Now he looks to finish his junior hockey career on a high note with the Spruce Kings before embarking on his college career at a school that has produced multiple NHL alumni including Jeff Halpern, Syl Apps Jr., George Parros, and Darroll Powe.
