A highly anticipated hockey game between the Prince George Spruce Kings and the Merritt Centennials in 亚洲天堂 Lake has been postponed until next year.

READ MORE: Highly anticipated hockey game in 亚洲天堂 Lake confirmed

The event, which was expected to take place at the Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena on Aug. 31, 2018, was not held due to the wildfire emergency in the 亚洲天堂 Lake region.

鈥淭here were no hotels in town, everyone was booked,鈥� explained Chantal Tom, general manager of the 亚洲天堂 Lake Native Development Corporation (BLNDC), one of the organizers of the event.

According to Tom, the event is now expected to be held in the spring of 2019.

Earlier this year 亚洲天堂 Lake council threw its support behind earlier-than-usual ice for the exhibition game. The hockey arena was turned on approximately three weeks earlier this year, just in time for the scheduled game.

READ MORE: Early ice gets thumbs-up from 亚洲天堂 Lake council

This cost the village $2,400. But 亚洲天堂 Lake Mayor Chris Beach says this investment did not go to waste.

鈥淲e have had users from Houston, Fraser Lake and 亚洲天堂 Lake using the ice,鈥� he told Lakes District 亚洲天堂. 鈥淭here was also a full week of hockey camp.鈥�

鈥淭his has been the busiest start-up month the arena has had in years,鈥� he added. 鈥淰ery positive results.鈥�

During a presentation to village council earlier this year, organizers told 亚洲天堂 Lake council that opening the arena by the end of August 鈥� instead of late September 鈥� could not only help revive 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 youth hockey, which has seen participation dwindling in the past few years, but also give local kids an extra incentive to stay healthy.

The idea of bringing the exhibition game to 亚洲天堂 Lake began when former Lake Babine Nation Chief Wilf Adam had an informal conversation with a Carrier Sekani Family Services employee, Allen Cummins, who had played hockey with the Spruce Kings鈥� general manager in the past.

鈥淲e were throwing ideas of how we could get the Spruce Kings out west,鈥� Adam described. 鈥淪o before Christmas [of 2017] we had a meeting with the [Spruce Kings鈥橾 general manager and head coach.鈥�

READ MORE: Spruce Kings game in 亚洲天堂 Lake to boost economy: Chief Adam

The original plan was for the teams to arrive on Thursday, Aug. 30, around noon and have a meet and greet with the community. Following a community luncheon, both teams were going to provide on-ice and off-ice activities for youth, who would鈥檝e also had another opportunity to participate the following day.

The cost of approximately $10,000 to host the event is expected to be covered by the organizations backing the event 鈥� Lake Babine Nation and BLNDC 鈥� and their sponsors.