Arduin traded to Westside

You never expect a team to trade their leading scorer. The reality is that things happen in hockey. The Smoke Eaters are a team that just hasn't gotten into a rhythm yet this year. When things aren't quite working a team has to look at all their options. I haven't had a chance yet to talk to Jim Ingram about the trade of Arduin so I don't want to speculate on why specifically he chose to make this move.

What do we know? They got a very talented young player in Chris Santiago. He's a player who was drafted by Regina in the WHL. He scored 38 points last year as a 17 year old. He's had schools watching him and he's a player with a lot of speed and skill. I'll talk more about Santiago later as well. I'm told he's played with a couple of guys on the team before and they're looking forward to seeing him in orange and black. Trail also now doesn't owe Westside anything in the Aiken deal. That means the trade ends up being Aiken, Santiago and futures for Arduin. It looks like a pretty fair hockey deal when you spell it out that way.

However, what I want to do here is talk about David Arduin and his time in Trail. Here's a guy who was practically written off as a top player after being hurt and having a tough year in Vernon his first BCHL season. He worked his butt off to get in good shape and Tim Kehler brought him to Trail. As a 19 year old he broke out and lead the Smokies in scoring, putting up 29 goals and 66 points as part of a balanced attack in Trail last year. He proved he was an elite player and he got the attention of college scouts.

Arduin also scored the first goal I ever called as the Smokies play by play announcer. He's an explosive player and notched it only seconds into that game in Prince George. He followed it with two more for a first period hat trick. He's got very good instincts and a strong shot. His passes are crisp and accurate, and he just seems to always be in the right place in the offensive zone.

David got a scholarship this year to Qunnipiac, one of the fastest rising programs in the NCAA. In talking to coaches and scouts, he's known to be a very good student who worked hard to make sure his academics were strong enough to get him where he wanted to be. Arduin could have folded his tent after a disappointing 18 year old season, but he kept his grades and game in good shape and got what he said he'd always dreamed of, a chance to play Division 1 hockey.

Arduin was easily one of the best interviews on the team. I had him on Overtime for a full hour and there were no slow points. The guy can talk and he knows his hockey. He always had time for me when I needed an interview and that makes life real easy for a guy in my position. He also kept the mood light on the bus and seemed to really love it here in Trail. From what I can tell, his contributions were positive on many fronts.

Nobody is saying bad things about David Arduin here. Hockey is a business and sometimes you've got to make moves that are really tough for everyone. He may be a Warrior now, but David Arduin made a very strong impression on Trail, the fans and his teammates. What's the saying? When you're a Smoke Eater, you're a Smoke Eater for life. Good luck to him.