Of course when it comes to anything I write, take it as gospel ;)
A couple of days ago the BCHL announced the rosters for this year's All-Star Game. A game like that at this level is certainly different than at the pro level. These young men are still trying to prove their worth to pro teams and schools. It's an opportunity to showcase your skills in front of a ton of scouts and against other very good hockey players. These guys aren't going to take it easy out there.
The Trail Smoke Eaters are going to be represented at the game by their Captain. Kevin Limbert is as natural a choice as you could make from Trail's roster this year. He does it all. Limbert is the guy they'll call on if it's late in the game and the team needs a goal. He's also the guy that will see the ice if it's late in the game and they're only up by a goal. Limbert is a two-way player who never takes a shift off. He's not a big guy, but he plays with a physical edge and some grit.You want an example of his contributions? Look back to the overtime win against Prince George on Saturday. Limbert scored a power play goal to put Trail up 1-0. He won key face offs. He killed penalties. He had a couple of assists. On the winning goal in overtime, Limbert crunched Jordy Christian into the boards inside the Smokies zone. He followed the play up the ice, took a drop pass from Corcoran, dropped the puck to a wide-open Westover and watched Corcoran put home the puck for a Trail win. He made a big hit, was in the right place in the other end and he made a good heads up pass. It's typical of the way that Limbert contributes to his team in every respect.
You want to talk about respect, how about the way he was awarded the Captaincy? According to former Coach Tim Kehler, when he asked players at the end of last year who should be the new Captain... every single player (with the exception of Limbert) told him it should be Kevin Limbert. Who else can say they have that much respect on their team?
A Fruitvale native and a player who grew up in the Trail area, he's a perfect representative of the orange and black at the All-Star Game. He's also a representative of the style of play the coaching staff wants on this team. Hard work, two-way play, unselfish play and integrity. Coach Ingram told me the other day he doesn't think there's a harder working player in the league. Just watch him. Even if the team is down 5-1 in the third period, Limbert will still fight for every puck.
Congratulations to Kevin Limbert for making the team.
We should also mention that former Smoke Eater sniper David Arduin made the team as well. Arduin spent most of his season here and earned the All-Star nod as a Smoke Eater. He deserves the nod as one of the most dynamic offensive players in this league. One thing that doesn't often get mentioned about Arduin's game is his face-off abilities. Often he would get sent out to start a shift just so he could win a face-off. It's a very important and often overlooked skill. Arduin has scored three times for Westside in three games, and I suspect he'll continue to have success with the Warriors.
Could there have been more players from Trail on the team? We saw a great number of guys from teams who have had less success than the Smokies this year. However, Trail plays a game where team is emphasized. They don't focus on one or two lines or one or two guys back on D. When you focus on your depth often the individuals don't shine as brightly.
I still think Grant Rollheiser was overlooked at goaltender. We saw two goalies picked from teams under Trail in the standings. Rollheiser has consistently had a very good save percentage. It's a stat that I think is as important as any when measuring a goaltender. Rollheiser has almost always done what was necessary to give his team a chance to win. I can think of one game where he really had an off night. He may be a rookie, but he's still among the more reliable goaltenders in this league. I look forward to seeing him develop. He could be a top 2 or 3 goaltender in the BCHL next season.
Also I'd like to congratulate Castlegar native Alex Evin for being named the starting goaltender. He's done a very good job in nets for Penticton. Had a shut out against Trail earlier this year as well. Well deserved honour for a player who is saving his best for his last year in the league.
Here's a link to an interview I did with Smokies Captain Kevin Limbert on being named to the All-Star Game roster. Humble as always he was surprised to get the nod, but he shouldn't have been. Congrats again to Limbert, Arduin, Evin and all those who will get the chance to represent their team and the league.
Friday night is Trail hosting Vernon. The Jones twins return home to the scene of the first game of the year. Vernon won that one in double overtime. Should be a fun game. Puck drops tomorrow night at 7:30pm from Cominco Arena. I'll be there live hosting Overtime by the merchandise booth, come say hello! After the game you can join us live at Rave's Restaurant for the post-game show.
Don't forget you can always call in and talk Smokies hockey on Overtime. We're also talking today about the possibility of a BCHL team coming to Nelson. What do you think? 1-877-560-1010.
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