Boisvert to Trail, Aiken to Anchorage

Great news today for August Aiken. The speedy forward is heading off to the University of Alaska Anchorage to play Division 1 NCAA hockey next season. I know from talking to both August and his father that this has long been a goal of his. Aiken was known for his speed, flashy moved and offensive skills in the BCHL. However, I also found him to be a guy who was sharp in his own zone and had very good anticipation. If he brings his game consistently in Alaska I can see him making an impact. They have Olympic sized ice and that will really benefit a guy with that kind of speed. August was a strong addition to the Smokies last season and I'm really glad to hear he'll have this opportunity. We'll talk to Aiken on Overtime tomorrow night.

The other big news is that the Smokies have landed a guy that Coach Ingram has been after for a while now. Forward Jean-Francois (or J.F.) Boisvert has verbally committed to play for the Smoke Eaters next season. Stefan Decosse co-hosted Overtime tonight and we had a great chat with JF. He seems like a young man who really has his head on his shoulders and his priorities straight. While he was drafted out of midget by the Drummondville of the QMJHL, Boisvert decided to go to St. Andrews College prep school in Aurora, Ontario instead. In less than two years, he went from not knowing a word of English to being able to conduct himself almost perfectly in a radio interview. Boisvert says his goal has been to get to a Division 1 school in the NCAA, and he knew he'd have to learn English to do that. They had a great year winning two league titles (MPHL and CISAA) and Boisvert was a big part of that. The 5'10 forward was second on the team in goals (27) and points (74) while leading in penalty minutes. He told us that if his offence isn't working in a game he's still confident he can make a difference by playing physical, grinding in the corners and playing good defence. That is music to a coach's ears.

Boisvert is a 1989 born forward who seems to have the maturity needed to step into the league as a older rookie. It was a funny co-incidence that Stefan Decosse was with me doing the interview, because he's another player who made a strong impact while playing his first BCHL season as a 19 year old. It's interesting how almost every player we've talked to so far has made it clear they like to get their hands dirty. We see big point totals for guys like Boisvert, but they make it clear in the interviews that they aren't just one dimensional offensive guys. Scrappy, gritty players with heart... who can score... are going to win you playoff games if you get yourselves into that situation. It's good to know he's bringing some skill too, though. Would love to see a few 5-6 goal outbursts from the Smokies next season.

You can see the state page for St. Andrews by clicking here and JF's profile by clicking here.




TOMORROW ON OVERTIME

• Former Nelson Leaf and new Smoke Eater Riley Loyst
• 3 on 3 basketball for Silver City Days
• What sports or leisure activities do you really love during Kootenay summers
• Updates on the two big seventh games in the NHL playoffs

INERVIEW AUDIO

• Stefan Decosse Co-Hosting Overtime: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• New Smoke Eater J.F. Boisvert: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• AM Ford Fight Night Post-Fight: Francis Pettite, Brad Causey

Word is Stef is thinking of getting into communications at school. There was nobody with a better gift for gab on the team. I bet a lot of you wouldn't mind seeing him come back here and taking my job when he's done school!