Shawn Mullin's Trail Smoke Eaters Blog: "Killer" Kellington to Trail (New Smokies Visit)

One of the top offensive prospects in the VIJHL is going to be a Trail Smoke Eater next season. Forward James Kellington has verbally committed to the Smokies after an outstanding Junior B season on Vancouver Island. Nicknamed "Killer," Kellington was at the top of the VIJHL scoring race until he ran into injury trouble. An ankle injury limited him to 33 games and limited his production once he returned to the line-up. The 1991 born Kellington still put up 17 goals and 47 points in that time. He brings the kind of creative playmaking the Smoke Eaters were definitely still looking to add in this off season.

I had a chance to talk with him when the Smokies brought a few of their new recruits into town this weekend. The team put them up, took them golfing and brought the out to Kootenay Crystler Bull-a-Rama this weekend. All the guys seemed really impressed by the area and that the team was taking the extra effort to make them feel like Trail was home. I didn't get as much time to talk to James as I did some of the other new recruits, but he definately sounded excited to be here. I'm looking forward to seeing him play. 47 points in 33 games and some people considered that a set back due to injury? That tells you the guy can produce. He was 16 years old playing against men. It's a big jump to the next level, but you have to think Kellington has the skills to put points on the board. I can imagine him working some playmaking wonders perhaps on a line with guys like Ryan Bulach and Paul Mailey who have good shots and can utilize a quick release.

According to the Peninsula Panthers website:

"James is only 16, and is making a very good impression in the VIJHL. James
is talking to a few Jr. A clubs that have expressed an interest in him for next
year. Killer is an offensive player with great speed, and has a second
gear. James has some pretty good moves to get past the defensemen, and is
a nightmare on break-a-ways for goalies."

RECRUITING VISIT

The Smokies continue to do everything they can to make their new recruits feel like part of the team right from the start. At camp they brought in current and former Smokies to mingle and get to know the young guys. This weekend they brought a few of the new recruits into Trail to show them around the community. The guys hung out with the coaching staff and with the other players who are in town. They went golfing, they went to Bull-a-Rama and they got to meet a lot of the fans and supporters of the team. I had a chance to talk with Jayson Reardon and CJ Legassic about what the visit meant to them. It seems like Trail made a strong impression on both guys.

JUNIOR B LACROSSE

I've always felt lacrosse and hockey are two sports that should be more closely linked. There are a great number of star hockey players who have also grown up playing lacrosse. Just look at a guy like John Tavares whose uncle is a legend in the sport. I've always found it interesting that a lot of the local hockey players around here play baseball, but don't play lacrosse or soccer. Don't get me wrong, when I was a kid baseball was unquestionably my favourite sport. It wasn't until I was a teenager that hockey and the 1994 strike pushed ball to second spot in my heart. However, if I were training to become a hockey player I would think that a sport like lacrosse or soccer would be a much better way to stay in game shape over the summer. Lacrosse especially keeps that physical intensity up throughout the summer. The hand eye co-ordination, the price you have to pay to go to the net, the battles in the corners, the offensive creativity, the defensive systems... all those things added together makes it pretty much the ideal summer sport for hockey players. Again, I don't mean that as a shot to baseball, but I just found it somewhat strange that lacrosse wasn't more popular in a hard nosed sports area like this. There's certainly a place for both.

That's one reason why I'm so glad to see a new Junior B lacrosse team in the West Kootenay. The Wolfpac made their home debut over the weekend in Castlegar. They're a team that is meant to represent the entire region, but they are based at the Castlegar Community Complex due to it's central location and available floor. The minor lacrosse organization has been building up quite a bit over the past few years. However, they didn't have a place to play when the guys wold reach junior age. This year's team is only playing an exhibition schedule. A lot of the older players hadn't been playing for a few years and it's important to iron out the kinks before you start playing legitimate league games. That being said, I really believe this team has a shot to take a meaningful place in the local sports scene. They drew over 200 fans for their opening game on a night when much of the community was packing the Cominco Arena for Kootenay Crystler Bull-a-Rama. Then again when they played on Sunday at noon the Wolfpac managed over 100 fans at the complex. That's a great start for a team that I hope will continue to grow.

They lost both games against a powerful Kelowna team, but the Wolfpac more than doubled their goal total from the first game (3) to the second (7) and showed a lot of heart and fight. They'll lose more than they win this season, but it's just a step in the right direction. Your next chance to support this new team is May 24th and 25th against Vernon. In the mean time, you can catch all sorts of great baseball and fastball action in our area as well. A ton of stuff to do locally in the spring and summer as we try to fill the void until the next hockey season.

TOMORROW ON OVERTIME

Tomorrow we'll have a conversation with new Smoke Eaters Captain Ryan Bulach. How does he feel about the honour of wearing the 'C' and what are his goals for his 20 year old season with the orange and black? We'll also talk to Dan Horan of the Trail Track and Field Club, and we want your thoughts on animals being used in sporting events.