November Northern Trip Video Highlights

I've also got video from the recent home games against Prince George and Penticton I hope to put together if I have time. The video from the Quesnel game in Trail didn't turn out for some reason. I do want to apologize to the goaltenders for not adding saves to the highlights this time. With a lot on my plate right now it's already time consuming enough as it is to find something that is on the score sheet. Hopefully in future videos I'll have time to grab a few of the good stops.

By the way, Ryan Pinder (Penticton broadcaster) and I are going to be hosting a live blog tomorrow/tonight (December 1rst) on this blog and over at his Vees Blog. It'll be in honour of every BCHL team reaching the mid-way point in the season. We'll break down what we've thought of the season so far and what we think is coming in the second half. However, this isn't just a forum for Ryan and I to yammer at each other. The whole idea of the live blog is for you to join the conversation with your questions or comments. Hopefully we'll get a big crowd out and maybe make it a more regular feature of our blogs. That will be at 7:30pm tonight.

Halfway Point, BCHL Notes

Tonight's win over Quesnel marks the halfway point of the 2009-2010 BCHL season for Trail. Penticton Vees play by play guy Ryan Pinder and I are planning to blog about that on a live blog this Tuesday night so stay tuned for more details on that.

From a Smoke Eaters perspective the end of the first half of the season means the end of a ridiculous run of road games. They played 2/3 of their road schedule before even reaching this point. 20 of the first 29 games were away from the Cominco Arena. For a team with Trail's tough travel schedule that made it difficult for them to get any momentum going. The Smokies were also breaking in a lot of rookies and new players especially on the back end. Those players traditionally take a month or two to really get comfortable and confident with the level of play in the BCHL. When you break down the first 30 games into 10 game segments you can see that is starting to happen.

• First 10 games: 2-7-1-0
• Second 10 games: 2-7-0-1
• Third 10 games: 5-5-0-0

The Smokies had a really tough go of it in their first 20 games while breaking in all those new players. Now that they've had key minutes in all situations we're starting to see that hard work pay off. For anyone who has watched the team since September you are now seeing a totally different side of guys like Garrett Beckwith, Tommy Rizzardo, Eric Walker, Wade Bennett and Ben Matthews on the back end. They're all a lot more confident and poised. We also shouldn't forget that the 2nd year veterans on the blue line like Steve Koshey, Graeme Strukoff and Mitch Kaufmann are all 18 years old and still have a lot of developing to do as well. Another 30 games is a big difference when you've only played a year and a half at this level. Plus both Beckwith and veteran Kiefer Smiley have been playing their best hockey in the past 3 weeks. Everyone seems to have more confidence.

While all that ice time for the young guys is starting to pay off on the back end, we're also seeing a forward group with more scoring depth than I think I've ever seen in my time here. Every forward in the top 6 is scoring at at least a point per game pace. The "third line" is as good as the second line has been in previous seasons. Here's a situation where some injuries and new opportunities have thrust some guys into roles where they were able to prove they can produce points. Now Coach Ingram can be confident enough with his entire forward group to roll four lines and know there won't be a shift off for the opposition. The whole top 9 has a ton of skill while the current fourth line has skill and also the ability to work and grind you to death in the corners. Vernon has had so much of their success with the ability to send wave after wave of top end forwards at the opposition. If the Smokies are willing to work as hard as the Vipers do or harder I feel like the skill is here to play in a similar way. However, the work ethic has to be consistent or that skill won't amount to anything.

I'm not saying we can expect a 25-5 run in the second half of the season. There will continue to be growing pains. I'm sure there will be more injuries and bad games here and there. However, I have to believe the worst is behind them. The initial growing pains and endless bus trips are a thing of the past. Now is Trail's opportunity to use those lessons they learned to pull away from the other teams in the so called "second tier" of the Interior Conference and start putting a scare into the Okanagan teams. They can start doing that with 2 more home games this weekend and then 7 of 8 in December. If this team is as talented as I believe they are they'll prove it during this stretch.

Now that we're at that halfway point we can also take a look at who might be potential winners at the awards dinner 3 months from now.




MVP: Last year's winner Ryan Bulach did it all for Trail. He was the leading scorer and one of the top defensive forwards. Scott Jacklin is a guy who is making that kind of an impact for Trail right now at both ends of the ice. The entire top 6 forward group is producing at a similar rate and all could get consideration depending who has a stronger finish. Lewis, Mellor, Sandor, and St. Denis have all been go to guys depending on the game. Dyck has been producing at the same rate as them since a slower September. Wilkins was there too before his injury and Mailey's scoring is coming back. Right now I think my choice would have to be Jacklin. However if we see Mike Betz continue at anywhere near a 2.2 point per game pace that will likely change. You also have to consider a very impressive 21 points in 29 games on the back end from Steve Koshey. Of course this could all change come March.

Leading Scorer: Right now it seems like it'll be between Jacklin, Sandor and Lewis. St. Denis and Mellor could still catch up though. The team has up to 7 guys who realistically could score 20 goals this season. Only 2 scored that many last season. Scoring has not been the issue in the first half.

Top Defenseman: Danny DeKeyser won this award for Trail last year after a superb second half of his rookie season. I could easily see one of the first year Smokies like Matthews, Walker, Kaufmann and Rizzardo play a huge second half to take the award. Right now you'd have to go with Koshey based on his very significant offensive production and much improved play in his own end. He had a tough September but has been making big strides at both ends of the ice. Also don't count out Graeme Strukoff for this one once he gets healthy. Unfortunately injuries have limited him to 17 games so far.

Rookie of the Year: Travis St. Denis took this last year after he emerged as an offensive force in the last 2/3 of the season. It didn't take Sam Mellor that long. The Cranbrook product has been one of Trail's best forwards from the moment the puck dropped in September. He's been scoring goals, winning puck battles and playing smart hockey all season. Wilkins could give him a run for his money, but he's hampered by those missing 18 games. Any of the four rookie defenceman could also challenge for the award with a big second half. Look at how much of an impact Eric Walker has already had, and as a 16 year old he's got so much room to grow.

Fan Favourite: Jadon Porterfield won this last year and if that's the style of play the fans love I'd have to think Josh McEwan and Sean Nugent would have a really good chance this season. McEwan is a mad dog out there who doesn't seem to fight unless he's giving up 2 or 3 inches and 10 to 30 pounds. He's got the never say die kind of attitude that fans in Trail love. Nugent is another guy who will fight hard for every puck and pound his opponent into sand. However, if the fans go another way I could also see this one going to one of the many local players on the team.

Most Improved: It depends if you define this as most improved from the start of the season or most improved from last year. Porterfield won this last season so I assume it was most improved since the start of the year. In that case right now I'd have to go with Tommy Rizzardo or Darnell Dyck. Both had slow starts and have come on to be two of the team's most reliable players. I'd also like to think that by the time the season comes to an end we could be saying the same thing about the goaltenders. It seems like we're headed that way. If it's most improved from last season Dyck again qualifies as he's already almost doubled his point total. Scott Jacklin had a very slow start to his Trail career and is now one of the team's best players. Steve Koshey has already almost equalled his point total from his rookie year, is playing with a lot more confidence and is in better shape.

As for the awards like inspirational, most dedicated and the sportsmanship/hard work award... it's hard for me to really speculate on that stuff. As well as I know the players I'm not in the dressing room or at practice. That's why these awards are in the hands of the coaches. I do know there are a ton of very good candidates for those awards starting with the team's leadership core.

The first half has obviously been a frustrating one for the Smoke Eaters. I think I probably expected a record closer to .500 than where they are now. 13-16 wins was more in the range I thought we would see. However, they are well positioned to make a run at getting close to .500 in the second half. Hopefully we'll see some big crowds at the Cominco Arena as the guys finally get an extended run at home.

NOTES

...As you've heard and read elsewhere the Merritt Centennials are starting life without the Forsythe brothers. Coach and GM team Dylan and Tyler have either quit or been fired depending on who you talk to. Is it that hard to put out a press release? Luke Pierce takes over as the fourth coach in Merritt in 2009. Al Glendinning, Joey Bouchard and the Forsythes have all left or been shown the door in a turbulent year for the Cents. Pierce is for now just the interim Coach and GM. Can he last? A 7-3 win over Williams Lake is a good start for the young man only a year removed from his playing career. That being said, his long term future will likely depend on how consistent the team can be and what other candidates are available. I do know that I've heard from several sources how well liked Pierce is among the players and staff of the club. If that translates into them working and playing hard for him it's a good start. He has to go up against a league full of very experienced coaches so he'll need all that good will and more.

As for the departure of Dylan and Tyler Forsythe, it's hard to comment on their ability without really knowing what was going on behind closed doors. I will say that generally it's unfair to judge a Coach/GM without at least giving them a full off season to recruit their own players. The Forsythe's came into this situation very late in the game with almost no time to properly recruit. Even when Bouchard was hired I felt like it was too late in the game. Is this the team they would have had in Merritt if they had taken over in March or April? I highly doubt it. That doesn't mean the team they'd have recruited would be better or worse. I'm just saying they really didn't get a chance to prove it one way or another.

I know there was talk of them being involved with some potential investors for the Cents. I assume their departure likely signals the end of that interest. Hopefully whatever hiring the club makes in the future will be entirely hockey related rather than connected somehow to one potential ownership group or another. In the end the society is still running the club and hiring Bouchard for one ownership group and the Forsythes for another (if that is what happened) doesn't seem to have done anything for Merritt. Hire a good hockey guy and that'll work for any reasonable new owner.

I certainly wish Luke good luck in his new role.

...The Okanagan clubs have started making their moves as we start the flurry of activity heading to the December 1rst carding deadline and the January 10th trading deadline. Salmon Arm struck first in dealing local product Mike Puddifant to Burnaby for Matt Ridley. Ridley has moved around from Cowichan Valley to Penticton to Burnaby and now to Salmon Arm in the past couple of seasons. His talent and pedigree is undeniable. However, the son of former NHLer Mike Ridley has yet to find the consistency and mental game to go with his undeniable talent. Playing with the high end talent in Salmon Arm will certainly give him that opportunity. As for Puddifant, he's a hard working young player who will give his all for an Express team that needs a spark.

It's also a very important move for Salmon Arm because 16 year old super rookie Jagger Dirk has left the team for Chicago of the USHL. That's the same team that sniped Patrick Raley from the Smoke Eaters and Sahir Gill from the Vipers. It's bad enough to have them take players from this league in the off season, but when it starts happening during the season? Yikes. Dirk has been a major player on Salmon Arm's young blue line. Ridley is going to have to replace Dirk's offensive production while making up for the loss of Puddifant's solid play in his own end.

...The Vernon Vipers have made a blockbuster deal sending a couple of very promising young players in Nick Amies and Drew George (plus futures) to Cowichan Valley for stud defenceman Curtis Gedig (plus futures). There are a couple of ways we could go with this one. One thought is why would the Vipers want to mess with their chemistry by making a move like this when they're already 28-1 to start the season. Let me again note that they've only lost one game!

Of course anyone saying that probably hasn't talked to Vipers Coach and GM Mark Ferner. Every time I've interviewed him this season he's made it clear he is not yet satisfied with how they've played. He judges the team on their performance not on their opponents and it seems like he still wants to see them play better. That's a scary thought for the rest of the BCHL. Plus while it's always tough to trade good young players like George and Amies, they aren't trading guys who were key cogs on either of their special teams units. We're not talking about core players or members of their leadership group. These are young players whose best seasons in the BCHL are ahead of them.

In return the Vipers get an NHL draft pick who is among the better all around defencemen in the league. Gedig may only have 9 points so far this season, but he's a guy who can play in every situation. I saw him dominate a game here in Trail. He was basically the only reason the Capitals were in that game and pushed them to a 3-2 win. That's just one example, but in talking to coaches, players, broadcasters and scouts around the league there's no question he's considered one of the better completely players out there. He'll also get a great opportunity to pad that point total playing with the deepest roster in the league.

As good as the Vipers are I'm not sure they had a defenceman with as much pure ability as Gedig. I think he can walk into that dressing room and take a spot on both of their top special teams units. I also know that he's a player who would have been a target for any other top team looking to improve their depth on the back end. Can you tell me that he wouldn't have been a welcome addition to Penticton, Westside and especially Salmon Arm? The Vipers in making this move both add Gedig to their line-up and make sure he doesn't end up with one of their closest rivals.

It's a good move. It's also a good move for the Capitals as they add top end young talent in Amies and George. There are also futures involved in the deal that could make it even more valuable depending on what they are. Will next year's Vipers miss those two young talents? Sure they will, but they're also a team that doesn't even have a slight problem recruiting good young talent. Do you think they'll have any issue filling those spots next year? It's all about winning a Royal Bank Cup again this season -- and this move makes that more likely.

Let us not forget that it also clears a roster spot heading towards the December 1rst deadline. The Vipers had 23 guys on their roster and now will be down to 22. I wouldn't be surprised to see them move one of their 8 d-men to move down to 21 before then. At that point their roster players and cards can only total 25. If Vernon had held on to all 23 players they'd have limited the amount of movement they could make at the trade deadline if any injuries or opportunities came up before then.

What do you think?

...The Quesnel Millionaires also got in on the act by picking up forward Jesse Verheyden from Winnipeg in the MJHL and Clayton Chessa from Surrey. Verheyden played last year for Burnaby and has also played for Merritt and Alberni Valley. Both forwards immediately jumped on to their top line with Trevor Hertz. I thought they were the only good line for Quesnel in their 8-2 loss in Trail. Perhaps Chessa is another player like Darnell Dyck was in Surrey -- just didn't get the opportunity to show what they're capeable of. The Millionaires certainly needed to add some forward depth. However, in doing that they appear to have let go of Eric Hansen. Are they much better off with Verheyden over Hansen? It's an improvement, but I don't know if it's a huge one.

...The KIJHL announced that they will welcome the expansion Osoyoos Coyotes into the league for next season. That will bring the league up to 8 Thompson/Okanagan teams and 10 Kootenay teams. Are we headed towards a split and the eventual formation of the Okanagan Junior Hockey League? All parties deny that at this point, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen. They're already cutting back the travel between the two conferences. With each up to at least 8 teams it will soon be easy for owners to say "well why not cut our travel bills and just stick to our own region?" I also think that the number of teams continues to dilute the talent pool in the league. They have the lowest number of 20 year olds of any Junior B league and that has allowed them to focus on being the best developmental Junior B league out there. However, with a limit of only 2 16 year olds and their limit of 20 year olds... it's going to be hard to fill 18 rosters with enough strong 17, 18 and 19 year olds. Especially with Major Midget, BCHL, WHL and now USHL teams all after the best young players.

...I'm still planning to do a full alumni update on the blog soon. If you want links to the graduated alumni you can find it on the official site by clicking here. I did want to note that Grant Rollheiser is back healthy and playing for Boston University. He'll be getting the start at the historic Madison Square Garden this weekend. That'll be an experience for the big guy! You should read the Terrior Hockey Fan Blog for the latest on BU. I also wanted to congratulate former Smoke Eater Travis Gawryletz who got the call up from the ECHL Elmira Jackels to the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters. Good luck to Travis as he tries to make an impression at the next level.

...Trail hosts Prince George Friday at 7:30pm and Penticton on Sunday at 3pm. Hope to see you there!

Post Game: Trail 8 Quesnel 2

Trail, BC – It was quite a homecoming for the Smoke Eaters (9-19-1-1) as they scored 7 unanswered goals in an 8-2 win over Quesnel (10-17-0-3). Trail wrapped up the first half of the season with only their 10th home game. The win starts a stretch of 13 of their next 15 games at the Cominco Arena.

Quesnel got goals from Jacob Verheyden and Elliot Raible to take a couple of early one goal leads. However, the Trail offensive machine came alive with 5 second period goals.

Tye Lewis scored his first BCHL hat trick to the lead the way. Scott Jacklin continued his career year with 4 more points while Steve Koshey added 4 of his own. Mike Betz chipped in with 3 assists to bring his point total to 11 in 5 games with the Smoke Eaters.

Trail also got 2 points each from Travis St. Denis, Sam Mellor and Nick Sandor. Kiefer Smiley made 33 saves for his second straight win in the Trail goal.

The Smoke Eaters will host Prince George on Friday night to wrap up all their games with the BCHL's northern teams. Trail won the season series with Williams Lake 3-1, tied Quesnel 2-2 and leads Prince George 2-1.

ON THE TRAIL: The win was Trail's first against Kirby Halcrow in the Quesnel goal. He had only allowed 3 goals in 2 other starts against the Smokies ... Matt Wilkins returned to the line-up for Trail after missing 18 games with a broken jaw. He played on a line with Darnell Dyck and Paul Mailey that produced a goal for Dyck ... Graeme Strukoff was sitll out with a lower body injury while Wade Bennet and Thomas Abenante were scratched. Taylor O'Neil played as an AP for Trail on the blue line. The 1990 born Kelowna product is in his second season with the KIJHL's Nelson Leafs. He played a solid game with his former Nelson teammate Tommy Rizzardo ... Trail's previously struggling penalty kill didn't allow a single goal on Quesnel's 6 power plays. The PK is running at 80% efficiency at home and just over 65% on the road.

Click here for the game summary

Post Game: Quesnel 4 Trail 2

NOTE: Here is my recap from the official Smokies website. What I'd add to this is that it was again obvious how much this team can accomplish when they are focused and dedicated to working hard. When they aren't? It's ugly.

I don't know how the guys could have started so slowly again after forcing Beckwith to bail them out early in Prince George on Thursday night. This time they did it to Smiley. Both times the goalies came up big, but when you put yourself behind the 8-ball like that you're not always going to come back.

There is so much talent on the team. It's obvious based on the performance once they started getting going. It's obvious based on how they were able to score with ease when they picked up their play in Prince George. They can be as good as anyone when they've got they're all killing themselves for that puck. But how can that group only fire 7 shots on net in the first 30 minutes and follow that with 26 the rest of the way? The answer will only come by looking in the mirror. It'll come from making a true commitment to giving everything they have all the time instead of half the game or every couple of games. All the talent in the world and 50 cents won't buy you a cup of coffee if you get out worked for any extended stretch in a game.

I don't know why that hasn't sunk in yet.

In Theo Fleury's new book he makes a statement that I mentioned during the intermission of tonight's broadcast. It basically amounts to saying that systems don't win games and there's no point in being overly complicated. The bottom line according to Fleury is that you'll win games if your skill guys out work their skill guys. It's that simple. If your best players bust their asses at both ends of the ice you're going to win games. If they take shifts or periods off you're just not.

There's a reason a guy who went through everything Fleury did and had as many physical disadvantages as he did was able to have a hall of fame career. He had the will, desire and work ethic to make it happen no matter how many people doubted him. If skill guys at this level aren't willing to consistently match or exceed the work ethic of their opponents or the role players on their teams... their careers will be over before they're legal drinking age in the US. And there will be nobody else to blame.

Quesnel, BC – A strong second half wasn't enough for Trail (7-19-1-1) to overcome goaltender Kirby Halcrow and a hard working Quesnel Millionaires (10-15-0-3) squad on Friday night. Quesnel took an early 1-0 lead and hung on for a 4-2 victory over the Smokies.

Halcrow stopped 31 of 33 Trail shots. He has only allowed 3 goals on 76 shots in two starts against the Smoke Eaters.

Trail started slowly with only 6 shots in the first period and only a single shot in the first then minutes of the second period. After getting down 2-0 on an Eric Hansen power play goal the Smokies started to bounce back. They out played Quesnel the rest of the way and fired 26 shots on goal in the second half of the game.

Scott Jaclkin's goal on a Trail man advantage brought them to within one. Halcrow then robbed Travis St. Denis on what seemed like a sure goal to preserve the Millionaires lead heading into the third period.

Despite several Trail chances in the third it was Quesnel that would score the next goal. Taylor Holst's 15th of the year with 6:37 left held up as the eventual game winner.

The Smoke Eaters made it close on a terrific shot from a tough angle by Mike Betz on the power play. His second of the the weekend cut Quesnel's lead in half, but the Smokies only had 22 seconds left to score again. Instead, Breyden DeCock put the final nail the Trail coffin with an empty net goal.

While Halcrow was named the first star of the game, former Millionaire Kiefer Smiley matched him save for save. Smiley stopped 37 of 40 Quesnel shots including some huge saves to keep Trail in the game early.

Trail will try to wrap up their final northern swing of the season on a winning note on Saturday night in Williams Lake.

ON THE TRAIL: Quesnel now leads the season series between the teams 2 to 1. Halcrow has been the first star for both Millionaire wins. He was at the World Junior A Challenge when Trail beat Quesnel 8-2 ... Graeme Strukoff and Matt Wilkins missed the game with injures. Both players are week to week at this point ... Colton Semenok made his debut with Trail as an AP. He jumped seemlessly into the Smokies line-up and earned extensive praise from Trail assistant coach Brian Youngson during his second intermission interview on Mountain FM. Semenok won the confidence of the coaches to the point that he was on the power play and penalty kill in the third period. His strong performance follows a fine effort by AP Philip Patenaude on Friday night in Prince George. With similarely strong games from AP forwards Gavin Currie and Jesse Niemi this season the Smoke Eaters have been blessed by strong call-ups ... Youngson got booted from the game in the second period for arguing a 10 minute misconduct penalty called against Trail forward Tye Lewis ... Betz also had an assist on Trail's first goal. He now has 3 points in 3 games since joining the Smokies from Spokane in the WHL.

Pre-Game: Trail at Quesnel Audio

Mota Auto Repair's Behind the Bench with Brian Youngson

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RDKB's Visitor's View Point with Quesnel Coach Glen Watson

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Re-Max All Pro Realty's First Intermission with AP Colton Semenok

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Saturday and Sunday Video Highlights

Here are the highlights from the BCHL PPV broadcasts of Trail's games in Prince George on Saturday, October 31rst and in Quesnel on Sunday, November 1rst.

Post Northern Trip Audio

....


Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Trail 1 at Williams Lake 6

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Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Trail 4 at Prince George 3

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Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Trail 8 at Quesnel 2

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Smokies Forward Travis St. Denis

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Smokies Forward Darnell Dyck

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Smokies Coach and GM Jim Ingram

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Smokies "Boost" Halloween Spirits

...

Those of you who live in Trail may have already seen this editorial from Trail Times Sports Editor Guy Bertrand. He wrote about an e-mail the Smokies received from the owner of Booster Juice in Quesnel. This is the kind of story that is all too often forgotten or ignored when we talk about the ins and outs of this great game. Guy has sent me the article and given me permission to run it on the blog and on the Smokies website. It also appears he has pretty good taste in radio stations...

Players prove good things happen to good people

By Guy Bertrand (Trail Times November 4th)

The news of the Trail Smoke Eaters’ success during its weekend northern road trip found its way back to Trail pretty quickly thanks to Shawn Mullin’s radio play-by-play and the information highway.

But the news of how the Smokies conducted themselves off the ice traveled even faster.

It’s not the first time I’ve received feedback from outside our little hockey world on how the team conducts itself when it’s on the road.

The most memorable for me was a few years ago when the team collected its leftovers from a big feast in Victoria and doled them out to the homeless people sheltered in the alleys of B.C.’s capital.

While such a grand and selfless gesture was certainly worthy of mentioning, perhaps the team’s comportment on the weekend in Quesnel says more about the entire organization – top to bottom.

Needless to say it hasn’t been that great of a start to the season for the Orange and Black. And every bleacher coach and general manager has an idea on what the team should’ve done, could’ve done and can do to make it better.

But according to Quesnel’s Nicole England, the team is definitely on the right track when it comes to representing Trail and conducting itself in the type of fashion we all want to see from local teams.

England owns a store called Booster Juice, a health-oriented drink store. It’s a store frequented by just about every athlete passing through town, most notably BCHL teams.

Yet England couldn’t help but gush over each and every Smoke Eater who was in her store on the weekend.

In Quesnel, there’s a Halloween tradition where young kids go to various businesses in town and collect their treats. It happened again on Saturday just when the entire Smoke Eaters lineup was in the Booster Juice to get a helping of fruit drinks.

“The little kids started coming in for trick or treating and they (the players) all basically told each other to move out of the way so the kids could get their candy,” said England.

“They all stepped aside, which you rarely actually see. We have regular customers that would never actually do that.”

Seldom does she witness the type of manners and respect displayed by the Smokies, who happened to be in her store three times over the weekend.

“We get a lot of hockey teams that come through here and they are not usually like that. Even with our own hockey team there are a few that we get that are quite rude or not very appreciative.

“So it’s nice to see a whole group that all say thank you and very polite in the store.

“It’s a good reflection on the coaching staff as well. They must put into the boys that when you’re on the road to be respectful wherever you go.”

When England relayed the story to her mom, she quickly e-mailed Smoke Eaters president Tom Gawryletz to share her daughter’s positive experience.

Fans, and sports writers for that matter, focus too often on wins and losses. So when a morale victory like this is achieved it certainly deserves recognition.

Perhaps the next time the Smokies are struggling and the record doesn’t reflect what fans want, it might be an opportunity to rethink why we support the team.

Only one great team gets a championship at the end of the season but a group great people can look like champions off the ice all season long.

Just something to ponder when deciding if you should go to a game or not.

Road Trip Three Stars

(Smiley against Quesnel - Photo Randy Emery)

The flu bug that hit some of the Smoke Eaters seems to have hit the broadcaster as well. I'm not nearly in as good a shape as the guys are too so I probably can't fight it off quite as well! With all the H1N1 concern Mountain FM has kept me on the bench for a couple of days to make sure I don't spread this thing around the office. That's why there was a "best of" Overtime on tonight in case you noticed.

I do want to quickly address the road trip. It couldn't have got off to a more frustrating start. Everyone was really let down by the compete level from the club in the first period against Williams Lake. The Smokies then played 8 consecutive solid periods on the way to picking up 4 out of a possible 6 points. That tripled Trail's road win total and has to be considered a big success.

What happened? In talking to several of the players and coaches it seems a sit down meeting on Friday morning gave the guys some perspective. Smokies trainer Steve Mears spent his career in the military and knows all about what it takes to be part of a unit. When you have someone else's life in your hands you can't afford to play by your own rules. I don't know what went into the meeting, but apparently a big part of it was getting some of that military perspective and really learning to trust your teammates. Every guy I interviewed (hope to have those for you in the next day or so depending on how I improve) mentioned that they felt like the team really came together after that meeting and the final two games of the trip.

There is a lot of talent on this Smoke Eaters roster. So much so that I was stunned by the slow start. I knew it would be challenging to play 20 of their first 29 on the road. I knew it would be challenging to break in so many new defencemen. However, I think we all knew this roster was better than their results so far. Perhaps they now realize more than ever that each individual player can't just get it done with their own talent. Each guy has to buy in to the team and become part of that one unit for this young club to have the kind of success that all Smokies fans are hoping for. I think we've seen a giant step forward in that direction.

So that being said it is difficult to single out anyone as the "stars" of the road trip, but it's something I like to do after most long trips. I think the biggest thing about their two wins was that buy in to the team concept and trust in one another. However, there were certainly some individuals who stepped up in a big way.

1. Darnell Dyck: Dyck was the first star against Prince George and the second star against Quesnel. That makes him the natural selection. Here is a guy who came to Trail with something to prove. He told me after the trade that brought him here for goaltender Paul Barclay that he wanted to prove he could be a "top 6" forward at this level. Dyck got off to a little bit of a slow start. However, as some key guys have gone down to injures Darnell has leaped at the opportunity to get more ice time. Game by game he has proved himself to Coach Ingram and earned bigger and bigger opportunities. Now Dyck is taking shifts on the power play, penalty kill and on one of the top lines. How did he respond? By scoring the winning goal on Saturday (as called by assistant coach Brian Youngson) and picking up 5 total points in the two Trail victories. Darnell went from a single point in September to 11 in October. That's as many points as he had all of last season. Dyck has arrived.

2. Kiefer Smiley/Garrett Beckwith: What a cop out, eh? Well it's hard to separate them after they both played such big parts in the Trail wins. After the Smokies got down 3-2 in Prince George, Beckwith stopped 22 straight shots to close the door and give them a chance for a come back. In Quesnel, Smiley made several key saves in the first half setting the table for the blow out victory. I'm sure he took a lot of pride in stopping 35 shots against his former team. That is the kind of goaltending Trail needs to win. There are no successful teams in the BCHL with average goaltending. Trail's four recent wins all came with strong performances by one of Beckwith and Smiley. That's what has to happen for the Smokies to continue their recent success with games coming up against Salmon Arm and Vernon.

3. Jesse Niemi: I don't know if Niemi was the third best Smoke Eater on the road trip. He probably wasn't as we didn't really see him log a ton of ice time or play on special teams. However, you have to appreciate how well he performed under the circumstances. Here we have a 20 year old from the KIJHL's Fernie Ghostriders who has never played a regular season BCHL game. He took two years off of hockey before returning to give it another shot late last season. Now he finds himself as a rare over age AP on a 12 hour road trip with a bunch of strangers. So what did Niemi do? He went out and scored 5 points in 3 games. Only Dyck could match that among the Smokies regulars over the same span. Right now he is only officially credited with 3 of those points, but upon further review he'll have 2 more assists added to his total from the Quesnel game. Niemi also did all of that after sustaining an upper body injury in the game against Prince George. I know they are proud of him over at the Ghostriders blog. He told me in an interview that he didn't want to regret not giving the BCHL a shot even if there were long odds of him making much of an impact. The Salmon Arm native can more than hold his head high after that weekend.

NOTES

...Trail isn't alone in having lost to Williams Lake. The first year Timberwolves have a 3-1-1-0 record in their last five games. Goaltender Sean Donnelly is certainly a big part of their recent success. However, this is also what happens when a team full of rookies starts to believe they can play at this level. There is a big adjustment for any Junior B or Midget player as they make the leap to the BCHL. The Timberwolves are starting to make that adjustment and more importantly are starting to play like they believe they can beat anyone. With wins over Powell River, Trail, Quesnel and Prince George in October they have served notice that there will be no easy points in their barn anymore.

...Trail wasn't the only team to get some help from the KIJHL on the weekend. Goaltender Billy Faust went from Nelson to Penticton with Sean Bonar off at the World Junior A Challenge. Faust stopped 17 of 18 Merritt shots to get a win in his first BCHL start. They've also had 16 year old Castlegar Rebels defenceman Ryan Renz in their line-up. He like Smoke Eaters defenceman Eric Walker is from Castlegar. Not a bad duo of 16 year olds representing my current home.

...Meritt turned to Chase goaltender Riley Wall with injuries to their two regulars. Wall lost both games but kept his save percentage just a tad bellow 90% against Penticton and Surrey, two of the top ranked teams in Canada. Wall was an AP with Trail last season.

...Westside turned to Nelson Leafs forward Shawn Hochhausen and Spokane Braves forward Dylan Tappe to fill in for some of their missing players. Neither picked up a point in the home and home series with Salmon Arm, but I would expect them both to find their way into the league next season. I didn't know you could use 17 year old Americans as APs in the BCHL as I thought they had to be in their 18 year old season to play in Canada. That being said, Tappe is one of the best young forwards in the KIJHL. There will be a lot of eyes watching some of the high scoring players on Simon Wheeldon's Leafs and Mike Bay's Braves this season.

...Quesnel also had some KIJHL help in their line-up as Jesse Niemi's Fernie teammates Brendon and Bond Hawryluk played for the Millionaires. Brendon has a goal in 3 games while Bond is pointless in 4. As you can see very few players make the kind of impact that Niemi made as affiliates. Trail also used Leafs forward Gavin Currie earlier this season and he had an assist in 2 games.

...Quesnel made a deal after their 3 losses on the weekend sending defenceman James Bettauer to Burnaby for 20 year old forward Jon Puskar. Bettauer was with Chilliwack in the WHL last year and was part of Penticton's BCHL championship club as a 16 year old. While the trade takes 24 points off of the Burnaby roster, I suspect they are looking to shake things up and tighten things up in their own end after a very rough October. Puskar adds depth to a Quesnel forward group that was relying too heavily on two or three players. Should be a good deal for both teams. We still haven't seen any real blockbuster deals since the season got going. I expect those shoes will start to drop even before we get to the January trade deadline.

Post Game: Trail 8 at Quesnel 2

Quesnel, BC – Travis St. Denis wanted to get in on the fun. Out of the line-up for Saturday's win in Prince George due to a suspension, the Trail native made sure to congratulate every member of the Smoke Eaters (6-14-1-1) as they came off the ice. On Sunday in Quesnel, St. Denis made his contributions on the ice. The shifty forward scored twice and added 2 assists in an 8-2 victory over the Millionaires.

It was a successful return to Quesnel for former Millionaire Kiefer Smiley. The Smokies goaltender stopped 35 of 37 shots he faced. Goaltending was perhaps the key difference in the game as Quesnel's Taylor Pears and Luke Siemens allowed 8 goals on only 2 more shots against.

For the second consecutive time Smokies forward Nick Sandor opened the scoring in the first minute of the game. After Quesnel responded with an Eliot Raibl power play goal, Smiley shut the door for the rest of the first period. Late in the frame Darnell Dyck directed in a St. Denis pass off his skate to give Trail a 2-1 lead.

16 year old Quesnel forward Spencer Graboski tied the game in the second, but it only took 36 seconds for Trail's only 16 year old to respond. Castlegar native Eric Walker wired a slap shot by Siemens for his first career BCHL goal. It gave the Smoke Eaters a 3-2 lead and held up as the game winner.

Tye Lewis, Marc-Antoine Chaput and Darnell Dyck also had 3 point games for the Smokies. Dyck was named a star for the second straight game and appears to have arrived as a major contributor in the BCHL. Chaput followed Wade Bennett's footsteps as a Trail defenceman who has found offensive success playing as a forward. Bennett missed Sunday's game with the flu.

Affiliate player Jesse Niemi continued his successful road trip with the Smokies as he had 1 official assist but will likely also be credited with 2 others upon further review. That would leave the 20 year old forward with 5 points over his first 3 BCHL games. Niemi will now return to the KIJHL's Fernie Ghostriders bolstered by the knowledge that he can perform at the next level.

The win was a good way for the Smoke Eaters to start November. A new month also marks a far more even schedule. After playing 15 of their first 22 games on the road, Trail will have 5 home games to 6 road game this month. Their next action is at the Cominco Arena on Friday and Saturday night against Salmon Arm.

ON THE TRAIL: Ben Matthews returned to the line-up after battling the flu all weekend. A very sick Wade Bennett missed his second straight game while several other players gutted it out at less than 100%. Trail could have injured Smokies Justin Brown and Graeme Strukoff back as soon as this weekend. Matt Wilkins is still a couple of weeks away ... After only a single point in September, Darnell Dyck scored 11 in October. That was good enough for 5^th on the team behind Nick Sandor (15), Scott Jacklin (13), Tye Lewis (12) and Sam Mellor (12) ... The win evens the season series after Quesnel beat Trail 5-1 at the Cominco Arena in September ... The Smokies will be back up north soon as they make another trip to Williams Lake, Prince George and Quesnel in 3 weeks. They'll then host Quesnel and Prince George the week after that.

Click here for the boxscore

Post Game: Quesnel 5 Trail 1

(Photo Randy Emery)

It's easy to look at the 0-6 record for Trail and focus on that. Instead at first I want to talk about tonight's game as a stand alone entity. Trail out shot the Millionaires 43-36 tonight including 31 shots through two periods. The forwards were creating traffic and chances, but Kirby Halcrow was terrific in the Quesnel goal. He didn't seem to make any spectacular saves, but he was in the right place at the right time. Reminded me a lot of Grant Rollheiser in that he made tough saves look easy. There was a reason we selected Halcrow as the first star today. His performance so far has him among the top ranked goaltenders in the BCHL.

However, it wasn't a 2-1 game. Quesnel broke it wide open with 4 goals in the second period. So what happened? How were the shots so even and actually in favour of Trail, but Quesnel came away with a four goal win? Because tonight's game was the ultimate example of what specific defensive break downs can do. 95% of tonight's game I would say the play was either even or Trail actually had a slight edge in the play. That's a positive step, but the break downs killed them. On the first goal Hertz was allowed too much space in front of the Trail goal to one time a puck home. On the second goal a neutral zone turn over turned into a 4 on 1. On the third goal the Mills were allowed about five whacks at the puck in front of the Trail net before being able to knock it in. On the fourth goal Holst was allowed free access from the corner to the front of the Trail net. Finally, the fifth goal was a breakaway.

Not one of the goals was a floater from the point or say the top of the circle. It's also not like Quesnel was overwhelming Trail with perfectly executed rush after perfectly executed rush. Again, the play was very even and in my view entertaining. Unfortunately, a hand full of broken plays ended up in the back of the Smoke Eater net and was the difference in tonight's game. In my view it was that simple. I'm sure there are a lot of fans who will see the score and demand full scale changes. The talent is there and they've shown the ability to carry the play... but these broken plays are killing them right now.

Of course taking a step back from tonight's game and looking at the bigger picture you also have to acknowledge the mental/emotional side of this situation. I posted a couple of Vince Lombardi quotes earlier basically about how hard it is to overcome fragile confidence when you're losing. I had a conversation with one fan who said to me basically that the guys just had to suck it up and battle through the confidence problems. That is absolutely one of the truest examples of something that is easy to say and an absolute ***** to do. Think positively, believe in yourself, battle through it... and then you get down 1-0 and suddenly it's 2-0 and how do you fight that natural instinct to get anxious?

For example, I had an awful second period tonight in the broadcast booth. Everything was going wrong. I dropped my papers into the stands, I got interrupted two or three times, I got messages saying the broadcast wasn't working and I just wasn't sharp. Add that to the always difficult task of getting to know what was basically a brand new roster for Quesnel and it was probably among my worst periods in a long time. In the intermission I took a moment to compose myself. I did my best to get it together and put it behind me. The third started pretty well, but as soon as I stumbled a little bit here or there I felt the shadow of my bad second period hovering over me and shaking me a little bit.

I don't consider myself "mentally soft" but that impacted my work a little bit, and I'm not competing in a high tempo sport against 20 perfectly conditioned elite athletes. In hockey even the smallest hesitation or fraction of doubt can turn into one of those major break downs that was the difference between a close game tonight and a 5-1 final. This is not an easy thing to fight through. You can't just snap your fingers and break out of it. Coach Ingram can't just make one magical move or say one perfect thing in the dressing room to break the boys out of it. They've just got to keep plugging.

I know there are probably some people close to the team that feel like I've been hard on them lately. I don't relish it. I have to call the games as I see them as much as it pains me to be negative. I have immense respect for the coaches, players, board and everyone involved in this hockey club. If I had a talented son I wouldn't hesitate for even half a second to send him here under the guidance of Coach Ingram, Coach Youngson and Coach Zanier because I know they'd come back to me a better player and most importantly a better man. They are too smart and talented for this to last.

I promise you this Trail Smoke Eaters team will not have too many more nights like this all season. As soon as they get this monkey off their back the tide will turn and the the lights will come on.

Bank on it.

SMUTEK

I had a brief chat after the game with former Smoke Eater Skyler Smutek. He's playing some very big minutes this season for Quesnel after being an All-Star with Drayton Valley last season. The biggest thing I noticed in talking with him is that Skyler seemed content and comfortable. I'm really glad to see that. I think as much as it may have been tough at the time, the trade last year was the right thing for him. The ice time he got in the AJHL wasn't available in Trail. He got to spend a year on a bad team playing all sorts of minutes... and he really matured as a player. Now Skyler is older, stronger, more experienced and playing a big role back in the BCHL. He's off to a strong start and really deserves it.

Quesnel is a tough team. I talked to someone today who has seen all the northern teams and strongly feels that the Mills are the top team in the Cariboo. They only lost 2-0 in Vernon. They lost in the last minute of the game against Wetside. This is a good hockey club. They've got a reliable core of vets on the back end. Their goaltending is perhaps the best in the Interior so far. Their best players are doing what your best players have to do by producing key points for them early in the year. They move the puck decently and have at least two lines that can burn you. There's no question in my mind they'll be a playoff team and could even be a dark horse for home ice advantage.

The hockey fans in the Q have suffered for a long time and really deserve better. It looks like they're getting it.

WILLIAMS LAKE

The Williams Lake Timberwolves have proven to be a very hard working team that perhaps is a little short on high end skill. That's to be expected when they are essentially an expansion franchise who didn't have a single "returning" player. They're also finishing off a three day road trip that took them from Prince George to Vernon to Trail tomorrow afternoon. This is a team that is likely going to play some desperate hockey and will look to come out of the gate hot. There is obviously a good chance they could run out of gas late. That being said, tomorrow will be Trail's fourth game in five nights. The Wolves have one win and Trail has none. This is the set up for two very desperate teams to go head to head tomorrow.

I expect a physical, gritty and energetic battle tomorrow. However, I also think the first goal is going to be huge. Both teams are struggling and confidence is sagging. Whichever team can jump out ahead could have a huge emotional advantage. I think the first five minutes of tomorrow's game could really set the tone.

Tomorrow will also be the first chance for the four Castlegar Rebels that joined Williams Lake this season to return home. Three of them (Keagan Little, Anthony DeLong and Darren Tarasoff) are locals. Expect a pretty decent turn out of their friends and family that may create a bit of a Wolves cheering section. Former Nelson Leaf Dane Rupert also plays for Williams Lake. It'll be his first chance to face his former teammates David Piccard and Garrett Beckwith. Those are just a few of the story lines we can dig into tomorrow afternoon. I hope to see you there. If you aren't in town buy the PPV or you can just listen to the broadcast. I expect our feed won't be so shaky tomorrow. It's usually among the best video broadcasts in the BCHL. Our team really does an excellent job behind the scenes.

Keep the faith, Smokies fans! See you or talk to you tomorrow.

Game Day: Quesnel at Trail

"It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner,
when you're number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you're
not a winner."

Vince Lombardi

Tonight starts a big weekend for this year's edition of the Trail Smoke Eaters. Obviously game 6 of the season isn't "do or die" but it's important. Win or lose tonight the Smoke Eaters have to show they have the right attitude to win. Now I say that, but a win this weekend is absolutely vital. Frankly they really could use two of them. As Vince Lombardi said, "confidence is contagious, so is lack of confidence."

The Smoke Eaters need to remind themselves that they are good hockey players and have what it takes to win. They've all done it at one time or another... at one level of hockey or another. There's a reason they're here. There's a reason the coaching staff got several calls this week telling them to keep their chins up and this talented group will come around. This is not a basement team. These guys have a lot of pride and a lot of skill. They just need to remind themselves of that and have some fun again.

Quesnel is not a "weaker sister" team this season. If you look over their schedule so far you won't find any blow outs. This is a team that fights, scratches claws and battles for everything. They won't give you an inch out there. They've also got a very dangerous top line and some solid young players. Don't expect two points because they're wearing the powder blue. They'll make Trail earn that first victory. Now these boys in the orange and black have to show that they can do just that. Hopefully we'll see a big crowd out tonight and tomorrow afternoon (against Williams Lake) to help them right the ship. It should be a good one.

Here's Coach Ingram on the roster changes yesterday and righting their attitude...

Smokies Coach and GM Jim Ingram

Click here to download

One Shot Scorer, News and Notes

(Tye Lewis showing another side of his game in the USHL)

As the two playoff overtime games against Westside slipped away from Trail to end last season there was a great cry from Smokies fans... if only we had that "one shot scorer" who could break a game open with one flick of his wrists. If only we had a sniper to convert all the chances our hard work generates. If only... Tye Lewis had been in town a little early?

Perhaps the search for that elusive one shot scorer is over. Through three games Tye Lewis has scored 2 out of 4 of Trail's goals. He didn't do anything fancy. There was no one timer or spectacular deke. Lewis just came down the left wing and ripped one shot far side and the other shot short side. He plain and simple beat two different goalies with clean and open shots. Professional quality shots.

Lewis' game isn't completely polished. He's a good enough athlete with a good enough shot that if his game were totally polished he'd probably be in college already. He has played in the USHL and the NAHL with his share of success. Now in his 20 year old season he has to prove he can be a go to guy in a top level Junior A league. However, he's got all the tools to absolutely be one of the best offensive players in the BCHL. It also gives Trail a look they haven't had since Jim Ingram took over. Most of the team's goals will still be scored by battling, driving the net, tipping pucks, making passes... but now they also have a guy who can flick his wrists and put the puck top corner. When the opponent has to respect that weapon they also have to leave some other space open elsewhere in the offensive zone. His addition should also make a difference on the man advantage though we haven't seen much from the power play yet.

Am I jumping the gun here? Probably. But you don't need to see a guy shoot the puck a thousand times to know what kind of a shot he has. That doesn't mean he's going to take advantage of his gifts the way he could. It doesn't mean he doesn't have to keep improving his all around game to be an overall plus player on the team. It doesn't mean his teammates are going to do a good enough job getting him the puck. It just means suddenly Trail has a one shot scorer who can change the game with that shot. I caught up with Tye last night on Mountain FM's Overtime and asked the junior hockey veteran about the team's reaction to Coach Jim Ingram's frustration with their recent play...

Tye Lewis on Mountain FM's Overtime

Click here to download

Tye seems to understand that he has to develop his whole game in order to move on to the next level. It's the age old story of a player with all the tools who just needs to keep learning how to use them. He of course isn't the only one. There are lots of players with offensive tools in their toolbox on this team. So far we haven't seen enough use out of them. Paul Mailey and Nick Sandor have the talent to be point per game guys and they've yet to get on to the score sheet. Colin Lidster and Darnell Dyck said this summer they want a chance to prove they can produce in the BCHL with more ice time, but they've yet to get on to the score sheet. Riley Loyst, Justin Brown and Sean Nugent all play a strong two-way game, but we haven't seen any scoring yet. Only two Smokies have more than a single point! Those are just a couple of names out of a whole team of players who have to start making things happen offensively or they're not going to keep getting those opportunities.

It is absurdly early and I'm not saying it's time to write anyone off. However, a couple of goals and an assist in four games should not mean that Tye Lewis has been involved in 75% of Trail's goals. If you want to be a go-to guy and earn a chance to continue your career in college and in the pros you have to produce against the best. Playing Vernon is no excuse if you want to play against Boston University. This game against Penticton is another opportunity for these guys to test themselves and see what they're made of.

NOTES

...Beaver Valley lost 3-1 to Spokane in KIJHL action tonight. 1992 born Braves forward Dylan Tappe scored a goal and has 12 points in 6 games so far. That's after scoring 50 points in 52 games as a 16 year old. How is this player still in Junior B? The loss means BV and Spokane split their two games this week as the Nitehawks beat the Braves 4-3 on Sunday. Spokane leads the Neil Murdoch Division, Nelson is 2 points back with a game in hand, BV is third, Castlegar fourth and Grand Forks fifth. There are players from Trail's spring camp and training camp all over this division. It's also a league that has produced a lot of future BCHL talent.

...As you read on the new Trail Smoke Eaters website, D Kodi Sawkwa (90) has been dealt by Trail to the Laronge Ice Wolves of the SJHL to make room for Marc-Antoine Chaput's addition. I only met Sawka briefly, but I could tell he's a class act and someone who deserves to find success if he does head to Laronge. If not, I could see him heading back to Lloysminster to lead his team to another provincial Junior B championship. Kodi is tough, smart and seemed to me to have good hockey sense. I think he could at least be a 5-6 guy for most teams at this level. Unfortunately the numbers game and being a 19 year old rookie can catch up to you even if you're good enough for the job.

...The BCHL message board is ripping Penticton Coach Fred Harbinson for trading forward JC Lirette (89) to the Winkler Flyers for the playing rights of Sam Gemmell and future considerations. When someone moves in and out that quickly perhaps it just wasn't the right fit? Why does every trade have to be seen as a broken promise? Until you have an actual reason to believe that there was some kind of "betrayal" involved I don't think it's fair to speculate. Of course that's an easy game to play on an anonymous message board. I will admit all too often teams and players are all too willing to break commitments they made to each other. However, there is no reason to believe that was the case in this situation.

...Quesnel also made a deal with Winkler by trading D Josh Martin (90) to the MJHL team for future considerations. Martin is a solid stay-at-home type who hadn't played yet this season so obviously needed to find some playing time. I wish him luck in Manitoba, but I can't help but think of one thing whenever Josh Martin's name comes time mind...