Smokies alumni and local products in action

Former Smoke Eater and Castlegar native Shawn Horcoff took on another former Smoke Eater last night... although Wade Dubielewicz didn't see the ice for the Minnesota Wild. Instead, Horcoff had 2 assists as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Wild 4-1. It is likely the only time you'd see a couple of former Smokies face off in NHL action unless the guys currently in the AHL can make the leap.

As for Horcoff, it hasn't been the easiest season for him or any other Oiler for that matter. However, he has 7 points in his last 8 games and seems to be playing more comfortably on a veteran line with Ethan Moreau and Fernado Pisani. People are going to harp on Horcoff's production no matter what because of his price tag. However, they don't have another veteran centre on that club who can take draws and play a two-way game. He has been forced to carry that load all season (while battling a shoulder injury) and the weight has had a major impact on his offensive game. As has the huge injury troubles Edmonton has had to deal with.

Surround Horcoff with a healthier and more talented line-up next year and watch him become one of the NHL's come back stories. He didn't suddenly forget how to play, this season has just been a perfect storm for so many guys there. The Oilers are going to get a top 2 draft pick and a host of possible additions from their prospect bin like Jordan Eberle. They should also get their top forward (Hemsky), top defenceman (Souray) and #1 goaltender (Khabibulin) back. I remember a few years back when Philadelphia went through a disastrous year and then got a big boost by the return of some healthy players and the addition of Richards and Carter. I think the Oilers under the watchful eye of former Smoke Eater Steve Tambellini as GM and former Smokies Coach Tom Renney as associate coach... are primed to have a huge rebound. That may just be the optimist in me speaking.

WHL SECOND ROUND

Turning gears to the WHL, former Smoke Eater Lucas Bloodoff continues to score clutch goals for Kelowna. He scored the winner in game 7 of the first round against Everett and has since scored goals in games 1 and 2 of their second round series with Tri-Cities. Kelowna's Captain now has 4 goals and 3 assists in 7 playoff games. The Rockets earned a split on the road and now get to come back to Kelowna where they've yet to lose so far in the playoffs. The Rockets also feature Lucas' brother Evan and are Kyle St. Denis' club, although Kyle was shut down for the season due to concussions.

Another local product who is making a huge impact on the WHL playoffs is Trail's Craig Cunningham. He won his second Boston Pizza WHL player of the week award in the post season thanks to 3 goals and 3 assists in the first 2 games of Vancouver's series against Castlegar's Luke Walker and the Portland Winterhawks. Cunningham has an outstanding 16 points in 6 playoff games thus far... and his Giants have yet to lose. Don't count the Winterhawks out though. Portland also got down 2-0 against Spokane before winning that series in 7. Vancouver also features Grand Forks native Brett Lyon who once played in the BCHL for Westside.

FRED PAGE CUP

Staying with local products, Montrose's Connor Jones was named the BCHL player of the week for his role in the first 2 games of the BCHL finals. Both Jones twins were Vernon's best players as they split with Powell River over the weekend. However, the Kings have shut down the rest of the Vipers thus far. Powell River's vaunted defence and goaltending struck again tonight as they beat Vernon 4-0 to take a 2-1 series lead in the re-match for the Fred Page Cup. As previously noted, Nelson's Mitch Labreche is a member of the Powell River roster this time. Either way someone will be bringing a BCHL championship ring back to the West Kootenay.

JASON BAY DEBUT

On the diamond, Trail's Jason Bay had a successful debut with the New York Mets. He went 2 for 4 with a triple and a run scored in the 7-1 Mets victory over Florida. I think it's pretty clear based on the park in New York that Bay will not replicate his power numbers from his time in Boston. That's just not realistic. However, he should make a big difference to a club that didn't have a single 20 home run hitter last season. You can click here to take a look at Bay's first big hit with his new club.

REVELSTOKE WINS

Congrats to the Revelstoke Grizzlies for winning the Cyclone Taylor Cup this weekend over Midway's Brent Lucente and the Peninsula Panthers. I just got down watching Revelstoke beat Nelson in the KIJHL finals. They've a team that players the game the right way and did a fine job representing the league with that victory. Kudos to Troy Mick and company. Good luck to them at the Keystone Cup in Kamloops.

SPRING CAMP

The Smoke Eaters spring camp wrapped up yesterday morning. I got a look at 3 of the 6 games they played and was really impressed by the young local talent especially. There are a lot of 1993s and 1994s in the West Kootenay area that are destined to play at least Junior B next season if that's what they want. A couple of them could even push for spots on the Trail roster if they work their butts off over the summer. There were also several very interesting 1992 and 1991 born players from BC and elsewhere that the coaching staff are going to have to take a long and hard look at. Overall I'd say it was a big success. We'll see what the joint camp in Fernie this week brings. Hopefully we'll get an update or two from our friends over there.

I'll have more on the camp with Jim Ingram this Tuesday night on Overtime as I come back from a nice Easter holiday. I hope you all had a good one as well. For the Smokies coaches and scouts instead of a holiday it was 12 hour days all weekend. You've got to love how dedicated they are.

Former Smoke Eater Horcoff Injured

Former Smoke Eater Shawn Horcoff will be out of the Edmonton Oilers line-up for the next 7 to 10 days due to a shoulder injury. That is actually good news as there was lots of speculation that Horcoff might be out for much longer. It has been a tough start to the season for the Castlegar native. He only has 5 points in 15 games while the team has especially struggled to score in their last 5 games. Edmonton has been shut out in 3 of their last 5 and most recently lost 3-1 to Jeff Tambellini's New York Islanders. I think someone is going to get a lump of coal in their stocking from dad this year!

Horcoff is feeling the heat from fans in Edmonton due to the big contract extension he signed after his all-star season. That being said, he is not being put in an ideal situation for scoring goals. There is no other pivot on the Oilers who can win face offs or play a two way game like Horcoff can. As a result, he has been taking a ton of draws in his own zone and playing in all sorts of defensive situations. I've also heard that he was having some problems with his foot and was one of the many Oilers fighting the flu bug.

While it'll be tough for the Oilers to win games without everything that Horcoff brings perhaps it will be good for him to take a couple of weeks off to get healthy. It would also be nice if Edmonton added a reliable veteran up the middle to take some of the pressure off. In the past there were guys like Mike Peca or Marty Reasoner to take some of those key defensive minutes. Now it's basically just Horcoff. If he's going to get any help it's going to be up to another former Trail Smoke Eater to get it for him!

There's a large connection for the Smokies on the Oilers. General Manager Steve Tambellini is a Trail native who played for the Smoke Eaters in the KIJHL. Associate Coach Tom Renny was once the Head Coach of the Smoke Eaters also in the KIJHL. Horcoff is a former Smoke Eater from their RMJHL days and also the cousin of current Smokies Captain Paul Mailey. Trail may be mostly Canucks country, but you would have to think there are a lot of soft spots for the Oil drop as well.

As for other Smoke Eaters alumni, you can check out the updated alumni section on the official website. I also plan to continue alumni update on the blog during the season. Let me know if we've missed anyone!

EDIT: Here are Horcoff's comments from the Edmonton Oilers official webiste...

Malenstyn Interview

(Malenstyn at spring camp - Photo Randy Emery)

I told you last week about the addition of big defenceman turned forward Matt Malenstyn. The 6'7, 255lbs Surrey native was my guest on Mountain FM's Overtime recently. I also had a chance to talk to Smokies Coach and GM Jim Ingram on Malenstyn's addition.

Malenstyn on Mountain FM's Overtime

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Jim Ingram on Malenstyn

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NOTES

...Word from a couple of sources today that former Smokies Coach Tom Renney is not only the associate coach for the Edmonton Oilers, but he is lined up as the heir apparent for Pat Quinn's inevitable retirement. I read a couple of reports that indicate if Quinn steps down before or after the three years in his new contract are up, Renney will be given the head coaching job. Of course that's easy for them to say now. A lot of that will depend on how the team does with Quinn and Renney at the helm. I'm looking forward to watching. That's a lot of experience behind one bench. A lot of class too!

...A couple more coaches have been hired in the BCHL over the last week or two. Victoria hired Victor Gervais to take over for Geoff Courtnall. Gervais had been an assistant with the Grizz. I've read some comments from unhappy fans who wish the search had been extended outside of the organization. That being said, those in the know obviously got a pretty good look at how Gervais handled himself and they liked what they saw. He'll certainly get his chance with a whole new group of players after Victoria tried to load up for the RBC Cup this past season.

...The Williams Lake Timberwolves have hired their first or second head coach depending how you view it. Brad Fox was going to be in charge there before they parted ways at the start of the off season. Fox went back to Revelstoke in KIJHL and appears to be out of the job there too. Troy Mick's group bought the team and Mick is now going to be the Coach and GM there. The KIJHL is sure collected a talented group of coaches. As for the Timberwolves, they hired Okanagan Rockets Major Midget Coach Dave Dupas. It's taken Williams Lake a while to get their man in place, but he certainly sounds qualified and driven.

...As a result of Dupas leaving the Rockets for Williams Lake, Westside assistant coach Misko Antisin will be leaving the Warriors to take over the Major Midget job. Congrats to Misko who was always very easy to deal with and clearly knows the game. I know he'll be missed in Westside.

...It's interesting to note that in both Victoria and Williams Lake these new coaches won't be handling the GM duties. That makes it easier for them to concentrate on coaching, but they won't necessarily have the guys they want in the dressing room. I wonder sometimes which way is the best way to go at this level. It seems like most of the coaches want to control the roster as well.

...I believe all of this movement leaves Quesnel as the only team who has yet to name their Coach. The Mills seem to have new ownership in place and the hope of a new building. They have Trevor Hertz and Jeff Malcom coming back to form a great duo to build around. They also don't have a coach and it's nearly June! Get moving, guys! (Unless I missed the announcement in which case I'm the dolt... it happens)

...It looks like the playoff format is changing for the 2009-10 season. The first round should end up being a best of seven. There is also talk that the league will change how many teams qualify for the playoffs as well. Details should emerge when they ratify those changes at league meetings. I think it's a great move. In the two years I've called Smokies games they've ended up losing money from making the playoffs because they didn't get at least two home games. Of course you don't aim to get swept, but if teams can at least get two home games each they can more reasonably budget for that.

...A quick note about attendance. After the recent AGM, the Smokies have said they could likely guarantee a profit every year if only they could pack a 100 more fans into the Cominco Arena for each home game. It seems like the attendance every year has been within the mid 900s but never really above 1000 recently. Outside of simply winning games does anyone have some thoughts on ways to encourage more people to come check out the best junior hockey in the region? Shoot me an e-mail at shawnsamsmullin@hotmail.com and I'll pass it along to the team. There are no bad ideas, right? OK maybe there are... but it's worth a shot.

Renney to Edmonton

TSN is reporting that former Smoke Eaters coach Tom Renney will be joining the Edmonton Oilers as an associate coach under new head coach Pat Quinn. They have a press conference scheduled in the next couple of hours. Renney continues what has been quite a connection between the Oilers and Trail. Former Smoke Eater and Castlegar native Shawn Horcoff is Edmonton's #1 center. Trail native Steve Tambellini is Edmonton's General Manager. Now add a former Smoke Eaters coach to the mix and they might as well put a couple of smoke stacks on that Oilers jersey!

Congrats to Renney who is a huge class act. I've met him twice at the Smoke Eaters summer banquet and he's easily one of the nicest and sharpest hockey people I've encountered. Quinn also took some time to visit Trail during the World Junior A Challenge. I didn't get the opportunity to meet him, but I heard he made quite a positive impression. You don't get much more qualified than these two! They should make a heck of a tandem for Edmonton.

Renney: "We have a short shelf life..."

(Tom Renney from the Rangers website)

They say coaches are hired to be fired. Unfortunately that old expression caught up to former Trail Smoke Eaters coach Tom Renney today as the New York Rangers handed him his walking papers. Renney went 164-121-42 and guided them back to the playoffs for three straight years after New York had missed the post season dance for seven years. How quickly they forget, eh?

Coaches so often get the blame when things go sour, but is Renney really at fault here? The Rangers lost the likes of Jagr and Shanahan this summer and instead added players like Naslund and Redden who are in no way capable of replacing those hall of famers. They gave massive contracts to Scott Gomez and Chris Drury that neither of them are capable of living up to. Even with those limited horses Renney has the Rangers in a playoff spot. They're 2-5-3 in their last 10 games, but are we so quick to be reactionary and not look at the big picture?

Renney was aware of the nature of his job when I spoke to him last summer on Mountain FM's Overtime. It's a sad reality all coaches face. We don't have to look any further than here in the BCHL to see it play out. For example, check out Hammer's Bulldogs Blog for coverage of the latest BCHL coaching change. Bryant Perrier is out after one year in charge in Port Alberni. Did the team have a good season? Absolutely not, but when you get named GM mid-way through the year I would say it's pretty hard to judge what you can do in that position. Perrier never really got the chance to recruit his own team. I'm not in Port Alberni and rarely see the 'dogs so I can't judge the situation too much. That being said, you always hate to see anyone losing their job. I hope the next coach there can give those fans the success they deserve.

As for Renney, I know he'll get another chance if he wants it. He's a great coach and a class act who always gives his time to come back and help raise funds for the Smoke Eaters and other worthy causes in the Trail area. He doesn't forget where he comes from and he deserves all the success he's had. Hopefully there's a Stanley Cup in his future.

This is what Renney had to say about the Rangers and coaching last summer...

Tom Renney on Mountain FM's Overtime in June 2008

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Alumni Weekend

What a fantastic weekend in Trail! This year's Trail Smoke Eaters Alumni Weekend linked up with the Gene Lenardon ALS Society to raise money for two worthy causes. It was amazing to see the outpouring of support for the Lenardon family. Tom Gawryletz told me that Norm Lenardon filled the entire head table at the banquet himself. Norm is a very easy guy to like, and clearly he's made a lot of great friends throughout his life in hockey. Check out just some of the names I got a chance to interview live at the dinner on Friday:

• Anaheim GM Brian Burke on Mountain FM's Overtime (Part 1, Part 2)
• New York Rangers Coach Tom Renney on Mountain FM's Overtime
• Former NHL star Danny Gare on Mountain FM's Overtime
• Former NHL star Ceasar Maniago on Mountain FM's Overtime
• Former World Champion Norm Lenardon on Mountain FM's Overtime (Part 1, Part 2)
• Former NHL star Tim Lenardon on Mountain FM's Overtime

A lot of people will call Anaheim GM Brian Burke a lot of things. As a guy who has grown up an Edmonton Oilers fan I know there have been a few times when I disagreed with something he said. However, Burke showed how much of a loyal and generous person he is. He once made a promise to Norm Lenardon that if he ever needed him for a charity, Burke would be there. Norm made the call this year, and true to his word Burke flew in to Trail on the one night he was able to make available. The outspoken Anaheim GM donated his time, money and several auction items to bring in cash to the two local charities. It was something to watch him during the auction. At one point Burke didn't like the bid on the Scott Niedermayer jersey so he threw in four tickets to a Ducks/Canucks game, a pre-game meal, a chance to meet the Ducks and the opportunity to hang out in his private box. He also gave the room hell when they wouldn't put up a good enough price. That's how you work an auction. You don't have to agree with everything he says, but you don't hear enough about that charitable side of Burke in all the media coverage.

He also commented a little bit on the war of words with Kevin Lowe. No, he didn't add anything that might get him in trouble with the NHL. Burke merely stated that he wouldn't take back a single thing he said. Not a word, not a verb, not a noun, not an adverb, etc.

An interesting part of our conversation was about the Stanley Cup hangover. If you look back at most of the recent winners and finalists in the NHL, they usually end up missing the playoffs or losing in the first round. Burke believes it's just hard to get back into gear after working that extra two months and spending the summer partying. We'll see if Detroit and Pittsburgh suffer the same fate.

Another local name that you can always count on for Smokies fundraisers is New York Rangers Coach Tom Renney. I know at the very least he was also in town for last year's dinner. Renney is one of the friendliest, well spoken men I've met in hockey circles. He clearly still appreciates the years he had coaching and working in Trail. That's where he met his wife and became connected to the Gare family. You often hear Renney got his start in the WHL, but he truly got his start behind the Smoke Eaters bench. He definitely doesn't forget that.

As for his Rangers, Renney likes the moves they've made. He says you can't hope to replace Jagr with one player, but the additions they've made should help turn them into a faster paced, puck possession team. The Rangers have had two good runs to the second round in a row. Now it's time for them to take the next step. With their young players developing and some new veteran additions in Naslund and Redden things could be interesting in New York this year. If they do make it to the big dance, it'd be great to see Renney holding the Cup.

Talking to Nelson's Danny Gare you could tell how important the connection to the ALS Society was to him as well. Gare's father Ernie died of ALS in the 80s and he's done a lot of work raising money for the cause. He's one of the greatest players in this region's history. Gare now works as a colour commentator for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He told me they made some strong moves and should be a fun team to watch. Hard not to like seeing Rick Nash 82 times a year!

Ceasare Maniago was also there. He made the point that you never lose your connection to Trail. Even living in Vancouver he says he's always getting together with gangs of people from home. Ceasare never turns down a chance to help out the Smokies. He owes them after taking the Allan Cup from them back in '61! Ceasare's jersey was also the highest selling item at the auction. There may have been prizes with more actual worth, but the sentimental value was enough to bring in $5000 for Maniago's duds. The jersey will proudly hang at the Terra Nova in Trail for years to come.

That's just the beginning of all the guys who were there. Harold Snepsts, Ron Delorme, Pat Price, etc. The Lenardon name and the Smoke Eaters name lured some big fish to town and raised some big money.

I also want to give some props to former Smoke Eater Kevin Koopman. The other guys left him all by himself displaying the auction items. You're a trooper, Kevin. Good luck at Brown next year! If the NHL and being a doctor doesn't pan out, maybe you could go work on the Price is Right. I should also mention that Koop won a closest to the pin at Birchbank on Saturday. I still think he rigged it.

At the golf tournament I got the chance to play with Ray St. Jean and the former voice of the Smokies Ian Douglas. They both put me to shame. Ray especially is an unbelievably good golfer. Sadly the best we were able to do as a team was match his handicap with a round of even par. I'm not sure if any of my drives landed in the fairway on Saturday. Ian's actually a pretty darn good golfer himself. Especially given the fact that he hadn't played all year before the Travis Green and Smokies events. It says something about the connection people can feel to this community that Ian keeps coming back. We saw him at the World Junior A Challenge in the fall and he's back again a few months later. Hopefully I'll be able to retain that connection if I ever move on. I'd like to think I would.

Congrats and thanks to all the Smokies volunteers who made this event possible again this year. Word from Tom is that they've done great business this year. The community again proved that when worth causes come calling, you can always count on the Kootenays.

More Trade Details and Audio! Audio! Audio!

Coach Jim Ingram called me again tonight to let me know there was more to the Trail/Merritt deal than originally reported. In addition to Cameron Brodie, the Smoke Eaters also gave up hard nosed 88 forward Brad Davis. In exchange, Trail gets skilled 88 forward Chad Gehon and defencemen Tyler Johns (89) and Shane Oatway (90).

Ingram waited on announcing the full deal so he could contact Davis directly. It's clear in talking to him that moving Davis was one of the last things the coach wanted to do. Brad was loved in the locker room and will do anything for his teammates. However, Merritt saw those same characteristics and made sure they got their man. The Centennials lost some serious skill, but they just became a lot tougher to play against. Cam Brodie and Brad Davis are going to punish road teams in that small barn.

I don't know a tremendous amount about Johns and Oatway. Johns is a 19 year old listed at 6' and 200 pounds. He apparently plays a solid game in his own zone with a physical element. He scored 11 points last year and 10 the season before so he's not going to put up huge numbers. Oatway is 6'1 and 180lbs at 18 years old. He scored 11 points in his rookie BCHL season. There should be room for him to grow and add some muscle there. Both guys hover at around 50 penalty minutes so they clearly aren't goons. Ingram likes the depth and size these guys bring to the Smokies. Hopefully they can help the team replace some of the things they lose with a talent like Brodie.

Interesting note about Gehon; he played Junior B hockey in the KIJHL with Smokies Captain Ryan Bulach. Playing on a line together in Sicamous in 05-06, Bulach put up 1.4 points per game while Gehon scored at 1.5 points per game clip. Kevin Walrod was also a part of a dangerous group of forwards that took Sicamous to the KIJHL title. Maybe Bulach and Gehon can find that magic together again.

Another question that will come out of this trade is how the Smokies will address toughness. Davis, Brodie and Patrick Martin probably accounted for 90% of Trail's fighting majors last year. With Brodie and Davis in Merritt who is going to pick up that slack? Ingram says he's got some irons in the fire on that front. He also believes they've added a lot of size and grit in their recruiting this off season. However, he is looking to bring in some tough guys to battle for a spot on the team.

This is the second trade Ingram has made with Merritt. The Smokies also sent Dylan Herold to the Cents as the future considerations for Kevin Koopman. There will be some familiar faces in the line-up when Trail takes on Merritt a early next season.

OVERTIME AUDIO

• New York Rangers Coach Tom Renney on the Smokies banquet, the Rangers and his history in Trail (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Smokies Goaltender Coach Pasco Valana on Grant Rollheiser's draft chances and his strengths (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Smokies Coach Jim Ingram on their trade with Merritt (Part 1, Part 2)
• New Smokies forward Chad Gehon on the trade from Merritt (Part 1)
• Smokies President Tom Gawryletz on the new schedule and the banquet/golf tournament weekend (Part 1, Part 2)
• New Smoke Eater Andrew Pickering discusses the trade from Victoria (Part 1, Part 2)
• New Smokies gaoltender Marco Raimondo discusses the trade from Cowichan Valley (Part 1, Part 2)
• Jim Ingram Interview (re: Andrew Pickering trade, re: Steve Ourosov to WHL, re: Stefan Decoss Div 3)
• Former NHLer from Trail, Ceasar Maniago dicusses the Smokies banquet on July 11th and his career (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Former NHLer from Nelson, Pat Price discusses the induction of his one time Oilers teammate Glenn Anderson into the Hockey Hall of Fame (Part 1, Part 2)
• Castlegar Rebels Coach Brent Heaven discusses Tony Johnston's return, retaining his coaching staff, a new deal with Selkirk College and players moving on (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Beaver Valley Nitehawks GM Terry Jones on their coaching change and new players (Part 1, Part 2)
• Trail's Travis St. Denis on U17 try outs and joining the Beaver Valley Nitehawks (Part 1, Part 2)
• Trail's Ashton Florko gets drafted by MLB's Chicago Cubs (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

NOTES

...Just received word that Dallas Drake will be bringing the Stanley Cup to Rossland on Wednesday, July 16th. Mark that down! There will apparently be a parade. I'll let you know when I hear more.

...From the BCHL website: "The Quesnel Millionaires Hockey Club transfer the playing rights of Tanner Hlookoff (88)(F) to the Souix Lookout Flyers Hockey Club of the SIJHL for future considerations." Hlookoff is a West Kootenay native so the SIJHL is a long way from home. Hopefully he finds a good place there.

...No Dalpe in the first round. That surprises me a little given what I think is his enormous potential. Someone will have a nice pick in the second round that's for sure. Consider the leaps he's made from Junior B in Ontario to the World Jr A Challenge gold and a BCHL championship. That shot could make him famous.

...A lot of trades in the NHL today. Most of them felt like minimal impact moves. We'll see. Tanguay to the Habs sure seems to limit their hopes of landing a big name free agent this summer, but at least they have someone.

...Everyone cross your fingers for Grant Rollheiser. Lets hope he gets picked up tomorrow. That being said, being a free agent at the end of his college career wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily. You can pick the right fit in that case. We'll see what happens. For those at Boston U who were wondering about Rollheiser's talents the audio above with Pasco Valana gets into it. I'll make a seperate post later.

...Another reminder that if you want tickets to the banquet you can get them at Re-Max All Pro Realty, AM Ford and Gerick Cycle. Get on that fast because you don't want to miss this. Brian Burke, Tom Renney, Ceasar Maniago, Danny Gare, Harold Snepts, Pat Price, the list goes on and on!

...Season tickets on sale Monday!

...With Decosse getting a Div 3 scholarship we're now up to seven guys from last year's team locking up spots to play at school. That's a great compliment to the organization and mostly to the players and young men themselves. Great job guys and good luck at the next stage of your lives. College goes by way too fast so enjoy it.

...I'm going on holidays for a couple of weeks and Jeff Sargeant will be filling in. He'll keep you up to date on everything in local sports and everything Smokies related. I should still be able to put a couple of posts up here when I'm away though.