Sidhu Interview

New Smoke Eaters Defenceman Rajan Sidhu

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Cowichan trades Sidhu to Trail

The Trail Smoke Eaters have continued to add to their veteran depth on the blue line with the addition of Rajan Sidhu from the Cowichan Valley Capitals today. The deal is for future considerations and is also part of clearing up any futures Cowichan owed Trail in a complicated arrangement dating back to the Colin Lidster for Mitch Kaufmann trade to Alberta. The bottom line is Sidhu for futures.

In Sidhu the Smokies get another potential hidden gem of an offensive defenceman. He put up 3 goals and 15 assists in only 43 games for Cowichan last season. Take those numbers and project them for a full season, and we're talking about 25 points. With the Smokies last season that would've been enough to finish second among defencemen. As a rookie on a struggling team you can't complain about that kind of production.

Sidhu also has good size at 6'3 and 190lbs. He was also a scoring force in Junior B. He scored 21 points in 37 games as a 16 year old before following that up with 32 points in 36 games as a 17 year old. In his second season he had started the year with Penticton before going back to Richmond. I'm sure in the end he didn't mind as the Sockeyes went on to not only win the PIJHL Championship, but the Cyclone Taylor (over Nelson) and Keystone Cups as well. He put up 15 points in 24 playoff games over two seasons in Richmond as well.

As you can see from his profile on the PIJHL website he is also an academic achiever who was the MVP of the Mission Super Series Tournament at 10 years of age. He also enjoys playing golf and basketball. I'm sure if that's the case he won't mind the beautiful courses we have out here.

I'll try to get Rajan on the phone tomorrow and we'll see if we can get him on Overtime.

This certainly makes training camp even more interesting on the back end. This move and the Cole Gelley addition recently brings the number of defencemen with at least one year of BCHL experience up to 7. There might even be more than that depending on who we see at camp. Could we see the Smoke Eaters keep 8 defencemen out of camp like they did two years ago? If not there are going to be some very tough decisions for the coaching staff. The vets better come to camp with their working boots on.

The players are already starting to make that trip in to Trail with camp set to go on Monday. I had the chance to catch up with Ben Matthews and Brett Slobodzian so far this week. I'll have that for you on the blog shortly. That and those promised interviews with Tim Kehler and Randy Williams. I've been a bit distracted but we're back on course heading into Monday.

Gelley, Smokies Camp, Tournament Schedule, KIJHL roster news

Here's a picture of Cole Gelley defending Graeme Strukoff last season at the Cominco Arena. Thanks to Randy Emery for that. As noted in Guy Bertrand's Trail Times article, Gelley and Strukoff were drafted one spot away from each other in the WHL Bantam draft several years back. Now they'll find themselves playing together. Here is the press release I wrote up for the Smokies website:

TRAIL, BC - Trail Smoke Eaters Coach and GM Jim Ingram announced today that the Smokies have acquired defenceman Cole Gelley and future considerations from the Surrey Eagles in exchange for defenceman Wade Bennett and forward Robert Lindores.

"Cole is a real good skating, puck moving defenceman that can quarterback a power play," said Ingram. "I think that's something we wanted to make sure we had (enough of) in the line-up."

Gelly, 19, recorded one goal, 19 assists (1-19-20) and 26 penalty minutes in 58 games with the Eagles last season. Gelley made his BCHL debut as an AP in 2007-08 and has played 101 career regular season games with the Eagles. Prior to that he played 75 games in Major Midget, recording 27 points (6-19-27) and 66 penalty minutes for the Vancouver North West Giants.

"It's a good opportunity and I'm excited to come up there," said Gelley. "I don't think my point totals really represent how much of an offensive player I am."

"I feel I have way more in the tank than that."

The move was partly necessitated by the number of returning 20 year old players on Trail's roster.

"There's no secret that we were top heavy with 1990 birth years," said Ingram.

This deal combined with the recent trade of Garrett Beckwith to Drumheller in the AJHL and the departure of Tom Rizzardo to Bizmark of the NAHL, trims Trail's number of 1990 born players from 10 to 7 before training camp. BCHL teams can only carry 6 of them once the puck drops for the regular season.

Bennett, 20, scored 3 goals and 19 assists (3-19-22) as a forward and defenceman with the Smoke Eaters last season. Lindores, 19, has scored 6 goals and 9 assists (6-9-15) over 89 career games with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. He became Trail property as the future considerations in the Tye Lewis for Curtis Tonello trade.

As noted in the press release, the 20 year old log jam was reduced further as Tom Rizzardo has opted to play for Bizmark in the North American Hockey League. Tommy is a classy young man who has a lot of offensive talent. He proved that with Nelson during their KIJHL championship run in 2009. I hope he is able to translate that to the Junior A level with Bizmark.

That leaves Trail with seven 1990 born players in training camp. There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition among veterans to make sure these guys aren't taking their spots for granted. We know camp is always competitive among rookies trying to make the club. This situation should make sure the vets are fighting for their jobs too.

The addition of Gelley ensures that barring any other moves the Smokies are going to have a veteran defensive unit this season. Gelley, Steve Koshey, Graeme Strukoff and Curtis Tonello are entering their third BCHL seasons while it will be the second for Eric Walker and Ben Matthews. There is room for one or two rookies to make the roster and learn with that group. However, that is a big step up from last September when the club was throwing 4 or 5 rookies over the boards every night. I'm sure goaltender Kiefer Smiley is thanking his lucky stars there will be some veteran help early on this year.

Training camp gets started on August 23rd with registration at 8:30am. The camp will run for three days and then the Smokies have a couple of exhibition games in Chase against Vernon.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

The second annual Smokies pre-season tournament will run from Thursday, September 2nd to Saturday, September 4th. Here is the schedule:

Thursday, September 2nd
4:30pm Penticton vs Powell River
7:30pm Brooks vs Trail

Friday, September 3rd
4:30pm Brooks vs Penticton
7:30pm Powell River vs Trail

Saturday, September 4th
10:30am Powell River vs Brooks
1pm Penticton vs Trail

I'll do my best to get the arena as much as possible for the games. You can also likely count on some live coverage of the games on Ryan Pinder's Vees Blog. He did some live blogging from it lats year.

KIJHL ROSTER MOVES

A couple of moves in the KIJHL last week. First a trade that saw Grand Forks send PIM king Jacob Halderman to Columbia Valley for defencemen Zack MacLellan and Jordan Groenheyde. MacLellan was Columbia Valley's All-Star game rep. Both teams finished last in their division last season and are hoping for bounce back seasons. Can't hurt the Border Bruins to get a couple of young d-men with experience in the league. They finished well last year and I'm really hoping to see them continue to push forward. The community will really get behind them if they continue making progress. Check out the Off the Wahl blog for more.

New Nelson Leafs Coach and GM Chris Shaw announced this week that they've received a commitment from four of last year's veterans to return in September. F Gavin Currie, F Cody Abbey, D Tyler Parfeniuk and D Taylor O'Neil will all be back in Nelson. O'Neil and Currie both played as APs for Trail last season. Taylor is the Leafs Captain while Currie was their top forward in 2009-10. They should form a very strong core for Shaw to build around.

New Castlegar Coach and GM Steve Junker also announced that they'll be getting a couple of veteran talents back this season. Tough forward Taylor Anderson and top defenceman Darren Tarasoff have committed to return to the Rebels. Anderson was third in the KIJHL in penalty minutes while Tarasoff spent most of last season with Williams Lake in the BCHL. They should both be leaders on Junker's first squad.

Both the Leafs and Rebels will likely get more of last year's players back, but as with all KIJHL teams it is a waiting game until BCHL camps are complete. I've yet to hear much about who is or isn't expected back in Beaver Valley, but I do know they're excited about a lot of the young local talent that will be a part of their club this season.

Mountain FM is the official media partner of the KIJHL and we will continue to be the primary source for KIJHL coverage in the Kootenay-Boundary. If anything our coverage will expand and evolve this season. I'm looking forward to it.

More to come on the blog this week including and interview with former Smokies Coach Tim Kehler on taking over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks this season.

Gelley Interview

Cole Gelley Interview

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Jim Ingram Interview on Gelley

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(Thanks to the Surrey Eagles for the photo of Gelley)

Smokies trade Bennett and Lindores for Gelley

Breaking news this afternoon that the Smoke Eaters have traded 1990 born defenceman/forward Wade Bennett and 1991 born forward Robert Lindores to Surrey for 1991 born defenceman Cole Gelley.

This is another move to help clear the log jam of 1990s on Trail's roster. I'm glad to see someone as classy and hard working as Bennett will stay in the BCHL and have a real opportunity to show what he is capable of doing at this level. It is also a good more for Lindores as he has a connection to the Eagles organization. Lindores was the future considerations in the Tye Lewis deal from Alberni Valley and never played a game as a Smoke Eater.

Gelley is a good skater who has the potential to be an offensive catalyst and power play quarterback from the blue line. In Surrey he went from having 6 points as a rookie to 20 points last season with limited ice in offensive situations. He is a guy that the Smoke Eaters feel will come in and challenge for top minutes on the man advantage.

I'll have more this weekend on Gelley and his background with the Eagles and the Major Midget Vancouver Northwest Giants. Tune in to Mountain FM's Overtime tonight for interviews with Gelley and Smokies Coach Jim Ingram.

Smokies trades bring veteran scoring punch

TRAIL, BC – The Trail Smoke Eaters have acquired two leading scorers from the Alberta Junior Hockey League in exchange for three players from last season's roster.

Trail sent F Matt Wilkins (91), F Darnell Dyck (91) and D Mitch Kaufmann (91) to the Brooks Bandits for F Cullen Bradshaw (90) and F Steve Dobbin (90). The Smokies then flipped Dobbin to Lloydminster for F Bret Slobodzian (90).

“If there's a message to be sent here it's that we want to be competitive right out of training camp,”said Ingram. “I'm extremely optimistic, but we have to form together as a group and as a team.”

Both players are expected to put up points and earn lots of ice time, but that's not the only reason club management is excited about them.

“They're very skilled and they put numbers up,” said Smokies Head Scout Brad Fox. “But more importantly these are very strong character kids.”

Before joining the Bandits, Bradshaw made some noise by scoring 51 points in 66 games over two seasons with the Midget AAA Medicine Hat Tigers. He led the team in scoring during his second season.

Bradshaw then made the jump to the AJHL where he put up 32 points in his first year. After getting used to the level of play in Junior A he came back to lead the Bandits with 28 goals and 65 points as a 19 year old. Bradshaw also clicked on the power play with 11 goals.

“I love it all,” said Bradshaw when asked about his thoughts on Trail after last season's exhibition tournament.

The Medicine Hat native was impressed by the facilities and the hockey history BC's Number One Sports Townhad to offer. He is also optimistic the roster the Smokies have coming back for next season can be competitive.

“Hopefully we can mesh together and bring a championship back to Trail.”

The other new Smoke Eater knows a thing or two about winning championships. Brett Slobodzian helped the Midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos win the second of back to back Telus Cups in 2008. He scored 46 points in 42 games for the Mintos.

Slobodzian then made the jump to Lloydminster in the AJHL where he put up 83 points in 108 games over two seasons. He had 13 multi-point games for the Bobcats as their leading scorer last season, but doesn't seem himself as one dimensional.

“I think I'm almost better defensively.”

As for coming to Trail, the Saskatoon native wasn't that familiar with the area.

“I had to Google it.”

However, Slobodzian is excited about the opportunity to play with all the talent on the Smokies roster. He is also looking forward to what he feels will be a better opportunity to get noticed by playing in the BCHL.

Adding Slobodzian and Bradshaw came at a price.

“To bring in players of this impact we had to give up very good hockey players,” said Ingram.

Wilkins, Dyck and Kaufmann combined for 71 points in 128 games as 18 year olds. The Smokies organization thanks them for their contributions and wishes them well in the next steps of their career.

For more information contact Smoke Eaters Coach and GM Jim Ingram at 250-364-9994.

Trade Audio (Ingram, Bradshaw, Slobodzian)

Smokies Coach and GM Jim Ingram

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Cullen Bradshaw

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Brett Slobodzian

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Smokies make five player trade

The Trail Smoke Eaters made a major five player deal today with the AJHL's Brooks Bandits. Matt Wilkins, Darnell Dyck and Mitch Kaufmann are headed to Brooks for Cullen Bradshaw and Steve Dobbin.

Bradshaw was Brooks' top scorer with 65 points while Dobbin was third on the team with 46 points. Dyck scored 29 for Trail while Wilkins had 25 in 37 games and Kaufmann added 17 in 32 games. Everybody in the deal can make a major contribution to their team.

It's a clear signal from the Smokies that they're looking to be competitive next season. Bradshaw and Dobbin are both entering their 20 year old seasons and expected to play at their highest level. Given that they were top scorers on their team in their 19 year old seasons one would expect they have the ability to be go to guys for the Smokies as well. Add them to a core of returning players that already includes several top 6 forwards and there's lots of reason for optimism.

As for the guys heading the other way... it's always disappointing to see promising and talented guys who want to be here move on. That's the reality of trying to make your team better. You have to give up something of real value to try to push to that next level. I'm sure that trading away Wilkins, Dyck and Kaufmann was far from easy for Coach Ingram. I know the team will miss what those guys brought to the table.

Darnell was probably the biggest character on the team who knows how to get under the opponent's skin better than anyone in the league. He also proved last year that he can be an offensive player as he increased his production from 11 points with Surrey to 29 with Trail. With some great moves and a very good shot he could take his game to an even higher level with the Bandits.

Wilkins had a rookie season unfortunately interrupted by a broken jaw in the fall. Up to that point he was hovering at a point per game pace, but it took him a little bit to get back to that when he returned. Matt also admitted to me that earlier in the season he deferred a little too much to the veterans and didn't take his shots. When he started to later in the year and especially in the playoffs... boy he was dangerous. Matt was the top goals per game scorer in the KIJHL as a 17 year old so the sky is the limit in Brooks.

Kaufmann heads back to the AJHL after he won a championship in that league two years ago. He brought a steady all-around game to the Smokies and has a bullet of a shot on the one timer. I think Kaufmann is a guy who with the experience he has gained is going to be able to run a power play in Alberta.

Brooks is lucky to have them.

But as I said you have to give something to get something. Bradshaw's point totals with the Bandits last season would have had him third on the Smokies in scoring behind Jacklin and Sandor. He fits right into that top group of forwards who would make a difference both at even strength and on the power play. He wasn't just a set up guy either as he put 28 goals home last year.

Dobbin also played at a high level with a point total that would have had him tied with St. Denis for 4th on the Smokies if he had been here last season. Obviously there are some questions about how the guys will adapt to the BCHL and a new team, but I'm looking forward to seeing both in Smokies colours.

This move gives Trail the kind of depth at the top of their line-up that would allow them to role out 3 very strong scoring lines. Depth wins championships whether you're Vernon or Chicago. Add that to all the new recruits that are going to be coming to camp and there's a lot to look forward to.

I'll have comments from Coach Ingram on this tomorrow night on Overtime. I'll also have an interview with Bradshaw on coming to Trail. We'll eventually get that audio on the blog as well.

Best of luck to Darnell, Matt and Mitch. You were all class acts and will be terrific in Brooks. Looking forward to seeing you again at the exhibition tournament in September.

Thursday Notes (Brown, Lindores, Marketing)

A couple pieces of Smokies news to report today. First of all I'm disappointed to report that Justin Brown will be leaving the Smoke Eaters to start his education at UBC. I'm not disappointed in Justin or anything, just disappointed that we won't get to see him fully achieve his potential as a BCHL player. However, it is easy to understand his decision.

Anyone who knows Justin knows that he's an extremely sharp guy with a great future ahead of him. As much as hockey is a passion at some point we all have to set our priorities. For someone who is that good of a student it's hard to just sit back for 3 full years after graduation. On top of that Justin has been cursed by one injury after another during his 2 seasons of BCHL hockey. That includes a lingering concussion at the end of this season. I can totally understand his desire to start the next stage of his life.

Just like it was with CJ Legassic last year this is an amicable departure. Both guys are all class and simply doing what they felt was best for their future.

You can tell from the interview I did with Justin that it was a really tough decision. He specifically notes how well everyone in the room gets along and the potential for the Smokies to be very competitive in the Interior this season. I know it'll be tough for Brown to not be a part of that.

As for that potential I mentioned you only have to look to one point at the end of the season when Brown put up 8 points over 7 games. He was always a guy Coach Ingram looked to for leadership, hard work and two-way play. Brown never ran from that role... he embraced it. However, in that stretch Justin proved he could bring an impressive offensive game to the table as well. If he came back and was able to stay healthy there's no reason to think he couldn't be a consistent scoring threat.

Unfortunately this is the end of the road for Brown as an active member of the Smokies roster. As he says in his interview he has many fond memories from that time and will always be proud of wearing a letter with his home town team. I hope once he settles in at UBC we may see him again one day lacing up the skates for the Thunderbirds. Either way the bottom line is that he's going to be a success at whatever it is he does and the whole organization wishes him well.

Here's the interview...

Justin Brown on Mountain FM's Overtime

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LINDORES TO TRAIL

One of the seemingly worst kept secrets around these parts has now officially come to light. I knew for a while that Robert Lindores was the "future considerations" in the Tye Lewis for Curtis Tonello deal between Trail and Alberni Valley. I didn't tell anyone but somehow it seems like a number of fans knew about it. Despite that, these things can often take a while to become official at the end of a BCHL season.

We haven't heard anything officially from the Smokies on the matter, but the Bulldogs put out a press release announcing the completion of the deal. I haven't talked to Robert so I don't have a tremendous amount to add to that. I will say that this is a player that I believe has more to offer than what we've seen from him in the BCHL so far. In his two seasons he has primarily been a third/fourth line guy who brings a physical and gritty game to his team. I've also heard that Lindores has a heck of a shot that he could use to become more of a goal scorer if given the opportunity.

The 6'1, 198lbs Port Alberni native will have to leave his home club after two seasons. That's not always a bad thing. There can be some pressures, spotlight and expectations that comes with playing in front of friends and family. Perhaps this will be the chance he needs to "bloom" as a player at this level. I think most would agree the potential is there. He only has 15 career BCHL points, but Lindores was a scorer in Major Midget. He was the top goal scorer and point getter on the North Island Silvertips (13-17-30 in 37 games) during the 2007-08 season. This is a guy who can bring more offence to the table if he's given the opportunity.

In the end you have to like the Lewis deal from Trail's perspective. Tye is a very talented player, but things just weren't working for the Smokies at the time of the trade. It made sense for them to move a couple of their vets to try and get a couple of assets for this season. Tonello made an immediate impact as a calming influence on the back end with untapped offensive ability. He'll be a huge player for Trail this year.

Lindores could easily do the same type of thing as a physical force up front with untapped offensive pressure. Both guys are the types of players who will help a deep roster of returning players compete harder in close games.

Meanwhile, Lewis helped push the Bulldogs to top spot in the Coast during the regular season and a great series against the Kings in the conference finals. It was a deal that appears to have worked for both sides.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

I won't get into details of the AGM too much on here. We talked about it a bunch on Overtime as it is. I did want to mention though that one thing that was apparent from the meeting is that we need to get more people into the building next year. Trail's core fans are as dedicated and reliable as any... there just aren't quite enough of them.

Trail's average attendance of 912 people basically tied them with Prince George for 5th in the Interior and 11th in the BCHL. That's not actively bad or anything, but it's not good enough. The Smokies face additional travel expenses thanks to our location here all by ourselves without a BCHL neighbour. If this team is going to go toe to toe with teams in the Okanagan the attendance has to be in the same league as those teams. There is no reason a city full of passionate hockey fans can't at least equal the 1047 fans they average in West Kelowna or the 1008 they average in Salmon Arm.

So how do we do that? I've taken on some additional responsibility with the club this year as the Marketing Director. That means I'll be working on corporate sponsorship and developing some marketing strategies for the club during the off season. That in addition with my full time gig at Mountain FM makes me a pretty busy man.

In this new role I'm constantly talking to different people brainstorming ideas to get the community more excited about the hockey club. The easy answer for better attendance is a winning product. I believe we'll have that this year. That being said, we can't count on that to change things alone. We're going to be doing some new things to especially try and bring more kids and young families to the rink.

Any ideas? I hope I have some, but I clearly don't have all the answers. If anyone out there has some suggestions for what they think we should do to fill those orange seats at the Cominco Arena feel free to let me know. I should note though that many of these ideas require more "people power" than we have so as much as I'd appreciate ideas I'd also love to see more people volunteer their time. That's what makes this team tick.

Also, if you're thinking about getting involved with the club as a corporate sponsor you can get that information by clicking here.

Plus you can support the Smokies by coming out to this year's Alumni Golf Tournament and Banquet. Details are available on the official website.

As is our new videos page.

While I'm busy linking to things I might as well also note that there's a ton of BCHL news up on the league website right now. New hires, contract extensions, promotions, scholarships, etc. Just enough to wet the hockey fan appetite for a while here in the off season.

OK that'll do it for today. Go Lakers!

Swaffield video and interview, Deadline thoughts

Taylor Swaffield told me today on Mountain FM's Overtime that he's a physical guy. Don't believe him? Check out the videos above. You can also check out his fight card. Taylor has dropped the gloves 21 times over 117 AJHL games. While he's not a goon, it's clear Swaffield is willing to go to battle.

As for his scoring, I'd say perhaps there's a little more potential there than it may appear. Swaffield was out half the season in 08-09 with an injury. If he plays a whole season we're likely talking about double the point total last season... 14-16 points instead of 8. This season he's around that same pace. In AAA Midget hockey he had 14 points in 34 games and was tied for 7th in team scoring. Is that Bobby Orr material? Obviously not. However, this is not a guy with no offensive instincts at all. He'll chip in with some helpers here and there. The scouting report is that he has a good first pass. A combination of his size, physical play and a good first pass may make him an ideal fit as a guy who can spring the skilled Trail forwards. If he gets more of an opportunity here you never know how he could take advantage of it.

The bottom line is that Swaffield isn't here to light the league on fire. He's a veteran guy who the Smokies are hoping will provide solid play, a physical edge and leadership on the back end. Anything else is a nice bonus. Trail really has nothing to lose here. They didn't have to give up a player to get Swaffield. The big guy wasn't free, but he can help the team today without costing them down the line. It's low risk and possibly high reward. I had the chance to have brief chats with both Taylor and Smokies Assistant Coach Brian Youngson on the move today on Mountain FM's Overtime.

New Smokies Defenceman Taylor Swaffield

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Smokies Assistant Coach Brian Youngson

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Is this it for Trail? It's hard to imagine them doing too much more given the current card situation. That being said, the phones will be ringing off the hook all weekend. Never say never.

How about the rest of the league? I suspect there will be some activity. There are already a ton of rumours out there including a couple of pretty specific ones over at the message board. It's silly season and you can't take everything you read seriously. You also can't rule it all out.

To me the team best positioned to sell off some very valuable pieces is Prince George. All of the top guys on that roster are either 20 years old or leaving after this season for a scholarship. It's one thing to be a young squad in the bottom few teams of the conference, but if you're a veteran team something has to give. Take a look at the roster and tell me there aren't a couple of guys (especially those who wouldn't take up 20 year old spots) that would fetch a giant price from a team with championship ambitions. Of the teams near the bottom they have the most to offer (at least in terms of guys they would lose for nothing otherwise) and have the most to lose from doing nothing. Ed Dempsey is a sharp and experienced hockey man. I'm sure he's at least listening.

Williams Lake has already done some selling so I suspect they could make some more moves if there is interest in their guys. They could be this year's Merritt in that way. However, they do still have to field a roster so they can't move too many guys.

I think Quesnel's schedule (all those games against their northern partners) and recent roster upgrades make them the favourite to finish 5th in the Interior. After several years on the outside looking in I can't imagine them being a seller with that possibility staring them in the face. If they do sell there are six 89s on that team who could all help a contender. Of course the demand for 20 year olds is somewhat limited depending on how man of those slots are open. Vernon is full and Penticton only has one 89 spot open for example.

Merritt has a couple of 20 year olds that could be of interest. However, Coach and GM Luke Pierce told me in a recent interview that he didn't intend to sell at the deadline. The Cents have a very good shot at a playoff spot in what is an incredibly important season for the viability of the franchise. I doubt they'll make any moves that could put their playoff hopes at risk. I could even see them adding an 89 or two.

Who is buying? Vernon may be getting some help up front with Robinson coming in and a chance Sahir Gill could come back. If Gill does return maybe there's another deal involving a forward and a younger D-man to bring in an 18 or 19 year old vet on the back end with a physical edge. I don't expect much more than that.

Penticton has some roster space and may need to fill Filiou's spot depending on how long he'll be out sick. I expect them to make some noise.

Westside is a very good team despite being young. Should they sacrifice much of what looks like a very bright future to go for it now? Tough decision for their management I'd say.

To me the team that should be trying to buy is Salmon Arm. This is a club that will lose the likes of Zengerle, Chakeen, Gubb, Lipsett and Ierfino after this season. I'd be shocked if Kilip and Noyes didn't get the chance to go to school next season too. However, SA is also a couple of pieces away from being able to take Vernon or Penticton in a 7 game series in my view. They did beat Vernon twice this past weekend, but do the Silverbacks have the same depth as those clubs? To me when you have talent like that going out the door you have to do everything you can to make a run. If they add a couple of key guys (especially a veteran defenceman) we could put them in the same category as Vernon and Penticton. For now I think both the Silverbacks and Warriors are a step or two behind.

I could see a big trade between Salmon Arm and Prince George that involved multiple players heading south. If those two clubs pulled off a blockbuster deal the balance of power could change at the top of the Interior. I have no "inside" information here, but I think it would make a ton of sense.

Of course those are just the Interior clubs I'm talking about. I could also easily see the Bulldogs, Eagles, Chiefs and Kings making a big push for whatever players the Interior clubs are willing to part with. The Coast is wide open (outside perhaps of the very top spot in the standings) so any big move could propel one team out of the pack. I also feel like all of those teams need a couple of big pieces if they hope to give the Interior winner a real challenge. Teams in the BCHL could also move some of their vets to contenders in the other Junior A leagues east of Trail.

I'll have more thoughts on the trade deadline and the moves we've already seen tomorrow. I may also have some video from the Salmon Arm game. I'd like to get highlights up from the Penticton game but my copy of it cuts off mid-way through the third period.

Smokies acquire Swaffield

Trail made a move today picking up 1989 born defenceman Taylor Swaffield from Fort McMurray of the AJHL for future considerations. He has 22 points in 117 career games. Swaffield is in his third season of Junior A hockey as he played previously with Lloydminster. He's 6'3, 210lbs and describes himself as a physical, stay-at-home defenceman. The move gives Trail eight defencemen, but Graeme Strukoff is currently on the shelf with an upper body injury. That means once Strukoff gets healthy again it'll be very competitive as the defencemen battle for ice time during practice and games.

The Smokies are hoping Swaffield will be another calming influence in their own end. He can also drop the mitts when called upon. I know since the start of the season I've been saying they need to be tougher in front of their own net... this move should help that. It should also help the PK which has improved but is still at the bottom of the BCHL. We'll have an interview with Swaffield and Brian Youngson on Overtime tonight. Expect more on the blog later.

Thursday Audio, Tonello Details

New Smokies Defenceman Curtis Tonello

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Smokies Coach Jim Ingram

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Friday Game Preview with Salmon Arm Broadcaster Patrick Haas

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TONELLO DETAILS

So who is Curtis Tonello? The interview will give you some sense of who he is and what he thinks he brings to the table. However, to get a clear picture of what we're dealing with I think it's also important to take a look at his background. If you look only at his BCHL stats so far you'll see a guy with 2 goals and 10 assists in 72 games. That would indicate someone who probably isn't a fixture on the power play nor a guy who is going to come in and provide a ton of scoring help. That fits with what Coach Jim Ingram said he's looking for Tonello to do. The Smokies want him to be a guy who can come in here and make smart, simple and sound defensive plays. They want someone who can make quick and calm decisions with the puck. Basically they're looking for some veteran stability on a team which has had trouble keeping their opponents off the board.

However, there may be an unexplored offensive side to Curtis as well. He mentioned to me in the interview that he feels like he could contribute that way and a couple of sources have mentioned that he has a pretty darn good shot. Bulldogs play by play man Evan Hammond even told me that he could see Tonello has having the potential to be a #1 guy for a team in the BCHL if he lives up to his potential. Does anything in his past give us that idea?

We don't necessarily see that side in the PIJHL when Tonello was a 17 year old. As a rookie with Richmond he put up 13 points in 48 games on the back end. Those are not bad numbers -- especially for a guy who we know plays a solid game in his own end -- but they don't jump out at you as someone who will be on the power play. That being said, Tonello had some big games in the playoffs. He twice put up 2 points in a game as Richmond battled and beat Delta in the first round.

There's also some interesting information about Curtis on his profile from the Richmond website:

"Curtis was fortunate enough to make Best ever two years in a row. He played U16 and U17. He went to Salmon Arm to compete for his zone area. Curtis has been part of many successes during his hockey life. In Peewee playing for the N.S.W.C. his team won everything possible. They won the league, Provincials and the International Peewee Tournament in Quebec City. In 2nd year bantam Curtis's team won the league, the Chilliwack Tournament, Provincials and western canadians. His individual successes have been mostly during his last season with the Vancouver Canadians where he won Best Defencemen on his team and played in the Major Midget All Star Game."

What about in Major Midget? There we see more signs of someone who can produce if given a bigger role offensively. Tonello was the top scoring defenceman on the Greater Vancouver Canadians in the 2006-07 season when he put up 26 points in 40 games. That season he got to play with the likes of Evander Kane, Cam Reid and Brad Read. In fact, Tonello was significantly ahead of teammate Michael Boivin in scoring among defencemen on the Canadians. Boivin went on to score over 30 points for Nanaimo last season and earn a scholarship.

Am I saying that Curtis is going to come in here and suddenly match Steve Koshey point for point? Not necessarily. The point is that he has shown in the past that he has the ability to play the game at both ends of the ice. He had 23 assists in that Major Midget season. One of the things that I've been told about Tonello is that he has a good first pass. Perhaps that's why with more ice time he was able to pile up the "apples" in midget. Playing with some of the talent that Trail has up front we could see that happening for him now.

Ultimately I know what the coaching staff and fans are hoping to see from Curtis... solid play in his own end. They want to see him help make this team stronger in their own end. However, there is some evidence that this is a guy who could be an impact player in other ways as well. This league is all about opportunity. Last season the Smokies picked up a player from the Bulldogs who only had 3 points in his rookie year in limited duty. Nobody expected much from him. He now has 20 goals and 38 points in 32 games for Trail this season. Could Tonello be another Nick Sandor? It's something to watch as the Smoke Eaters head to Salmon Arm tomorrow and host Vernon on Saturday.

As for the departure of Tye Lewis, it's never fun to see a talented player go. The live blog chat we had featured a comment relating the Lewis deal to trades of David Arduin and Chad Gehon in the past two seasons. First of all, we shouldn't forget that the Gehon deal brought in a man who currently has 37 points and is one of the top forwards in the league. Secondly, Lewis wasn't Trail's leading scorer at the time of the deal. Scott Jacklin and Nick Sandor were both ahead of the dynamic Vancouver, Washington native. The other thing to note is that Trail didn't have the same kind of offensive depth last season or the year before when they made those moves. This year's Smokies have Sandor, Jacklin, Mike Betz, Sam Mellor, Travis. St. Denis, Darnell Dyck and Matt Wilkins all scoring at a 0.7 points per game rate or better. The top 5 in that list are all point per game players. Plus Paul Mailey (a 40 point guy last season) has 7 points in his last 9 games and seems to be finding his scoring touch again. Depth up front is not an issue for Trail.

So far this season the Smoke Eaters have 121 goals or 3.8 goals per game. That's better than every team in the Coastal Conference. That's better any of the other bottom 5 teams in the Interior. Trail can score goals. The issue is that the Smokies have allowed 160 goals so far. That's 5 goals per game or worse than every team in the BCHL but Merritt or Williams Lake. It's pretty obvious where they need to improve. Coach Ingram's move here was to work towards improving that number. They are making some strides. They cut that average goals allowed number to 4 in their last 6 games. However, if you're going to win games during a playoff race and in the playoffs themselves you need to keep the puck out of your net. That isn't just on the goaltenders or the defencemen, it's on the whole team, but this move is a step towards trying to do that.

Even if Tye Lewis is a more famous player than Tonello that doesn't mean this move doesn't make sense and doesn't help the Smokies. We'll find out. We'll also see what furue considerations the Smokies get come spring.

I think it's one of those deals that helps both teams. The Bulldogs have been terrific so far this year but have relied heavily on their top line. Lewis gives them the scoring depth they need to try and secure top spot on the coast. He's a very good addition to that team. It also might be great for Tye whose goal scoring had dried up a little bit over the last month before he scored the hat trick against Quesnel last week. I look forward to seeing him light it up over there while Tonello makes a solid contribution here. That's how trades are supposed to work.

Lewis to the Bulldogs for Tonello

The Smoke Eaters have traded forward Tye Lewis to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for defenceman Curtis Tonello and future considerations. I have now just received confirmation from Smokies Coach and GM Jim Ingram on the deal. I'll be talking to him in more detail in half an hour or so. Obviously we'll have a lot more on this trade as details become available. In the meantime I want to certainly wish Tye well with the Bulldogs and welcome Curtis to Trail. Stay tuned to the Smoke Eaters Blog and Mountain FM for more information throughout the day.

UPDATE: Click here for Hammer's take. The interviews with Ingram and Tonello should now be available on the Overtime podcast. Let me know if you have any trouble. Tonello seems excited and ready for a new opportunity in Trail. The last time the Smoke Eaters got a player who felt he was underutilized in Port Alberni... he turned into one of Trail's best players. I'm not expecting Curtis to have the same kind of immediate impact Nick Sandor did, but it's all about opportunity at this level. We'll see if Tonello can make the most of it. More on the trade and other BCHL moves coming tomorrow.

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!