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.
I hope everyone is heading out to AM Ford Plus at the Waneta Mall in Trail today to "Drive one for the Smokies." It's a terrific way to raise some money for the club and I thank Ford Canada and AM Ford for getting behind it.
Some terrific and long overdue news to pass on today as well. I did up a press release to announce Nick Sandor's commitment to AIC. He'll be playing NCAA Division I hockey for the Yellow Jackets next season.
After the way Nick has played over his two seasons in Trail you had to think it was only a matter of time before he got his opportunity. Sandor is a hard working and classy young man who earned everything he now has.
You only have to look back to his rookie season struggles to see how far he has come. Sandor battled injuries as an 18 year old with Alberni Valley and ended up with 3 points in 32 games. Did he give up on his dream? Far from it. Nick earned a new opportunity in Trail and leaped into a top 6 role with the club almost right away. He got Coach Ingram's attention with his play in practice and then made it count when Ingram gave him a chance on a line with Chad Gehon and Andrew Pickering.
It's one thing to expect opportunity to come your way and another thing to not only earn it, but make it stick. That's why Nick always found himself among the top forwards on the team for ice time over his two seasons in Trail.
Sandor produced as well as almost anyone in the BCHL last year whether it was on a line with Scott Jacklin and Sam Mellor or when he spent time with Michael Betz and Travis St. Denis. His hockey sense translated well to both of those lines because he just has a nose for the puck and the net. I'm sure he'll have a ton of success with the Yellow Jackets starting this fall.
Congrats Nick, it's well earned!
TRAIL, BC - The British Columbia Hockey League’s Trail Smoke Eaters are proud to announce that graduating forward Nick Sandor has committed to attend American International College. He will suit up for the NCAA Division I Yellow Jackets starting in the 2010/11 season.
Sandor joined the Smoke Eaters in the fall of 2008 after an injury plagued rookie season with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. He immediately earned an opportunity with Trail’s top line and never looked back.
“We gave him that ice time and he grabbed the ball and ran with it,” said Smokies Coach Jim Ingram. “That was the result of his hard work. (Sandor) brought a very complete game to the rink every night.”
The North Vancouver native scored 106 points in 104 regular season games with the Smoke Eaters. He put up 30 goals last season to lead the team.
“I think I really started to come into my own in Trail because of the environment that surrounded me,” said Sandor. “I grew a great amount of confidence playing there because it was for me a perfect combination of trust and belief in the players; but at the same time a level of accountability that pushed you to play like you should.”
The Okanagan Hockey Academy graduate took his time picking the right spot for his post-secondary career.
“I had several different looks as to what next year was going look like,” Sandor said. “But after dealing with everything and going down there the choice was easy. I feel like it's a place I can definitely succeed in both athletically and academically.”
Sandor certainly abides by the motto that states once you’ve played for the Smokies you’re a Smoke Eater for life.
“My time in Trail meant everything to me,” he said. “It was a great experience that I give mass amounts of credit to. From all the staff around the team to all the guys on the team, Trail was full of good people that really made me enjoy the two seasons I spent there.”
“I hope for great success for the Smokies in years to come.”
###
For more information contact Smoke Eaters Coach and General Manager Jim Ingram at 250-364-9994 or visit http://www.trailsmokeaters.com/
Again congratulations to Nick and his family for what is I'm sure a dream come true. I'm looking forward to seeing his name on the box score next year.
Here's a video of Sandor highlights I made up in December...
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 CJLegassic 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.
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.
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.
Wade Bennett is pictured here scoring his first BCHL goal. I had the chance to catch up with the first year Trail rover and Coach Ingram as the Smokies get set for Tuesday night's home game against Penticton.
Smokies forward Wade Bennett on his first BCHL goals
Well that one was tough to swallow for Smokies fans. They were only 20 minutes from a perfect weekend before Alberni's top end skill stole away a point. I know the club is disappointed they couldn't close out the win. However, 3 out of 4 points this weekend is nothing to sneeze at.
The Smoke Eaters needed to come out with a lot of passion and hunger this weekend with their playoffs lives at stake. They did just that. Trail went toe to toe with two of the BCHL's top teams and were with them the whole way. They also got scoring from the whole group rather than having to lean on any one guy or one line. The Bennett/Oursov/Wilkins line really seems to be clicking now. That's what you need so that if your top guys don't score a ton in one game you can look to your depth to get it done. Trail did that this weekend.
There were many positives from this weekend to build on as we head into Tuesday's game against the Vees. From the net out it was one of Trail's best weekends of the year. The schedule isn't easy, but these guys are proving they can play with and compete with anyone.
Hats off the Bulldogs as well who are obviously never out of any game. They have won 18 in a row on the road and 9 of those 18 games were decided by a single goal. That's the sign of a very talented club that knows how to win. If they make the finals this year it will be a huge test for whichever team makes it out of the Interior.
This is the kind of team I think the Smokies are capable of being. A lot of people will say "yah... next year" but don't count this year's club out. You learn a lot of lessons over a full season when you're a young team. The skill is not in question. It's just the consistency, the decision making and the lapses in work ethic we can see at times. If these guys are putting together their mental game it doesn't matter who they play... they can take down anyone in this league. Maybe after this weekend they'll realize it.
Trail, BC - It looked for 40 minutes like the Smoke Eaters were going to spoil Alberni Valley's party. Trail had a 4-2 lead and were a period away from breaking the Bulldogs' 17 game road winning streak.
Instead, Alberni came back with an overtime win that broke the record they had shared with two other teams. In addition to winning 18 straight road games the Bulldogs have also won 21 of their last 22.
The Smokies certainly didn't make it easy on them. Sean Nugent set up Mike Betz on the power play in the first period for the second straight game. This time the goal gave Trail a 1-0 lead after one.
Mark MacMillan set up Kevin Ross for the tying goal early in a wide open second period. The teams scored a combined 5 goals with Wade Bennett notching his first 2 BCHL goals for the Smokies. They also got one when Scott Jacklin tipped in a point shot by former Bulldog Curtis Tonello on the power play.
It was Jacklin's 20th of the year and 6th goal in his last 7 games. He becomes the third Smoke Eater to reach the 20 goal mark this season along with Nick Sandor and Sam Mellor.
The Bulldogs started their come back when Mitch MacMillan scored his league leading 60th goal of the season on a terrific set up by David Dziurzynski. Dziurzynski then stole a puck during a brief 4 on 4 and roofed his second of the game to tie it at 4 with 6:46 to go in the third period.
Dziurzynski struck again in overtime as he set up Mark MacMillan for the winner just over a minute into the 3 on 3.
Each team had their chances to win it in regulation and overtime, but both Kiefer Smiley and Scott Lewan came up with some big stops. Lewan made 28 saves for his 10th straight win, while Smiley stopped 37 pucks in a losing cause.
Matt Wilkins and Steve Oursov each had 2 assists for Trail. Betz added an assist to his goal for a 2 point night.
The Smokies are now 3 points ahead of Prince George for the final playoff spot in the Interior with 2 games in hand. They're also 2 points behind Merritt for 6th and 3 behind 5th place Quesnel.
Trail will host Penticton on Tuesday night.
ON THE TRAIL: Mitch Kaufmann, Justin Brown, Travis St. Denis and Thomas Abenante were all still out of the line-up with injuries. There is no time table for any of them although St. Denis appears to be the closest to returning ... 16 year old KeananPatershuk of the KIJHL'sFernieGhostriders played another solid game as an AP for Trail. The Kelowna native brought a physical edge and didn't look at all out of place ... The goals came fast and furious for Bennett in the second period. He had come so close but had yet to score his fristBCHL goal until tonight. While it took him 40 games to get the first one he only had to wait 8 minutes for the second ... Former Smoke Eater Tye Lewis got tossed from the game in the second period for a hit from behind on Steve Koshey. It was his only game at the Cominco Arena as a visitor ... Any Smokies fans who were scoreboard watching tonight got good news when Prince George lost to Victoria and Merritt dropped a home game against Cowichan Valley. Only 6 points separates the 5th and 8th team in the Interior with only a couple of weeks left on the BCHL schedule ... The Bulldogs broke the road winning streak record originally set by the New Westminster Royals in 1989-90. A comment on Evan Hammond's blog pointed out that one member of that team was non other than Smoke Eaters Coach and GM Jim Ingram. He came close to protecting his old club's place in history tonight, but I think the points for his current club were the only thing on his mind. Trail got 3 out of 4 on the weekend and that has to be considered a success.
Don't forget to tune in to Mountain FM's Overtime on Monday night from 6pm to get reaction from the game and the weekend as a whole. You can also check out Hammer's Bulldogs Blog for his perspective on the game. Sounds like their coach wasn't pleased with his team's effort for the most part. I don't think the Bulldogs were bad as much as Trail played well and tested them. The Smokies have been to overtime with Vernon and Penticton at home. Cominco Arena is not an easy place to play.
Smokies forward and Trail native Justin Brown got the chance to carry the Olympic flame in Cranbrook this weekend. The injured Smoke Eaters alternate captain chatted with me tonight on Mountain FM's Overtime.
Congrats to Justin on what was I'm sure a pretty cool experience. Now we're just hoping to see him and all the other injured Smoke Eaters back in the line-up as soon as possible. Right now a total of seven Smokies are on the mend. Graeme Strukoff, Mitch Kaufmann, Thomas Abenante and Brown didn't make the road trip. Travis St. Denis, Curtis Tonello and Sam Mellor all got hurt during the trip. At this point only Abenante's injury appears to be season ending, but you never know what you're going to get until that hurt player steps back onto the ice. We'll see what kind of line-up the Smokies can put together tomorrow night against Powell River!
I mentioned on my twitter that I was going to look up the stats comparing the coast to the interior when it comes to penalties taken. The coastal teams average just under 1 more "time shorthanded" per game than the interior teams. The top 4 most penalized teams are coastal clubs (Langley, Burnaby, Nanaimo and Surrey) while the 4 least penalized teams are interior teams (Prince George, Trail, Penticton and Vernon). Langley (who Trail played on Sunday and will host Thursday) is either on the power play or shorthanded an average of 12.68 times a game, while Trail is on the power play or shorthanded only an average of 9 times a game. I don't think it's a co-incidence as it appears the game is called somewhat differently on each side of the province.
I know I question calls here and there so it's not like I go easy on referees generally. It's part of the game. That being said, I don't think I'm normally a ref basher. I know they have a hard job, they're underpaid and the only thing anyone ever pays attention to is when they make a mistake. It's not fair. That being said, tonight`s display was a disgrace.
When I say "stolen game" in the title of this blog I don't specifically mean tonight's game was stolen from Trail. I certainly don't mean to denigrate how the Alberni Valley Bulldogs played. They're a very talented team who absolutely could beat any team in the BCHL on most nights.
Instead I mean tonight's game between the Smoke Eaters and Alberni Valley Bulldogs was stolen from both teams and the fans.
Referee Steven Bratt called 20 minor penalties during tonight's game. That's 40 minutes of minor penalties in a 60 minute game. The teams combined for 16 power plays. Basically half of the game was one team holding the man advantage. After a pretty entertaining first period it seemed like we didn't go 30 seconds without a whistle for something.
As for how Bratt called the game from Trail's perspective, I would think the numbers speak for themselves. The Smoke Eaters had to kill off 11 power plays. Given that they average having to kill 4.6 power plays a game Trail must have been particularly nasty tonight! That's kind of funny since only Vernon and Penticton have been shorthanded less than Trail this season.
In the third period alone the Smokies were shorthanded 8 times. That's nearly twice the number of times Trail is normally on the penalty kill in a full game... all in a single period. One of those times was a full 2 minute 5 on 3 that they dramatically killed. The period also included the ejection of the usually calm and collected Trail Captain Paul Mailey during a discussion with the referee. I wonder why Mailey was upset? Possibly because what we witnessed during the third period of tonight's game was an absolute embarassment.
Don't let it seem like my outrage was reserved only for Bratt's treatment of the Smoke Eaters. It also seemed quite obvious in the game that he had some kind of issue with Mitch MacMillan. The Bulldogs sniper found himself in the box three times including an unsportsmanlike conduct minor. Bratt also ignored what I thought would be an obvious penalty against Trail (given everything else he had called in the game) when the infraction was committed against MacMillan. Someone gives him a little bit of grief and suddenly he's under the magnifying glass all game.
Hockey is an emotional game. Players and coaches get mad sometimes and give referees hell. You can kind of see why they would. Their jobs and careers depend on winning hockey games. The referees? The result means nothing to them. That's why the good ones don't get emotional. That's why the good ones don't let anything that happens in a game or anything that is said to them influence the way they call a game.
The bad ones? Check out tonight's boxscore.
We all make mistakes. I screw up all the time as I try hard to improve my craft relatively early in my career. I expect the same reality to apply to young referees in the BCHL who are early in their careers as well. However, there's a big difference between screwing up a call or two and ruining a hockey game. I've been looking forward to getting my first look at the Bulldogs this season and seeing how the Smoke Eaters would match up. As far as I'm concerned the officiating tonight ruined the game and stole that opportunity from the fans.
Referees should not be the story of the game. They should never act like they're a big part of the show. They can't get emotional. They especially shouldn't take over a game to the point that they can't seem to stay out of the way. Tonight's game was a virtual seminar on how not to call a game. I credit the Smokies tonight for not giving up in the third period. They battled in cutting the deficit to 2-1 and 4-2 at the start and finish of the period. They battled hard in killing a full 2 minute 5 on 3. They battled in keeping the Bulldogs to only 2 power play goals in those 11 opportunities. The Smoke Eaters can hold their heads up high for how they keep fighting to stay in the game no matter what was thrown in their way.
Next time fans at home get set to complain about our local refs try to remember what we saw in Port Alberni tonight. We are lucky to have the guys we have at the Cominco Arena every weekend. As far as I'm concerned they're the class of the league. I can't wait to see the Bulldogs come to Trail so we can actually see what a real game between the two teams would be like.
I'm not saying the officiating was the reason the Bulldogs won. Instead I'm saying it was the reason we didn't actually see a hockey game tonight. I'm not sure what it was... but it sure wasn't a hockey game.
...Don't forget to check out the Smokies retro jersey auction. The lastest bids are just down the blog from this post. Bids are due January 30th.
...Some very frustrating news to report. Justin Brown has sustained an upper body injury and won't make the road trip this week. Boy has he had hard luck in his BCHL career. I remember last season just about this time Justin was just starting to play his best hockey and put up some points when he was out with an injury. Now he has 6 points in his last 3 games and he goes down. With all the karma he's earning he'll be an iron man for the rest of his career. I'm sure the Smokies are wishing one of their best two-way guys a speedy recovery.
...Injuries were also a factor in Trail's poor performance on the PK against Westside. It's tough when you're down 3 veteran defenceman. With Strukoff, Swaffield and Kaufmann all out with injuries the Smokies didn't get the performance they needed from their 5 regulars. AP Bennett Hambrook actually had a very solid debut for the Smokies and plays with a nice edge. He had one rough outing against Trevor Bailey that was kind of a "welcome to the BCHL" moment, but overall Hambrook (of the Nelson Leafs in the KIJHL) is a player to watch. Swaffield should be back on Wednesday against Powell River and Kaufmann should also be back shortly. Strukoff's return date is still no known although he told me he wanted to play on the trip.
...Another two-way guy who has really been performing of late is Captain Paul Mailey. After the 7-3 loss in Westside he has 10 points in his last 10 games. Mailey had 40 points last season and can put up a lot more points than he did in a frustrating first half. He was always valuable on the ice even without the points, but now we're again seeing the kind of player he can be at both ends.
...While there was a lot for the coaching staff to be frustrated about on Sunday they can look to a few positives. One of them was the "pack mentality" Trail continues to display. It's something that was perhaps lacking a bit earlier in the season. The team is standing up for each other no matter which line is on the ice. They're playing as a unit or as a "pack" and that can only lead to good things. There will be no pushing the Smokies around and everyone is buying in. There will be off games like the one on Sunday, but I still get a sense that the team has a much better attitude than back in the early fall. They had points in 7 straight games before the one in West Kelowna so there's no reason to get down on themselves. Wednesday is an important rebound game.
...Despite losing 7-3 I liked how Trail kept pace with the Warriors at even strength. The special teams battle went Westside's way and was the difference in the game. However, you can tell a lot about a team's ability by the way they match up with top teams 5 on 5. If Trail could have stayed out of the box (or gotten some calls) and executed better 5 on 4 or 4 on 5 that would've been a close game. That's a lot of "ifs" but to me its more a comment on how the team's play is still solid in even strength situations. The PK had also been so much better recently until the Westside game. They need to make sure it's only a one time thing as the PK has been a killer for them on the road.
...The playoff race is still very tight. Quesnel and Merritt sit a single point ahead of Trail for 5th place, but the Smokies have games in hand. They have to take advantage of those games during this week's road trip against some tough teams. Prince George is 5 points out and the playoffs are certainly not out of reach for them yet. Trail was 6 points behind Merritt only a few weeks ago and we saw how quickly that gap can get erased.
...One of those opponents for the Smokies this week is Alberni Valley. Congrats goes out to Mitch MacMillan for scoring 50 goals in 49 games. That's quit an accomplishment. Especially when you realize that the next best total so far is Trevor Bailey's 38 goals and Colton Beck is in third spot with 32. Nobody can touch MacMillan's sniping so far this season. It should be interesting to get a look at MacMillan, former Smoke Eater Tye Lewis and the red hot Bulldogs for the first time this week. I always enjoy a visit to what is maybe the loudest crowd in the league. I do have to say though I still think Trail has the smartest fans out there... except for the ones who give me hell... or maybe especially those ones! Don't forget all four games on the trip will be live on Mountain FM.
The Smoke Eaters have traded forward Tye Lewis to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for defencemanCurtis 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.
The Trail Smoke Eaters are looking for some billet families for the 2009-10 BCHL season. It's a great way to be a part of the Smokies family... and get free season tickets! I have to say I know so many stories of billet families who end up making rich, life long connections to the players that pass through their home. Just talk to assistant coach Brian Youngson who still has a great relationship with his billet family from Fernie or former Smoke Eater Stefan Decosse who still has a great relationship with his billet family from when he was in Beaver Valley and Trail. These are great kids who in addition to being easy to deal with can actually contribute a lot to your home. Here's Smokies board member Scott McKinnon...
...The Castlegar Rebels have traded Ryan Bulach's brother Corey to Sicamous for forward Luke Richardson. At least this Luke Richardson doesn't have to stand up for JarkkoRuutu. Corey played half the season last year for the Rebels and impressed a lot of people with his heart and tenacity. He's now going to the team that Ryan took to a KIJHL Championship against former Smokies Patrik Martin and Stefan Decosse when they played for Beaver Valley. Richardson will be trying out for Junior A, but if he doesn't make it he'll be a big offensive cog for the Rebels. Castlegar also added Ryan Reid to their roster for next season. They have lots of holes to fill from graduating players and from four of their guys going to Williams Lake for next season.
...The FernieGhostriders blog has gathered some feedback to Kamloops winning the right to host the Keystone Cup. Obviously folks in Fernie and Nelson are not too pleased by this. I know for my own reasons I'd love to have seen the event in Nelsone where they would've put on a great show. I think that's the biggest reason I don't like the BC Hockey decision. In Nelson and Fernie the KIJHL is the #1 hockey show in town. In Kamloops it's second to the WHL. Plus Kamloops gets so many tournaments that it won't be as special there as it would have been for the smaller communities. That being said, I'm sure Barry Dewar and his organization will do a hell of a job.
According to the Nanaimo Daily News (and before that a post on the BCHL message board), Nanaimo Clippers Assistant Coach Nolan Graham is set to become the next Head Coach and GM of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. This would be (from my understanding) Graham's first head coaching job in the league. However, he has been an assistant on a team that went to the BCHL finals last year and won a championship the season before. Graham scored 149 points in 2 BCHL seasons with Chilliwack before heading off to R.P.I. in the NCAA. He then played 3 seasons of pro hockey in the ECHL and CHL before joining the Clippers coaching staff.
It's not the experienced head coach with a winning track record that I'm sure some Bulldogs fans wanted. On the other hand, he's learned from one of the best and experienced what it takes to get to a championship in this league. Every great coach has a first job. This could be it for Graham.
The Bulldogs have a press conference tomorrow to make it official. I'm sure there will be more coverage on Hammer's blog when that happens. I certainly hope this is a step in the right direction for those great fans in Port Alberni.
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.
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