Kellen Jones on Vernon's Championship

Congrats to the Vernon Vipers on a second straight Fred Page Cup victory. This is a league full of deep and talented teams. It is very difficult to repeat, but the Vipers found a way to get it done against a very game Powell River Kings club. Credit to both organizations who lost some key pieces and still managed to return to the league finals. Check out a very good article from Vernon on the game that picked up on the Labreche vs. Jones match up I talked about here. Very tough loss for Powell River. I had a chance to chat with Montrose's Kellen Jones of the Vipers on their Game 7 victory and preparing for the Doyle Cup.

Montrose's Kellen Jones on Vernon winning the Fred Page Cup

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Good luck to the Vipers as they represent our league in the Doyle Cup and perhaps eventually in the Royal Bank Cup again. As for Powell River, they serve again as an example of how commitment to developing a program in a small market under community ownership can still lead to success in this league. It's not all about location and private ownership. Kent Lewis and company have shown the way for other similar programs to follow. I know that's a fifth loss in the finals for the Kings and they're starting to feel like the Buffalo Bills. They can still hold their heads up high as they've accomplished a lot more than people expected over these past two years.

Today is also the start of the NHL playoffs. You can check out the Mountain FM Overtime Playoff Preview by clicking here. We've got a bunch of other archived interviews on the site as well including a chat with Don Hay. Tonight on Overtmie I'll have a chat with Trail minor hockey product and Kelowna Rockets Coach Ryan Huska on the three locals who played for him this year including former Smoke Eater Lucas Bloodoff.

Fred Page Cup: Labreche and Jones Interviews, Spring Camp Schedule

Mitch Labreche and the Jones twins might be getting sick of each other. The rivals have gone head to head in the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. That dates all the way back to when they both played as 15 year olds in the KIJHL for Nelson and Beaver Valley respectively. The Nitehawks beat the Leafs in 2006 on the way to a loss in the league finals before Nelson returned the favour and also lost in the finals the following season.

The West Kootenay products then took their rivalry to the BCHL. Labreche with Penticton and the Jones Twins went to Vernon. The Vees took down the Vipers in 2008 on the way to their BCHL Championship. Vernon then returned the favour on the way to their Fred Page Cup win last year. It's like their careers have been mirror images. They've each made a KIJHL final and lost... they've each won a Fred Page Cup... so who will win the rubber match with another BCHL crown on the line?

Kellen scored once and had an assist as Vernon took game 1 of the series 2-1. Connor also added a goal. Advantage Jones twins. We'll see if Labreche and the Kings (who played a very even game with Vernon from what I saw) can grab that desired split tomorrow night. I had a chance to talk to Mitch and Kellen before the series on Mountain FM's Overtime.

Vernon Vipers forward Kellen Jones

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Powell River Kings forward Mitch Labreche

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Good luck to both the Kings and Vipers in their quest for the league title. It looks like the series is off to a heck of a start.

SPRING CAMP

I caught the last game of the first day of Trail's spring camp today. From chatting with a few people it's my impression there is a lot of interesting young talent. How many of those guys will be ready for next season? Maybe not many. However, we may say a great number of them playing for local KIJHL teams to get set for that jump to the BCHL. We may also see a few of them force their way on to the Trail roster.

I was also quite impressed with Steve Koshey's transition to forward today. He scored 4 times in the game I saw. Maybe he should consider a full time jump... well somehow I doubt he'll do that. Still was very nice to see so many of the current guys involved. Also nice to see former Smoke Eater Paul Barclay on hand helping out with the evaluation of their goaltenders. He's a guy with a lot of passion and understanding for what it takes to play the game. Nice to see him involved again after his junior career ended this spring.

Here's tomorrow's schedule:

Practices

8:00-9:00am - White
9:15-10:15am - Blue
10:30-11:30am - Yellow
11:45am-12:45pm - Red

1:00-1:45pm - Goalies

4:00-5:30pm - White vs. Red
6:00-7:30pm - Yellow vs. Blue

Game 4 Video Highlights: Westside 4 Trail 2

Tonight's game 5 is live on Mountain FM at 6:45pm. Join us at 104.1 FM in Trail and at www.mountainfm.net

Playoffs Game 5: Trail at Westside

Do or die tonight. Here's how the season series breaks down...

• Sept 24: Trail 2 at Westside 9
• Dec 9: Westside 3 at Trail 0
• Jan 17: Trail 3 at Westside 7
• Feb 12: Westside 2 at Trail 4
• Feb 13: Westside 1 at Trail 4
• Feb 16: Trail 1 at Westside 2 (OT)
• Feb 26: Trail 6 at Westside 3 (Game 1)
• Feb 27: Trail 2 at Westside 4 (Game 2)
• Mar 1: Westside 4 at Trail 0 (Game 3)
• Mar 2: Westside 4 at Trail 2 (Game 4)

REGULAR SEASON RECORDS

Trail: 20-32-1-7 (8-8-0-4 in 2010)
Westside: 38-18-1-3 (12-7-0-2 in 2010)

POWER PLAY

Trail: 6/46 (13%)
Westside: 9/39 (23%)

TRAIL TOP SCORERS

Nick Sandor (4-6-10)
Scott Jacklin (2-7-9)
Sam Mellor (6-3-9)
Travis St. Denis (2-4-6)
Paul Mailey (1-5-6)
Mike Betz (2-3-5)
Sean Nugent (2-2-4)
Matt Wilkins (2-1-3)
Josh McEwan (0-3-3)

WESTSIDE TOP SCORERS

Grayson Downing (7-4-11)
Tyler Krause (3-7-10)
Alex Grieve (3-7-10)
Brendan Ellis (5-4-9)
Cam Reid (5-4-9)
Quinn Gould (3-5-8)
Kyle Singleton (2-5-7)
Trevor Bailey (3-4-7)
Max French (5-1-6)

GOALTENDERS

Kevin Jebson (WES) 7-2, 2.08GAA, 0.932%
Kiefer Smiley (TRA) 3-6, 2.76GAA, 0.926%
Cam Gorchynski (WES) 0-1, 3.01GAA, 0.909%
Garrett Beckwith (TRA) 0-0, 8.00GAA, 0.805%

ROSTER

TRAIL

WESTSIDE

BROADCAST

We'll have the game for you on Mountain FM with Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Play by Play starting with our City of Trail Pre-Game Show at 6:45pm. It's 104.1FM in Trail and available at http://www.mountainfm.net/

GAME DAY AUDIO

Smokies Coach Jim Ingram

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Canadian Sledge Hockey Assistant Coach Mike Mondin

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Mountain FM's Chris Wahl interviews Canadian Sledge Hockey Forward Derek Whitson

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Post Game 4: Westside 4 Trail 2

Trail, BC - If there's a team that is already familiar with having their backs against the wall this season it's the Smoke Eaters. They now have another opportunity to come back from the brink after a 4-2 loss in game 4 put them down 3 games to 1 in their first round series with the Westside Warriors.

One month ago the Smokies were injury ridden and in the midst of a 5 game losing streak with their playoff hopes looking bleak. Trail responded by earning points in 7 of their last 9 games and playing their best hockey of the season.

The orange and black find themselves in a similar situation heading into game 5 in West Kelowna. They're severely banged up and have lost 3 straight games, but it's way too early to count them out.

Westside managed to get ahead in the series by turning strong starts in game 3 and 4 into hard earned road victories. After controlling the play in the first period on Wednesday the Warriors got an early second period goal from Cam Reid to take a commanding 2 goal lead.

Trail answered immediately when Sam Mellor scored to turn the momentum in their favour. However, Kevin Jebson shut the door the rest of the way. The veteran goaltender stopped 30 of 32 Smoke Eater shots to give his team a chance to close the series out at home. Kiefer Smiley was also again strong as he stopped 30 of 33 Warrior shots.

The game was really a battle between two lines. Trail's top unit of Mellor, Nick Sandor and Scott Jacklin has produced all their offence in the last 3 games while Westside has been relying on Grayson Downing, Reid and Tyler Krause. Downing leads the series in scoring with 5 goals and 2 assists.

Special teams was again a difference maker in game 4 as the Warriors went 1 for 2 on the power play and Trail failed to convert their man advantage opportunities. The Smokies haven't scored with the extra man since their game 1 victory.

Game 5 is Thursday night at 7pm in West Kelowna.

ON THE TRAIL: The Smokies were again down to 10 healthy forwards for game 4. Darnell Dyck, Wade Bennett, Steve Oursov and Thomas Abenante all sat out with injuries. Defenceman Curtis Tonello also missed the game and was replaced in the line-up by affiliate defenceman Colton Semenok of the KIJHL's Beaver Valley Nitehawks ... Game 4 wasn't nearly as chippy as the previous night. There were a combined 120 penalty minutes on Tuesday compared to only 18 on Wednesday ... Trail welcomed the Canadian sledge hockey team to the Cominco Arena with a ceremony during the first intermission. Former Smokies assistant coach Mike Mondin is now an assistant for the sledge hockey club. They're the defending Paralympic champions preparing for the 2010 games in Vancouver.

Playoffs Game 4: Westside at Trail

Again a special note that tonight's game starts at 7pm rather than the usual 7:30 start time in Trail. The Canadian sledge hockey team will be special guests of the Smoke Eaters for tonight's game. It will also be Mountain FM night up in the box. It should be a fun night and hopefully we'll see a big crowd. Here's how the season series breaks down...

• Sept 24: Trail 2 at Westside 9
• Dec 9: Westside 3 at Trail 0
• Jan 17: Trail 3 at Westside 7
• Feb 12: Westside 2 at Trail 4
• Feb 13: Westside 1 at Trail 4
• Feb 16: Trail 1 at Westside 2 (OT)
• Feb 26: Trail 6 at Westside 3 (Game 1)
• Feb 27: Trail 2 at Westside 4 (Game 2)
• Mar 1: Westside 4 at Trail 0 (Game 3)

REGULAR SEASON RECORDS

Trail: 20-32-1-7 (8-8-0-4 in 2010)
Westside: 38-18-1-3 (12-7-0-2 in 2010)

POWER PLAY

Trail: 6/43 (14%)
Westside: 8/37 (22%)

TRAIL TOP SCORERS

Nick Sandor (3-5-8)
Scott Jacklin (2-6-8)
Sam Mellor (5-2-7)
Travis St. Denis (2-4-6)
Paul Mailey (1-5-6)
Mike Betz (2-3-5)
Sean Nugent (2-2-4)
Matt Wilkins (2-1-3)
Josh McEwan (0-3-3)

WESTSIDE TOP SCORERS

Grayson Downing (6-3-9)
Brendan Ellis (4-4-8)
Quinn Gould (3-5-8)
Tyler Krause (3-5-8)
Alex Grieve (2-6-8)
Kyle Singleton (2-5-7)
Cam Reid (4-3-7)
Trevor Bailey (3-4-7)
Max French (5-1-6)

GOALTENDERS

Kevin Jebson (WES) 6-2, 2.09GAA, 0.931%
Kiefer Smiley (TRA) 3-5, 2.72GAA, 0.928%
Cam Gorchynski (WES) 0-1, 3.01GAA, 0.909%
Garrett Beckwith (TRA) 0-0, 8.00GAA, 0.805%

ROSTER

TRAIL

WESTSIDE

BROADCAST

There is no radio broadcast of home games but it is available on BCHL PPV.

GAME DAY AUDIO

Smokies Coach Jim Ingram

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Game 1 Audio Highlights on Mountain FM

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Game 2 Audio Highlights on Mountain FM

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Post Game 3: Westside 4 Trail 0

Sorry this is late as I was dead to the world last night when I got home after a 13 hour day. I've had some people e-mail me who are fans of both teams that were attacking the "cheap shots" and bad behaviour of each team depending who they support. What we're seeing here is a playoff series between two teams that really don't like each other. It has been intense and at times it has been dirty. I'm not a fan of cheap shots no matter who takes them, but that seems to come with the territory in this series.

I will say that I hope players will think twice before any "intent to injury" type plays. There is no place in the game for blindsiding a player at full speed who doesn't have the puck. Period. I don't care what jersey you're wearing that just isn't acceptable. There also isn't any place in the game for either team to get their sticks up at face level as much as we've seen in this series. By all means play with a hard and physical edge. I love that type of game. However, if you're going to do it... do it with class and respect.

Trail, BC - The Smoke Eaters didn't find much comfort in home cooking as Westside took game 3 in Trail 4-0. Alex Grieve scored less than a minute into the game and that was all Kevin Jebson needed. The Warriors netminder stopped all 31 shots he faced including breakaways by Josh McEwan and Matt Wilkins.

The game also took on a distinctly physical tone as referee Grant Tyson was forced to hand out quite a few misconducts to try and settle things down. In all the teams combined for 120 penalty minutes in game that only saw 7 total power plays.

It ended on a physical note as well. A shoving match beside the Westside bench between Taylor Swaffield and Joel Woznikoski escalated in the final minute but never did turn into the full blown brawl it could have. However, it is obvious how much distaste the two sides have for one another.

The Warriors finally struck on the power play for the first time on the series. Brendan Ellis fired one in off of Kiefer Smiley and Smokies defender Steve Koshey to make it 2-0 Westside. Ellis would later score his second of the game into the empty cage.

Grayson Downing scored Westside's other goal to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the second period. Downing added an assist for his 5th point in his last 2 games. He leads the series in scoring.

Once the Warriors took a 2-0 lead they did a solid job of clogging up the middle of the ice. For long stretches of the second and third period Trail was able to put some pressure on with their cycle game, but couldn't seem to create a lot of in tight opportunities.

The Smokies have failed to score now in five straight periods after scoring 8 times in the first 4.

Smiley was solid in making another 30 saves in the Trail goal. He has been their most consistent player of late with a playoff save percentage over 92%.

ON THE TRAIL: Injuries continue to mount for the Smokies. They started the series with only 10 healthy forwards and lost Darnell Dyck in game 1. Justin Brown returned to the line-up in game 3, but defenceman Curtis Tonello was the next to go as he didn't see the ice after the first period. Add Tonello and Dyck's names to Steve Oursov, Wade Bennett and Thomas Abenante on the injured list. That doesn't even include the number of players battling through painful injuries in the series as it has been a gutsy effort by the Trail roster ... The Smoke Eaters scored 3 power play goals in game 1 but have been held off the board in the next two games. They went 0 for 4 in game 3 ... Trail will welcome the Canadian sledge hockey team to the Cominco Arena during game 4. Puck drop is again at 7pm.

Playoffs Game 3: Westside at Trail

Again a special note that tonight's game starts at 7pm rather than the usual 7:30 start time in Trail. Here's how the season series breaks down...

• Sept 24: Trail 2 at Westside 9
• Dec 9: Westside 3 at Trail 0
• Jan 17: Trail 3 at Westside 7
• Feb 12: Westside 2 at Trail 4
• Feb 13: Westside 1 at Trail 4
• Feb 16: Trail 1 at Westside 2 (OT)
• Feb 26: Trail 6 at Westside 3 (Game 1)
• Feb 27: Trail 2 at Westside 4 (Game 2)
  

REGULAR SEASON RECORDS

Trail: 20-32-1-7 (8-8-0-4 in 2010)
Westside: 38-18-1-3 (12-7-0-2 in 2010)

POWER PLAY

Trail: 6/39 (15%)
Westside: 7/34 (21%)

TRAIL TOP SCORERS

Nick Sandor (3-5-8)
Scott Jacklin (2-6-8)
Sam Mellor (5-2-7)
Mike Betz (2-3-5)
Paul Mailey (1-3-4)
Travis St. Denis (2-2-4)
Sean Nugent (2-2-4)
Matt Wilkins (2-1-3)
Josh McEwan (0-3-3)

(These numbers are the current official numbers but corrections would likely give Mailey and St. Denis another 2 assists each from game 1)

WESTSIDE TOP SCORERS

Grayson Downing (5-2-7)
Trevor Bailey (3-4-7)
Quinn Gould (3-4-7)
Tyler Krause (3-4-7)
Kyle Singleton (2-5-7)
Alex Grieve (1-6-7)
Cam Reid (4-2-6)
Brendan Ellis (2-4-6)
Max French (5-1-6)

GOALTENDERS

Kiefer Smiley (TRA) 3-4, 2.68GAA, 0.931%
Kevin Jebson (WES) 5-2, 2.38GAA, 0.921%
Cam Gorchynski (WES) 0-1, 3.01GAA, 0.909%
Garrett Beckwith (TRA) 0-0, 8.00GAA, 0.805%

ROSTER

TRAIL

WESTSIDE

BROADCAST

There is no radio broadcast of home games but it is available on BCHL PPV.

Video Highlights: Games 1 and 2

Game 3 is Monday night at 7pm in Trail. Get your tickets at Re-Max All Pro Realty or at the door.

Post Game 2: Westside 4 Trail 2

West Kelowna, BC - Grayson Downing scored a third period hat trick to lead the Westside Warriors to a 4-2 come from behind victory over Trail in game 2 of their first round series. The best of seven is now tied at one.

The Smoke Eaters had a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes thanks to some early goals and strong goaltending. Kiefer Smiley was the biggest reason for the lead as he stopped all 30 shots he faced in the first two periods. In the end Smiley made 40 saves in a second star performance.

Sam Mellor opened the scoring for the Smokies on a blazing wrist shot from the slot set up by Nick Sandor. Trail's top line struck again later in the frame when Scott Jacklin fired a puck that appeared to change direction past Jebson.

The Smoke Eaters hung on to their early lead despite appearing quite fatigued in the second. Westside was able to roll all four of their lines partially thanks to a second straight strong performance from the unit of Morrisson, Sissons and French. However, the Smoke Eaters were really only able to muster 3 lines.

Recent injuries to Wade Bennett, Justin Brown and Steve Oursov have kept them all out of game action while Darnell Dyck saw very limited duty after leaving game 1 in the third period. Their status for game 3 is unclear.

Westside got on the board early in the third period on a nice play by Tyler Krause down low to escape a check and feed the puck out front to Downing. Smiley got a piece of it and the puck went off the post and in to cut Trail's lead to 1.

The Warriors evened the score a few minutes later when Max French tipped in a Matthew Mather shot.

The tie seemed to put a little extra spring in Trail's steps. The tired club took some energy from seeing their lead slip away and created some very good opportunities including a 2 on 0 for Mellor and Sandor that Kevin Jebson was able to turn aside in spectacular fashion. He stopped 26 of 28 Smokies shots in the victory.

Westside got a late winner from Downing as he wrapped around from behind the net and banged in the puck after a couple of whacks at it. The 17 year old then iced the game with an empty netter.

The series turns to Trail on Monday and Tuesday with the Smoke Eaters now holding home ice advantage because of the split on the weekend. The start time for those games has been changed to 7pm.

ON THE TRAIL: Both teams were unable to score on the man advantage. Trail was 0 for 4 while Westside was 0 for 3. The Warriors are a combined 0 for 6 in the series and have only scored once on the power play against Trail in the last 5 games between the two clubs ... The game was quite similar to the second game of last year's first round series in that Trail got the early lead and held on for much of the contest thanks to strong goaltending. The Warriors won that game in overtime on a Jordan Gagne goal. The difference is that this season Trail was able to put forth a much stronger effort in game 1 and claim a split on the road ... The goaltender last year for Trail was Paul Barclay who took Beaver Valley to a game seven against Nelson in the first round of the KIJHL playoffs. The Leafs won the deciding game 3-2 tonight in what was an absolute classic battle. Congrats to both teams on their effort and to the Nitehawks on a fine season for a very young club. Perhaps Trail could get a boost from a couple of Nitehawk APs on Monday ... The Smoke Eaters are hosting a viewing party for the gold medal men's hockey game later today (Sunday) at the Cominco Arena. It'll be free to get in with the game on the big screen and the concessions open. Puck drop is 12pm.

Playoffs Game 2: Trail at Westside

Here's how the season series breaks down...

• Sept 24: Trail 2 at Westside 9
• Dec 9: Westside 3 at Trail 0
• Jan 17: Trail 3 at Westside 7
• Feb 12: Westside 2 at Trail 4
• Feb 13: Westside 1 at Trail 4
• Feb 16: Trail 1 at Westside 2 (OT)
• Feb 26: Trail 6 at Westside 3 (Game 1)
  

REGULAR SEASON RECORDS

Trail: 20-32-1-7 (8-8-0-4 in 2010)
Westside: 38-18-1-3 (12-7-0-2 in 2010)

POWER PLAY

Trail: 6/35 (17%)
Westside: 7/31 (23%)

TRAIL TOP SCORERS

Scott Jacklin (1-6-7)
Nick Sandor (3-3-6)
Mike Betz (2-3-5)
Sam Mellor (4-1-5)
Paul Mailey (1-3-4)
Travis St. Denis (2-2-4)
Sean Nugent (2-2-4)
Matt Wilkins (2-1-3)
Josh McEwan (0-3-3)

(These numbers are the current official numbers but corrections would likely give Mailey and St. Denis another 2 assists each from last night)

WESTSIDE TOP SCORERS

Trevor Bailey (3-4-7)
Quinn Gould (3-4-7)
Alex Grieve (1-6-7)
Cam Reid (4-2-6)
Kyle Singleton (2-4-6)
Brendan Ellis (2-4-6)
Max French (4-1-5)
Tyler Krause (3-2-5)
Grayson Downing (2-2-4)

GOALTENDERS

Kiefer Smiley (TRA) 3-3, 2.62GAA, 0.931%
Kevin Jebson (WES) 4-2, 2.45GAA, 0.920%
Cam Gorchynski (WES) 0-1, 3.01GAA, 0.909%
Garrett Beckwith (TRA) 0-0, 8.00GAA, 0.805%

ROSTER

TRAIL

WESTSIDE

BROADCAST

We'll have the game for you with Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Play by Play on Mountain FM in the West Kootenay and at http://www.mountainfm.net/

PREVIEW AUDIO

Smokies forward Matt Wilkins after Game 1

Click here to download

Post Game 1: Trail 6 Westside 3

What a game last night for the Smokies! It was a gutsy effort through 40 minutes to take a 3-2 lead into the third period. A lot of fans in the building last night talked about the impact the penalty calls had on the third... and of course any 5 on 3 or 5 minute major call is going to have some impact on a game. However, the Smokies without question earned their first playoff win under Coach Ingram. Now they at least guarantee themselves a split with a chance to go up 2-0 before even heading back to Trail.

West Kelowna, BC - Matt Wilkins opened and closed the scoring as Trail beat Westside 6-3 in the first game of their first round series. It was the first BCHL playoff game for Wilkins and his best outing as a Smoke Eater.

The Kimberley native opened the scoring after Sean Nugent won a puck battle along the wall and got it to him in the neutral zone. Wilkins wired a shot over the glove hand of Kevin Jebson to start the back and fourth scoring.

Alex Grieve answered for Westside by banking a reboud from the side of the goal off a sprawled out Kiefer Smiley. It was one of only 3 goals Smiley would allow on 36 shots in another terrific performance from the Smokies netminder.

Nick Sandor put Trail back ahead early in the second period after a Graeme Strukoff shot block turned into an odd man rush for the Smokies. Sam Mellor made a move towards the net and then put a perfect pass on Sandor's stick for the tap in.

The Warriors tied the game again at the end of a power play when Colton Sissons one-timed a nice pass from Dru Morrison. Their line along with Max French was perhaps Westside's most effective as they were dangerous every time they hit the ice.

Trail got a bounce to go their way when Paul Mailey's stick shattered on an attempted shot and he ended up putting the puck right on Travis St. Denis' stick for a power play goal. St. Denis had strong game that included hitting the post and getting robbed by Jebson on a partial break.

Mike Betz knocked his own rebound in mid-way through the third period to give Trail another power play goal and a 4-2 lead. Immediately after the goal Joel Woznikoski was called for high sticking a Smoke Eater as they tried to return to their bench. When he returned to the ice Woznikoski was immediately called for an elbow on Nick Sandor.

The major penalty gave Trail a 5 on 3 that they took advantage of with some nice passing by Steve Koshey and Scott Jacklin to set Mellor up. Woznikoski was also kicked out of the game for the elbow.

Westside gave Trail fans some anxious moments after Tyler Krause put a puck off of Koshey and in to cut the Smoke Eater lead to two. However, Wilkins was able to ice the game with an empty net goal after some good shot blocking by Trail in their own end.

The win was the first playoff victory for Trail under Coach Jim Ingram and their first at Royal Lepage Place since November 9th, 2007. Game 2 goes Saturday night in West Kelowna. The series then shifts to Trail for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday night at 7pm.

ON THE TRAIL: Trail's forward group has been bit hard by the injury bug. They came into tonight's game with only 10 healthy forwards after injuries to Wade Bennett, Justin Brown, Steve Oursov and Thomas Abenante. Darnell Dyck also left the game and his status is questionable for Game 2 ... Trail out shot the Warriors 39-36 after putting 20 shots on net in the third period ... Sean Nugent had 2 assists and now has 11 points in his last 21 games. That compares to only 6 in the last 40 games. The veteran tough guy is thriving with added responsibility offensively ... Trail went 3 for 9 on the power play while Westside went 0 for 3 ... The Smoke Eaters are hosting an Olympic hockey gold medal game viewing party on Sunday at the Cominco Arena. It's free to get in.

Playoffs Game 1: Trail at Westside

Here's how the season series breaks down...

• Sept 24: Trail 2 at Westside 9
• Dec 9: Westside 3 at Trail 0
• Jan 17: Trail 3 at Westside 7
• Feb 12: Westside 2 at Trail 4
• Feb 13: Westside 1 at Trail 4
• Feb 16: Trail 1 at Westside 2 (OT)
  

RECORDS

Trail: 20-32-1-7 (8-8-0-4 in 2010)
Westside: 38-18-1-3 (12-7-0-2 in 2010)

POWER PLAY

Trail: 3/26 (12%)
Westside: 7/28 (25%)

TRAIL TOP SCORERS

Scott Jacklin (1-5-6)
Nick Sandor (2-3-5)
Mike Betz (1-3-4)
Sam Mellor (3-0-3)
Paul Mailey (1-2-3)
Travis St. Denis (1-2-3)
Josh McEwan (0-3-3)
Sean Nugent (2-0-2)
Ben Matthews (1-1-2)
Wade Bennett (0-2-2)

WESTSIDE TOP SCORERS

Trevor Bailey (3-4-7)
Cam Reid (4-2-6)
Quinn Gould (3-3-6)
Alex Grieve (0-6-6)
Kyle Singleton (2-4-6)
Brendan Ellis (2-4-6)
Max French (4-0-4)
Tyler Krause (2-2-4)
Grayson Downing (2-2-4)

GOALTENDERS

Kiefer Smiley (TRA) 2-3, 2.54GAA, 0.934%
Kevin Jebson (WES) 4-1, 1.94GAA, 0.933%
Cam Gorchynski (WES) 0-1, 3.01GAA, 0.909%
Garrett Beckwith (TRA) 0-0, 8.00GAA, 0.805%

ROSTER

TRAIL

WESTSIDE

BROADCAST

We'll have the game for you with Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Play by Play on Mountain FM in the West Kootenay and at http://www.mountainfm.net/

PREVIEW AUDIO

Coach Jim Ingram on the series

Click here to download

Nelson Winners, Quick Conference Finals Prediction

Congrats to the Nelson Leafs for making the KIJHL finals. We'll be back on the air to broadcast the road games for Nelson in championship series. Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Sunday next week in either Kamloops or Sicamous. The home games are this Sunday, Monday, Saturday and possibly the following Tuesday. Lets fill the rink up and cheer on the West Kootenay's last junior team left standing this spring.

Also congrats to the Kaslo/Nelson Bantam Rep Tier 3 team for winning the provincial championship! That's a wonderful accomplishment for Coach Jeff Hunt and his 16 players. They even had a parade down Baker street tonight. I'll have some audio from them, local WHL players, the KIJHL Leafs, other local teams at provincials and more coming up sometime this weekend.

CONFERENCE FINALS

So far I'm 6/7 in my BCHL playoff predictions so I figured I shouldn't give up on them. I don't have time to do full previews like I did in the first two rounds, but I think you can forgive me given that I have a full time job and the Smokies have been out for a couple of weeks now! Why does the off season have to be so long? Lets have a summer league too...

Vernon vs. Salmon Arm: The season series was really tight. They both have terrific depth on the blue line. I think the Silverbacks could have had the edge there before Vernon made the huge additions of Brodie and Leidl at the deadline. As it stands it's pretty close. Up front the Silverbacks have the more explosive top units, but Vernon can kill you from the first through to the fourth line. Goaltending should be close too. Both coaches are experienced and talented. Forward depth to me is the main difference in the series. Vipers in 6.

Victoria vs. Powell River: I actually predicted a Capitals upset and it was looking that way for a while at the end, but Victoria played a near perfect game to close the series out. The Kings are obviously very talented and have a high powered offence, but the season series was almost all Grizz. I don't know exactly what it was about the match up that seemed to favour Victoria, but you can't argue against what happened. I'm going Victoria in 5. That being said, the playoffs can be a whole different story and I'd love to see the community owned Kings make the finals. It'd be great for smaller market teams across the league to see them go for the Fred Page Cup.

Looks like I'm expecting a Vernon vs. Victoria final. Not exactly going out on a limb, is it?

What do you think?

Leafs Win, Pinder Preview

The road to a repeat of the Fred Page Cup is getting rockie for the defending champs from Penticton. The Vees and Vernon Vipers head into a huge game four tonight at the South Okanagan Events Center. The Vees won the first game, but Vernon have grabbed the last two and the big "mo" in the series. A must win game for Penticton tonight? Close to it. Here's Ryan...

Vees Broadcaster Ryan Pinder on Game 4

Click here to download

We also chatted about the attendance in the series so far which has been somewhat underwhelming given the usual numbers in those cities. Why do you think the numbers have been down? Economy, marketing, short notice of the dates, expectations of a conference or league final?

Speaking of teams with high expectations, the top ranked Nelson Leafs finished off the Castlegar Rebels in the second round of the KIJHL playoffs last night. The Leafs are powered by former Smokies Brock Monroe, Scott Jago and Miles Houston... as well as Smokies APs Tommy Rizardo, Peter Alexander, Dylan Walchuk, Michael Spring and Jacob Perich. There are more than a few connections there, eh? Congrats to Simon Wheeldon's Leafs on another step towards what could be a run at the KIJHL Championship at a Cyclone Taylor Cup maybe? Wheeldon won his third consecutive Coach of the Year award and sure seems to be establishing an elite program. If he wasn't such a big part of that community I'm sure a BCHL team would've scooped him up by now.

Castlegar and Beaver Valley both had strong teams this year that could have emerged from other divisions in the league, but Nelson just had more depth. Congrats to all teams in the Neil Murdoch for another very competitive season. The one thing that has kept me going after the Smokies exit was the exciting playoff hockey we saw in our region. The Leafs did sweep the second round, but 3/4 of the games were decided by a single goal.

Here's Brock...

Former Smoke Eater and Nelson Leafs Captain Brock Monroe

Click here to download

Finally just a quick note that the Smokies executive also responded to the "move to the KIJHL" letter in the Trail Times. Rick Basso's letter is a must read, but I think most Smoke Eaters fans always knew what we've been saying about Trail's place being in the BCHL. The future is still bright in my eyes.

Second Round Predictions

I don't really have time to do the audio previews I did for the last round. My apologies, but there's lots of "real life" work to catch up on at the radio station now that my hockey life away from work is over for another year. However, I did go 3 for 3 in my first round predictions so I didn't want to risk missing out on a 100% record throughout the playoffs!

INTERIOR CONFERENCE


The first place Vernon Vipers come off their first round bye to take on the defending champion Penticton Vees. Last year the roles were reversed with fourth place Vernon taking Penticton to seven games before the Vees advanced and went on to win the Fred Page Cup. Now Vernon is the deep, veteran team while Penticton has a bunch of first year skill players finding their playoff feet. With the roles reversed this season will we see the opposite result? For more on this series check out both the vipersdiehardfan blog and Pinder's Vees Blog.

Now let's check out the season series:

Oct 5: Penticton 2 at Vernon 6
Nov 22: Vernon 4 at Penticton 3 (OT)
Nov 29: Vernon 3 at Penticton 1
Dec 5: Penticton 4 at Vernon 5
Jan 10: Vernon 1 at Penticton 5
Jan 24: Penticton 2 at Vernon 4
Feb 17: Penticton 1 at Vernon 2 (OT)
Feb 21: Vernon 3 at Penticton 5

PREDICTION: Vernon only lost twice against Penticton, but two of their six wins were in extra time. The other note is that Penticton has one of the best home records in the league and have won their past two games against Vernon at the South Okanagan Events Centre. If the Vees get a split the Vipers could be in trouble. That being said, Penticton is less experienced, not as deep, not as tough, missing their MVP (Manderson) and coming off a five game war with Prince George. I think the very skilled Vees put up a fight, but this series goes to Vernon in 6. I don't know if anyone can beat Vernon.



The second place Salmon Arm Silverbacks take on the third place Westside Warriors. Salmon Arm had a bye while the Warriors swept Trail. However, Westside had to go to Overtime twice against the Smokies and seem to be dealing with some injury troubles. Sniper Jordan Gagne missed two of the games while the Interior's best defenseman Justin Schultz went down in game 3 and didn't return. Will they be ready? The Warriors were hot down the stretch while Salmon Arm kind of sputtered.

Now let's check out the season series:

Sept 24: Westside 7 at Salmon Arm 2
Nov 11: Westside 3 at Salmon Arm 6
Jan 3: Salmon Arm 3 at Westside 2
Jan 4: Westside 3 at Salmon Arm 6
Jan 9: Salmon Arm 2 at Westside 5
Jan 24: Salmon Arm 2 at Westside 3
Feb 11: Westside 3 at Salmon Arm 4
Feb 21: Salmon Arm 2 at Westside 4

PREDICTION: This series is without question the toughest call. The season series is straight up tied at 4 games each. The Warriors were on a roll at the end of the year while Salmon Arm was inconsistent, but it looks like Westside is a little more banged up. Salmon Arm has more high end skill while Westside has more depth. The Warriors have three killer offensive lines right now while Salmon Arm gets most of their scoring from the first and second lines. The first especially is just deadly. Both teams have very good playoff experienced goaltending. Both teams have very good playoff experienced coaches. Both have tough and smart veteran defensive cores. Flip a coin? My gut tells me Westside is a better playoff team and this pick could be a mistake (never question your gut!), but if Gagne and Schultz aren't 100% I'm going with home ice advantage. Salmon Arm in 7.

MAINLAND DIVISION


The first place Powell River Kings take on the third place Surreay Eagles in what should be an interesting mainland series. The Kings are an offensive force, but Surrey is riding great momentum after the first round. The Eagles also have the most unique ice surface in the league so that provides a hightened home ice advantage for games 3, 4 and 6. These two teams are obviously very familiar with one another after playing 247 times this season.

Now let's check out the season series:

Sept 12: Powell River 3 at Surrey 5
Oct 10: Surrey 2 at Powell River 5
Oct 11: Surrey 3 at Powell River 4
Oct 18: Powell River 3 at Surrey 2
Nov 1: Powell River 5 at Surrey 8
Nov 7: Powell River 3 at Surrey 2
Nov 28: Surrey 2 at Powell River 5
Nov 29: Surrey 4 at Powell River 3 (OT)
Dec 29: Powell River 3 at Surrey 4 (OT)
Jan 25: Powell River 4 at Surrey 1
Feb 20: Surrey 1 at Powell River 6
Feb 21: Surrey 3 at Powell River 7

PREDICTON: Surrey only beat Powell River four times in twelve games this season. Two of those wins took overtime. That means the Kings picked up 18 of a possible 24 points for them in the series. That's fairly one sided. Surrey does have a win on the road in the series, but their last two games against the Kings were both blowouts and don't bode well for getting a split this weekend. If they can't I have a hard time seeing them advancing. Tartaglione is a money goaltender and a potential game stealer, but the Kings pounded the tar out of him the last two times they faced off. The Eagles are very good on their olympic sized home ice, but the Kings did win three out of six games there this season. Surrey doesn't seem to have close to the scoring depth that Powell River does either. I was big on the Eagles in the first round, but everything points to Powell River in 5 here.

ISLAND DIVISION


The first place Victoria Grizzlies take on their hated rivals, the second place Cowichan Valley Capitals. The Grizz have a spot ready for them at the RBC in Victoria this spring and there's nothing the team from Duncan would like better than to get a ticket to that party as well. Those teams on the island all seem to have a healthy hate for one another and this should be a really good, high energy series. The last time a BCHL team hosted the RBC (Prince George) they went out early in the playoffs and had a long break before the tournament. Victoria desperately wants to avoid a similar situation.

Now let's check out the season series:

Sept 23: Cowichan 2 at Victoria 4
Oct 3: Cowichan 3 at Victoria 8
Nov 4: Cowichan 3 at Victoria 6
Nov 7: Victoria 2 at Cowichan 3 (OT)
Nov 8: Cowichan 2 at Victoria 5
Dec 27: Cowichan 4 at Victoria 3
Jan 10: Victoria 2 at Cowichan 3
Jan 16: Victoria 2 at Cowichan 3
Jan 23: Victoria 2 at Cowichan 4
Jan 30: Victoria 4 at Cowichan 1
Feb 14: Cowichan 4 at Victoria 5 (OT)
Feb 21: Victoria 5 at Cowichan 4

PREDICTON: Victoria dominated the season series in the early going, but at one point Cowichan won four straight games against the Grizzlies. Since that time Victoria has three consecutive wins against the Caps. Victoria holds the edge here, but it was a very tight series. I think that is about where we are heading into the playoffs. Victoria has a slight skill edge heading into this series. They also have home ice advantage. Were is Cowichan's edge? The Caps have momentum after knocking off Nanaimo in three games. They also have the goaltending edge with the Coastal MVP Chris Rawlings in goal. I think the Caps have an edge in toughness too. The additions of Pajimola and Perdicaro were big moves in terms of getting playoff ready guys with an edge into their line-up. However, Cowcihan only won once in Victoria this season. I think they'll have to win there at least twice to take the playoff series. This is another very tough series to call. I think perhaps given Victoria's guaranteed RBC spot the Caps may just want this one a little bit more. I also want to call at least one upset here. Capitals in 7.

As usual take all my predictions with a grain of salt. Especially those for the teams from the coast. I only saw them each once this season. I am 100% so far these playoffs though. Lets see if that trend keeps up. Only a few minutes away from puck drop now. Wish the Smokies were still in it. Oh well, next year!