Trade Deadline Madness (Part 1, The Smokies)

On Thursday evening at 6pm the BCHL trade deadline passed for another year. Junior A teams from all across Canada were working madly to try and improve their team. Either they're going after a championship, re-stocking for next year or just trying to survive. It amazes me how much movement there is in junior hockey. From players asking for trades, to teams that are just looking for that next piece of the puzzle, there is pretty constant activity. I sometimes wonder if that's really the best thing for the development of young men. You would think that as you are going through school and developping as a hockey player, stability would be an ideal scenario. However, personalities and situations being what they are, guys are moving all over the place. It seems like players in this league are destined to be moved at least once or twice. It's not just the teams that are looking to turn around their fortunes, you look at teams on top like Penticton who are constantly making tweaks to their roster.

You have to be always on the look out for the next new talent or you're going to be left behind. There's more movement in the BCHL than the pros!

All of the trades today have yet to filter in. Some I know unofficially but can't really pass on as of yet. Lets start our coverage of the trade deadline by reviewing the moves of the Trail Smoke Eaters.

The Smoke Eaters have been put in a very difficult situation this trade deadline. Certainly Jim Ingram has been looking to make some improvements to his club all year long. He's added and subtracted pieces as he got to know the players and the league better. I've personally really liked a lot of his moves this year. Guys like August Aiken, Ryan Hill, Jimmy Geerin, Brad Davis, etc... have made very positive contributions to the play and even more so the attitude of this team. They're a hard working, blue collar group. Almost every trade has reflected a move in that direction.

However, ever since the start of December things have started to happen that have forced the Smokies to use this deadline as a way to cover losses rather than make significant gains. That's the reality of hockey sometimes. Cards were burned up without return when Jamie Paulsen asked to be moved and Paul Levarsky left the BCHL to play in Slovakia. Cards were burned up in a trade when Nathan Westover asked to be moved and was replaced by Jimmy Geerin. The Smokies have all become fans of Geerin's, but again the move forces the use of another card and limits trade deadline options. Another card wasn't so much burned but de-activated with the long term injury loss of defenceman Cam Brodie. He's gone at least 6 weeks and it could be longer.

Suddenly the Smoke Eaters go from a full roster with some extra bodies to a team with 4 healthy defencemen and 12 healthy forwards. Oh, and only two cards left for new guys.

That means as the trade deadline approached, Coach Ingram needed two more defenceman, but didn't have any extra roster players to give up to get them. Deal a forward and you're down to 11. Trade a defenceman and that negates the addition. They certainly couldn't deal a goaltender.

Extra spots here and there can certainly be filled by AP players. We're all hoping that Logan Proulx will be back to game action soon, and he could be brought up as an AP from Midget for 5 regular season games and the playoffs. Several Nitehawks has spent time with the Rebels this year. Ingram has some contacts and knows the players on Vancouver Island. As a result, the Smokies should be OK if there are a couple of unexpected injuries here or there. However, the unfortunate departures of a few players over the last month or so didn't give the organization much flexibility when it came to improving the club at the trade deadline.

You could try to blame the coaching staff for guys who leave or ask to leave. However, it happens everywhere. There are guys on this team who asked to leave other teams. No matter how successful a team or a coach is, some people don't feel like they fit in or are getting the opporunities they want or deserve. It's just too bad for Trail that it all happened after the early December card deadline.

That left the Smokies working overtime the last few days to find defencemen to help this team into the playoffs.

The first addition is a terrific one. Trail picked up Merritt's former captain, Kevin Koopman. Click on his name there for a profile of Koopman from the BCHL website. This year on a last place Merritt team he's put up 7 goals and 7 assists in 28 games. That's a very solid 0.5 PPG pace. He only had 2 points in 9 games with Vernon, but he was clearly in a bigger position with the Cents than he was with the Vipers. Having watched Koopman several times this year, I'm really excited to get to see him as a Smoke Eater. Koopman seems to play a very smart, simple and effective game. He's calm with and without the puck. He skates well, jumps into the rush when he has a chance to, and moves the puck effective on the PP. He's also a big guy at 6'3 205, so he should help clear the front of the net. That's something the Smokies had a lot of trouble with against Powell River and to some extent against Salmon Arm. It's something Cam Brodie does well and Koopman will hopefully full some of that void.

Koopman also have some ties to the Trail area. He was a star a couple of seasons ago for the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. In fact, he played with current Smokies Stefan Decosse and Patrick Martin on that team. Click here to take a look at that stacked KIJHL roster. Koopman put up 39 points in 38 games from the back end. That as a 17 year old. He also had 13 points in 15 playoff games. His production didn't dip when the games got tight.

The one unfortunate thing about Koopman in the eyes of Smokies fans is that he's off to school next year. Koopman's fine play has earned him a scholarship to Brown. Unless they change their minds and defer him for a season, Koopman will only be a Smoke Eater until the end of this season. You wouldn't get a player of his abilities for future considerations, no matter how good, if he was coming back next year.

We still don't know what it'll cost to get Koopman. Right now we're looking at a "future cosiderations" and in the BCHL that can be anything from cash to a pick of anyone on your roster before the next season. In this case it isn't cash, but we're obviously not going to find out what player(s) Merritt could get anytime soon. When we do, we'll have a better idea how good a trade it was.

Koopman takes care of one spot on D, but there's still another hole to fill. I personally saw Ingram on the phone almost constantly when he was within cell range on the bus. Today I know was a very busy and stressful day for Coach/GMs across the league. The stress seemed to be over for Trail when they made their trade early this afternoon.

Opting to sacrifice a full line-up of forwards in order to land a defenceman they really liked, Trail dealt '89 F Chris Santiago to Victoria for '88 D Chris Markiewicz. Santiago has shown real flashes of talent since coming over to Trail in the David Arduin deal. However, he never scored a goal as a Smoke Eater and never really broke out of the slump he had fallen into in Westside. The guy has all the tools, and I really hope he puts things together in Victoria. Santiago is only 18 and has lots of time to find that scoring touch again. He should be around next year as Victoria gears up for the RBC. He's also closer to his Langley home so that will probably be a nice change for Chris.

Markiewicz has put up 7 points in 26 games this year with Victoria. He had 22 in 52 games last year. He's big enough at 6'0, 190lbs. He's also a 19 year old so still could've come back for another season next year. Victoria has only been to Trail once, so I don't have a lot of first hand knowledge of his game. However, he was the guy the Smokies wanted and someone who apparently can play well at both ends of the rink.

Unfortunately, with less than two hours to go before the trade deadline, Markiewicz informed the Smoke Eaters he wouldn't be reporting to Trail. His reasons for doing that havn't come out publically yet so I won't say, but it's not a particular slight on the Smokies. It's just an unfortunate situation that didn't give Coach Ingram much time to act.

Since Markiewicz wasn't carded with Trail yet he didn't cost them that last card. However, unless he was going to sit the rest of the year, the Smokies had to move him in less than two hours. They also still had a card to fill.

Working non-stop until 6pm, Coach Ingram and Brian Youngson talked to several teams in Alberta before sending Markiewicz to the Brooks Bandits. It's a future considerations deal and Trail will be getting a player from them for next year's team. Working something out for a guy who could come to Trail this year would probably have taken a lot longer than 2 hours given the possibility of anyone switching leagues deciding not to report.

In terms of filling their void on the blue line, the obvious depth Vernon was building at that position put them in a situation where a BCHL player was probably not going to get the ice time he deserved. They picked up a couple of veterans and didn't have much room left for everyone they had carded. That allowed the Smokies to pick up 89 D Patrick Raley from Vernon for future considerations. Raley is an 18 year old who put up 9 points in 39 games this season. That puts him fourth among currently active Trail defencemen. It means he could possibly see some power play time in Trail that he may not have seen in Vernon. He's also got two years of BCHL eligability after this season. Raley is listed at 5'11 and 200lbs, so he's got some size as well. He's a right handed shot. We've seen the composition of Trail's defence go from 5 righties to 4 lefties and now back to 4 righties. There've been a lot of changes on the blueline this year.

Raley also joins the American contingent of the team. It's always kind fo fun when the two sides chide each other a little bit. Especially when Canada invariably beats the US at events like the Workd Jr A Challenge and the World Junior Championships.

Good on Vipers Coach and GM Mark Ferner for giving Raley a chance to play more with Trail when he knew that the guys he brought in would make that difficult in Vernon. Guys around this league do understand this is a development league. No one wants to leave someone in a situation where their growth might be stunted by a lack of playing time. Raley has shown he's a BCHL defenceman after playing 39 games this year and impressing the coaches in Trail. He'll get his chance to continue that career with the Smokies for possibly several years to come.

Now Trail's line-up is at 11 forwards, 6 defencemen and 2 goaltenders. They have no cards left and are one player short of a full game time roster. However, it's easier to deal with a shortage at forward than it is on the blue line. They also have a lot of guys ready to AP for them if needed. Again, Logan Proulx is hopefully not too far from hitting the ice. He'll be available as an AP from midget.

It's just too bad the Smokies gave up Sanitago for a guy who ultimately decided not to report. It happens all the time in junior hockey, but it's another spot of bad luck for a team that could use a few breaks.

Koopman and Raley are here. I would expect both to be in the line-up for the home and home with Vernon. Koopman will likely wear #7 while Raley is expected to put on the #3 jersey. For Raley it's a quick turnaround from being a Viper to playing the Vipers. He'll be on the ice that he's called home all season, but this time as the enemy. That's hockey.

Incidently, Trail's team really is looking good for next season. I know no one in the room wants to look that far ahead, but it's nice to see some real potential in not just this year but the following years as well.

At forward they could have Corcoran (20), Bulach (20), Mailey (18), Ourosov(17), Martin (20), Herold (19) and Davis (20) back with the team next year. Logan Proulx will be 17 and could return as well. Both Proulx and Ourosov may end up in the WHL next year, and guys like Corcoran and Bulach could end up with scholarships before the year is done, but it's looking pretty good for now.

They'd have even less work to don on D with Warner (20), Brodie (20), Geerin (19), Hill (20) , Kinnebrew (19) and Raley (19) all available for next season. This is assuming they would all come back. That's certainly not usually the case. However, they could have 5 out of 6 defencemen back for next season. That would be great for chemistry. It'd also be a very solid, veteran group.

Finally, they're in a great position to potentially have two 19 year old goaltenders back for next season. Rollheiser and Barclay have both had their growing pains as rookies, but they've also both put together a lot of very good performances. They also compliment each other well by brining different styles to the rink. It's a different challenge when you get a different look in the Trail net. As long as both guys come back next year, I am fully confident that the goaltending in Trail would be among the best in the league.

For now it's off to Vernon for the first of a home and home. Hope to see you all on Saturday night back in Trail when you could win two round trip tickets from Pacific Coastal Airlines!

Game 42: Trail at Salmon Arm

Tune in to AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters hockey on Mountain FM tonight with a pre-game show at 7:15pm and the puck drop at around 7:30pm.

A couple of roster moves today for the Smoke Eaters. The picture on defence gets a little cloudier as Paul Levarsky departs Trail for a Slovakian league. I don't know the whole story on this yet other than that Levarsky had constantly told me he was happy in Trail and that this was not related to any unhappiness with the team. Just an opportunity for Levarsky that he decided to take. It's too bad because I thought he was really starting to fit in well as a strong, defensive and physical player in this league.

On the positive side, the Smokies have made a deal with Merritt for former Beaver Valley Nitehawks star Kevin Koopman. He's a 6'3, 205lbs defenceman who plays a strong all around game and will be a big part of both special teams units. The Smokies really need a calming presence on the power play and that's what Brian Youngson says Koopman can provide. He should also fill some of the void left by Cam Brodie's injury. Koopman can play a physical and responsible game in his own zone. He's a leader who wore the C in Merrit. It's a big move for the Smokies and a much needed one.

However, that still leaves Trail at 5 defenceman with only one card left. Coach and GM Jim Ingram has been on the phone all day trying to make something happen. I imagine we'll see someone else in the orange and black before the deadline tomorrow at 6pm. I'll keep you updated as well as I can from our hotel in Kelowna.

Koopman will no be in the line-up for Trail tonight. They've got AP Sam Corcoran in the line-up this evening wearing #21. Brett Corcoran's brother has played before with the Smokies this year and held his own. He's primarily a defensive guy who takes care of his own zone while playing for the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. Corcoran also showed a bit of a sniper side over the weekend when he tied the game with Castlegar late in the third period on his first goal of the year. Oh, and he followed that up by notching the winner in overtime. I guess Sam saw Brett score the overtime winner in Trail's game against Merritt and figured anything his brother can do...

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008: Trail Smoke Eaters (17-19-1-4) at Salmon Arm Silverbacks (25-11-2-3)

(Click here for the boxscore)

We've seen a lot of entertaining games between these two teams this year. The lats one was just a couple of weeks ago when the Silverbacks beat Trail 4-2 at Cominco Arena. I'd say the Smokies actually outplayed the 'backs in that game. They've shown time and time again this year that they can up their game when playing tough opposition.

Salmon Arm has a couple of new players in their line-up tonight. Goaltender Brian Gillis joins the Silverbacks from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. If that name sounds familiar it's because he was the starting goaltender for Team Canada East at the World Junior A Hockey Challenge. Gillis was the top goaltender in that tournament (in my view) and should be an upgrade on the two rookies who have been manning the nets in Salmon Arm.

The Silverbacks also acquired Luke Betts from Spokane in the Western Hockey League. He also played a couple of seasons for Red Deer. Betts is apparently a very tough, gritty player who should be one of those guys that helps you win games when it counts. Visit http://www.sasilverbacks.com/ for more information on both players. The Silverbacks have fallen a bit from their pace at the start of the season. They were right with Penticton for first place in the Interior throughout most of the season, and now are sitting in third. They are still a very dangerous team and these upgrades will help them make a push for first. They may not be done either. There's still a full day left before the trade deadline. Should be exciting to watch for moves all around the BCHL. There are lots of big named and talented players who could be on the move.

Big game for both teams tonight. Hopefully Trail can bounce back from their two losses at the end of the recent road trip. Going to be a big game for the defensive core who will be a bit short handed. Trail is also down to 11 forwards with the suspension of Brad Davis. He's out for one game after getting an instigator at the end of Sunday's game with the Bulldogs. Never like to see a guy get suspended, but Davis got into that fight in order to send a message that no one is going to take liberties with his Captain. I'm sure the coaching staff appreciates his efforts even if means he's got to sit out one contest.

Remember as always you can hear tonight's game live on Mountain FM with AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey. It'll also be available on the BCHL Fanzone if you aren't in our broadcast area. Friday the Smokies visit Vernon and Saturday the Vipers come to Trail. Hope to see a big crowd out there. You could win a round trip flight for two from Pacific Coastal Airlines. That's enough reason to come to the game without even talking about how good the games have been between Trail and Vernon this year.

OK, we're minutes away from the game tonight. I have a good feeling it's going to at least be an entertaining one. Stay tuned!

GAME UPDATE

...Not exactly what I expected. Kind of a dull game from both sides to be honest. I don't think either Trail or Salmon Arm looked particularely sharp. Credit to the Silverbacks as they took advantage of the opportunities they had while Trail wasn't able to beat Gillis more than once on 35 shots. Looking forward to seeing Koopman make his Smokies debut on Friday night against Vernon. Tomorrow should be exciting for BCHL fans. Trade deadlines always are.

Future and Former Smokies in the KIJHL

Some good news for a few former Trail Smoke Eaters in the KIJHL this week. Firstly, congratulations to Miles Houston and Connor Gregory for getting named to the Neil Murdoch Conference All-Star team. Houston has been terrific for the Leafs since being returned to Junior B. It's no co-incidence that the Leafs have been the best team in the league since Houston and Brock Monroe returned to their line-up after starting the season in Trail. If you look at the scoring on Nelson you can see that they're a team with outstanding scoring depth. Adding Houston and Monroe allows Coach Simon Wheeldon the freedom to play with four lines that can score. Before their arrival he wasn't getting that scoring depth he wanted and the team was a little more inconsistent. I'm not suggesting Houston and Monroe are the only reason why things have come along so well in Nelson lately - far from it - but I do think they are a big part of that success and Houston earned a well deserved place on the All-Star team.

For Connor Gregory it's a nice honour after what has been a frustrating couple of years for him. I'm really glad to see that the season has been a success for him personally thus far. Could he earn a trip back to Junior A hockey thanks to this result? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

A couple of Nitehawks that were AP players with Trail also got All-Star nods. Steve Koshey will play on D for the Neil Murdoch Conference. Layne Stopanski gets a nod up front. You can also see Justin Brown playing in the prospect game earlier in the day. On another note, Wade Waters will be one of the goaltenders on the Neil Murdoch team and that's a nice recognition of the year he's had since performing well at Trail's training camp. Congrats to all those who qualifed for the teams. There are representatives from all the Kootenay Boundary teams and you can get the full list over at the KIJHL website. The games themselves will be played in Creston this Saturday. You could catch the prospect game at 3:30 before returning in time for the Smokies hosting the Vipers on Saturday night.

Another former Smoke Eater found his way to Beaver Valley this week. Goaltender Devan Hartigan has been making a lot of moves so far this year. Hopefully he's found a steady home now with the Nitehawks. First Hartigan moved from Trail to Prince George. After a few games there he ended up in the KIJHL with Fernie. Devan decided to take another shot at Junior A hockey by going to Ontario, but after that didn't really work out how he wanted he's back in the KIJHL. Hartigan apparently had his choice of several different interested teams, but he wanted to be back in this region and to have a chance on a successful organization like the Nitehawks. I imagine a goaltender of his skill, work ethic and experience could be quite a boost for Beaver Valley. They're certainly not out of the race for first place in their division yet, and Hartigan could be that extra piece of the puzzle.

With that move the Nitehawks traded goaltender Sean Muller to Creston. Muller was with Trail the weekend that Paul Barclay was away and seemed like a good guy. He'll get a chance to play behind Wade Waters in Creston and I hope all goes well for him there.

Don't forget the Smoke Eaters take on the Salmon Arm Silverbacks tomorrow night live from Salmon Arm. We'll have the game for you on Mountain FM with AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters hockey. The pre-game show gets underway at 7:15. Friday it's off to Vernon for another road game. On Saturday the Smokies are back in town for one of only 3 home games this month. They could really use a big crowd out there for that one to help lift the team while they go on their toughest run of the year. Plus you'll have a chance at some round trip tickets from Pacific Coastal Airlines. They're doing a plane toss on Saturday night and it should be a lot of fun... especially for the winner.

Not to mention the fact that the games against Vernon this year have all been classics. Two out of three have gone to double overtime between these very evenly matched teams. Don't want to miss that one.

Now since we're getting near the trade deadline and rumours are swirling, it's time for me to "work the phones."

Game 41: Trail at Alberni Valley

Don't forget you can listen to this game live on Mountain FM in the Kootenay Boundary region. If you don't get Mountain FM it should be available on the BCHL website. We've apparently had some audio trouble the last couple of games and I'll try to make sure it's working well tomorrow.

It's the final game of a three game road trip this weekend. The Smokies started with a 5-4 come back win in Overtime against Merritt. They followed up a day off with a 6-3 loss to Powell River. Neither game was a complete domination by either side in my opinion. I think the effort level for the Smokies has been more consistent ever since their northern trip. However, so far the results since returning from Christmas break have been right at .500. That should be good enough to hold on to a playoff spot, but it won't be good enough to climb at all in the standings. Regardless, it's really nice to see more consistency from the boys and hopefully that will lead to a winning streak on one of these weekends.

Sunday, January 6th, 2008: Trail Smoke Eaters (17-18-1-4) at Alberni Valley Bulldogs (8-24-1-7)

(Click here for box score)

This afternoon's game is an opportunity to get 4 out of 6 points on this road trip. Alberni Valley has played better hockey lately, but they are the kind of team Trail needs to get wins against if they want to improve their position. The Smokies are 7-2 against Coastal Conference teams, but this is only their second road game on the coast so that number may be a bit inflated.

Looking forward to seeing the Island for the first time since I moved to BC.

GAME UPDATES

...The first time I ever step foot on Vancouver Island it snows. Is someone sending me a message? It's gorgeous though, and what a wonderful place to watch a game. The Bulldogs fans are just terrific.

...Trail got off to a good start thanks to Limbert, Shade and Corcoran. Randy Emery and I thought it was Shade who tapped the puck in, but Limbert got credit for it. Would have to take another look to be sure. They let up and gave the Bulldogs chance after chance for the second half of the first and first half of the second. Paul Barclay was really solid for Trail in those first two periods. The only shot that got past him tipped off his own defenceman's stick on a one timer. Barclay's pads were lightning quick in this game. Smokies got a 2-1 lead off a great re-direction by Paul Mailey. Bulach set him up with a heads up play and Mailey put the puck in the perfect place.

...Decosse took two minors at the end of the second period. One for boarding and one for roughing after the original incident. It cost the Smokies big time as the Bulldogs scored two power play goals in 21 seconds to open the third. A shorthanded goal on a later power play gave Alberni Valley a 4-2 lead. Aime looked terrific as he stopped 21 shots in the third period to deny the Smokies any kind of come back. Trail's effort level never dipped even when things didn't go their way this weekend. Hard to be happy with the results, but at least we know there is no quit in this group. Special teams was the obvious difference in this game. The Bulldogs got 3 power play goals and one shorthanded while Trail's power play was completely ineffective.

...Kevin Limbert crushed Moriarty with a hit that knocked the helmet off the Bulldogs' captain. With only a few seconds left in the game Adam Baldassarre jumped Limbert off the draw. Limbert held his own, but it was an obvious instigator and Baldassarre will be suspended. Same for Trail's Brad Davis who responded to the incident by jumping Pineiro on the next play. Great job by referee Ryan Benbow in controlling the situation at the end of the game before it got any further out of hand. He stepped right in and forced the rest of the players to separate before further fights broke out.

...The Bulldogs came out for a curtain call after their fans gave them a post-game standing ovation. Great to watch even if I'd have preferred to see a Trail win.

This is going to be a long month and perhaps these games were their best chance to get some points. Merritt and Alberni Valley are both last place teams and the Smokies barely got two points out of those games. Credit to the Bulldogs for playing a strong game and continuing their improvement over the past few games. However, the Smokies continue to shoot themselves in the foot against teams under them in the standings. Too many times this weekend they gave the other teams goals. Those mental mistakes take away from the much improved work ethic over the past month.

On a positive note I liked the look of the forward lines at even strength. With Ourosov back we saw:

Shade Limbert Corcoran
Decosse Bulach Mailey
Aiken Santiago Ourosov
Davis Herold Martin

I think those units have a lot of potential. We all know what the top line can do together. Santiago/Aiken/Ourosov is a line with a ton of speed and skill that could be a lot of fun to watch. Decosse/Bulach/Mailey were probably the most effective line in terms of goal production over the road trip and seemed to find some chemistry. Davis/Herold/Martin is a line with a lot of jam who are going to be hard to score against and bring a strong forecheck. Those lines should be able to produce.

Even strength hasn't really been the problem though, it was the special teams this weekend. Three shorthanded goals against in three games. Only two power play goals on the trip. If you get outscored on your own man advantage it's going to be hard to win games.

Thanks to Randy Emery for helping out on colour commentary this weekend. He really knows his Smokies hockey and it's a pleasure to work with him.

Next up the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Wednesday night. Then another home and home with Vernon starting in Vernon Friday and back in Trail on Saturday night. Would love to see a great crowd as the Smokies will only be home 3 times this month and could use a boost from the local fans.

All road games can be heard on Mountain FM.

One and One (Road Trip)

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I've had some internet access trouble at home and on the road making it a little more difficult to get to the website.

Do you ever feel like you're just not mentally sharp? Ever since I've returned to BC from my trip home I think my brain has been a step behind. Yesterday morning when talking with Hammer on his radio show I told him I was looking forward to meeting him... even though I knew very well that I'd met him in Trail earlier this year. On today's broadcast I screwed up our power supply and said the wrong name for Powell River's roster a lot more than I usually do. It's something I hate doing because I think every team and every player in the league deserves the proper respect. One thing about Powell River's jerseys is that it's tough to read the number on the shoulder. Up to me to just get to know their players better.

Regardless, I think I've been in my own "slump" this week. The two games haven't been the best I've ever called and I guess critical posts on the BCHL message board are a reflection of that to a point. I think we probably all go through days where we're not at our best. Whether you're a hockey player, broadcaster, factory worker, civil servant or any other work. Hopefully there are more good days than bad.

We left off last weekend as the Smoke Eaters played an awesome game against a tough Nanaimo team. They went on to lose a very tight game with Salmon Arm on Saturday. Would they have loved 4 points? I'm sure they would, but those were two very well played games against two excellent teams. The effort level certainly hasn't been as inconsistent. There are still some mental mistakes creeping into the games at the wrong times, but they don't ever look like they are dogging it or asleep at the wheel. You can see that effort level every game and every period of late.

The Merritt game was just like every other game in Merritt this year for the Smokies: another roller coaster. I thought they played a pretty solid first period without getting rewarded. The second wasn't all bad either, but their mental mistakes really cost them. The Ruud shorthanded goal and the Moir goal off the back boards really could have sucked the momentum out of the team. However, Brad Davis immediately dropped the gloves and lit a fire under his team. I've heard some people online talk about how Davis gets in a lot of fights and never really whips somebody in them. He'll lose some, he'll win some, but that's not really the point. The point is more that he's a guy who will step up to anyone on any team to help give his team a lift.

In this case the Smokies immediately responded on the goal by Decosse. Limbert made a great feed and Decosse basically had a penalty shot. Went backhand to forehand and just slid the puck in on a very nice move. Decosse had his best game since returning. He scored and had two important assists. He's a guy who is going to give players on the ice with him chances to score thanks to his puck control and his ability as a play maker. Seems like he's getting in game shape and knock on wood he stays healthy.

The Smokies won the rest of the game 5-1. They badly outshot Merritt in the third period and didn't stop the pressure. Ryan Bulach unleashed a bullet snap shot to make it 3-2 Cents. All that momentum nearly got flushed by another blown PP and shorthanded goal by Ruud. At the time I was convinced that kind of a goal would just put Trail down into the dumps. Instead they showed heart and tenacity in fighting back. Casey Shade scored on a rebound from Paul Levarsky's shot and Ryan Bulach somehow found a rebound off Jimmy Geerin's shot to tie the game in the lats half of the third. They just wern't going to accept anything less than a win on this night.

August Aiken made an awesome pass to Brett Corcoran for the overtime winner (photo credit to Randy Emery). Corcoran was just at the side of the crease and Aiken found him tape to tape for a tap in goal. Aiken also set up the Geerin shot on the tying goal. After being one of the guys out there for the 2nd shorthanded goal he looked very determined to make sure his team got back into it. Has anyone been more clutch than Brett Corcoran lately? He's been scoring goals in almost every game over the last month and a bit. Another winner here and according to stats guru Randy Emery he has scored the winner for the last three Trail victories.

A huge credit to the 5 guys on D who had to play the game shorthanded. Scott Warner especially logged a ton of ice time and they never looked tired or worn out. Full marks to this group of underrated guys who seem to only be getting better.

There were things the coaching staff wouldn't like in this game, but they have to love the never say die attitude. They have to like the confidence they showed even when getting down. They had to like the work ethic in every aspect of the game outside perhaps the power play on that night. Two points on the road is always a positive step.

Had a good day in Langley in between games. Although the attempt to get to a movie didn't work out for the guys because of a problem with the ticket machines. I spent some time in Vancouver which was nice for me as I've rarely been there.

Tonight's game with Powell River looked to be going in the right direction for much of the first period, but they just couldn't sustain the positive momentum. After getting down on an early goal by Oakes, the Smokies responded with two really nice PP goals by Shade and Aiken. Corcoran set Shade up by driving the net and putting a good low shot into the pads. Aiken's goal was a pure skill goal and he sure can be explosive. Things seemed to be going in the right direction at the time.

Corcoran set up Shade for another great chance a few minutes later, but when the play went back up the ice Harvey's backhand got past Grant Rollheiser. I would say that you rarely see a weak goal against Rollheiser, and I wonder if he is 100% after this game. Barclay came in after that goal and outside of struggling a bit with some rebounds, I thought he played well. One thing about Barclay is that he's a very athletic goaltender. He made one save on his back while reaching out with his blocker that was really impressive. I know Rollheiser has earned the starting job here, but I think Barclay has a lot of potential and often shows signs of being a really good starter in this league as time goes by.

After getting down 4-2, Limbert made a nice play by gaining the line and when it looked like he was going to drive the net he drew both PR defenders to him. He quickly gave it to Decosse who made a great move to his backhand and scored. The momentum was with Trail at that point, but Harvey scored his hat trick goal to suck the wind out of the Smokies' sails. It was another example of what had been happening all night. The D and forwards for Trail just couldn't seem to clear the puck or the Kings bodies from the front of their net. Anytime there was a rebound it turned into another dangerous scoring chance as Powell River was allowed to have guys just sitting in front of the net. If there was one major difference between the teams I'd say that was it in this game.

Trail then had a chance for 40 seconds on a 5 on 3 that didn't generate anything. Very good, tight triangle from PR that didn't leave any room for play down low. Decosse very nearly had his second goal on the 5 on 4 that followed, but he net came off at the last second. That seemed to be the last chance for Trail to get back into the game as the final minutes were pretty lethargic.

I don't think tonight's loss was an awful effort, there were just a few flaws. They didn't respond well after the trying goal in the first period, and they didn't do enough to clear the front of their net. Those are problems that can be corrected. I thought the effort level was still pretty decent. Powell River just isn't a bad team. You make mistakes and give them that much room and they're going to burn you. Especially Harvey, Oakes and Vos who were responsible for 5 out of 6 goals.

Another interesting note, Chad Niddery who scored the 3rd goal for the Kings is a former top scorer on the Grand Forks Border Bruins in the KIJHL. He left Grand Forks in the fall and they haven't regained their form since that departure. He looked good tonight and his numbers are OK. Seems to fit in well here.

Finally a congratulations to Kevin Limbert for moving into second place in list of all-time regular season games played for this Trail Smoke Eaters franchise. Another number that Randy Emery passed on to me today. Limbert is the current face of the team and will be a part of the record books for years to come.

Looking forward to my first trip to Vancouver Island tomorrow and a chance to see the apparently great rink and crowd on Port Alberni. If Trail can get 4 out of 6 points I think they'd have to consider that a successful road trip. Every point is going to be a battle this month as they have 10 of 13 games on the road. Hopefully it'll bring the team together and put them on a good roll going into the playoffs. With Prince George and Quesnel breathing down their necks, the Smokies can't afford to let up for a second.

Should be lots of fun.

Game 37: Nanaimo at Trail

The Smokies are back in action after their holiday break. What better way to come back to action than by taking on the top team in the BCHL and one of the top Jr. A teams in all of Canada? Should be fun to watch.

The Smoke Eaters are wearing their third jerseys tonight. Really sharp looking jerseys sponsored by Home Goods. They're going to wear them for a few games this year and put them up for auction on the internet. You have the chance to own some game worn Smokies jerseys, and I'll have the details on here and on Mountain FM when those auctions are posted. Keep an eye out on the Smokies official website.

Don't forget to join us at Rave's for the post-game show tonight at the Waneta Plaza in Trail. If you can't make it you can listen live on Mountain FM.

Friday, December 28th, 2007: Trail Smoke Eaters (15-16-1-4) at Nanaimo Clippers (28-6-0-3)

(Click here for boxscore)

I had a chance to talk to the play by play guy for Nanaimo before the game on Overtime. Dan Marshall is a class act and one easy guy to interview. Sure knows his hockey. Also, ask him to do his Bob Cole for you sometime.

Also got to talk a bit to Brett Corcoran on both of our flights home. I can really tel he's motivated to have a strong last 20+ games here. Corcoran has been on fire since Arduin was traded. He saw a chance to step up as the team's top scorer and sure has got the job done. Lets hope that continues for him as we head into what will be a really tough January full of long road trips.

Trail has lost a few games in a row now, but the last two were in double overtime. While lots of people say "a loss is a loss" I say that we saw very entertaining hockey games that anyone could have won. That's what we want to see as hockey fans and it's hard to complain when you see the kind of hockey we've seen recently. The Smokies are showing a great work ethic lately and I really hope it continues. Talking to Jim Ingram lately you really get a sense that he's trying to create a certain identity for this team under him. Ingram loves hard working two-way players who play a team game and who love to be here. Sounds simple enough, but as he told me last night... if a guy really wants to be here he'll play harder for you and he'll give the program a good name in hockey circles.

Decosse makes his return to the line-up again tonight. He's been injured for a couple of extended periods this year and the Smokies very much miss him when he's gone. Decosse is one of if not the best cycle players in this league. He can really protect the puck and moves it very well. The PP will surely benefit from his return. Lets just all hope that he can stay healthy. He deserves a chance to make a last big run in his 20 year old season.

Tough games this weekend. Nanaimo tonight and Salmon Arm tomorrow. Should have great crowds as friends and family are home for the holiday season. Rink is looking fuller than usual tonight for sure. I hope it's even better tomorrow.

LIVE UPDATES

...My colleague Kristen from Mountain FM was just telling me she's never seen this much fight from the Smokies in all the games she's seen. Hard to disagree with the results we've seen so far in this game. August Aiken opened the scoring on the PP with a big goal in front of his friends and family in the stands here tonight visiting from California. That's nice motivation for August and so far a good result in front of them. The Smokies then killed off a couple of penalties and team agitator Brad Davis got under the skin of Nanaimo's goaltender Michael Garman before Jason Beattie stepped in and they had a good tilt. Limbert had a breakaway after a penalty kill but was denied. Patrick Martin then put the Smokies up 2-0. A nice crowd out there tonight for the Rossland native and he makes good in front of the net on a play set up by Corcoran and Geerin. That's another point for Geerin who now has 3 in 4 games for Trail. He didn't get advertised as an offensive presence but he sure has been. Looks good on the PP as well.

...Trail is taking too many penalties in this period. Nanaimo's PP is deadly and they are going to convert one of these chances if they keep getting them. The Clippers are now in the midst of their 4th PP of the first period and there are still 3 minutes left. That's one thing Dan Marshall told me before the game, you have to stay out of the box against Nanaimo. Not surprising with that much fire power in their line-up. They just killed that one off, so a good job by the penalty killers for Trail in the first. Can't be in the box that often though! Great start so far. 2-0 and the period is almost over.

...Scary situation there as Cam Brodie was down in the corner of the Smokies zone for long enough that they ended the period over and will carry over the last 52 seconds of the first into the second period. Brodie was eventually helped to the dressing room while still on his skates. No stretcher needed so we're all hoping it's nothing serious, but it sure didn't look good. I was not in a good position to see what happened so I can't speculate on what kind of injury it was. I can tell you that if Cam Brodie is out of the line-up the Smoke Eaters have a giant hole to fill.

...Official word on the goals has the first one by Aiken from Warner and Kinnebrew. The second one was Martin from Corcoran and Geerin. There might be a mistake on that one though. The assist may go to Aiken instead, who looks very motivated playing in from of his family here tonight. Trail is getting the job done so far. Rollheiser with 14 saves in the period while the Smokies took 11 shots. Outshot but not by much.

...Brett Corcoran does it again! He continues to step up as the top goal scorer for the Smokies. Shade and Limbert get the assists on another PP marker for Trail. This officially comes in the first period as they just played the last 52 seconds of it after the intermission. That's the 20th of the year for Corcoran. 3-0 Smokies over the Clippers! Still a long way to go.

...Nanaimo controls the play in the second period. 13-5 shots on goal in favour of hte Clippers and after all those chances on the power play they finall converted. It was just at th eend of a 5-3 when former Team Canada West member Chad Ziegler scored his second BCHL goal from Andrew Cherniwchan and Brodie Zuk. Only 55 seconds in the third period the Clippers made it 3-2 for Trail. Mikeal Bedard got that one from Kevin Noble. You can feel the momentum shifting here. Trail is going to have to work really hard to hold on to this lead. It's 3-2 with lots of time left in the third. Kevin Limbert has had two glorious chances he just couldn't put in. One on a breakaway and another on a nice pass in front. A great chance for Paul Mailey here in the third as well that he just missed. In the second period Rollheiser stopped a penalty shot and has overall been very strong and consistent for Trail today. Lots of time left and the Smokies will try and hold on!

...Clippers with several more good chances and Ingram calls a time out with 11:23 left. He's trying to calm the guys down as they are feeling the pressure from the league's top team. We'll see if the time out works.

...August Aiken with a giant goal in the last minute to ice this game. Man he's fast when he turns on the jets. Smokies hold on for a win over the Clippers. Great game.

Kevin Limbert to Yale

• Here are the links for an interview I did on Mountain FM's Overtime with Kevin Limbert on his commitment to Yale:
  
  http://mountainfm.net/?q=node/3695 - PART 1
• http://mountainfm.net/?q=node/3696 - PART 2

First of all, I hope you all had a very happy holiday season. I've been pretty inactive because I got the chance to head home for Christmas. Home for me is Ottawa so that is kind of an all consuming trip. It was wonderful to see friends and family, but I'm looking forward to getting back at it!

What a way to come back from the break. Nanaimo is in town and the Captain is heading to Yale. Here's the release from the BCHL website.

The Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey Club is pleased to announce that team captain
Kevin Limbert has accepted a scolarship to Yale University in New Haven,
Connecticut. The fiesty Fruitvale native is enjoying his fourth season with the
Smoke Eaters and is currently leading the team with 36 points in 36 games played
including 13 goals.

"It's great to see a player that has been working hard his whole life
get rewarded with an education at such a prestigious school," said coach Jim
Ingram. "Kevin is a product of local minor hockey and junior hockey working
together to develop homegrown talent and help that talent realize their
potential. Kevin's commitment to our hockey club has been second to none, Yale
is not only getting a great hockey player, but an incredible young man."

I wonder how many people at Yale have heard of Fruitvale, BC. What a great achievement for the Smokies Captain. He is routinely referred to as one of the hardest working players in the entire league. That hard work has earned him a fantastic opportunity. Even if Limbert doesn't end up playing pro hockey, an education from Yale will be a gigantic step forward towards a successful life.

On Overtime, Limbert told me that he'll probably end up majoring in some kind of engineering. Hey, maybe he'll end up back in Trail at Cominco! He also credited his home schooling with some of the success he's had academically. To me this kind of opportunity is an example for all players looking at the option of going to school through hockey. You have to keep your grades up because you never know what could happen. You could end up in an Ivy League school getting the best possible education. That's a great accomplishment for the BCHL, the Trail Smoke Eaters and most of all for Kevin Limbert himself.

Don't forget the big hockey games this weekend. Nanaimo tonight at 7:30 and Salmon Arm tomorrow at 7:30. Trail is going to be on the road a lot in January, so see them while you can!