Timberwolves players are free agents

One of the big questions to emerge from the Williams Lake franchise being suspended for the 2010-11 season is what will happen to their players. The last time the Timberwolves went bust (after the 2006-07 season) their players were distributed around the BCHL in a dispersal draft. This time around they'll be free agents.

I haven't heard from the league why the board decided to go in a different direction this time. Some I'm sure will be upset because traditionally a dispersal draft gives an opportunity to the league's "weaker sisters" from last season to get a bit of a boost. Perhaps they didn't go that way because the team wasn't as well established and a number of the players hadn't even been with the organization for half the season. Perhaps it's because they felt there wouldn't be enough players of interest to get through a full draft. Ultimately I think it just came down to allowing those players who had chosen to go to Williams Lake to now get an opportunity to decide their next move.

One of the casualties of the Timberwolves suspension is that there will be 23 fewer jobs for players in the league. Some will say that is a victory for the depth of the talent pool and the quality of the rosters. However, it is unfortunate that 23 kids won't get an opportunity to suit up in this league again next season.

As for players who could be of interest, one of them is Castlegar native Anthony DeLong (pictured) who scored 23 points as a rookie with the Wolves. It's worth noting that the majority of those points came as he made a surge with more ice time in the second half. A player like DeLong can now not only explore options in the BCHL but any other Junior A league in Canada. He could also decide to return home and play for new Rebels Coach Steve Junker in the KIJHL. The point is that his future is in his hands.

Anyone interested in taking a look at what the Williams Lake roster has to offer can do so by clicking here. I would have to think that guys like Trent Murdoch and 2009-10 All-Star Justin Bardarson will get a look for sure. What other players could find themselves on BCHL rosters and where... that's anybody's guess. Good luck to all of them as they try to figure out the next step in their hockey journey.

As for the Timberwolves, I'll have an interview with Governor and minority shareholder Richard Kohler on Mountain FM's Overtime tonight. I'll get that posted to the blog soon. He has some interesting things to say.

Rebels hire Steve Junker

Sorry for the lack of updates over the last week. I'll have something more coming up shortly. For now here's a press release we got from the Castlegar Rebels today:

The Castlegar Rebels announced today that Steve Junker has been named as its new Coach and General Manager. Steve is returning home to his roots in Castlegar after living and playing hockey in Europe since 1997.

Steve has a long and distinguished career as a player in hockey. After playing in the Castlegar minor hockey system, Steve Junker moved on to play four seasons in the WHL, of which two of those years he was selected as a WHL all-star, eventually winning a Memorial Cup in 1991 with the Spokane Braves. He has also played in the World Junior Championships, and has won a Turner Cup (the IHL Championship), and a Calder Cup (the AHL Championship), in his hockey career.

During his career in North America, Steve has played under and learned from many esteemed coaches, including Mike Bullard, Guy Charron, Al Arbour, John Tortorella, Rick Dudley, Butch Goring, Brian Maxwell and Tom Renney to name a few.

Steve has been a captain or an assistant captain for the past 10 years of his hockey career including serving as an assistant captain of the 1996/97 Canadian National Team under Dave Murray and Mike Johnson.

"I want to return home with my family and yet stay involved in hockey in my home town," said Junker. "I'm very thankful for this opportunity. The Castlegar Rebels are a great organization, very professionally run, and one that I have grown up with. We have a very strong base of players and I am convinced that we can achieve great things here."

Jim Craig, President of the Castlegar Rebels, believes that Junker’s impressive hockey experience and background will be a huge benefit to the Rebels. "We're very excited to get someone with Steve’s playing background, hockey knowledge, leadership skills and hockey connections both locally, nationally, and internationally," said Craig. "His leadership and experience will allow him to be an excellent Head Coach and GM. We believe that he will be able to transfer this experience and knowledge to any and all players who play under him."

Watch Chris Wahl's blog for more on the Rebels.

Rebels part ways with Brent Heaven

A coaching change in the local KIJHL ranks today. You can read more about it by clicking here for Chris' Rebels blog or by clicking here for the Rebels official website. The bottom line is that Castlegar isn't entering into negotiations to retain Coach and GM Brent Heaven now that his contract expired at the end of the season. Heaven compiled a 91-50-2-10 record over 3 seasons as the bench boss in Castlegar. He also just recently won the Neil Murdoch Division Coach of the Year award. However, the board of directors was concerned about the team's lack of success in the playoffs. They only won one playoff round over those three seasons.

I wish Brent the best with his future plans. He was always very accommodating to us at Mountain FM and I'm sorry to see him go. I'm sure we'll see him behind the bench again someday. Of course I do also hope there are good things in Castlegar's future. They are technically my "home" team as I live and work in that fine city. I'm sure it was a difficult decision for the board and they'll work hard to find the right guy to guide their club next season. It's interesting to note that they are looking to develop a closer relationship with the Smoke Eaters under the new coaching regime.

Here is the team's perspective with their president...

Castlegar Rebels President Jim Craig on Mountain FM's Overtime

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PLAYOFFS

The KIJHL playoffs have moved on to the second round now. Nelson beat Beaver Valley 4-3 in a first round war. That means the end of former Smoke Eater goaltender Paul Barclay's junior career... at least it would appear to anyway. He went out with a bang by helping the Nitehawks take the Leafs to the limit. Not many gave Beaver Valley a chance in the series, but I know Nelson Coach Simon Wheeldon told me he knew BV was going to be a huge test for them. The Hawks got great goaltending and sacrificed themselves for just a chance to win.

Actually the series is at least an interesting comparison for Trail because again it was a situation where the underdog got a split on the road and then lost both games at home. In the KIJHL series the Nitehawks came back with wins in game 5 and 6 to force a deciding game. It would seem like losing both games at home really takes away a team's momentum, but there is something very dangerous about a team who are playing desperate and without many expectations.

In any event, congrats to former Smoke Eater Scott Jago and company for advancing to the second round. There are a bunch of Trail APs on the Nelson roster that we can keep our eyes on as the Leafs continue into the Neil Murdoch Division finals against Spokane. Nelson leads that series 2-0. It's far from over though as Spokane got down 2-0 to Castlegar and came back to win that series. They are great in their own barn. Also congrats to the Nitehawks for taking Nelson to the limit. Longtime BV Coach Terry Jones told me he's going to take a couple of weeks to contemplate his future there, but I have to think no matter what he'll be involved again. It just seems to be in his blood.

Awards Audio, KIJHL Playoffs

Scott Jacklin and Eric Walker

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Paul Mailey

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Again it was a great night and you can watch out for a segment on the awards night and the playoffs coming up on Shaw TV this weekend.

KIJHL PLAYOFFS

I took in the Nelson/Beaver Valley game tonight. Unfortunately there was very little even strength play in the third period, but it was a very gutsy effort from the Nitehawks. I was really impressed by how Scott Morrisseau battled when I've heard he's really hurting out there... yet there he was throwing his body in front of shots late in the game. The Nitehawks didn't create much offensively once they got their lead, but they paid the physical price to keep it. They also had terrific goaltending from former Smoke Eater Paul Barclay.

As for Nelson, their skill level is again incredible for a KIJHL team. However, in this game some of their guys didn't seem willing enough to go to the dirty areas. The Leafs had a chance to move on to the second round tonight but instead allowed the Nitehawks to grab new life. Beaver Valley was just the more desperate team out there. That means a dramatic Game 6 in Fruitvale on Friday night. I know both coaches have been to the dance before and will have their guys ready. There are a ton of big playoff wins between Terry Jones and Simon Wheeldon. It's been a terrific series so far from what I've seen online and in person. Game 6 will be a battle.

Meanwhile, the Castlegar/Spokane series has completely turned. The Rebels were up 2-0 after the first two games at home, but Spokane has now rattled off three straight wins to take command. Now the Rebels are going to have to head back down to Spokane and steal a game there to stay alive. Again check out Chris' blog for more details.

If you're a local hockey fan my advice is to go check out the KIJHL game with your radio so you can listen to the Trail game and get Olympic updates at the same time.

Bennett beats Mellor for rookie award

Not a huge surprise today as Beau Bennett won the BCHL Interior Conference Rookie of the Year Award. Smokies forward Sam Mellor had a fantastic season and earned his nomination for the award. However, Bennett won the league scoring crown with 120 points. It's pretty hard for any other rookie to compete with that!

I am intrigued that the official award winner list has Bennett listed in a tie with Salmon Arm forward Mark Zengerle for the league's top scorer. While they both finished with 120 points, traditionally the player with the most goals is given the edge. Older hockey fans will remember that's what happened when Marcel Dionne beat Wayne Gretzky for the Art Ross Trophy back in 1979-80. Both players had terrific seasons so I don't really have an issue with them calling it a tie. I just wonder if that's the usual protocol.

I actually found the amount of ties in the awards this year quite annoying. What is this t-ball? We don't have to make everyone happy! Voters were too wishy washy this time around. Honestly though, what a regular season it was. We saw some incredible point totals including 3 guys with over 100 points and a 60 goal scorer. Every nominee and winner deserves the recognition they got... even if Todd Miller CLEARLY paid someone off to get the broadcaster of the year award. I'm on to you, Todd! We all know how Vernon likes to grease the wheel. That's what the internet tells me anyway... Congrats to Todd who is super talented and a class act. Plus somebody had to take that award from Hammer this year because we all saw how big his ego got last time!

Of note for the upcoming Westside/Trail playoff series, Warriors defenceman Brendan Ellis was named the top defenceman in the Interior. What is it with the Warriors and top d-men? That's three straight years the winner of that award has played for Westside. He'll be a key guy for the Warriors against Trail starting on Friday night on Mountain FM.

Don't forget Trail's home games next Monday and Tuesday will start at 7pm rather than the usual 7:30. That should make it a little more family friendly. As for awards, tonight is the Smoke Eaters Awards Banquet at the Riverbell. It'll be interesting and hopefully as usual a good time... even if we're starting during the Canada/Russia game!

Again click here for the official list of award winners.

KIJHL PLAYOFFS

Just a couple of notes from the KIJHL playoffs. Beaver Valley had a 4-2 lead after the second but fell 6-4 last night to Nelson. The Leafs now lead that first round series 3 games to 1. Castlegar lost 4-3 in Spokane last night and the Braves have now drawn even. Game 5 is tomorrow in Castlegar and Nelson.

KIJHL Playoffs Tonight

Local hockey fans looking for a fix tonight can check out game 4 of the Nelson vs. Beaver Valley KIJHL first round playoff series. The Leafs lead the Hawks 2 games to 1 after a 3-1 victory last night in Fruitvale. Former Smoke Eater Paul Barclay is the Nitehawks goaltender while another former Smoke Eater Scott Jago plays for the Leafs. I had a chance to chat with staff from both clubs leading into tonight's game at 7pm in Fruitvale.

Beaver Valley General Manager Jamie Friess

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Nelson Coach and GM Simon Wheeldon

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As for the other local series, Castlegar is up 2 games to 1 on Spokane after the Braves shut the Rebels out 2-0 last night. For more on the Rebels check out my Mountain FM colleague Chris Wahl's blog as he has game recaps, previews, audio and more. Chris has also started doing webcasts for the Rebels. Nice to see them get into that game as the other local clubs have been doing a fine job of it already. Also this evening don't forget Canada against Germany in Olympic hockey action starting with the pre-game show at 4pm on Mountain FM.

Sam Mellor gets rookie nod, Monday Audio, KIJHL Playoffs

Congratulations to Smoke Eaters forward Sam Mellor. He was nominated today for the Interior Conference rookie of the year award. It's a well deserved honour after Mellor put up 28 goals and 35 points for 63 points as a 17 year old.

Mellor's totals were good enough for 27th in the BCHL and third among 1992 born players. The former Dynamiter in the KIJHL made a very quick transition to the Junior A level. While playing the whole season with Scott Jacklin and most of it with Nick Sandor he was able to actually improve on his Junior B scoring pace. I think it also helped that Jacklin and Matt Wilkins grew up with Mellor. The Kimberley Konnection all thrived this season while playing on the same team. I'm sure it's fun to get to play with your friends.

He faces some stiff competition for the rookie of the year nod. The other nominees are league scoring champion Beau Bennett and top scoring defenceman Joey Laleggia. All three players are certainly very deserving of the recognition.

Speaking of awards, the Trail Smoke Eaters will be handing out their year end awards this Wednesday night. Who will be this year's MVP? Should be a fun night and a good way to celebrate before the team sets out for West Kelowna and the playoffs on Friday.

MONDAY AUDIO

Was there a game last night? The team is looking to put the stinker in Penticton behind them as they prepare for the Warriors. The Smokies looked like a team that didn't have anything to play for in a 7-3 loss to the Vees. That being said, they didn't have anything to play for. The game didn't have any impact on the standings. Congrats to the Vees who were able to achieve a franchise record 100 points and to Beau Bennett for scoring the 4 points he needed to secure a BCHL scoring crown. They're an impressive team. It'd be nice to see them again as the only way that could happen is by meeting them in the conference finals...

Smokies Assistant Coach Barry Zanier on the Penticton game

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Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Trail 6 Merritt 3

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KIJHL PLAYOFFS

An interesting start to local KIJHL playoff action this week. Former Smoke Eaters are doing battle as Paul Barclay and the Beaver Valley Nitehawks take on Scott Jago and the Nelson Leafs. Barclay has had a starring role so far as the Hawks earned a split in Nelson. The Leafs won Game 1 by a 4-3 score in overtime while BV took Game 2 thanks to Colton Donselaar's winner late in the third period. Game 3 of the series is tonight in Beaver Valley and you should do yourself a favour and check it out.

The other local series has Castlegar up 2-0 on Spokane with hopes of taking total control of that series tonight across the line. The Rebels have been very impressive thus far, but Spokane is a tough place to play.

Nelson Leafs Coach Simon Wheeldon

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Beaver Valley Nitehawks forward Colton Donselaar

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Gordie Robertson Day, Friday Audio

I had a chance to chat with Trail hockey legend Gordie Robertson this afternoon. The former Smoke Eater and gold medalist at the 1952 Olympics got a pretty special honour in Vancouver yesterday. The city officially marked "Gordie Robertson Day" as the colourful hockey hero got a chance to take in the Canada vs. Switzerland men's hockey game live.

The tickets came as a result of a total stranger who heard that Robertson felt slighted when he wasn't offered tickets or a chance to carry the torch. Both slights were rectified. You heard about it on Mountain FM and there's also a good article in The Province that spells it all out. It was a very kind gesture by Coquitlam resident Ed Rogers to invite Robertson to the game as his guest.

One interesting note from the night was that during an interview with him in the intermission he got a big ovation when they mentioned that Gordie had played for the Trail Smoke Eaters. That name still carries a lot of weight!

Robertson wasn't just a participant with the Edmonton based club that won gold for Canada in 1952. He scored 4 goals in 8 games and was a major contributor to the cause. If you want to learn more about Gordie you can check out this sports reference article or check out the article at the Trail Historical Society's website.

I've had the honour of chatting with Gordie a few times on Mountain FM's Overtime. He's always honest and entertaining. Here is a chat I had with him today on his experience at the Olympics and the honour bestowed upon him by Vancouver...

Gordie Robertson on Mountain FM's Overtime

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I guess the last question is whether or not Robertson will get a chance to attend the gold medal game. I hope Canada makes it to the game and Gordie is there to see it.

FRIDAY AUDIO

Smokies President Tom Gawryletz tonight's "Fan Appreciation Night"

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Nelson Ford Smokies Play by Play on Mountain FM: Westside 2 Trail 1 (OT)

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Smokies Assistant Coach Brian Youngson after the Westside OT loss

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Castlegar Rebels MVP Ryan Aynsley (former Merritt Centennial)

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Fan Appreciation Night on Friday

The Trail Smoke Eaters are holding a fan appreciation night tomorrow against the Surrey Eagles. It's the final regular season home game for this year's Smokies and an opportunity to give as many fans as possible a good luck at the surging club. Tickets are only $5 each and any season ticket holders with extra tickets can give them to friends. There will be deals at the Sud Shack and all sorts of prizes to be won. It's also time for another early bird draw in the Smokies Truck Raffle so make sure you get your tickets.

The Smoke Eaters have points in their last 6 games and have an 8-6-0-3 record in 2010. If you gave up on the team in the fall now is a good time to give them a second chance. Some additional support tomorrow night could go a long way towards helping Trail push past Quesnel and Merritt for 5th place in the Interior.

Trail will also be forced to watch the out of town scoreboard over the final weekend as they try to secure 5th place. They're right now tied with Merritt and Quesnel. The Cents only have one game left (Saturday against the Smokies) while the Millionaires play twice more (Williams Lake and Burnaby) against some weaker clubs. The Smokies would lose a tie breaker against either team due to winning percentage.

All of that being said it's still in Trail's hands. If they can get at least 5 points in their 3 games they guarantee themselves 5th place. They didn't wait for anyone else to get them into the playoffs and they won't be able to wait around for someone else to hand them a higher seed. It's theirs for the taking.

NOTES

...Tomorrow is also the opening of the KIJHL playoffs. Check out Chris Wahl's blog for a look at the two local series. There are a bunch of Smokies APs involved in the Nelson/Beaver Valley series. Philip Patenaude, Gavin Currie, Bennett Hambrook, Taylor O'Neil and Michael Spring play for the Leafs. Colton Semenok and Layne Stopanski play for the Nitehawks. Beaver Valley was also a temporary home for Steve Oursov this season when he started off as an AP for Trail and played a couple of games for the Hawks.

Both clubs have graduated a number of players to the Smokies that will I'm sure be picking sides. Garrett Beckwith and Tommy Rizzardo are former Leafs while Justin Brown, Steve Koshey and Thomas Abenante are former Nitehawks.

The other local series sees the Castlegar Rebels matching up with the Spokane Braves. The Rebels feature former Williams Lake Timberwolves Keagan Little and Darren Tarasoff. Their MVP this season was former Merritt Centennial Ryan Aynsley. He finished second in KIJHL scoring behind Scott Morisseau of the Nitehawks.

Josh McEwan and Brian Youngson's old club the Fernie Ghostriders started their playoffs already with a win in Golden. Matt Wilkins and Sam Mellor's old team the Kimberley Dynamiters will start the first round tomorrow in Creston. Michael Betz's old team from Sicamous hosts the Penticton Lakers.

...A lot of people write off the underdogs as we head towards the first round of the playoffs. Tonight's game between Canada and the Swiss is a great example of why you can never count any team out. Some hot goaltending and tremendous work ethic took a highly over matched Swiss club to within a shoot out of getting a win against Canada. Watching the game you could see that the Swiss club did it by outworking their opponents and sticking to a very simple game. I think some Canadian fans are getting a little too worried though. It's just one game! A little adversity early can be good in a small tournament like this.

...Don't forget the Smokies will be handing out their year end awards next Wednesday. There are a couple awards with obvious choices. However, most of them should be pretty tough decisions for the coaching staff. There are still a few tickets left. Contact Tom at Re/Max or see him at the souvenir stand tomorrow night if you're interested.

Local sports blog

My colleague at Mountain FM has started a new sports blog that appears like it will focus on the Castlegar Rebels. Chris Wahl is new here and will be taking over as their internet play by play guy. You will have also heard him as my colour man for a few games on Smokies PPV. You can check out his blog and set your bookmarks here --- http://off-the-wahl.blogspot.com/

KIJHL All-Star Game Tonight

The KIJHL is holding their All-Star game tonight at the Beaver Valley Arena in Fruitvale. I know tickets have gone fast but you should still have a chance to get in and see the game if you come out before the 7pm puck drop. It should be a great show.

There was a lot of talk at the banquet yesterday about how much this game could mean to the players involved. Often All-Star games are low on competitiveness and high on goofing around. The message at the banquet was that scouts are watching. One coach told me that one of their players got an opportunity to go to school partially because of the impression he made while participating in one of these games. Hopefully the message sunk in and we'll see a lot of fire from the players tonight.

There will be several local products on the Neil Murdoch squad. Familiar names to Smokies fans would be the likes of former Smoke Eater Scott Jago, AP Gavin Currie and Scott Morrisseau who just scored 2 goals against Trail as an AP for Merritt. One of the coaches for the Eddie Mountain team is also a familiar face as former Vernon Coach and GM Troy Mick will be behind the bench along with Princeton's Dale Hladune. Simon Wheeldon of the Nelson Leafs coaches the Neil Murdoch squad. Mountain FM will have live coverage of the game starting with our pre-game show at 6pm and play by play at 7pm. If you can't make us listen in. If you can make it you'd be doing yourself a big favour by coming down to the Beaver Valley Arena to watch the best of the best that the KIJHL has to offer and the future of the BCHL, WHL and college ranks.

All Star Game Intro

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Eddie Mountain Coach Troy Mick

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KIJHL President Bill Ohlhausen

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Beaver Valley Nitehawks Coach Terry Jones

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Smokies stand pat, Renz to AV

As we approach the 8 o'clock deadline tonight I can tell you that the Trail Smoke Eaters will not be making any additional deals. They added big D Taylor Swaffield on Thursday and the rest of the team stays as is. With the season ending injury to Thomas Abenante and the addition of Steve Oursov the club will have 13 forwards and 8 defenceman on the roster. Wade Bennett of course could also count as a defenceman but we'll call him a forward given the way the numbers look right now.

Why no move? Trail can return basically their entire team for next season outside of Nick Sandor and Sean Nugent. This team now has a chance to grow together and win together. The way they've been playing lately they could really surprise some people down the stretch. Why mess with chemistry when you're young and on the upswing? This club is only going to get better game in and game out.

News throughout the league has been slow today. I know my phone has also been on the frtiz so I've had a hard time getting information.

RENZ TO ALBERNI VALLEY

One addition I do know about... the Alberni Valley Bulldogs have added 1993 born defenceman Ryan Renz from the KIJHL's Castlegar Rebels. Renz is a nearly point per game defenceman with a physical edge that has him over 100 penalty minutes. This is a guy who has had NCAA scouts on him already. I don't know what the Bulldogs plan for him this season as they contend for a championship, but he'll be a part of that franchise's young core as long as he doesn't make the leap to the WHL. The last time I talked to Renz he was undecided as to which way he'll go next season.

As for the Rebels, they added Darren Tarasoff after he was released from Williams Lake and former Rebel Brennan White is back. Tough break for Castlegar to lose one of their top young players at this stage of the season. However, they were able to get some veterans back to cover for that loss. It'll be a tight battle in the KIJHL's Neil Murdoch Division.

Other BCHL moves? I don't know yet. I do know several top teams are looking to add. Time is running out though. I've heard from a hand full of sources that the top D-man in Prince George should be on the move... but no official word yet.

I'll let you know if I hear anything else.

Billet Families Needed

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...

Scott McKinnon on Billets

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That number again is 368-5750.

NOTES

...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 Jarkko Ruutu. 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 Fernie Ghostriders 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.

...The Penitcton Vees have a new trainer who is also a qualified coach.

...Former Smoke Eater (twice) Brian Kang is headed to college.

Trade Deadline Madness (Part 2, KIJHL)

Just a quick update with some moves from the KIJHL.

The big news for Smoke Eaters fans is that the Castlegar Rebels acquired Scott Jago's KIJHL rights from Fernie. Jago is a Castlegar native who played earlier this year for the Smokies. He left the team a couple of months ago for medical reasons. That kind of a situation is completely private so I have not made any efforts to get an update on Jago to this point. However, if Castlegar picked up his rights, perhaps that means he's looking at making some kind of return to hockey before the season is up. If that's true I'd be thrilled to see him back in action. Jago will certainly be back in the BCHL next year when he's healthy. He has just terrific hockey sense and I would be very surprised if he didn't return to Trail. By the way, you can see Castlegar's new uniform Friday night when they host Nelson at 7:30pm. Bring your radio to listen to our broadcast of the Smokies/Vipers game while taking in KIJHL action there of at 8pm in Fruitvale.

Grand Forks sent their top scorers to Kimberly. 19 year old forward Andrew Green and 17 year old forward Jerris Gregory go to Kimberly for 17 year old forward Konrad Sander. Green has 48 points in 40 games this year while Gregory has 31 points in 34 games. Gregory is the brother of former Smoke Eater Connor Gregory. Connor has 16 points in 31 games with the Border Bruins this year and will be playing for them in this weekend's KIJHL All-Star game. Sander has 10 points in 25 games for Kimberly. The Dynamiters are in a very tight battle with Spokane and Creston for the last playoff spot in the Neil Murdoch East Division. Grand Forks would likely be in the thick of things in any other division, but they are all but eliminated from the playoff race in the very tough Neil Murdoch West. The Border Bruins actually only have 4 fewer points than Kimberly while playing more often against the very tough Nelson, Beaver Valley and Castlegar teams.

It's too bad for Grand Forks fans that they won't be in the dance again this year. However, when you look back at a 33 point season in 06-07 and a 12 point season in 05-06, there is reason for optimism. They have been a better team this season and the program is turning around.

Finally, the Beaver Valley Nitehawks added 18 year old defenceman Eric Gethers. My research shows that he's a 6'0, 165lbs blue liner from all the way down in Ashburn, Virginia. He played 5 games for the Manitoulin Islanders of the Northern Ontario Junior A Hockey League in which he had 1 assist and 11 minutes in penalties. Gethers also played 15 games for the Lindsay Muskies of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. He had 1 goal and 2 assists as well as 8 penalty minutes. That doesn't tell you much except that he was a Junior A defenceman. Junior A in Ontario is not quite at the level of the BCHL in my opinion, but it's still Junior A hockey. From what I'm told, the Nitehawks could use an upgrade to their back end, and Gethers could be just what they're looking for.

Click here for a link to a Muskies message board. This post talks a lot about Gethers being a quality person more than it talks about him as a hockey player. Still, that's a positive sign for BV fans.

The KIJHL may not have reported all the deadline transactions just yet. If anything else happens for Beaver Valley, Castlegar, Grand Forks or Nelson I'll let you know. I also plan to go into the BCHL trades from yesterday as well when I have the time.

The biggest deal for Kootenay Boundary fans (outside of Trail's trades) was Christina Lake native Clinton Pettapiece getting dealt from Cowichan Valley to Westside in exchange for Alex Gellert and what's sure to be a heavy price in future considerations. Westside will have two dangerous weapons that local fans know very well. Pettapiece and former Smokie David Arduin could be a lethal combination on the power play.

Also, Vernon picked up goaltender Andrew Hammond from Surrey. They needed a starter after losing theirs to a mid-season college scholarship. We'll see if he gets the call against the Smokies. Should be fun to watch all the trades officially filter in. We'll get more details in the coming days.

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."