Drive one for the Smokies

On Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 9:00am, AM Ford will be hosting the "Drive One for the Smokies" Test Drive Event at A.M. Plus by the Waneta Plaza.

Every test drive will result in a $20.00 donation from Ford Motor Company to the Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey Club.

Ford Motor Company is committed to 300 test drives which will result in a $6000.00 donation to the Trail Smoke Eaters.

Players, Coaches and Executive members will be on site to assist the staff at A.M. Ford to ensure the success of this event. Come out and show your community spirit and come out and test drive some of the best product on the market today that A.M. Ford has to offer.

There will be a barbecue and refreshments available.

Come and meet some of the Smoke Eater players and coaching staff. One test drive will be offered per household so tell your neighbors and your friends to come to A.M. Plus on Saturday, June 19th at 9:00AM.

We will be offering test drives until we reach our goal of 300 test drives.

Dan Ashman - President A.M. Ford Sales Ltd.

Tom Gawryletz - President Trail Smoke Eaters

Smokies AGM Tonight

The Trail Smoke Eaters are holding their annual general meeting tonight at 7pm at the MacIntyre room of the Trail Memorial Center. It's a public meeting and the club is looking for anyone with new ideas and time to volunteer. Come be a part of one of the last remaining community owned Junior A teams left in the BCHL.

Smokies part company with Youngson

Word today that the Trail Smoke Eaters have not renewed the contract of Assistant Coach Brian Youngson. I was able to confirm that Brian would indeed not be back with the club. However, the Smokies didn't make an official statement on the matter.

As for Brian, I know he has been pursuing full time work opportunities in the community. He's a family man who welcomed a young son to the Youngson clan last summer. It strikes me that at this point that family is Brian's top priority. As much as hockey is a passion for him I think practical interests come into play as well. I know we all have those thoughts sometimes! Either way he'll be successful at whatever it is he does.

I know I'll miss having him around. Over the past 3 years I've certainly come to consider Brian a friend. I also owe him big because he introduced me to my girlfriend. That's a debt I can never repay. He's a great guy with a hell of a sense of humour who it is always fun to talk hockey with. I know he was always very accommodating to me whenever I needed something and I look forward to continuing that friendship away from the bus and the rink.

Youngson joined the Smoke Eaters for the 2006-07 season under Tim Kehler. The team had a very good season finishing 3rd and winning a playoff round. He's been with the club now for four seasons and has become ingrained in the community. I've always known Brian to have a good relationship with the players, but he won't pull any punches either. He's got a good eye for the game and I've learned a lot from our conversations. No one can say he didn't make a very solid contribution over his tenure with the team.

Youngson started his coaching career as an assistant with Fernie in the KIJHL. That's a team that Brian has been proudly associated with as a player and a coach. He had a good junior career and has proved to be a capable and personable coach as well. That booming voice alone can make an impression.

For whatever reason at this time both the team and Brian needed a change. Sometimes the same situation can get stale. I think it'll end up being good for all involved. I'm certainly curious to see what Coach Ingram and the club do in terms of filling that void.

For now I just wanted to say thanks for Brian for everything he's done for me and for the Smoke Eaters. I'm sure a lot of people in and out of the organization feel the same way.

Points over 60 games

I've compiled a list of what Trail's individual point totals would look like if everyone had played 60 games (current total divided by games played times 60) and here is how it turned out. Obviously some players have larger sample sizes than others.

• Mike Betz - 71
• Scott Jacklin - 68
• Nick Sandor - 67
• Sam Mellor - 63
• Travis St. Denis - 57
• Matt Wilkins - 41
• Steve Koshey - 40
• Darnell Dyck - 35
• Paul Mailey - 33
• Mitch Kaufmann - 29
• Tommy Rizzardo - 25
• Wade Bennett - 24
• Curtis Tonello - 20
• Graeme Strukoff - 20
• Justin Brown -19
• Thomas Abenante - 17
• Steve Oursov - 17
• Ben Matthews - 15
• Sean Nugent - 11
• Eric Walker - 11
• Taylor Swaffield - 9
• Josh McEwan - 7 (227 PIM)
  

If you did the same exercise for last year's team only one player (Ryan Bulach) would finish at 60 points or higher. Two seasons ago there wouldn't have been a single one. Three seasons ago again there would only have been one (David Arduin) at 60 or higher. The last time Trail had this many players who would finish at 60 points or higher was 2004-05.

What does that say? Lack of skill isn't a problem when the roster is relatively healthy. At one time the back end was inexperienced, but with 50 games under their belt and the addition of a couple of experienced guys it's harder to say that now. Plus there are 5 different defencemen who would put up 20 or more points over 60 games at their current pace. Bottom line is young or not these guys are good enough to win hockey games and play better than they did this week. They proved it in some great games against teams like Penticton, Vernon, Powell River and others. They showed just a glimpse at what this group is capable of over December and early January. The question is not what can they accomplish, the question maybe is will they do what it takes? Do they believe and realize how good they can be? Can they be consistent enough to use that talent to the right ends?

This injury situation sucks there's no question about it. It's hard to play without 3 out of 4 of your centers. It's tough to play without 3 of your experienced minute eaters on the back end. It's tough... but there is enough talent on this roster that they should have been better this week and we all know they can be. There's no reason for this group to only score twice in 2 games at home. There's no reason for this group to ever go 20 minutes without a shot.

It doesn't look like they're going to lose much ground this weekend although Prince George and Merritt still have games on Sunday. However, the Spruce Kings play Williams Lake, Nanaimo and Burnaby as a part of their final month, while Trail only has one game against a team with a losing record. The playoffs are far from certain. Their work ethic better be more consistent than it was against Langley and Powell River or these guys may not make March... and that would be a terrible shame given just how talented they are.

I don't think they'll waste it.

Video Highlights: Trail 4 Victoria 0

Video Highlights: Trail 9 Nanaimo 5

On Pace

(Josh McEwan racks up the penalty minutes)

Math for me is a bit of a dangerous thing, but I decided to try it out anyway this afternoon. Using my trusty calculator I did a little bit of work to figure out what the stats would look like for Trail's skaters if they continued scoring at the pace they are at right now. I calculated this as if each player were going to play every game from now until the end of the season. Obviously that won't happen. Also I adjusted Matt Wilkins' stats as if he were going to start playing again not this weekend but next. Here's what I came up with:

• Tye Lewis: 30-33-63 (60 GP)
• Nick Sandor: 30-30-60 (60 GP)
• Scott Jacklin: 15-45-60 (60 GP)
• Sam Mellor: 25-28-53 (60 GP)
• Travis St. Denis: 26-26-52 (59 GP)
• Matt Wilkins: 4-41-45 (45 GP)
• Darnell Dyck: 21-20-41 (59 GP)
• Steve Koshey: 8-31-39 (59 GP)
• Wade Bennett: 0-29-29 (55 GP)
• Tommy Rizzardo: 4-24-28 (48 GP)
• Ben Matthews: 6-20-26 (55 GP)
• Paul Mailey: 8-16-24 (60 GP)
• Marc-Antoine Chaput: 7-14-21 (51 GP)
• Mitch Kaufmann: 8-11-19 (49 GP)
• Thomas Abenante: 6-9-15 (54 GP)
• Justin Brown: 3-10-13 (52 GP)
• Graeme Strukoff: 3-10-13 (52 GP)
• Eric Walker: 3-8-11 (59 GP)
• Sean Nugent: 5-5-10 (60 GP)
• David Piccard: 0-6-6 (54 GP)
• Josh McEwan: 0-4-4 (49 GP)

Of note, Josh would also rack up an astonishing 234 penalty minutes in 49 games if he keeps his current pace up. I guess you could say he loves to scrap.

Smokies "Boost" Halloween Spirits

...

Those of you who live in Trail may have already seen this editorial from Trail Times Sports Editor Guy Bertrand. He wrote about an e-mail the Smokies received from the owner of Booster Juice in Quesnel. This is the kind of story that is all too often forgotten or ignored when we talk about the ins and outs of this great game. Guy has sent me the article and given me permission to run it on the blog and on the Smokies website. It also appears he has pretty good taste in radio stations...

Players prove good things happen to good people

By Guy Bertrand (Trail Times November 4th)

The news of the Trail Smoke Eaters’ success during its weekend northern road trip found its way back to Trail pretty quickly thanks to Shawn Mullin’s radio play-by-play and the information highway.

But the news of how the Smokies conducted themselves off the ice traveled even faster.

It’s not the first time I’ve received feedback from outside our little hockey world on how the team conducts itself when it’s on the road.

The most memorable for me was a few years ago when the team collected its leftovers from a big feast in Victoria and doled them out to the homeless people sheltered in the alleys of B.C.’s capital.

While such a grand and selfless gesture was certainly worthy of mentioning, perhaps the team’s comportment on the weekend in Quesnel says more about the entire organization – top to bottom.

Needless to say it hasn’t been that great of a start to the season for the Orange and Black. And every bleacher coach and general manager has an idea on what the team should’ve done, could’ve done and can do to make it better.

But according to Quesnel’s Nicole England, the team is definitely on the right track when it comes to representing Trail and conducting itself in the type of fashion we all want to see from local teams.

England owns a store called Booster Juice, a health-oriented drink store. It’s a store frequented by just about every athlete passing through town, most notably BCHL teams.

Yet England couldn’t help but gush over each and every Smoke Eater who was in her store on the weekend.

In Quesnel, there’s a Halloween tradition where young kids go to various businesses in town and collect their treats. It happened again on Saturday just when the entire Smoke Eaters lineup was in the Booster Juice to get a helping of fruit drinks.

“The little kids started coming in for trick or treating and they (the players) all basically told each other to move out of the way so the kids could get their candy,” said England.

“They all stepped aside, which you rarely actually see. We have regular customers that would never actually do that.”

Seldom does she witness the type of manners and respect displayed by the Smokies, who happened to be in her store three times over the weekend.

“We get a lot of hockey teams that come through here and they are not usually like that. Even with our own hockey team there are a few that we get that are quite rude or not very appreciative.

“So it’s nice to see a whole group that all say thank you and very polite in the store.

“It’s a good reflection on the coaching staff as well. They must put into the boys that when you’re on the road to be respectful wherever you go.”

When England relayed the story to her mom, she quickly e-mailed Smoke Eaters president Tom Gawryletz to share her daughter’s positive experience.

Fans, and sports writers for that matter, focus too often on wins and losses. So when a morale victory like this is achieved it certainly deserves recognition.

Perhaps the next time the Smokies are struggling and the record doesn’t reflect what fans want, it might be an opportunity to rethink why we support the team.

Only one great team gets a championship at the end of the season but a group great people can look like champions off the ice all season long.

Just something to ponder when deciding if you should go to a game or not.

Video Highlights: Burnaby 9 Trail 5

Just a quick note, I didn't edit or have anything to do with these highlights. They're actually done by a professional from Purple Penguin and as such are way better than the amateur job I do trying to cut things together from our home games! Enjoy... but you may want to turn them off about half way through.



Our next broadcast of Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters play by play on Mountain FM is tomorrow night from Nanaimo.

Video Highlights: Prince George 4 Trail 3 (OT)

My apologies for the lack of update these last two days. I've taken the time to relax with family for Thanksgiving and waste hours playing NHL 2010. With a five day road trip coming up this week I hope you can all understand! I do want to say again how nice it was to meet several parents over the weekend. You were all very friendly and encouraging. I really appreciate that. There's a lot of class among the players and their families... the victories will come but that character is what really matters in life.

EDIT: The audio on the file is off especially towards the end of the hightlights. It's not off on my copy but something got lost in the transition up to youtube.

Video Highlights: Cowichan Valley 3 Trail 2

Smokies Add Kaufmann and McEwan

(Josh McEwan and Mitch Kaufmann)

The Trail Smoke Eaters made a couple of roster moves today leading into their home games against Cowichan Valley and Prince George this weekend. They traded 1989 born forward Colin Lidster to Grande Prairie of the AJHL for 1991 born defenceman Mitch Kaufmann and future considerations. Trail also added 1991 born forward Josh McEwan to their roster. He spent last season with the Langley Chiefs. To make room for McEwan the Smokies released 1989 born forward Riley Loyst. I'll have more details coming up shortly.

EDIT: So what does this move mean for the Smoke Eaters? First of all it creates a log jam on the back end. There are now nine defencemen on the roster. It also means the Smokies now have a third veteran on the blue line. Kaufmann may only be 18 years old but he has a year under his belt on a top team in the AJHL. As a rookie Kaufmann got ice time on a championship team throughout their playoff run. He only has one point in his Junior A career so I don't expect him to walk in to Trail and run the power play. That being said, I'm told he has a very good shot. He also had 15 points in 36 games with the Red Deer Optimist Rebels as a 16 year old in Midget AAA.

I don't think anyone should expect Kaufmann to walk in here and completely re-shape the back end. I would expect a solid player with some experience who can help calm things down in the Trail zone. That's the way he was described in an article on Kaufmann's try out with the WHL's Red Deer Rebels this fall:

“I think Mitch has played well. He’s been steady,” said (Rebels Head Coach Jesse) Wallin. “He’s got some junior A experience so he’s come in here and played with confidence because of that. He’s a steady guy. He doesn’t do anything real flashy but he’s solid in his own zone, he makes a good first pass and doesn’t get himself in much trouble. As a result, he’s certainly garnered some attention that way and he’ll get a longer look.”

That's the kind of player the Smokies could use right now. Smart, simple and effective play. I know Kaufmann is excited to be coming to Trail and should be in town in time for this weekend's home games against Cowichan Valley and Prince George.

As for the addition of Josh McEewan, he is another player who should make a difference with his two-way game. Josh had a goal and a couple of assists last season with the Langley Chiefs. McEwan also made a very tough Fernie Ghostriders squad when he was 16 years old. He only had 11 points in the regular season, but Josh upped his game in a big way with 9 points in 19 playoff games as Fernie won the KIJHL Championship. He also had 119 penalty minutes that season and 90 last year with Langley. McEwan has been skating with the Smokies for over a week now without any promises. He came in to prove himself and show the organization that he has what it takes to wear the orange and black. Coach Ingram says he's exactly the kind of player he likes and a guy who has told the coach that he will do anything and play whatever role it takes to get onto the roster. That kind of attitude and determination is exactly the kind of way to get Ingram's attention. Now we'll see how Josh can do if all the paperwork gets taken care of before the games this weekend.

As for the departures, it is always tough to see anyone go. Riley Loyst was a guy who always worked hard and played a very determined game. He battled back from two broken jaws and always busted his butt. I hope Riley can land somewhere to finish off his junior hockey career in style.

We know where Colin Lidster is going to go. The big man will now have a chance to show his stuff on the defending AJHL champions. Colin came to Trail to try and show that he could be a top 6 player and put up some big points in his 20 year old season. The performance of some of the new Smokies forwards like Lewis, Mellor and Wilkins made that less likely. Rather than play out his final season here on the bottom 6 we'll see if Lidster can head to Alberta and make a loud impression with a perennial power house in that league. He's a guy with a great stride and good shot on a huge frame... if he can put it all together the Storm may reap the rewards.

I certainly wish both Loyst and Lidster the best.

With their departure and the previous release of Devon Murtagh the Smokies also find themselves with three free 20 year old slots. Does that mean they'll fill those spots? Not necessarily. However, it does give Coach Ingram the flexibility to add a few more veterans should the opportunity present itself. I suspect there are still some moves to be made. For now we'll get our first look at the new additions tomorrow night against Cowichan Valley and Saturday night against Prince George. The Smokies are tough to beat at the Cominco Arena, especially if we get another great crowd like last Saturday night.

NOTES

...With the departure of Colin Lidster there was an opening for another alternate captain. Second year defenceman Graeme Strukoff will now have an 'A' on his jersey for the Smokies. Congratulations to Strukoff who is a first class citizen on and off the ice. I talk often to his father and I can see where it comes from. The "bull in a china shop" is one of two 18 year old members of Trail's leadership team with Justin Brown. Hopefully they will both be big parts of the team for the remainder of their junior careers.

...My condolences to the Vernon Vipers and the family of Wayne Buck. The former Vipers PA announcer passed away recently. He was the man behind the mic for 15 years.

...What kinds of things would make your Christmas time experience at a BCHL hockey game a little more exciting? Let me know via e-mail shawnsamsmullin@hotmail.com

...Some BCHL broadcasters got together today for what I believe is the first broadcasters pool. There are 8 of us in there and I'll keep you up to date as the season goes on. That is unless I find myself at the bottom of the standings! I've got Ovechkin on my team so I've at least got that going for me.

...Tomorrow's game by the way is another chapter in the mentor vs. student battle between Capitals Coach Scott Robinson and Smokies Coach Jim Ingram. Ingram was at one point Robinson's assistant in Cowichan Valley. The Caps beat Trail in the only match-up between the two teams last year. Both squads are struggling in the standings and will be playing desperate hockey. It should be entertaining.

Post Game Audio: Merritt 8 Trail 3

(Andrew Pickering)

Former Smoke Eater Andrew Pickering had two assists in his debut as a Centennial in an 8-3 win over Trail last night. The game was another example this season of how major defensive blunders can turn a competitive hockey game against the Smokies. All three first period goals saw a Merritt forward with an absurd amount of time and space to operate in front of the Trail net. It happened again on the fifth goal. Those coverage errors were the difference in the game in my view. That and the fact that Merritt was opportunistic while Trail couldn't find the handle on their many chances against the strong play of Cents goalie Keith Hamilton. With 103 saves in just two starts this season Hamilton is quickly making a name for himself. He could be a key cog in a return to the playoffs for the Centennials.

Lost in today's loss is a dandy goal by Sam Mellor who swiped the puck at the red line and made a great one on one deke before putting the puck in by Hamilton. Sean Nugent had his best game of the season as he scored, dropped the gloves at a key time and battled hard for pucks all night long. The Nugent/Bennett/Abenante line showed a lot of grit and tenacity for the second straight game. It's an odd unit that seems to have found some traction as an energy line. Steve Koshey scored today as well to continue his history of putting up points against Merritt. He just seems to find the net when playing against the Centennials. That was the Trail native's second goal of the year and both of them were in Merritt.

The Smokies have to start finding a way to play better on the road. Their schedule continues to be road heavy throughout this and next month. 20 of their first 29 games are on the road and so far they've only made it through 7 of them. The travel schedule and distance is very difficult, but they're going to find themselves in a mightily huge hole if they can't find a way to start putting up some points away from the Cominco Arena. The Smokies remain a strong home team and I would expect two very good efforts on Friday night against Cowichan Valley and on Saturday against Prince George. Hope to see you there!

Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey on Mountain FM Highlights: Trail 3 at Merritt 8

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Pre-Game Interview with Merritt Forward Andrew Pickering

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Video Highlights: Trail 5 Burnaby 4 (OT)

Post Game: Trail 5 Burnaby 4 (OT)

(Smokies Celebrate - Photo Randy Emery)

What a game tonight at the Cominco Arena. Check out the box score. That had pretty much everything you could ask for. Back and fourth action. Great goals, great saves, big hits, a fight, lots of intensity, terrific puck battles and lots of drama. The over 1100 fans who came out to the game certainly went home with their money's worth. I do want to say how happy I was to see a nice big crowd out at the game despite the 8-2 loss in Penticton the night before. Smokies fans showed their support and the team responded with an entertaining victory. We need crowds like that all year.

Tye Lewis and Travis St. Denis continued to set the pace for the Smoke Eaters on the score sheet. St. Denis extended his point streak to 7 games and his goal scoring streak to 4 games with his power play marker in the 2nd period. Lewis extended his point streak to 5 games with a goal and a couple of assists. The two combined for 8 points over the 2 weekend games. I do want to mention though that they've had Paul Mailey doing a lot of the leg work for them at even strength. The Trail Captain got rewarded for that when he scored the opener today. Nick Sandor has also looked good with them on the PP. Lewis of course scored the dramatic overtime winner tonight. He made a terrific move at the Burnaby line before wiring a monster shot top shelf on Harrison May. It's a play that reminded me of the four dramatic overtime winners that Brandon Clark and St. Denis scored against Penticton last season at the Cominco Arena. It sure sent the crowd home happy.

This game actually could have been 4-1 Trail if the Smoke Eaters had been able to cut each period down to 19 minutes. They allowed a goal in the final minute of each period that allowed Burnaby to twice take late leads and in the third tie the game. The Smokies got a bit scrambly in those final minutes, but otherwise played a very solid and exciting game. The young defencemen will continue to have their moments, but they are absolutely making progress. Eric Walker especially is standing out as one of Trail's best on the back end despite only being 16 years old. He is playing with the poise and physical presence of a veteran. It's in his blood with a couple of uncles who played pro, but it also has to do with his work ethic.

I singled Walker out, but I really think all the rookies are coming along. That includes Tommy Rizzardo who made his debut as a full time member of the Smokies roster this weekend. There are going to be growing pains for Tommy (especially after not playing any pre-season games due to injury) and the rest of the inexperienced group, but they're going to get sharper and sharper every week. A rough start or some rough games are not surprising. However, the progress we're seeing is promising. Matthews is becoming a physical force who has good instincts. Piccard is just solid, battles for pucks and seems to know where to be. Chaput didn't play but has shown improved confidence moving the puck with each game he plays. As they improve it'll make life a little easier for Steve Koshey and Graeme Strukoff.

As for Wade Bennett, he did an admirable job jumping up to forward tonight. Wade played forward for most of his minor hockey career from what I understand. He converted to the blue line a couple of seasons ago. However, he didn't seem to have any trouble fitting in as he was called upon to make the jump up front tonight with Riley Loyst and Colin Lidster out of the line-up. Bennett I thought showed good instincts and won his share of puck battles in the corners.

The Brown/Sandor/Dyck line also had a heck of a hockey game. Brown and Dyck got huge goals in the third period to tie the game and put Trail ahead. They won a lot of puck battles and played some very solid hockey in their own end. It's a nice and balanced line that I'd like to see more of. Sandor has been a play maker so far this year with 8 assists already. He'll find the net soon. Brown and Dyck are really finding their extra gears after relatively slow starts for both of them. They're both complete players who are the types that Coach Ingram is really going to lean on.

The victory also gave Garrett Beckwith his first win as a Smoke Eater. I'm sure it was a big weight off of his shoulders. Beckwith didn't play poorly in his previous effort, but the team was just not clicking. Tonight it was a nice combination. Beckwith made some great stops and controlled his rebounds well while the team played a much better overall effort in front of him. Beckwith and Smiley are both sound and acrobatic goaltenders who I'm confident will continue to push each other in giving Trail top notch goaltending. I didn't talk about the Friday night game in Penticton on here, but Smiley deserves a lot of credit for some of the ridiculous saves he made in that one before the Smokies folded the tent on him in the third. Both guys deserve full marks for their play even if the stats don't back that up. As the team continues to improve the goaltenders will get numbers that reflect that. They should at least both know that they're doing their jobs.

There were a lot of skeptical fans in the crowd tonight as I made my walks around the rink. Fair enough. However, they saw a lot to be happy about out there tonight. It started with hard work and ended with a victory. That's points in three of four games for Trail and 19 goals in that span. We'll see if Trail can continue to build on that when they go for revenge Tuesday night in Merritt. Don't forget to tune into Mountain FM for that game and to Overtime tomorrow night for a boat load of reaction from the weekend.

NOTES

...Former Smoke Eater Dylan Herold had a chance to mingle with friends today during the game. The Burnaby Captain was suspended for being involved in the second fight after a whistle on Friday night in Salmon Arm. Too bad we didn't get to see Herold. He has really carved out a great spot for himself in Burnaby after a rough sophomore year in Trail and never really getting going in Merritt. Herold is putting up points, killing penalties and leading the Express in the locker room. Couldn't happen to a classier young man. I'll have an interview with him on the blog later this week. Another former Smoke Eater, Jimmy Geerin looked solid for Burnaby tonight. I always thought he was very good for Trail in half a season here.

...Penticton is the first team to knock off Vernon since April. Talk about an incredible run. It's going to be hard for anyone to stop the Vipers this season. The Vees certainly have the talent to test them. Doesn't sound like the game had anywhere near the action that the Burnaby/Trail game did, but a win is a win is a win.

...Meritt fired over 40 shots on Salmon Arm but still lost 7-3. The Cents will visit Westside Sunday before Trail comes to town on Tuesday.

...Beaver Valley lost twice this weekend in the KIJHL but will soon get a boost from the return of Kris Davis to their back end. Nelson beat the Nitehawks on Friday and will play Sunday. Grand Forks lost on the road Friday and plays Columbia Valley on Sunday. That same Rockies squad is coming off an 11-1 loss in Castlegar tonight. Erik Wentzel scored a hat trick and had an assist in his return to the Rebels.

...Can you think of a worse first game for a veteran NHL goaltender on a new team than what happened in Edmonton tonight?

Post Game Audio: Trail 5 Salmon Arm 5

(Mailey and St. Denis against SA last season - Photo Randy Emery)

Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey September 29th Highlights

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Smokies Assistant Coach Brian Youngson

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Forward Justin Brown

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Defenceman Steve Koshey

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Forward Travis St. Denis

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Trail 7 Williams Lake 2

(Sam Mellor scores his second of the game - Photo Randy Emery)

Trevor Lewis and Sam Mellor both had two goals and an assist in a 7-2 Trail win over Williams Lake today. Matt Wilkins had three asists while Travis St. Denis added two points. It was also a celebration for Eric Walker, Ben Matthews and Marc-Antoine Chaput as they each scored their first BCHL points. Mellor's first goal was his first BCHL marker. Kiefer Smiley stopped 36 of 38 shots for the win in his first start as a Smoke Eater. It was the second straight game that the Smokies put up more than 40 shots. There was lots to like about this afternoon's game, but the biggest thing is that the "monkey" is off their back. Now the team should be looser and more able to perform up to their ability. We'll have all sorts of interviews and reaction tomorrow night on Mountain FM's Overtime from 6pm to 10pm. Trail's next game is Tuesday night in Salmon Arm.

Post Game: Quesnel 5 Trail 1

(Photo Randy Emery)

It's easy to look at the 0-6 record for Trail and focus on that. Instead at first I want to talk about tonight's game as a stand alone entity. Trail out shot the Millionaires 43-36 tonight including 31 shots through two periods. The forwards were creating traffic and chances, but Kirby Halcrow was terrific in the Quesnel goal. He didn't seem to make any spectacular saves, but he was in the right place at the right time. Reminded me a lot of Grant Rollheiser in that he made tough saves look easy. There was a reason we selected Halcrow as the first star today. His performance so far has him among the top ranked goaltenders in the BCHL.

However, it wasn't a 2-1 game. Quesnel broke it wide open with 4 goals in the second period. So what happened? How were the shots so even and actually in favour of Trail, but Quesnel came away with a four goal win? Because tonight's game was the ultimate example of what specific defensive break downs can do. 95% of tonight's game I would say the play was either even or Trail actually had a slight edge in the play. That's a positive step, but the break downs killed them. On the first goal Hertz was allowed too much space in front of the Trail goal to one time a puck home. On the second goal a neutral zone turn over turned into a 4 on 1. On the third goal the Mills were allowed about five whacks at the puck in front of the Trail net before being able to knock it in. On the fourth goal Holst was allowed free access from the corner to the front of the Trail net. Finally, the fifth goal was a breakaway.

Not one of the goals was a floater from the point or say the top of the circle. It's also not like Quesnel was overwhelming Trail with perfectly executed rush after perfectly executed rush. Again, the play was very even and in my view entertaining. Unfortunately, a hand full of broken plays ended up in the back of the Smoke Eater net and was the difference in tonight's game. In my view it was that simple. I'm sure there are a lot of fans who will see the score and demand full scale changes. The talent is there and they've shown the ability to carry the play... but these broken plays are killing them right now.

Of course taking a step back from tonight's game and looking at the bigger picture you also have to acknowledge the mental/emotional side of this situation. I posted a couple of Vince Lombardi quotes earlier basically about how hard it is to overcome fragile confidence when you're losing. I had a conversation with one fan who said to me basically that the guys just had to suck it up and battle through the confidence problems. That is absolutely one of the truest examples of something that is easy to say and an absolute ***** to do. Think positively, believe in yourself, battle through it... and then you get down 1-0 and suddenly it's 2-0 and how do you fight that natural instinct to get anxious?

For example, I had an awful second period tonight in the broadcast booth. Everything was going wrong. I dropped my papers into the stands, I got interrupted two or three times, I got messages saying the broadcast wasn't working and I just wasn't sharp. Add that to the always difficult task of getting to know what was basically a brand new roster for Quesnel and it was probably among my worst periods in a long time. In the intermission I took a moment to compose myself. I did my best to get it together and put it behind me. The third started pretty well, but as soon as I stumbled a little bit here or there I felt the shadow of my bad second period hovering over me and shaking me a little bit.

I don't consider myself "mentally soft" but that impacted my work a little bit, and I'm not competing in a high tempo sport against 20 perfectly conditioned elite athletes. In hockey even the smallest hesitation or fraction of doubt can turn into one of those major break downs that was the difference between a close game tonight and a 5-1 final. This is not an easy thing to fight through. You can't just snap your fingers and break out of it. Coach Ingram can't just make one magical move or say one perfect thing in the dressing room to break the boys out of it. They've just got to keep plugging.

I know there are probably some people close to the team that feel like I've been hard on them lately. I don't relish it. I have to call the games as I see them as much as it pains me to be negative. I have immense respect for the coaches, players, board and everyone involved in this hockey club. If I had a talented son I wouldn't hesitate for even half a second to send him here under the guidance of Coach Ingram, Coach Youngson and Coach Zanier because I know they'd come back to me a better player and most importantly a better man. They are too smart and talented for this to last.

I promise you this Trail Smoke Eaters team will not have too many more nights like this all season. As soon as they get this monkey off their back the tide will turn and the the lights will come on.

Bank on it.

SMUTEK

I had a brief chat after the game with former Smoke Eater Skyler Smutek. He's playing some very big minutes this season for Quesnel after being an All-Star with Drayton Valley last season. The biggest thing I noticed in talking with him is that Skyler seemed content and comfortable. I'm really glad to see that. I think as much as it may have been tough at the time, the trade last year was the right thing for him. The ice time he got in the AJHL wasn't available in Trail. He got to spend a year on a bad team playing all sorts of minutes... and he really matured as a player. Now Skyler is older, stronger, more experienced and playing a big role back in the BCHL. He's off to a strong start and really deserves it.

Quesnel is a tough team. I talked to someone today who has seen all the northern teams and strongly feels that the Mills are the top team in the Cariboo. They only lost 2-0 in Vernon. They lost in the last minute of the game against Wetside. This is a good hockey club. They've got a reliable core of vets on the back end. Their goaltending is perhaps the best in the Interior so far. Their best players are doing what your best players have to do by producing key points for them early in the year. They move the puck decently and have at least two lines that can burn you. There's no question in my mind they'll be a playoff team and could even be a dark horse for home ice advantage.

The hockey fans in the Q have suffered for a long time and really deserve better. It looks like they're getting it.

WILLIAMS LAKE

The Williams Lake Timberwolves have proven to be a very hard working team that perhaps is a little short on high end skill. That's to be expected when they are essentially an expansion franchise who didn't have a single "returning" player. They're also finishing off a three day road trip that took them from Prince George to Vernon to Trail tomorrow afternoon. This is a team that is likely going to play some desperate hockey and will look to come out of the gate hot. There is obviously a good chance they could run out of gas late. That being said, tomorrow will be Trail's fourth game in five nights. The Wolves have one win and Trail has none. This is the set up for two very desperate teams to go head to head tomorrow.

I expect a physical, gritty and energetic battle tomorrow. However, I also think the first goal is going to be huge. Both teams are struggling and confidence is sagging. Whichever team can jump out ahead could have a huge emotional advantage. I think the first five minutes of tomorrow's game could really set the tone.

Tomorrow will also be the first chance for the four Castlegar Rebels that joined Williams Lake this season to return home. Three of them (Keagan Little, Anthony DeLong and Darren Tarasoff) are locals. Expect a pretty decent turn out of their friends and family that may create a bit of a Wolves cheering section. Former Nelson Leaf Dane Rupert also plays for Williams Lake. It'll be his first chance to face his former teammates David Piccard and Garrett Beckwith. Those are just a few of the story lines we can dig into tomorrow afternoon. I hope to see you there. If you aren't in town buy the PPV or you can just listen to the broadcast. I expect our feed won't be so shaky tomorrow. It's usually among the best video broadcasts in the BCHL. Our team really does an excellent job behind the scenes.

Keep the faith, Smokies fans! See you or talk to you tomorrow.

Game Day: Quesnel at Trail

"It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner,
when you're number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you're
not a winner."

Vince Lombardi

Tonight starts a big weekend for this year's edition of the Trail Smoke Eaters. Obviously game 6 of the season isn't "do or die" but it's important. Win or lose tonight the Smoke Eaters have to show they have the right attitude to win. Now I say that, but a win this weekend is absolutely vital. Frankly they really could use two of them. As Vince Lombardi said, "confidence is contagious, so is lack of confidence."

The Smoke Eaters need to remind themselves that they are good hockey players and have what it takes to win. They've all done it at one time or another... at one level of hockey or another. There's a reason they're here. There's a reason the coaching staff got several calls this week telling them to keep their chins up and this talented group will come around. This is not a basement team. These guys have a lot of pride and a lot of skill. They just need to remind themselves of that and have some fun again.

Quesnel is not a "weaker sister" team this season. If you look over their schedule so far you won't find any blow outs. This is a team that fights, scratches claws and battles for everything. They won't give you an inch out there. They've also got a very dangerous top line and some solid young players. Don't expect two points because they're wearing the powder blue. They'll make Trail earn that first victory. Now these boys in the orange and black have to show that they can do just that. Hopefully we'll see a big crowd out tonight and tomorrow afternoon (against Williams Lake) to help them right the ship. It should be a good one.

Here's Coach Ingram on the roster changes yesterday and righting their attitude...

Smokies Coach and GM Jim Ingram

Click here to download

Smiley to Trail, Murtagh and Malenstyn Released

(Kiefer Smiley)

Late breaking news tonight that the Trail Smoke Eaters have made a change in goal. Devon Murtagh and the Smoke Eaters parted ways today as the veteran 20 year old goaltender just could not get his career in Trail off the ground. Everyone I talk to about Murtagh stresses how classy and mature he is. I know Jim Ingram told me today that Devon will succeed at whatever goals he decides to pursue in life, and they're very disappointed that it didn't work out in Trail. That being said, the goaltending tandem will now change as the Smoke Eateres have acquired Kiefer Smiley from the Cowichan Valley Capitals for future considerations.

Smiley went into this season as the starter for the Capitals but seems to have been supplanted by the arrival of 16 year old Laurent Brossoit from the WHL. Kiefer is a goaltender Coach Ingram knows well as he coached him as a 16 year old in the VIJHL. Smiley had a very successful season under Ingram with the Kerry Park Islanders and I know Jim has been following his career ever since. For Kerry Park, Smiley had a 2.86 GAA and 89.31 save percentage in 32 games as a 16 year old. Smiley spent last season bouncing between Cowichan Valley and Quesnel as the Capitals loaned him to the Millionaires when that northern squad ran into some serious injury troubles between the pipes. Perhaps this move will give Kiefer a positive change of scenery and a chance to establish himself in one place.

Two seasons ago as a 17 year old Smiley had a save percentage over 90% in over 30 games. He can play at this level. Ingram expects him and Garrett Beckwith to form a very solid tandem for the Smokies that will give his skaters a chance to win every night. He also mentioned to me that he's very happy with the way Beckwith has played while under siege every night recently in the Trail net. The compete level is something Ingram stresses when discussing both of these goaltenders. He says Smiley is excited to come to Trail and may even get into one of this weekend's games.

There was also another move today as the Smoke Eaters sent Matt Malenstyn home. Malenstyn gamely converted to forward this season after playing his entire career on the blue line. He worked his butt off to try to make it work, but it appears the experiment in Trail at least is over. I hope that this hard working and classy young man gets another opportunity to take his career to the next level. There should be plenty of chances for a 6'7 monster who has the right attitude.

I know I personally hate to see anyone go and can't imagine how hard a GM's job is at this level. I wish both Malenstyn and Murtagh the absolute best of luck in whatever they end up doing next. As for the Smoke Eaters, they need to put a smile (Smiley?) on their faces and force themselves to enjoy the game again this weekend. Suck it up and get that losing vibe out of their system. We'll see if these guys have the character to fight out of this hole and play the hockey they are capable of this weekend at home.

I'll see you at the rink tomorrow night against Quesnel and Sunday afternoon when Williams Lake is in town. Tune in to Mountain FM just after 8pm tonight for an interview with Coach Ingram on tonight's changes. It'll be up on the blog later.