Trail Smoke Eaters

Trail Smoke Eaters
City Trail, British Columbia, Canada
League British Columbia Hockey League
Conference Interior
Founded 1926 (1926)
Home arena Cominco Arena
Colours Orange, black and white
              
General manager Cam Keith
Head coach Cam Keith
Website www.trailsmokeeaters.com
Franchise history
1926–present Trail Smoke Eaters

The Trail Smoke Eaters are a junior "A" ice hockey team from Trail, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League.

History

The Smoke Eaters (aka Smokies) have existed as both junior and senior teams since the 1920s. The senior Smoke Eaters won two Allan Cup championships—1938 and 1962. The senior team also won two Ice Hockey World Championships playing for Canada in 1939 and 1961; they were the last independent ice hockey club to represent Canada in international competition before the Canada men's national ice hockey team was established in 1963. The remainder of this article discusses the junior Smoke Eaters.

The junior Smoke Eaters have competed in British Columbia (BC) since 1926. Junior hockey in BC has evolved over a number of decades. Originally, Junior referred to a general, age-limited, non-professional hockey concept that was distinct from senior and intermediate divisions. Later, the junior division was divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B. Over time, Junior A would evolve into Major Junior and Junior A.

Through their history, the junior Smoke Eaters have competed in various versions of Junior, Junior "A" and Junior "B" divisions. While they did compete for the national Junior Championship Memorial Cup - emblematic of today's Major Junior championship - the Smoke Eaters have never participated in the post-1960s version of Major Junior.

In 1931-32 the junior Smoke Eaters won their first of 22 Mowat Cups over a run of 29 seasons. Throughout this run, the Mowat Cup was emblematic of the highest level Junior Hockey Championship of BC. During their 22 Mowat Cup winning years, the Smoke Eaters would represent BC in the Western Canadian Junior/Junior A Championship, competing for the Abbott Cup. The Smoke Eaters won the Abbott Cup in 1944, allowing them to represent Western Canada in the national Junior Championship Memorial Cup competition, losing all four games to the Oshawa Generals.

By the 1970s, the Smoke Eaters played as a Junior "B" team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. They joined the Junior A Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League from the 1991-92 through 1994-95 seasons.

In 1995 the Smoke Eaters bought out the rights to the Bellingham Ice Hawks of the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League, joining that league as the Trail Smoke Eaters for the 1995-96 season.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1969-70 32 29 3 0 - 335 86 58 1st, KJHL KJHL Champions
1970-71 28 26 2 0 - -- -- 52 1st, WKHL WKHL Champions
1971-72 32 21 11 0 - 256 96 42 2nd, WKHL
1972-73 30 17 13 0 - 194 165 34 3rd, KIJHL
1973-74 30 11 19 0 - 184 195 22 6th, KIJHL
1974-75 34 24 10 0 - 270 161 48 2nd, KIJHL
1975-76 34 24 8 2 - 239 178 50 1st, KIJHL
1976-77 44 31 13 0 - 329 188 62 2nd, KIJHL
1977-78 42 33 8 1 - 225 137 67 1st, KIJHL
1978-79 40 37 3 0 - 245 113 74 1st, KIJHL KIJHL Champions
1979-80 40 18 22 0 - 219 240 36 9th, KIJHL
1980-81 40 31 9 0 - 323 186 62 2nd, KIJHL KIJHL Champions
1981-82 42 28 12 2 - 299 187 58 2nd, KIJHL
1982-83 42 33 9 0 - 291 191 66 2nd, KIJHL
1983-84 40 7 33 0 - 172 278 14 12th, KIJHL
1984-85 40 24 14 2 - 250 201 50 4th, KIJHL
1985-86 42 34 8 0 - 288 160 68 1st, KIJHL
1986-87 42 13 29 0 - 239 279 26 6th, KIJHL
1987-88 42 26 16 0 - 287 232 52 4th, KIJHL
1988-89 45 33 11 1 - 288 191 67 3rd, KIJHL
1989-90 40 30 10 0 - 292 181 60 3rd, KIJHL
1990-91 41 27 14 0 - 227 176 54 2nd, KIJHL KIJHL Champions
1991-92 52 31 18 3 - 284 219 65 1st, Kootenay Lost in Finals, 2-3 (Spruce Kings)
1992-93 52 40 11 - 1 366 227 81 1st, Kootenay Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Colts)
1993-94 52 10 40 - 2 207 376 22 5th, Kootenay Did not qualify
1994-95 52 21 31 - 0 243 289 42 5th, Kootenay Did not qualify
1995-96 60 16 39 5 - 214 323 37 4th, Interior Did not qualify
1996-97 60 39 20 1 - 302 241 79 2nd, Interior Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Vipers)
1997-98 60 35 23 2 - 222 209 72 3rd, Interior Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Panthers)
1998-99 60 14 43 - 3 166 259 31 6th, Interior Did not qualify
1999-00 60 8 47 - 5 155 353 21 6th, Interior Did not qualify
2000-01 60 18 34 - 8 199 293 44 6th, Interior Did not qualify
2001-02 60 29 24 - 7 218 210 65 4th, Interior Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-3 (Panthers)
2002-03 60 31 24 3 2 275 255 67 3rd, Interior Lost in Semifinals, 0-4 (Vipers)
2003-04 60 26 26 0 8 242 237 60 5th, Interior Lost in Quarterfinals, 2-3 (TimberWolves)
2004-05 60 30 21 2 7 220 217 69 4th, Interior Lost in Preliminary, 0-4 (Vees)
2005-06 60 25 27 1 7 212 229 58 5th, Interior Lost in Preliminary, 1-4 (Centennials)
2006-07 60 35 19 0 6 230 200 76 3rd, Interior Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Vipers)
2007-08 60 23 30 1 6 169 213 53 5th, Interior Lost in Preliminary, 0-3 (Vipers)
2008-09 60 25 31 2 2 188 215 54 6th, Interior Lost in Division Quarterfinals, 0-3 (Warriors)
2009-10 60 20 32 1 7 216 271 48 6th, Interior Lost in Division Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Warriors)
2010-11 60 31 23 2 4 198 172 68 5th, Interior Lost Division Quarterfinals
2011-12 60 11 42 1 6 151 295 29 6th Interior DNQ
2012-13 56 26 28 0 2 171 229 54 5th Interior DNQ
2013-14 58 10 42 2 4 154 274 26 6th Interior DNQ
2014-15 58 19 33 0 6 208 249 44 6th Interior DNQ
2015-16 58 23 33 2 0 171 251 46 6th Interior DNQ
2016-17 58 26 26 5 1 213 204 68 3rd of 6 Interior
8th of 17 BCHL 		Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Silverbacks)
Lost Div. Semifinals, 1-4 (Vipers)

Playoffs

Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Kimberley Dynamiters 4-games-to-none
Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Cranbrook Colts 4-games-to-3
Prince George Spruce Kings defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 3-games-to-2
Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Creston Valley Thunder 4-games-to-none
Cranbrook Colts defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 4-games-to-2

Chilliwack/Ladner/Bellingham franchise

To secure entry into the BCHL, the Trail Smoke Eaters bought out the franchise rights to the Bellingham Ice Hawks, who previously existed in Ladner and Chilliwack.

Chilliwack Colts 1978-81
Langley Eagles 1981-87
Chilliwack Eagles 1987-89
Ladner Penguins 1989-90
Bellingham Ice Hawks 1990-95

The Eagles played for six seasons in Langley of which 1983-84 was their dream-come-true season. That year, with a record of 40-8-2, placing third in the league, their hope for playoff success, was high. In the Quarter-Finals that year they grounded Abbotsford Flyers, 4–1. They sunk the Nanaimo Clippers in the semi-finals, 4–2 to advance them to the league finals. In that series they jousted with the favoured Penticton Knights, who placed first in the league and won 4–0. The Peace Caribou Junior Hockey League champions, Prince George Spruce Kings, would fare no better as Langley chopped them down, 2–0, for the Mowat Cup. In the BC/Alta Championship, Fort Saskatchewan Traders were out bartered, 4–2. Alas, all good things must come to an end and that is what happened to Langley in the Abbott Cup. The Weyburn Red Wings were having a dream-come-true season of their own, clipping Langleys wings, 4–0, and going on to win the Centennial Cup, emblematic of Junior "A" Hockey supremacy in Canada.

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1978-79 62 28 31 3 - 284 287 59 4th, Coastal Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-4 (Blazers)
1979-80 66 35 30 1 - 326 328 71 3rd, Coastal Lost in Division Semifinals, 3-4 (Clippers)
1980-81 35 1 34 0 - 89 302 2 8th, Coastal Folded
1981-82 48 7 41 0 - 204 405 14 7th in Coastal DNQ
1982-83 56 18 37 1 - 262 317 37 6th in Coastal DNQ
1983-84 50 40 8 2 - 337 192 82 1st in Coastal Won League, Mowat Cup, Doyle Cup
1984-85 52 31 21 0 - 313 301 62 4th in Coastal Lost in Quarter-Finals
1985-86 52 12 40 0 - 232 373 24 6th in Coastal DNQ
1986-87 52 31 20 1 - 272 259 63 2nd in Coastal Lost in Quarter-Finals
1987-88 52 21 31 0 - 262 360 42 9th, BCJHL Did not qualify
1988-89 60 18 42 0 - 297 445 36 9th, BCJHL Did not qualify
1989-90 59 22 34 3 - 300 395 47 7th, BCJHL Lost in Preliminary
1990-91 60 21 34 5 - 238 315 47 9th, BCJHL Did not qualify
1991-92 60 30 26 4 - 310 290 64 5th, BCJHL Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Lakers)
1992-93 60 22 35 3 - 258 314 47 8th, BCJHL Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Paper Kings)
1993-94 60 18 39 3 - 250 324 39 9th, BCJHL Did not qualify
1994-95 60 29 28 3 - 276 284 61 4th, Mainland Lost in Preliminary, 0-2 (Lakers)

See also

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