The Penticton Vees are into the final weekend of their BCHL pre-season schedule, as the get set to host the Trail Smoke Eaters at the SOEC tonight; puck drop is 7 pm.
Tickets are just $5 for adults and seniors, students and children (18 and under) are free courtesy of Peter Bros. Construction.
These two teams are at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to the BCHL exhibition calendar. As mentioned, the Vees are playing their final two of six pre-season games, whereas the Smokies are getting set to play their only two pre-season games. Trail’s only two exhibition games come this weekend against the Vees, as the two teams do it all over again tomorrow in the West Kootenays.
The Vees have won three of their first four exhibition games and are still undefeated, with the only blemish being a 2-2 tie Wednesday in West Kelowna. Two nights ago, the Vees erased a 2-0 third period deficit on the back of two Grant Cruikshank goals. The game-tying goal was scored on the power-play with less than two-minutes left in regulation (GAME RECAP).
Some veteran faces return to the line-up tonight after sitting out Wednesday’s game, and that includes Nic Jones and Owen Sillinger. The blue-line, which has a couple of bumps and bruises, will remain unchanged from two nights ago, as both Luke Bast and Brendan Kim will see action. Mat Robson will get the start in net, with Nolan Hildebrand getting the nod tomorrow.
15-year-old Massimo Rizzo will play again tonight and will center a line with Noah Jordan and Ty Barnstable. The Burnaby Winter Club product played on Wednesday and tonight will be his third exhibition game with the Vees.
It has been an off-season of change for the Smoke Eaters as they have a new voice behind the bench in Cam Keith. The Nelson, BC, native was hired this summer after the late-season dismissal of Nick Deschenes. Keith played with the Smokies in the 1999-00 season, before four years at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. After college, Keith played 10-seasons of professional hockey between the American Hockey League, ECHL and Europe. The last two years he was an Assistant Coach with the Cincinnati Cyclones.
Trail has seven returnees on their roster right now and have added BCHL’ers Konsta Jaske, Josh Laframboise, Troy Ring and Luke Santerno in off-season trades. Last year they finished sixth in the Interior Division with a 23-33-2-0 record; missing the playoffs by three points.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on Fasthockey pay-per-view, starting with a brief pre-game show at 6:55 pm.
