Mar. 11 / 08

By Guy Bertrand
Times Sports Editor

For Trail Smoke Eaters head coach and general manager Jim Ingram, the 2008-09 season began a long time ago.

While the 2007-08 BCHL season continues to play out in other centres around the league, Ingram has been busy preparing for next year.

"Recruiting doesn't start now," he explained. "It started in September of last year."

After coming in on short notice following the departure of former coach Tim Kehler, Ingram endured a forgettable season that included a rash of injuries, spoiled trades, extended losing streak, back-breaking travel schedule and capped off by a sweep in the first round of the playoffs.

"I don't want to be someone looking for excuses," said Ingram. "But if you can find another team that had to go through what we had to go through this year then you'll have found two unlucky son-of-a-guns."

Take a six-week stretch from December to January where the Smokies went from a healthy core of defencemen to scrambling to patch together three sets of blueliners.

"The number-one defenceman breaks his ankle, another defenceman tells you he's going to play in Europe, another defenceman won't report to the team. A few weeks earlier you get a defenceman who asks for a trade.

"There's three of your top four defencemen on the move within five weeks of the deadline. You go from a situation were you're looking to add and bolster your line up and now you're looking just to ice something."

It was all part of learning curve for Ingram's rookie season as a coach and GM in the BCHL.

The Smokies finished the regular season with 23 wins and 53 points, their lowest totals in seven years when the team won 18 games in the 2000-01 season.

The roster is already guaranteed to have a different look next season with the graduation of August Aiken, Casey Shade, Stefan Decosse, Kevin Koopman, Grant Rollheiser and Kevin Limbert which means there are plenty of spots to fill.

"When you had a season like we did, we've got a lot of work to do," he explained. "We've got a lot of guys moving on and a lot of glaring holes to fill up front. Now with Grant (goaltender Rollheiser) leaving and I'm not sure what (goaltender) Paul Barclay wants to do. I've completely turned my attention to needing at least one or possibly two goaltenders."

Still Ingram is optimistic about next season when he can put his own stamp on the team.

"I get an opportunity to bring my guys in now. And I'm telling kids, 'You have a huge opportunity here.' If you want it, come and get it."

Ingram admitted that the team's quick exit in the play offs shows there's a need for more size.

"We need to get bigger no question but at the same time have some skill level. We have to be a whole bunch better period."

He also learned that the heavy travel load in January was a detriment.

"You won't see us on the road in January like you did. I'd like to see our games dispersed a little better."

While Ingram sees where to improve on the ice, he's also noticed a few things off the ice in dealing with the players.

"I need to make sure I'm prepared for everything. We just had so many things going on in the year we had.

"The players want to be told how to think, how to react, how to respond. I didn't have to do that in Junior B.

"We need to get them thinking outside the box and being able to respond to different situations."

He also realized a need for a straight on approach with the players when it comes to recruiting.

"What you need to do is come out of the off-season and be honest with the guys and tell them where you see them fitting in and they have to be comfortable with that."

Ingram said he's reluctant to commit to players before camp but said it's something that has to be done in the competitive world of recruiting.

"That's just a piece of paper. If you don't want to die for the Trail Smoke Eaters, be proud of the city, be proud of the organization, then you're done.

"But if we can find the right kids to come in here then it's up to Younger (assistant coach Brian Youngson), Barry (assistant coach Barry Zanier) and I to put the environment together that makes it conducive to learning and getting better."