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When Jim Ingram headed to the Trail Smoke Eaters spring camp in Princeton last weekend, he was hoping to come back with some gems signed for next season.
He did that and more returning home with commitments from five Junior B all-star players, including three young defencemen.
"It's a case of timing and hard work from, not just me but, our scouts," explained Ingram.
"Many of the kids we have followed and we had a chance to sit down with them and their parents."
The camp attracted over 100 players and Ingram said
many of the local players
involved caught his eye.
At the end of the camp,
Ingram had signed one of
them - Trail native Steven
Koshey.
Koshey, a 17-year-old
defenceman, was the
Kootenay International Junior
Hockey League's Rookie of the Year in the Neil Murdoch West Division with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
He led the Hawks' blueliners with 10 goals and 30 points in 50 games.
Koshey is just one of three KIJHL award winners Ingram managed to ink.
Eighteen-year-old defenceman Skyler Smutek will come to Trail via the KIJHLs Spokane Braves.
Smutek was the Murdoch East Division top rookie and top defenceman.
Both Smutek and Koshey played for the conference at the KIJHL All Star Game in Creston.
Jason Reardon, an 18-year-old defenceman from the Chase Chiefs, played in the same game with the Eddie Mountain Conference squad. Reardon was named the top defenceman this year in the Mountain West Division.
All three players bring an offensive dimension to the team.
Smutek was the second-highest scoring defenceman in the KIJHL with 36 points along with his 140 penalty minutes.
Reardon was third in KIJHL scoring among blue-liners with 34 points while Koshey was fourth.
Along with a trio of solid young defencemen, Ingram signed Riley Loyst of the Nelson Leafs and C. J. Legassic of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League's Ridge Meadows Flames.
Legassic, who turns 18 next week, had 20 goals and 52 points in 44 games with the flames.
"He has a bit of a grit streak in him," said Ingram. "And he's a lot more skilled than I thought."
The 19-year-old Loyst, another Murdoch Conference all star, led the Leafs with 24 goals and 58 points in 46 games last season.
Ingram said this is just the start of a busy recruiting season.
"I want to improve in all spots."
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By Guy Bertrand 
