Trail Smoke Eaters Program
Team Objectives :

    THE TRAIL SMOKE EATERS want to win and provide their hockey fans with the best hockey entertainment possible. We believe that the following club objectives will ensure that the team achieves their goals on the ice.

  • To provide each player the necessary tools to achieve their personal goals.
  • To build a team made up of character individuals who are prepared to commit themselves to being the very best they can both on and off the ice.
  • To instill a work ethic that will continue on, regardless of what the players career choice may be.
  • To promote excellent health and physical fitness.
  • To involve players in the community so as to expand their knowledge and experiences outside of the dressing room.
  • To provide an environment based on the principles of fairness and equality for all players.

Education :

    EDUCATION is a major component of the Smoke Eaters' program and we are committed to providing you the opportunity to obtain the best possible education and to prepare you for post secondary education. Whether your goal is to attain a US College Scholarship or to play at the university level in Canada, we will be actively marketing you as a student athelete to all US Division 1 and CIAU schools.

The high school is within 10 minutes walking distance from the arena and enrolls 1000 students from grade 8 to 12. Students are offered a wide range of studies that can facilitate a linear or semestered timetable. The following services are offered to the players :

  • Career and Personal Planning
  • Career Preparation Courses
  • Scheduling of student timetables in August
  • Peer tutors assigned to each player
  • Professional tutoring
  • SAT exam preparation
  • Provincial and Scholarship exam preparation
  • Work Experience Programs

    If you have graduated from high school and are interested in college, Selkirk College, only 20 minutes from Trail, offers courses equivalent to the first two years at university and a variety of technological courses. An extensive night school program is also available at the Trail Campus located right in downtown Trail.

Whether it is highschool or college, the Trail Smoke Eaters will pay all books and tuition fees upon successful completion, while playing for the club. The Smoke Eaters Education Coordinator is currently the Vice Principal of the highschool and has played and coached in both the BCHL and the WHL. The team has developed an excellent working relationship with the school and monitoring of academic progress is done on an ongoing basis.

City :

    TRAIL, population 8,000 (Greater Trail 24,000) is situated on the Columbia River and is eleven miles north of the confluence of the Columbia and Pend'Oreille Rivers. The City is served from the west and east by the Southern Trans-Canada Highway and is linked with Spokane, Washington 130 miles to the south by a first class highway. Daily air service operates from the Castlegar Airport, just 20 minutes from the city. Trail is also served by Greyhound bus lines.
The City of Trail is known for its success in sports and the great community support that makes it possible and also holds the distinction of being voted "BC's Best Sports Town" in 2005.
There is no doubt that playing for the Smokies makes you the center of attraction and the friendliness of the community makes you want to come back even during the off season. Trail is very proud of the fact that it has one of the lowest crime rates in the province.




Please Visit the City of Trail Website

Arena :

    THE HOME of the Smokies, the Cominco Arena, located in the Trail Memorial Center, is the focal point of Trail's recreational activities and is by far one of the best arena facilities in the BCHL, if not Western Canada. The arena has an artificial ice surface 85 feet by 200 feet with a seating capacity of 2100 and was recently upgraded with theater seating, new sound system and a four sided video clock. Included in the Memorial Center is a second arena used for minor hockey, a fully equipped gymnasium with seating capacity of 900, eight sheet curling rink, raquet ball and squash courts. The Cominco Arena was one of 15 arenas that was featured in the book "The Rink", co-authored by Chris Cuthbert and Scott Russell. Playing in a facility so rich in history and tradition will be an experience that will last a lifetime. When you've played for the Smoke Eaters, you become a Smoke Eater for life.

Billeting :

    All Smoke Eater players are billeted with local families and room and board costs are paid directly to the billet families by the hockey club. Billet families are carefully selected to ensure that the players are provided with a healthy family environment.

Schedule :

    The BCHL is comprised of 17 teams in two conferences; the Coastal and Interior. The Trail Smoke Eaters are in the Interior Conference and play a 60 game schedule. One of the most important factors in scheduling is limiting the number of school days that will be missed due to travel.

Expenses :

    In addition to books, tuition fees and room and board, the hockey club will cover the cost of equipment and travel expenses (buses, hotels, meals, etc.). In addition, each player will be given unlimited access to a modern fitness center at no cost.

League :

    The BCHL is committed to providing players the greatest possible competition, opportunity, development (talent, character and education), and exposure, in order that they are best able to achieve long term success on an athletic, personal and academic level. BCHL games are regularly attended by US Colleges, Major Junior, Canadian Universities and NHL scouts. The exposure of the BCHL has gained the league a reputation as a source of quality talent and former BCHL players can be found at virtually every level of hockey, including the NHL, Minor Pro Leagues, European Pro Leagues, the CHL, CIAU, and US Colleges. In fact, of the approximately 400 Canadian born players currently playing US College Division 1 hockey, more than 20% are BCHL graduates - by far the most from any of the eleven Junior "A" leagues in Canada.

 

For More Information
call or write :
TRAIL SMOKE EATERS HOCKEY CLUB
Box 313, Trail, BC , V1R 4L6
Tel. (250) 364-9994
Fax. (250) 364-9920
E-mail : tsecoach@shaw.ca