It could be the biggest night of the season at Cominco Arena.
The Trail Smoke Eaters’ Saturday night home date against Cranbrook marks the beginning of the second half of the 2023-24 BCHL season for both teams.
Regardless of the outcome, one fan will walk away with a MEGA 50-50 jackpot which will start at $2,000, before the one-hour post-game After Party featuring live music by Jason Shaw.
The game is a renewal of the rivalry between these Kootenay teams and fifth in this year’s season series.
The Bucks have scored overtime wins of 5-4 and 2-1, in addition to a 3-2 regulation victory, while the Smokies prevailed 3-1 on Oct. 21 at Cominco Arena in one of their best all-around efforts of the season.
Their last meeting ended in controversy.
The Trail troupe contended the stick was slashed out of the hands of defenseman Adam Barone just seconds before Noah Urness scored the overtime winner for the 2-1 victory in Cranbrook on Nov. 12.
Urness who has been the Bucks top shooter against Trail this season with 3 goals and 11 overall, has left the Bucks to return to his Minnesota High School team.
Christian Kim has counted three for the Smoke Eaters vs Cranbrook, including the sensational “Michigan” goal on opening night of the regular season.
The game has huge implications in the Interior Conference standings.
The Smoke Eaters are in fifth place, just one point ahead of the Bucks, with Trail holding a game in hand.
Trail is much healthier heading into this game, following a flu-filled and injury-challenged ending of the first half two weeks ago. They split the two games in Prince George, winning a wild opener 8-7, with the Spruce Kings prevailing 3-0 in the second game of the northern doubleheader.
The Bucks also split their final two games before Christmas, winning 3-1 over Vernon and dropping a 2-1 decision to Salmon Arm.
Bucks goalie Braedyn McIntosh was the first star in both games, making 69 saves on 72 shots over the weekend, earning third star honours in the BCHL.
Since joining the Bucks in mid-November, McIntosh is 3-3 with a 2.12 GAA and .938 SP.
Offensively, a late first half surge by Trail’s Mathieu Cobetto-Roy has vaulted the slick centreman to the top of the team’s point parade with 23, one point ahead of Adam Marshall, who is tied with Cobetto-Roy with a team-leading 11 goals.
Defenseman Joseph Blackley leads the Bucks with 21 points, including 19 assists. Julian Frias, who scored a key shorthanded goal against the Smokies earlier this season, has a team-leading 9 goals.
Opening face-off at Cominco Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
