Greater Trail minor hockey’s Bantam Tier 2 Smokies annual rep tournament will have a distinct international flavour this year when it drops the puck to open the tournament at noon on Friday at the Cominco Arena.
The Tier 2 Smokies host seven other teams this year including the Bantam Portland Winterhawks from Oregon, Hyland Hills Jaguars from Colorado, and the Spokane Chiefs from Washington State set to face off against their Canadian counterparts.
Portland and Spokane will play in Pool A round robin against the Kamloops Bantam Blazers and West Kelowna Rapids.
In Pool B, the Bantam Tier 2 Smokies face off against the Kelowna Rockets at 2:15 p.m. on Friday, before taking on the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and Hyland Hills at 2 p.m. at the Cominco Arena.
In last year’s tournament, the Tier 2 Smokies went undefeated in the round robin, but lost in the semifinal 5-2 against the fourth seeded Bow Valley Timber Wolves from Calgary. Salmon Arm went on to win the tournament beating the Timber Wolves in the final.
The Bantam Smokies will look to duplicate their success in the round robin, but hope for a better result in the playoff round that starts Sunday morning. The first seed in Pool A will face the second seed in Pool B at 7:15 a.m. in Trail at the Cominco Arena, while the first seed in Pool B will play the second seed in Pool A at 7:15 a.m. in Beaver Valley.
The consolation games between the third and fourth seeds go at 9:30 a.m. in Trail and at 10:15 a.m. in B.V., with the winners of the early games playing in the tournament final scheduled for 11:45 a.m. at the Cominco Arena.
ARENA | TIME | HOME | VISITOR | ||
1 | Friday, Dec 2 | Trail | 12:00 - 2:00 | Hyland Hills Jaguars | Juan de Fuca Grizzlies |
2 | Trail | 2:15 - 4:15 | Trail Smokies | Kelowna Rockets | |
3 | Trail | 4:30 - 6:30 | Kamloops Blazers | Portland Winterhawks | |
4 | Beaver Valley | 6:00 - 8:00 | Spokane Chiefs | WK Rapids | |
5 | Saturday, Dec 3 | Trail | 7:15 - 9:15 | Kelowna Rockets | Hyland Hills Jaguars |
6 | Trail | 9:30 - 11:30 | Trail Smokies | Juan de Fuca Grizzlies | |
7 | Beaver Valley | 10:15 - 12:15 | Kamloops Blazers | WK Rapids | |
8 | Trail | 11:45 - 1:45 | Portland Winterhawks | Spokane Chiefs | |
9 | Trail | 2:00 - 4:00 | Trail Smokies | Hyland Hills Jaguars | |
10 | Trail | 4:15 - 6:15 | WK Rapids | Portland Winterhawks | |
11 | Beaver Valley | 4:15 - 6:15 | Juan de Fuca Grizzlies | Kelowna Rockets | |
12 | Rossland | 5:00-7:00 | Spokane Chiefs | Kamloops Blazers | |
13 | Sunday, Dec 4 | Trail | 7:15 - 9:15 | Pool A - 1st | Pool B - 2nd |
14 | Beaver Valley | 7:15 - 9:15 | Pool B - 1st | Pool A - 2nd | |
15 | Trail | 9:30 - 11:30 | Pool B - 3rd | Pool A - 3rd | |
16 | Beaver Valley | 10:15 - 12:15 | Pool A - 4th | Pool B - 4th | |
17 | Trail | 11:45 - 1:45 | Winner Game 13 | Winner Game 14 |