The BCHL will be mum about reporting on trades during today’s deadline with all transactions blacked out until Friday.
The BCHL emailed teams and media outlets the regulations adopted at its June AGM to clarify its policy on reporting on trades.
Teams are only allowed to release trade information until 11:59 p.m. Jan. 9. All transactions made during the deadline today, Jan. 10, cannot be released until 10 a.m. Friday.
“While it does make it difficult to report on trades made after midnight tonight, the reason this policy was put in place was to reduce the chance of players who have been moved finding out about it on social media or any source other than his team,” said BCHL spokesman Brent Mutis.
“It is also the policy of the BCHL under the administration of John Grisdale to refrain from capitalizing on player trades for publicity because teenagers and their families are greatly impacted by these moves.”
However, in the age of Twitter and Facebook keeping trades a secret may be difficult if not impossible, but the League’s rationale is based on a history of misinformation, hearsay, and trade rumours.
“Kid’s names get out, they’ve been traded somewhere, parents are frustrated, kids frustrated, and find out it doesn’t happen,” said Trail Smoke Eater president Tom Gawryletz. “There’s so many out there right now already, it’s crazy.”
With the final hours of the trade deadline ticking away, as of Wednesday at press time the Smoke Eaters were looking to bolster their lineup, but had yet to make a deal.
“I don’t know what we’re doing,” said Gawryletz. “We can’t afford to give anyone up, anybody major, and the asking price out there for guys we want, I don’t think we’re willing to give up all those young kids we got right now.”
The Smoke Eaters played Vernon last night, and are set to take on Salmon Arm and West Kelowna in a pair of home games at the Cominco Arena, starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
BCHL notes:
The Vipers’ second leading scorer 20-year-old Pierce Eviston was sent home after refusing to report because of a benching last week.
Former Vernon Vipers coach Mark Ferner was fired by the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League Tuesday.
Ferner coached the Vipers to two RBC Cups and retained his home in Vernon while coaching in Washington. He will be replaced in the interim by GM Garry Davidson, a former Smoke Eaters coach.