Trail Smoke Eaters


The Trail Smoke Eaters are a junior A ice hockey team from Trail, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League.

History

The Smoke Eaters have existed as both junior and senior teams since the 1920s. The senior Smoke Eaters won two Allan Cup championships, 1938 and 1962, and two Ice Hockey World Championships playing for Canada in 1939 and 1961. The senior Smokies were the last independent ice hockey club to represent Canada in international competition before the Canada men's national ice hockey team was established in 1963.
The junior Smoke Eaters have competed in British Columbia since 1926. Originally, the ice hockey usage of "junior" referred to a general, age-limited, non-professional hockey concept that was distinct from senior and intermediate divisions. Later, the junior divisions in Canada were divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B. In 1970, Junior A was split again into Major Junior and Junior A. The junior Smoke Eaters have competed in various levels of junior hockey, including Junior A and Junior B divisions. They have also competed for the national Junior Championship Memorial Cup prior to its usage as the Major Junior championship.
In 1931–32, the junior Smoke Eaters won their first of 22 Mowat Cups over a run of 29 seasons. Throughout this run, the Mowat Cup was awarded as the highest level junior hockey championship for the province. During their 22 Mowat Cup winning years, the Smoke Eaters represented British Columbia in the Western Canadian Junior/Junior A Championship, the Abbott Cup. The Smoke Eaters won the Abbott Cup in 1944 and represented Western Canada in the national junior championship Memorial Cup competition, losing all four games to the Oshawa Generals.
By the 1970s, the Smoke Eaters played as a Junior B team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. They joined the Junior A Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League from the 1991–92 through 1994–95 seasons. In 1995, the Smoke Eaters bought the Bellingham Ice Hawks franchise in the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League, joining that league as the Trail Smoke Eaters for the 1995–96 season.
In 2025, head coach, Tim Fragle, became the winningest coach in franchise history with 112 wins during his 5-year tenure, and was named BCHL Coach of the Year. In March 2025, the Smoke Eaters organization announced that it had extended Fragle's contract through to the end of the 2027 BCHL season. However, in July 2025, it was announced that Fragle was leaving "to pursue new opportunities in hockey." He was replaced by associate coach and assistant GM, Eric Thurston.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPointsFinishPlayoffs
1969–70322930—33586581st, KJHLKJHL Champions
1970–71282620—521st, WKHLWKHL Champions
1971–723221110—25696422nd, WKHL
1972–733017130—194165343rd, KIJHL
1973–743011190—184195226th, KIJHL
1974–753424100—270161482nd, KIJHL
1975–76342482—239178501st, KIJHL
1976–774431130—329188622nd, KIJHL
1977–78423381—225137671st, KIJHL
1978–79403730—245113741st, KIJHLKIJHL Champions
1979–804018220—219240369th, KIJHL
1980–81403190—323186622nd, KIJHLKIJHL Champions
1981–824228122—299187582nd, KIJHL
1982–83423390—291191662nd, KIJHL
1983–84407330—1722781412th, KIJHL
1984–854024142—250201504th, KIJHL
1985–86423480—288160681st, KIJHL
1986–874213290—239279266th, KIJHL
1987–884226160—287232524th, KIJHL
1988–894533111—288191673rd, KIJHL
1989–904030100—292181603rd, KIJHL
1990–914127140—227176542nd, KIJHLKIJHL Champions
1991–925231183—284219651st, KootenayWon Quarterfinals, 4–0
Won Semifinals, 4–3
Lost Finals, 2–3
1992–93524011—1366227811st, KootenayWon Quarterfinals, 4–0
Lost Semifinals, 2–4
1993–94521040—2207376225th, Kootenaydid not qualify
1994–95522131—0243289425th, Kootenaydid not qualify
1995–966016395—214323374th, Interiordid not qualify
1996–976039201—302241792nd, InteriorLost Semifinals, 1–4
1997–986035232—222209723rd, InteriorLost Semifinals, 1–4
1998–99601443—3166259316th, Interiordid not qualify
1999–0060847—5155353216th, Interiordid not qualify
2000–01601834—8199293446th, Interiordid not qualify
2001–02602924—7218210654th, InteriorLost Quarterfinals, 0–3
2002–0360312432275255673rd, InteriorLost Semifinals, 0–4
2003–0460262608242237605th, InteriorLost Quarterfinals, 2–3
2004–0560302127220217694th, InteriorLost Preliminary, 0–4
2005–0660252717212229585th, InteriorLost Preliminary, 1–4
2006–0760351906230200763rd, InteriorLost Quarterfinals, 1–4
2007–0860233016169213535th, InteriorLost Preliminary, 0–3
2008–0960253122188215546th, InteriorLost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–3
2009–1060203217216271486th, InteriorLost Div. Quarterfinals, 1–4
2010–1160312324198172685th, InteriorLost Div. Quarterfinals
2011–1260114216151295296th, Interiordid not qualify
2012–1356262802171229545th, Interiordid not qualify
2013–1458104224154274266th, Interiordid not qualify
2014–1558193306208249446th, Interiordid not qualify
2015–1658233320171251466th, Interiordid not qualify
2016–1758262651213204683rd of 6, Interior
8th of 17, BCHL		Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4–1
Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–4
2017–1858322141218203694th of 7, Interior
7th of 17, BCHL		Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4–0
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–3
Lost Div. Finals, 1–4
2018–19582324—11184207577th of 7, Interior
13th of 17, BCHL		Won First Round, 4–1
Lost Second Round, 3–4
2019–2058361714222170772nd of 7, Interior
4th of 17, BCHL		Won First Round, 4–0
Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2024–2554351531225156743rd of 11, Interior
4th of 21 BCHL		Lost Lost Div Quarterfinals, 2-4