Trail Smoke Eaters (junior)

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 (aka Smokies) have existed as both junior and senior teams since the 1920s. The senior Smoke Eaters won two Allan Cup championships—1938 and 1962. The senior team also won two Ice Hockey World Championships playing for Canada in 1939 and 1961; they 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 remainder of this article discusses the junior Smoke Eaters.
The junior Smoke Eaters have competed in British Columbia (BC) since 1926. Junior hockey in BC has evolved over a number of decades. Originally, Junior referred to a general, age-limited, non-professional hockey concept that was distinct from senior and intermediate divisions. Later, the junior division was divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B. Over time, Junior A would evolve into Major Junior and Junior A.
Through their history, the junior Smoke Eaters have competed in various versions of Junior, Junior "A" and Junior "B" divisions. While they did compete for the national Junior Championship Memorial Cup - emblematic of today's Major Junior championship - the Smoke Eaters have never participated in the post-1960s version of Major Junior.
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 emblematic of the highest level Junior Hockey Championship of BC. During their 22 Mowat Cup winning years, the Smoke Eaters would represent BC in the Western Canadian Junior/Junior A Championship, competing for the Abbott Cup. The Smoke Eaters won the Abbott Cup in 1944, allowing them to represent 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 out the rights to the Bellingham Ice Hawks of the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League, joining that league as the Trail Smoke Eaters for the 1995-96 season.
==Season-by-season record==
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts	Finish 	Playoffs
1969-70	32	29	3 	0	- 	335	86 	58 	1st, KJHL 	KJHL Champions
1970-71	28	26	2 	0	- 	-- 	-- 	52 	1st, WKHL 	WKHL Champions
1971-72	32	21	11	0	- 	256	96 	42 	2nd, WKHL 	
1972-73	30	17	13	0	- 	194	165	34 	3rd, KIJHL 	
1973-74	30	11	19	0	- 	184	195	22 	6th, KIJHL 	
1974-75	34	24	10	0	- 	270	161	48 	2nd, KIJHL 	
1975-76	34	24	8 	2	- 	239	178	50 	1st, KIJHL 	
1976-77	44	31	13	0	- 	329	188	62 	2nd, KIJHL 	
1977-78	42	33	8 	1	- 	225	137	67 	1st, KIJHL 	
1978-79	40	37	3 	0	- 	245	113	74 	1st, KIJHL 	KIJHL Champions
1979-80	40	18	22	0	- 	219	240	36 	9th, KIJHL 	
1980-81	40	31	9 	0	- 	323	186	62 	2nd, KIJHL 	KIJHL Champions
1981-82	42	28	12	2	- 	299	187	58 	2nd, KIJHL 	
1982-83	42	33	9 	0	- 	291	191	66 	2nd, KIJHL 	
1983-84	40	7 	33	0	- 	172	278	14 	12th, KIJHL 	
1984-85	40	24	14	2	- 	250	201	50 	4th, KIJHL 	
1985-86	42	34	8 	0	- 	288	160	68 	1st, KIJHL 	
1986-87	42	13	29	0	- 	239	279	26 	6th, KIJHL 	
1987-88	42	26	16	0	- 	287	232	52 	4th, KIJHL 	
1988-89	45	33	11	1	- 	288	191	67 	3rd, KIJHL 	
1989-90	40	30	10	0	- 	292	181	60 	3rd, KIJHL 	
1990-91	41	27	14	0	- 	227	176	54 	2nd, KIJHL 	KIJHL Champions
1991-92	52	31	18	3	- 	284	219	65 	1st, Kootenay 	Lost in Finals, 2-3 (Spruce Kings)
1992-93	52	40	11	-	1 	366	227	81 	1st, Kootenay 	Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Colts)
1993-94	52	10	40	-	2 	207	376	22 	5th, Kootenay 	Did not qualify
1994-95	52	21	31	-	0 	243	289	42 	5th, Kootenay 	Did not qualify
1995-96	60	16	39	5	- 	214	323	37 	4th, Interior 	Did not qualify
1996-97	60	39	20	1	- 	302	241	79 	2nd, Interior 	Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Vipers)
1997-98	60	35	23	2	- 	222	209	72 	3rd, Interior 	Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Panthers)
1998-99	60	14	43	-	3 	166	259	31 	6th, Interior 	Did not qualify
1999-00	60	8 	47	-	5 	155	353	21 	6th, Interior 	Did not qualify
2000-01	60	18	34	-	8 	199	293	44 	6th, Interior 	Did not qualify
2001-02	60	29	24	-	7 	218	210	65 	4th, Interior 	Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-3 (Panthers)
2002-03	60	31	24	3	2 	275	255	67 	3rd, Interior 	Lost in Semifinals, 0-4 (Vipers)
2003-04	60	26	26	0	8 	242	237	60 	5th, Interior 	Lost in Quarterfinals, 2-3 (TimberWolves)
2004-05	60	30	21	2	7 	220	217	69 	4th, Interior 	Lost in Preliminary, 0-4 (Vees)
2005-06	60	25	27	1	7 	212	229	58 	5th, Interior 	Lost in Preliminary, 1-4 (Centennials)
2006-07	60	35	19	0	6 	230	200	76 	3rd, Interior 	Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Vipers)
2007-08	60	23	30	1	6 	169	213	53 	5th, Interior 	Lost in Preliminary, 0-3 (Vipers)
2008-09	60	25	31	2	2 	188	215	54 	6th, Interior 	Lost in Division Quarterfinals, 0-3 (Warriors)
2009-10	60	20	32	1	7 	216	271	48 	6th, Interior 	Lost in Division Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Warriors)
2010-11	60	31	23	2	4 	198	172	68 	5th, Interior 	Lost Division Quarter-final
2011-12	60	11	42	1	6 	151	295	29 	6th Interior 	DNQ
2012-13	56	26	28	0	2 	171	229	54 	5th Interior 	DNQ
2013-14	58	10	42	2	4 	154	274	26 	6th Interior 	DNQ
2014-15	58	19	33	0	6 	208	249	44 	6th Interior 	DNQ
2015-16	58	23	33	2	0 	171	251	46 	6th Interior 	DNQ
2016-17	58	26	26	1	5 	213	204	58 	3rd Interior 	Lost Div. Semi-final
2017-18	58	32	21	1	4 	218	203	69 	4th Interior 	Lost Div. Final
2018-19	58	23	24	8	3 	184	207	57 	7th Interior 	Lost Div. Semi-final
2019-20	58	23	24	8	3 	184	207	57 	7th Interior 	Won Div. Quarter-finals Balance of playoffs cancelled
2020-21	20	9 	11	0	0 	47 	72 	18 	2nd Penticton Pod	Playoffs cancelled
2021-22	54	20	29	2	2 	174	217	45*	8th Interior 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals
2022-23	54	20	27	3	4 	162	214	47 	8th Interior 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals
2023-24	54	28	20	6	0 	186	187	62 	5th Interior 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals
Note:*- 2021-22 point total includes 1 tie game not otherwise listed.
===Playoffs===
*1992 Lost Final
:Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Kimberley Dynamiters 4-games-to-none
:Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Cranbrook Colts 4-games-to-3
:Prince George Spruce Kings defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 3-games-to-2
*1993 Lost Semi-final
:Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Creston Valley Thunder 4-games-to-none
:Cranbrook Colts defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 4-games-to-2
*1994 DNQ
*1995 DNQ
==Chilliwack/Ladner/Bellingham franchise==
To secure entry into the BCHL, the Trail Smoke Eaters bought out the franchise rights to the Bellingham Ice Hawks, who previously existed in Ladner and Chilliwack.
:Chilliwack Colts 1978-81
:Langley Eagles 1981-87
:Chilliwack Eagles 1987-89
:Ladner Penguins 1989-90
:Bellingham Ice Hawks 1990-95
The Eagles played for six seasons in Langley of which 1983-84 was their dream-come-true season. That year, with a record of 40-8-2, placing third in the league, their hope for playoff success, was high. In the Quarter-Finals that year they grounded Abbotsford Flyers, 4–1. They sunk the Nanaimo Clippers in the semi-finals, 4–2 to advance them to the league finals. In that series they jousted with the favoured Penticton Knights, who placed first in the league and won 4–0. The Peace Caribou Junior Hockey League champions, Prince George Spruce Kings, would fare no better as Langley chopped them down, 2–0, for the Mowat Cup. In the BC/Alta Championship, Fort Saskatchewan Traders were out bartered, 4–2. Alas, all good things must come to an end and that is what happened to Langley in the Abbott Cup. The Weyburn Red Wings were having a dream-come-true season of their own, clipping Langleys wings, 4–0, and going on to win the Centennial Cup, emblematic of Junior "A" Hockey supremacy in Canada.
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T	OTL	GF 	GA 	Points	Finish 	Playoffs
1978-79	62	28	31	3	- 	284	287	59 	4th, Coastal 	Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-4 (Blazers)
1979-80	66	35	30	1	- 	326	328	71 	3rd, Coastal 	Lost in Division Semifinals, 3-4 (Clippers)
1980-81	35	1 	34	0	- 	89 	302	2 	8th, Coastal 	Folded
1981-82	48	7 	41	0	- 	204	405	14 	7th in Coastal	DNQ
1982-83	56	18	37	1	- 	262	317	37 	6th in Coastal	DNQ
1983-84	50	40	8 	2	- 	337	192	82 	1st in Coastal	Won League, Mowat Cup, Doyle Cup
1984-85	52	31	21	0	- 	313	301	62 	4th in Coastal	Lost in Quarter-Finals
1985-86	52	12	40	0	- 	232	373	24 	6th in Coastal	DNQ
1986-87	52	31	20	1	- 	272	259	63 	2nd in Coastal	Lost in Quarter-Finals
1987-88	52	21	31	0	- 	262	360	42 	9th, BCJHL 	Did not qualify
1988-89	60	18	42	0	- 	297	445	36 	9th, BCJHL 	Did not qualify
1989-90	59	22	34	3	- 	300	395	47 	7th, BCJHL 	Lost in Preliminary
1990-91	60	21	34	5	- 	238	315	47 	9th, BCJHL 	Did not qualify
1991-92	60	30	26	4	- 	310	290	64 	5th, BCJHL 	Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Lakers)
1992-93	60	22	35	3	- 	258	314	47 	8th, BCJHL 	Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Paper Kings)
1993-94	60	18	39	3	- 	250	324	39 	9th, BCJHL 	Did not qualify
1994-95	60	29	28	3	- 	276	284	61 	4th, Mainland 	Lost in Preliminary, 0-2 (Lakers)
==See also==
*List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia
==External links==
*Smoke Eaters Website
Category:British Columbia Hockey League teams
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Independent teams in the British Columbia Junior Playoffs