The Trail Smoke Eaters now have their own day, March 12th as “Trail Smoke Eaters World Championship Teams Day”, in order to celebrate and remember the team’s victories in World Hockey Championship tournaments.
The Smoke Eaters have represented Canada three times and came away with the gold medals in two of them. In 1939, the Smoke Eaters headed to Switzerland where the team went undefeated to capture the gold. They went back to Switzerland in 1961 to try their luck again and for their second straight tournament didn’t lose a single game. The team’s luck ran out in 1963 when they finished fourth in the World Championship in Sweeden.
“As a result of these historic tours, the Trail Smoke Eaters legacy is renowned worldwide and continues to garner enthusiasm and admiration. The city of Trail is synonymous with hockey, due in large part to the achievements and triumphs of these two teams, who remarkably defied odds with skill and grace to reach the pinnacle of senior hockey supremacy on a global scale,” said the City of Trail. “Both teams and their management serve as unparalleled benchmarks for the tenacity, ability, and altruism that all Trail athletes, coaches, builders, and volunteers strive to demonstrate to this day.”
The Trail Museum & Archives at the Trail Riverfront Centre will be displaying a temporary window display along with the permanent exhibits that share the stories and journey of these historic Trail Smoke Eater teams.
