The Trail Smoke Eaters will begin the 2022/23 BCHL campaign on the road in Penticton on Sept. 30.
The league has announced 52 of the 54 game dates, with the two BCHL Showcase games to be scheduled later.
The Smokies’ home opener will be Friday, Sept. 30 against Cranbrook. Twenty-four out of 26 home games will be played on a Friday or Saturday, with one apiece on Wednesday and Sunday.
The schedule also sees the return of out-of-conference competition, something that was suspended halfway through last season due to road closures and flooding in the lower mainland.
This year the Smoke Eaters schedule also has two separate five game home stands, featuring eight different teams. The first is in October against Wenatchee, West Kelowna, Salmon Arm, Cranbrook and Powell River.
That will be followed by a three-game island trip Nov. 4 to 6 with stops in Alberni Valley, Cowichan and Victoria. They will return home for another five game homestand that month against Penticton, Salmon Arm, Prince George, Merritt and Wenatchee.
The final home game of the season is Saturday, March 11 against Surrey and the last game of the regular season is March 23 at Wenatchee. The playoffs begin March 31.
