Former Trail Smoke Eater’s captain and Beaver Valley Nitehawks alum Jake Lucchini (2011-12) has signed a two-year, two-way contract with the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
After making his junior hockey debut with the Nitehawks in 2010-11, playing a game as an affiliate, Lucchini played in the KIJHL for part of the 2011-12 season then made the jump to the BCHL with his hometown Trail Smoke Eaters.
Lucchini, 29, posted five points (2g-3a) in a career-high 40 games for the Minnesota Wild in 2023-24. He also played in 30 games for the AHL’s Iowa Wild last season, notching 23 points (11g-12a) and finishing fourth on his team in power-play goals (four).
Undrafted, the 6-foot, 181-pound native of Trail, B.C., has played in 267 career AHL games with Iowa, Belleville, Laval and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying 160 points (70g-90a) across parts of seven seasons.
Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
