At six-foot-six he is Trail’s tallest player.
Dylan Lariviere also leads the Smoke Eaters in goals with seven.
The 20-year-old from Welland, Ont. signed with the Smokies in the summer of 2023 after the Merritt Centennials left the BCHL for the KIJHL.
He is coming off back-to-back 12-goals seasons and is pleased with the quick start to the 2025-26 campaign.
Larivere says consistency is one of his goals this season.
“I found last year I was very spotty,” said the tall winger.
“One thing I kind of wanted to do coming into this year was be more consistent, be more of a presence each night, not only on the score sheet, but in the game in general,” Lariviere stated, while also praising line mates Brayden Sinclair and Louis Jonerheim for his early success.
“It’s fun to play along side them, I’m glad we’re meshing and I feel we have another gear to bring,” he added.
Lariviere plays in all situations and is dominant along the boards during puck battles.
He is also a constant nuisance for opposing goalies and defensemen near the net on power plays and has been a persistent penalty killer including the blocking of key shots.
Lariviere’s skill set is also on the rise.
He scored a highlight reel goal against Salmon Arm with a backhand toe-drag and flip shot into the top corner of the net during a Smokies power play.
Lariviere says it’s a play he has practiced many times.
“You see on TV all the time guys trying stuff and doing those little plays and it’s not easy, but you’ve got to work at it, I think I’ve tried it more times than I can count and that’s probably the first time I’ve scored one like that,” Lariviere explained, adding that pre-scouting also helped.
“He (the goalie) drops his glove hand a little bit quicker than other goalies so I wanted to target that area if I got a chance,” added Lariviere who has six points on four goals and two assists over the last five games.
The Smokies will strive for a team record 10th straight road win Friday night in Osoyoos.
Lariviere says their approach should be no different than rebounding from last Wednesday’s loss against the Silverbacks, specifically working on correcting mistakes from the game before and sometimes even the shift before.
“You’ve got to come out with something to prove, you can’t really let the last game affect you, you’ve got to learn from it and then build off it and then redeem yourself the next chance you get.”
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