Brayden Rotach has scored his first BCHL goal.
The 18-year-old rookie from Castlegar buried the eventual winning goal last Friday as the Smokies stopped the Silverbacks 4-2 in Salmon Arm.
Rotach went hard to the net and sniped the rebound of a Cooper Struckle shot after Struckle led the successful 2-on-1 rush late in the first period to give Trail a 3-0 lead.
Rotach credits his 19-year-old linemate for doing the heavy lifting.
“It was a shot by Struckle and like (the play) flashed before my eyes and I put it right in the back of the net,” he explained, admitting he couldn’t believe he had the puck a few feet out from the wide open net.
“A prefect bounce right on my tape,” Rotach stated.
The winger says having Struckle as the centreman on his line is a tremendous advantage for him and his other first-year linemates.
“He helps us learn the game and helps us improve, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” he explained.
Rotach was first signed by the Smoke Eaters after a superb 2023-24 season in BCEHL U-18.
He had 17 goals and 47 points in 30 regular season games with the Okanagan Rockets.
The five-foot-11, 165-pound forward added three goals and 10 points in seven playoff games.
Brayden wasn’t able to take part in the Smoke Eaters training camp in Sept 2024 because of an injury and joined the KIJHL’s Castlegar Rebels once he got healthy.
As a 17-year-old, Rotach put up solid numbers with 13 goals and 31 points in 30 games during his first season of Junior hockey.
Rotach then made his Smoke Eaters debut during the final two games of the regular season and picked up two assists in Vernon and West Kelowna.
He cracked the Smoke Eaters roster this past fall after an extremely competitive training camp and preseason schedule.
Rotach noticed a huge increase in speed, skill and strength once the regular season began.
“I think the first few games was getting used to it and once you got familiar out there you could use your body and protect the puck and it was a lot easier to make plays and generate some offense,” explained Rotach, who added that he is also learning how to play a more structured game utilizing the systems laid out by the Smoke Eaters coaching staff.
“It’s been good getting used to the pace of play and how things work and now it’s just putting everything together and having a good time,” he told Vista Radio.
Rotach and the other rookies are benefiting from Trail’s veteran roster as 15 teammates have either BCHL, USHL or other Junior A experience.
He hopes to follow in the footsteps of the eight Smokies who have secured NCAA Division one scholarship commitments and feels the BCHL is the perfect place to make this happen.
“There’s been a lot of talent come out of this league and it just keeps producing every year,” Rotach commented.
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