The Trail Smoke Eaters have signed another two local boys.
Brayden Tremblay and Ben Fragle were at training camp this past fall and played preseason games with the Smokies.
The 17-year-old Tremblay is off to a strong start to his second season with the U-18 Okanagan Hockey Academy Prep team with a goal and three assists in the first six games.
Smokies head coach and GM Eric Thurston believes the defenseman checks off all the boxes.
“A big, strong kid, six-foot-three, he’s heavy, I like the way he plays the game,” said Thurston.
“He plays with an edge, he moves the puck well, I think he is going to be a nice addition as he progresses with his development, he’s going to be a formidable force,” Thurston added, who also pointed out the back liner from Fruitvale has an another attribute coaches covet.
“Being a right handed shot, all teams are looking for that, especially at six-foot-three, those guys just don’t grow on trees,” said Thurston.
Fragle is in his first full season with the Okanagan Hockey Academy U-18 Preps.
The five-foot-nine, 170-pound forward who moved to Trail from Edmonton before the 2020-21 season doesn’t turn 17 until late December and impressed observers during training camp and preseason with his work ethic.
The son of former Smokies forward and head coach Tim Fragle appeared in three games last season with the KIJHL’s Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
That’s where two local 17-year-old Smokies prospects are learning their junior hockey ropes.
Brady Walker of Montrose has 10 goals and 21 points in 20 games.
The six-foot-one, 185-pound forward has fired four goals and added four assists over the past five games.
Maddox Ghanda of Trail has also been hot lately.
The six-foot, 168-pound forward has three goals and 12 assists over the past ten games, totaling 19 points in 20 games so far this season.
Both were with the Smokies through the entire training camp and preseason after signing last summer.
Castlegar’s Brayden Rotach cracked the Trail lineup and recently recorded his first BCHL goal.
Meanwhile Trail’s Chayse Johnson is off to an impressive rookie season as a Smoke Eater.
The 18-year-old goalie has been named a game star in three of his four victories and has impressive numbers, with a 2.30 GAA and .910 SP.
Trail’s Judah Makway earned an NCAA Division-1 Scholarship with the University of Alaska Anchorage during his third and final season with the Smoke Eaters.
The power forward who scored 22 goals in 2024-25, has three goals and an assist in his first 12 regular season games with the Seawolves after leading the team with a goal and four assists during a preseason contest.
Thurston says local players will continue to be given a chance to wear Smoke Eater uniforms.
“When you get those local kids that can play and they’re impact guys, that’s exciting for your program,” Thurston explained.
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