“I’m excited and really optimistic about the second half,” said Smoke Eaters head coach and GM Eric Thurston after assessing the team’s first 26 games of the 2025-26 regular season.
They won their first six games on the road while the finishing touches were put on about $2-million worth of renovations at Cominco Arena.
The Smokies also set a team record with a nine game winning streak on the road and got off to an 11-1 start despite only playing two games in Trail during that stretch.
Their road warrior act included five wins in overtime and a shootout victory.
Thurston calls those victories character builders.
“Getting those overtime wins was positive, building strong chemistry within our group buying in and understanding our expectations, the culture of it,” commented Thurston, who also feels the team responded positively to adversity.
Rookie Gairin Michalski, as well as veterans Drew Anastasio and Cade De St. Hubert left the team for the USHL, but Thurston remains impressed with how the players responded, calling Junior hockey “a tough gig,” for everyone.
“It’s tough on the players, it’s tough on the coaches, it’s tough on the ownership and it’s tough on the fans,” stated the bench boss.
“And when you lose players that you’ve built around and you’ve extended trust to and then they decide to look elsewhere it can be difficult,” noted Thurston who credits the players for showing maturity and character.
“I’m really impressed with how our guys have reacted, how they’ve welcomed the new guys, and then you just kind of realize after the fact how resilient they are,” he added.
New additions include Swedish imports Louis Jonerheim and Ted Welander.
Jonerheim, a six-foot-four, 205-pound winger has landed an NCAA Division I commitment to the Rochester Institute of Technology and Thurston says there is NCAA interest in Welander.
Meanwhile, German import Max Hense secured an NCAA Division I commitment to St. Lawrence University.
Hense, and 19-year-old teammate Matthis Pape are with the German national team at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Minnesota.
Fellow 19-year-old defenseman Matthew Keller has two goals in his first three games as a Smokie following the trade with Prince George.
Twenty-year-old centreman Bronson Hunt has played two games since arriving from St Cloud Minnesota of the North American Hockey League.
Thurston believes both will make key contributions during the second half.
“It’s really been business as usual (since arriving),” stated Thurston, who credits associate coach and assistant GM Bryan Kromm and assistant coach Bailey Monteith with recruiting them.
“Those players have really stepped in and played well, it’s kind of unusual, but it’s a credit to Bailey and Bryan, working hard to find those good players and putting them into the fold and letting them get accustomed to our culture and fitting in,” Thurston added. “It will be exciting to see as they get a little more comfortable how well they are going to improve.”
Among the returnees, Christian Kim leads the team with 31 points including a team leading 22 assists after picking up three helpers during last Sat’s 5-1 win over Okotoks.
Thurston also has high praise for second-year winger Cash Carter who is tied for the team lead with 11 goals.
“He has really stepped up, he’s been playing fantastic, he’s got an opportunity, moving up, playing on that first line with Erik Pastro and Christian Kim and he really is the Latin term carpe diem, he’s really seized the day,” explained Thurston.
Carter has 27 points, already surpassing last season’s totals of seven goals and 21 points. The 19-year-old recently became an assistant captain and will play in the BCHL All-Star Game.
Thurston is also elated with the offense from rookie Ryan Oothoudt.
The 18-year-old winger has three goals and three assists in seven games after missing the first two months of the season with mononucleosis.
Other key contributors in a balanced offensive attack include Pastro who has 10 goals and 21 points and fellow 20-year-old Dylan Lariviere who has 11 goals and 19 points.
On the back line, Colton Whitfield is adding offense to his solid shutdown work in the defensive zone.
The Smokies sit second in the BCHL’s Interior West Division, four points behind West Kelowna with Trail holding two games in hand.
The Smokies second half of the season opens on New Year’s Eve in Cranbrook.
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