“It’s very exciting, a dream come true, really,”
That’s how Brayden Tremblay envisioned putting on a Smoke Eaters jersey for his first regular season game.
The 18-year-old from Fruitvale made his debut Saturday in front of family and friends at Cominco Arena and vividly remembers the day he signed with his home town team.
“I was just finished practice in Penticton and got the call,” Tremblay told Vista News.
“Pretty much had a talk with my parents and then signed and was excited to join Trail and come back home,” he added.
Tremblay has played the last three seasons at the Okanagan Hockey Academy.
The six-foot-three, 200-pound defenseman scored 13 goals and 41 assists for 54 points and had 83 penalty minutes in 94 games at the academy.
Tremblay feels his size will be an asset in the BCHL.
“I like to take that (physicality) into may game a lot,” he explained.
“Be physical in the d-zone, defend well and use my size and my body as an advantage,” stated Tremblay, while improving his overall game is the goal heading into next season.
“Get a little bit faster, get a little more physical, get a little stronger in the gym, just everything overall, just a little better,” commented the local boy.
Tremblay attended Smoke Eaters training camp last fall and played in the preseason.
He figures that was a good audition for camp next September.
“It prepared me, got me to the pace, the speed, definitely a change and there will be no surprises for me,” he predicted.
Brayden’s long term goals go beyond a BCHL career with the Smoke Eaters.
“I want to make it as far as I can, hopefully go to school (NCAA Division I scholarship) and keep going, hopefully play professional somewhere, kind of stick with the process and just love the grind,” he surmised.
Tremblay will remain with the Smoke Eaters for the final two games of the regular season this weekend against Vernon and throughout the playoffs.
