Trail Smoke Eaters kicked off their Main Camp on Tuesday with head coach and GM Tim Fragle putting 30 players through off-ice training and on-ice skills and practice sessions.
The main camp runs from Tuesday, Sept. 8 through the week., with the final ice times for this group going on Friday.
The numbers are considerably less than past camps, with two teams of 15 in white and orange respectively, rather than 40-60 players competing for roster spots in an abbreviated season.
Smoke Eaters coach and GM Tim Fragle expects to carry an expanded group into a prolonged camp and exhibition season, that has yet to set a schedule.
In addition, the arena is conspicuous in its absence of any fans or parents in the seats or along the top rail, as COVID protocol restricts gatherings to less than 50.
The camp is expected to continue with exhibition games through November, and a planned BCHL start date of Dec. 1.
In response to viaSport’s “Return to Sport” plan, the KIJHL announced Tuesday it would be starting Nov. 13 with cohorts of three and four regional teams playing against each other, and it is likely that the BCHL will follow suit.
