Game Day | TRA at SA

The busy Smoke Eaters bus has reached its destination, but will soon get to rest.

This weekend’s doubleheader in Salmon Arm will end a long and grueling gaggle of games away from Cominco Arena.

After Saturday’s showdown in the Shuswap, the Trail troupe will have played 14 of its first 18 games of the 2025-26 season in other arenas.

The teams have met twice.

The Smokies got shootout goals from Erik Patro and Christian Kim to skate out of Salmon Arm with a 4-3 victory on September 20.

The Silverbacks emerged with a 4-1 decision on October 29 at Cominco Arena.

Trail is coming off a split of last weekend’s two-game trek to Alberta, responding from Friday’s 8-3 setback in Okotoks with a sensational 3-2 overtime triumph the next night in Sherwood Park.

Cash Carter counted the winner in addition to his first period goal and is tied for the team lead in that category with Dylan Lariviere. Both have seven goals through 16 games.

Chrisitan Kim has points in three straight games. The seven point surge by the California kid puts the 20-year-old atop the team’s points parade with 17, one more than his new line mate, Cash Carter. Their centreman Cade De St. Hubert recently went on a six-game points streak.

The Silverbacks are also coming off a weekend split, rebounding from a 4-1 loss in West Kelowna with a 5-3 home ice win over Spruce Grove.

Newcomer Matteu Spath had three assists for Salmon Arm against the Saints and now has nine points in six games as a Silverback, just two back of team leader Keifer Miller. The German winger assisted on two goals in the late October win over the Smoke Eaters.

This weekend’s twin bill will also likely feature a goaltending duel.

Salmon Arm’s Daniel Dirrocolo made three early highlight reel saves during the triumph in Trail, while home-brew Chayse Johnson of the Smokies is hot off a 37 save performance in Sherwood Park, earning first star honours. He could be called upon to try to quell a Silverbacks power play that’s operating at 31.5%, which is second best in the BCHL. Salmon Arm was 2-for-3 with the man advantage the last time these teams met.

Trail is trying to track down the division and league-leading Warriors.

The Smokies 13-3 record including a 10-1 mark on the road leaves them two points back of West Kelowna.

The 8-5-2-1 Silverbacks sit seven points back of the Smokies. They have a home record of 2-2-1-1.

Friday’s game gets underway at 7 p.m. Catch all the action on Mixlr and FloHockey.

The next Smoke Eaters home games are November 21 & 22. Good seats are still available at Tickets.TrailSmokeEaters.com.