The North Okanagan Knights have a chance to inch closer to the second-place Osoyoos Coyotes in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s Bill Ohlhausen Division on home-ice tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 10).
The third-place Knights entertain the fifth-place Kelowna Chiefs at the Nor-Val Sports Centre in Armstrong. Game time is 7 p.m.
North Okanagan is 15-13-2-1 for 33 points, nine behind Osoyoos and five points up on the idle fourth-place Summerland Steam (11-14-3-3).
The Chiefs have the worst record in the KIJHL at 5-23-1-3, 14 points, but defeated North Okanagan 2-1 in their last meeting a month ago, Dec. 9, at the Rutland Arena.
It is also the league’s trade deadline day, which expires at 4 p.m. Jan. 10, and the Knights have made several moves.
North Okanagan sent sent forward Jake Watson, born in 2003, to the Kimberley Dynamiters for future considerations.
Watson had seven goals, seven assists, 14 points, and 92 penalty minutes playing in 29 of the team’s 31 games this season.
To make up for Watson’s departure, North Okanagan acquired forward Tyler Badger from the County of Grande Prairie Wheat Kings of the eight-team North West Junior Hockey League, based in B.C. and Alberta, for future considerations.
Badger, born in 2002, has 6-10-16-62 in 27 games with the Wheat Kings.
The Knights sent defenceman Ben Van Langen to the 100 Mile House Wranglers for futures. Van Langen, born in 2004, played 25 games for the Knights, racking up seven assists and 46 penalty minutes.
The club acquired defenceman Colton Fleming, born in 2004, from the Kamloops Storm for futures. Fleming had a goal and three points plus eight penalty minutes in 25 games with Kamloops.
The Chiefs had yet to announce any moves before 12:30 p.m.
This story was updated at 2:21 p.m. with the Badger deal
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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