Tinkering with the roster brought out the offence in the North Okanagan Knights.
The Knights fired a season-high 70 shots at Kelowna Chiefs goalie Brendan Smith and scored on five of them, resulting in a 5-2 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Nor-Val Sports Centre in Armstrong.
North Okanagan made four moves on Trade Deadline Day Tuesday with only newly acquired defenceman Colton Fleming arriving in time for the game. Fleming, born in 2004, was acquired from the Kamloops Storm for future considerations.
The Knights also acquired four-year KIJHL veteran forward Tyler Badger from the County of Grande Prairie Wheat Kings of the B.C.-Alberta North West Junior Hockey League for futures.
Badger, born in 2003, played for the Nelson Leafs, Creston Valley Thundercats, Summerland Steam and Osoyoos Coyotes, who dealt the 20-year-old to Grande Prairie at the start of the 2022-23 season.
North Okanagan parted ways with forward Jake Watson, sending him to the Kimberley Dynamiters for future considerations, and defenceman Ben Van Langen, on his way to the 100 Mile House Wranglers in exchange for futures.
On the ice Tuesday, the Knights jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead on goals from Maguire Nicholson – his first of the year – Cash Anderson and Kevin-Thomas Walters, on the powerplay.
Aiden Morcom’s goal late in the first period got Kelowna on the board, and Jacob Shtaif made it 3-2 home team with the only goal of the second period for the Chiefs.
Ethan O’Rourke and Walters scored in the third for North Okanagan.
Austin Seibel picked up the win in goal, making 29 saves.
North Okanagan (16-13-3-2) moved to within seven points of the idle second-place Coyotes in the Bill Ohlhausen Division with the win, and extended their lead over the fourth-place Steam to seven points.
The Chiefs are 5-24-1-3, and visit Osoyoos tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 11.
The Knights return to action Friday, Jan. 13, when they host Watson and Kimberley at the Nor-Val Sports Centre. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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