Wade Moyls is happy to be back with the Kamloops Storm. Heck, he's just happy to be back in the KIJHL.

The Storm acquired Moyls from the Pacific league's North Delta Devils on Wednesday. The 6-foot-6 goaltender will lead the team into three weekend games - starting tonight against the Penticton Lakers in 100 Mile House.

And when he slips on that Storm jersey again, Moyls will do so with a big smile on his face.

"I'm glad to be back," said the 18-year-old Kamloops native. "That league down there is a lot different - it's way less intense. We practised twice a week, at 10 o'clock at night."

Moyls was an affiliate player with the Storm in 2010-11, then served as a backup in 2011-12, going 12-7-1-0.

At the start of this season, with Marcus Beesley firmly entrenched as its starter, the Storm shipped Moyls to the Osoyoos Coyotes.

He got off to a fantastic start, winning 10 of his first 11 starts, including two shutouts. But the Coyotes went on a slide, and Moyls was shipped away.

The trade - from Osoyoos to the Vancouver Island league's Kerry Park Islanders - started something of an awkward journey for Moyls.

"We lost nine out of 10 and they weren't happy and I got sent off to Kerry Park," he said. "I refused to go there . . . so I sat at home, waiting for a call and calling some teams. I wound up in Delta."

It wasn't a perfect fit in North Delta but, as luck would have it, Storm general manager Barry Dewar shipped Beesley to Nelson earlier this month.

"I played three games in Delta, but I heard Beesley got traded so I called Barry," Moyls said. "I told Barry I wanted to come back, and I ended up here."

Moyls now finds himself in something of a similar situation to what he left in Osoyoos.

The Storm, which raced out of the gates and was tied for the Doug Birks Division lead on Nov. 11, has lost 15 of 16 games since then, and is fourth in the five-team division. Kamloops (13-20-2-4) still has a 10-point lead on the Chase Heat (9-25-3-1), so it isn't in real danger of missing the playoffs.

Storm head coach Brad Priestlay knows what Moyls can do - the goaltender stopped 32 of 34 shots in Osoyoos's 3-2 overtime victory at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre on Sept. 29 - but isn't about to pile on the pressure.

"Any time you get a goalie like Wade, it's a good thing," Priestlay said. "But it's not a saviour situation, we're not looking at him and putting pressure on him.

"It all starts with hard work for us."

The Storm has 13 games remaining in its 52-game regular season, so this weekend's three "home" games could turn out to be important. After tonight's game in 100 Mile House, Kamloops will return to the Sport Centre to play host to the Leafs on Saturday, 7 p.m., and the Sicamous Eagles on Sunday, 5 p.m.

While the Lakers (8-27-1-2) are at the bottom of their division, the Leafs (26-9-2-1) and Eagles (22-7-2-4) are at the top of their respective divisions.

After these three games, Kamloops will alternate between road and home games for the remainder of the schedule.

"We've got three tough games this weekend and only 13 left in the season," Priestlay said. "Guys have to realize that playoffs are just around the corner and Chase is right behind us. We've got to start doing ourselves a favour and winning games."

Moyls will be making his second debut with the Storm - you can bet he's hoping it's like the first. In his first junior B game, Moyls stopped all 33 shots as the Storm drubbed the host Dynamiters 8-0 at the historic Kimberley Civic Centre.

That was on Dec. 4, 2010. Now, more than two years later, Moyls will be making another start in a more modern facility - the South Cariboo Recreation Centre.

"It doesn't matter to me where I play," Moyls said. "I'm just glad to be back on the ice with the Storm."

WEATHER WATCH: F Devin Oakes, who made his WHL debut with the Blazers in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans on Wednesday, practised with the Storm on Thursday and is expected to play this weekend. . . . D Jason Anderson, who has been out since Oct. 20 with an ankle injury, is nearing a return, but is questionable for the weekend. . . . With Hockey Canada's player movement deadline set for last night, Dewar was working the phones looking to fill two cards. . . . The KIJHL has approved the Lakers' move to 100 Mile House before the 2013-14 season. The team will be called the Wranglers. . . . Beesley, who was 10-18-2-0 this season for the Storm, has split his first two games with Nelson. He stopped 19 shots in a 6-2 victory over the host Fernie Ghostriders on Jan. 4, but allowed five goals on 48 shots in a 5-3 loss to the host Castlegar Rebels on Sunday.

mhunter@kamloopsnews.ca