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Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs open regular season against the Ice

September 22, 2005 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


For the second year in a row and for the third time in five seasons the Spokane Chiefs will open the regular season versus the Kootenay Ice. Spokane dropped a 4-1 decision last season in the Cranbrook Rec-Plex. The Chiefs earned a 5-4 win in 2001. Saturday's game will be the first of eight meetings between the Chiefs and Ice. Spokane will travel to Cranbrook again on December 17th before hosting Kootenay on December 30th in their first trip to the Arena.

UPCOMING

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST vs. TRI-CITY AMERICANS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs will open the home portion of the regular season on Saturday, October 1st when they host the Tri-City Americans. Spokane will play the Americans a total of 12 times. The Chiefs were 6-4-1-1 versus Tri-City last year including a 4-1-0-1 record in Tri-City. Chad Klassen scored five goals and 15 points in 12 games and was +6 against Tri-City. Jeff Lynch had seven goals and 12 points in 12 games. Jim Watt played in 11 of the 12 games and posted a 2.79 GAA and .905 save percentage. Spokane scored the first goal of the game in nine of the 12 meetings. The team that led after the second period was 10-1-1. Spokane will travel to Tri-City for the first time this season on Saturday, October 15th. The Americans will be back in Spokane on Saturday, November 5th.

NEWS AND NOTES

ROSTER NEWS...The Spokane Chiefs are carrying 23 players after reassigning two players on Thursday afternoon; Mike Senseman to South Surrey of the BCHL and Chris Langkow to Fort Saskatchewan to play AAA Midget. The Chiefs are carrying two 20-year-olds, seven 19-year-olds, seven 18-year-olds, five 17-year-olds and two 16-year-olds. By position, Spokane has two goaltenders, eight defenseman and 13 forwards. Spokane features 19 veteran players, including 17 that were on the roster last year, and four rookies.

RETURNING...Four of the top five scorers off of last year's roster return; Chad Klassen (27-37-64), Jeff Lynch (23-26-49), Derek Ryan (14-32-46) and Adam Hobson (10-27-37).

THE DEFENSE EXPERIENCE...Of the eight defensemen on the roster, seven have WHL experience. Joe Logan and David Schulz are both entering their fourth year in the WHL while Sean Zimmerman, Jason Lynch and Dan Mercer are all three year veterans. Taylor Sutherlin spent the 2003-04 season with the Portland Winter Hawks before playing last year in the USHL. Matt McCue is also a two-year veteran. Jared Spurgeon, Spokane's 10th round selection in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft, is the lone rookie on the blueline.

SCHULZ ACQUIRED...The Spokane Chiefs acquired 19-year-old defenseman David Schulz from the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for 19-year-old forward Ned Lukacevic. Schulz is entering his fourth full season in the WHL with 185 career games played. The Winkler, Manitoba native was a former first round selection, 17th overall, in the 2001 WHL Bantam Draft and an eighth round selection of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Schulz set career highs last season with eight goals, 19 points and 138 penalty minutes. The move gives the Chiefs three 19-year-old defenseman (Joe Logan and Taylor Sutherlin).

GOOSE ON THE LOOSE...Twenty-year-old defenseman Gustav Engman remains in camp with the Vancouver Canucks. Engman, who has played 126 games in Spokane over the last two years, was a free agent invitee. The Chiefs first round selection in the 2003 CHL Import Draft scored eight goals, 22 points and recorded 97 penalty minutes last season.

20/20...Both of Spokane's 20-year-olds are five-year veterans in the WHL, Chad Klassen and Jeff Lynch. Klassen was the Chiefs first round selection (15th overall) and Lynch was taken by Spokane in the second round (33rd overall).

KLASSEN KOUNT... Chad Klassen led all Chiefs scorers with 27 goals and 64 points last year and has registered 155 points the past two seasons. In 2003-04, the Warman, SK native totaled a career high 91 points, including 35 goals. Klassen has played 242 career games in Spokane, second on the active roster to Jeff Lynch.

THE LYNCH-PIN...With 278 career games played, Jeff Lynch will move into a tie for seventh all-time on the franchise's list when he plays this Saturday. The Coquitlam, BC native set a career high last season with 23 goals and 49 points, second on the Chiefs.

RYAN THE TOP ROOKIE...Spokane native Derek Ryan was named the Western Conference's Rookie of the Year last season after scoring 14 goals and 47 points in 71 games. Ryan is a 2005 graduate of Shadle Park High School and was named the KIJHL's Player of the Year in 2004 after totaling 128 points in 50 games as a Spokane Brave.

THE LOGAN LOG...Nineteen-year-old Joe Logan was named the Spokane Chiefs John "Hitman" Hern Defenseman of the Year last season after playing 68 games and registering 24 points. Logan was acquired by the Chiefs from the Vancouver Giants in October, 2004.

SMOKED SALMONSSON...Johannes Salmonsson, the Pittsburgh Penguins second round selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, was the Chiefs first round selection in this summer's CHL Import Draft. Salmonsson finished sixth overall in scoring at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championships for Team Sweden with five goals and eight points in six games. Salmonsson teams up with Michael Grabner as the Import players on the Chiefs roster at the start of the season.

WATT'S THE DEAL...Goaltender Jim Watt is entering the season as the Chiefs all-time leader in shutouts with eight. Watt has posted four in each of the last two years. The 19-year-old has played 112 career games, third in franchise history, and has over 6,000 career minutes in the crease, fifth in Chiefs history.

THE RETURN OF PETERS...Bill Peters will make his regular season debut behind the bench and return to the franchise where he once served as assistant coach. Peters served under both Mike Babcock (1999-2000) and Perry Ganchar (2000-2002). The Red Deer, Alberta native spent the last three years as the head coach at the University of Lethbridge.

SASK-UH-WHAT...J.P. Szaszkiewicz played for Chiefs Head Coach Bill Peters at last year's Under-17 World Hockey Challenge for Team Pacific. The two won a silver medal, losing in the gold medal game to Team Western and Mike Reich.

PETERS PEOPLE...Bill Peters coached both Chad Klassen and Jeff Lynch in their 16-year-old season of 2001-02. Peters left the following season and spent three years as the head coach at the University of Lethbridge.

FEELING A DRAFT...The Chiefs had four players selected in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the most since the 1997 draft. Defenseman Jason Lynch was taken by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round (166th overall) while New Jersey selected Sean Zimmerman four picks later. In the seventh round, Chicago nabbed Adam Hobson 203rd overall and Atlanta selected Myles Stoesz 207th overall.

STOESZ IN THE BOX...Myles Stoesz finished second in the WHL last year with 238 penalty minutes in 67 games. The 238 penalty minutes were the most by a Spokane player since the 1996-97 season.

BOWMAN'S STORY...The Chiefs lone 16-year-old forward on the roster is Littleton, Colorado's Drayson Bowman. Bowman was Spokane first round selection (eighth overall) in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft and scored 29 goals and 59 points in 47 games last year with the Kimberly Dynamiters of the KIJHL.

DRAFTED PLAYERS...Johannes Salmonsson (Pittsburgh, 2nd round, 2004), David Schulz (Vancouver, 8th round, 2004), Jason Lynch (Colorado, 6th round, 2005), Sean Zimmerman (New Jersey, 6th round, 2005), Adam Hobson (Chicago, 7th round, 2005), Myles Stoesz (Atlanta, 7th round, 2005)

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