Chiefs Weekly Report
Published on February 26, 2008 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release
Wednesday night the Spokane Chiefs will travel to Kelowna to play their only game this week. Spokane has a rare weekend off and will skate again next Wednesday when they play three home games in four nights beginning on March 5th against the Portland Winter Hawks.
Coming into this week game, the Chiefs and Tri-City Americans are tied for first place in the U.S. Division with 92 points. The Americans have a game in hand. Spokane and Tri-City will play each other two more times down the stretch, March 7th in Spokane and the 15th in Kennewick.
REMAINING SCHEDULE
Spokane has nine regular season games remaining. After a light one game week this week, Spokane will finish the year with a pair of four game in five night stretches. The Chiefs have four home games and five road games remaining. Spokane will play Portland three times, Tri-City twice and Chilliwack, Seattle, Kamloops and Kelowna once.
THIS WEEK
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH at KELOWNA ROCKETS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00
For just the second time this year, and the first since October 20th, the Chiefs will travel to take on the Rockets in their second and final trip to Kelowna. The Chiefs overcame a 1-0 third period deficit on February 19th to win a 2-1 decision. David Rutherford and Drayson Bowman scored in the final 10-minutes of the game for the win. Ondøej Roman scored two goals on October 13th as the Chiefs earned the win in the first game of the series. Both goals were scored on the power play. Four different players scored for Spokane in a 4-3 win on October 20th. Seth Compton scored the game winner at 15:25 of the third. Spokane was 2-5 on the power play and held Kelowna to just 19 shots. The Chiefs won last year's series with four wins in five tries. Spokane won two of those games in a shootout, once at home and once away.
NEWS AND NOTES
VERSUS HISTORY...For just the fifth time in franchise history, the Chiefs have won 40 games in a season. The 43 wins are seven more than they had last season and the most wins in a season since they had 47 in 1999-00. The most wins in franchise history are 50, accomplished in 1995-96. Their 92 points are already the fifth best season in 23 years in Spokane. The Chiefs have also won 36+ games in back-to-back seasons for just the third time in franchise history.
HOLY SHOTS, BATMAN...For the third time this year the Chiefs put more than 50 shots on net when they had 55 against the Everett Silvertips on February 15th. Spokane also put a season high 55 shots on net in their second game of the season, a 7-2 win at Prince George. The Chiefs also had 51 on December 9th against Portland, a 5-4 shootout win. Everett had 30 shots for a season high 83 combined shots. The franchise record is 109 combined shots on February 26th, 1986 when New Westminster outshot Spokane 58-51.
ROAD WARRIORS...The Chiefs hold the best road record in the WHL with a 21-7-1-2 mark. Spokane is 22-7-0-3 at home.
CENTURY CLUB...With a 4-1 win on February 6th Bill Peters earned his 100th career victory as head coach of the Chiefs, already the third most by a head coach in franchise history. Mike Babcock won 223 career games in six seasons and Bryan Maxwell won 165 in four-plus seasons. Peters overall record is 104-81-10-12.
OH, BLACKWATER...Judd Blackwater has four goals and 10 points in his last seven games and 12 goals and 23 points in his last 24 games.
BOWMAN'S PLACE...Drayson Bowman has four goals and four assists in his last seven games including a two goal, three assist night on February 11th versus the Seattle Thunderbirds. It was the second time this season Bowman had recorded five points in a game. The 18-year-old had three goals and five points on November 21st versus Kelowna. Bowman also has three hat-tricks this season, the last being February 2nd in a shootout win over Kootenay. Bowman's 37 goals are tied for second in the WHL. Bowman was named the WHL's Player of the Month for November after scoring 13 goals, 11 assists, 24 points and posting a +16. Bowman was named the Canadian Hockey League's Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks in the final two weeks of the month. The 18-year-old is 11th in the WHL in scoring (37-34-71). His eight game winners are third in the WHL and just two off the franchise's single season record. Carolina's third round pick has also scored 12 power play goals.
GREAT WAHL...Forward Mitch Wahl has two goals and four assists in his last five games, including a goal and two helpers on February 23rd in a 6-3 win over Tri-City. Wahl scored a goal and helped Team White to an 8-4 win over Team Red at the Top Prospects game in Edmonton on January 23rd. The game is reserved for 40 of the top draft eligible players in the CHL. Wahl, the Chiefs first round selection (4th overall) in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft, is in his second season in a Spokane sweater and is second on the team in scoring with 64 points. Wahl has recorded 14 goals and 34 assists in the last 39 games. Wahl's 47 assists are fifth in the WHL. The 17-year-old had an eight game point scoring streak snapped on November 30th. Through the span, Wahl had three goals and 18 points and was +15. Wahl is +31 on the season.
BREAKIN' GLASS...Trevor Glass has points in his last three games (1-2-3) and three goals and nine points as a Chief. In 21 games, the defenseman is +11. Glass recorded his first goal as a Chief in a 5-2 win on January 25th versus Seattle. Spokane acquired the defenseman from the Medicine Hat Tigers in a trade deadline deal. Glass is in his fourth season in the WHL and has 183 career regular season games under his belt and another 42 in the post season, including four in last year's Memorial Cup. Glass helped the Tigers win the WHL Championship with a team leading +13 in the playoffs.
STRAIGHT OUTTA...Seth Compton has scored seven goals and 10 points and is +6 in his last 20 games, including a career high four points, two goals and two assists, in Spokane's 6-2 win on January 11th at Portland. Compton has scored a career high 11 goals and has played in 216 career games.
MCCRAE'S MARK...Since being acquired by the Chiefs, 19-year-old Justin McCrae has five goals, eight assists and is +4 in 21 games. McCrae scored a pair of goals in his debut on January 9th against Kamloops. The Cochrane, Alberta native has played 262 career games, most for any active Chief. McCrae served as Saskatoon's captain this season.
THE CAPTAIN...Chiefs captain Chris Bruton has six goals and nine assists in his last 18 games. Six of his goals have counted as the game winner. The four-year veteran has played 240 career games.
TOKARSKI'S MARK...Dustin Tokarski has set the franchise record for most shutouts in a season with his fifth of the year on January 5th at Tri-City in a 3-0 win. Tokarski also has seven career shutouts, second in franchise history. Tokarski is third in the WHL with a 2.11 GAA. Tokarski became the first Chiefs goaltender to post back-to-back shutouts in consecutive starts with a 21 save effort on November 2nd versus Seattle since Jim Watt did it in 2003-04. Tokarski won 11 straight starts from October 13th through December 2nd and had a 1.35 GAA, three shutouts and a .934 save percentage.
AN ARMY OF ONE...Kevin Armstrong recorded his second shutout of the season with 21 saves on November 21st against the Chilliwack Bruins and is sixth in the WHL with a 2.24 GAA. The 19-year-old has a 17-5-1-2 record. Armstrong had a six game win streak this season.
COWEN AND TEAM WEST... Jared Cowen and Team West won the bronze medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge after a 9-6 win over Team Pacific. Cowen finished the tournament with seven helpers in six games. Cowen was named the Player of the Game for Team West three times. The first overall selection in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft is in his rookie season in the WHL and has 4-11-15 with a +26 in 59 games.
ULMER FUDD...Stefan Ulmer recorded his first career three point night with a goal and two assists on February 11th versus the Seattle Thunderbirds. The 17-year-old rookie is +10 with three goals and 10 points in 30 games. The defenseman won a silver medal with Team Austria at the IIHF Division IA Under-20 World Championships.
RUDY, RUDY...David Rutherford has 11 goals and 16 points in his last 19 games. Rutherford missed 18 games due to injury. The 20-year-old scored 31 goals last season and had a hat trick on September 22nd at Prince George.
DRAFTED PLAYERS... Drayson Bowman (Carolina, 3rd round, 2007), Justin McCrae (Carolina, 4th round, 2007), Justin Falk (Minnesota, 4th round, 2007), Ondrej Roman (Dallas, 5th round, 2007)
INJURY REPORT...none to report
Western Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2008
- Chiefs Weekly Report - Spokane Chiefs
- O'Brien named CHL Player of the Week - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Season Ticket Holder Play-Off Deadline Friday - Regina Pats
- Murray To Assist Goals For Kids - Brandon Wheat Kings
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