WHL Spokane Chiefs

Beach And Wahl Earn 1st Team Honors

Published on March 18, 2010 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


Spokane Chief forwards Mitch Wahl and Kyle Beach were named to the Western Hockey League's Western Conference All-Star First Team on Thursday morning and defenseman Jared Spurgeon was named the Conference's Most Sportsmanlike Player. Jared Cowen, the Chiefs Captain and John "Hitman" Hern Defenseman of the Year, earned second team WHL All-Star honors.

In his fourth season on the WHL Wahl set a career high with 96 points, seventh in the WHL, including 66 assists, third in the WHL. Wahl finished his regular season career third all-time in Chiefs history for career assists with 186 and was named the Chiefs Player of the Year this season. In his career, Wahl climbed up to the following spots on the franchise's all-time list; goals (98-14th), assists (186- third), points (284- 6th) and games played (273- 11th).

Beach's 52 goals this season were a career high and led all WHL Players. His 12 game winning goals were also tops in the league and set a Spokane franchise record. The 19-year-old became the first Chief in 17 seasons to score more than 50 goals in a single season. He recorded four hat-tricks this season and finished the year with a +22. In four seasons, Beach has scored 134 goals and 273 points.

Wahl and Beach become the first Chiefs since the 2001-02 season to be named to the WHL All-Star Team after goaltender Barry Brust and defenseman Kurt Sauer earned the honor. It is the third time that two Chiefs have been named at once and just the second time that a pair of forwards earned the honor. Forwards Pat Falloon and Ray Whitney were All-Stars in 1990-91.

Spurgeon is a finalist for the WHL's Brad Hornung Trophy, the honor that goes to the league's Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year, along with the Moose Jaw Warrior's Jason Bast from the Eastern Conference. Spurgeon finished the season, his fifth with Spokane, with a career high in points. In 54 games he had 8 goals, 43 assists and 51 assists. The 20-year-old has played 266 career games in Spokane and has 37 goals, 133 assists, 16th in franchise history, the fourth most for defensemen and 170 points in his five seasons in Spokane.

Cowen, the 18-year-old Captain of the team, set career highs in all categories, including goals (8), assists (22) and points (30). His +23 led all Chiefs defensemen. In January, Cowen won a silver medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships.

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