Chiefs open Saturday
Published on September 23, 2005 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release
After nearly a month of training camp and exhibition games the Chiefs will begin their 21st season in Spokane on Saturday night when they travel to Cranbrook, British Columbia to take on the Kootenay Ice.
"The pre-season has been long and we've had a lot of practices but the guys are energetic and excited to get the season started," Chiefs Head Coach Bill Peters said. Saturday will mark the return of Peters, a former Assistant Coach from 1999-2002, and the 40-year-olds regular season debut. Peters was the Head Coach at the University of Lethbridge for the past three seasons.
Making the trip to play Kootenay will be 19 WHL veterans, including newly acquired defenseman David Schulz, and five rookies. Spokane also has its four of its top five scorers back, including 20-year-olds Chad Klassen and Jeff Lynch.
The two forwards will forever be linked as the Chiefs first and second round selections in the 2000 WHL Bantam Draft and will be playing their fifth season together. Klassen, who was selected 15th overall in that draft, led all Chiefs scorers with 27 goals and 64 points 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 Lynch.
With 278 career games played, 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. Lynch was selected in the second round of the 2000 draft, 33rd overall.
Entering the regular season, Spokane features seven 19-year-olds, including goaltender Jim Watt. The four-year veteran is already the franchise's leader with eight career shutouts, posting four a season the past two years. Last season Watt played in a career high 55 games and posted a 2.96 GAA and .902 save percentage.
On defense, the Chiefs Joe Logan, last year's Defenseman of the Year, and newly acquired David Schulz are joined by veteran Taylor Sutherlin as 19-year-old blueliners. Sutherlin played for the Portland Winter Hawks in 2003-04 before spending last year in the USHL
Two 19-year-old forwards will return to the line-up after successful rookie stints in Spokane, including Derek Ryan. The Spokane native was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Year after a 15 goal, 47 point campaign. Kyle Howarth, who led all Chiefs rookies with 15 goals, appeared in 61 games last year.
Johannes Salmonsson will enter his rookie season in the WHL as a 19-year-old after being selected by Spokane in the CHL's Import Draft. Salmonsson was the Pittsburgh Penguins second round selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and scored five goals and eight points in last year's World Junior Hockey Championships.
The 18-year-old age group was highlighted this summer when four players were selected in the NHL Entry Draft, the most taken from a Chiefs roster since 1997. 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. Defenseman Dan Mercer, who was +4 in 32 games in Spokane after being acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors at the trade deadline, gives the Chiefs five defenseman with at least three years of WHL experience.
Forwards Chris Bruton and Michael Grabner provided depth and a scoring touch last year as 17-year-old rookies. Bruton, a Calgary native and former eighth round selection, tallied 11 goals and 28 points in 62 games last year. Grabner, an Austrian, had 13 goals in 58 games despite missing time because of injury and representing his country at a World Tournament.
Mike Reich, the 2003 first round bantam selection, Matt McCue, the second round selection that same year, J.P. Szaszkiewicz and Seth Compton return for their second season in the league at 17-year-olds. Reich won a gold medal with Team Western at the 2005 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge beating a Peters coached Team Pacific and Szaszkiewicz. McCue, a 6'5" defenseman missed a majority of the season last year because of an ankle injury. Compton is originally from West Richland, Washington giving Spokane three players from the Inland Northwest. Ryan and Zimmerman both call Spokane home.
17-year-old Thomas Stehr, a Medicine Hat, Alberta native, will act as Watt's back-up.
The Chiefs will feature two 16-year-olds, both from the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft; Drayson Bowman and Jared Spurgeon. Bowman was taken with the eighth overall selection and 29 goals and 59 points in 47 games last year with the Kimberly Dynamiters of the KIJHL. Spurgeon was the Chiefs 10th round selection in 2004.
The Chiefs will begin the home portion of the regular season on October 1st when they host the Tri-City Americans. Tickets for all Chiefs home games are available by calling the Chiefs office at (509) 535-PUCK or TicketsWest at (800) 325-SEAT.
Western Hockey League Stories from September 23, 2005
- T-Birds win season opener - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Wheaties win opener - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Saskatchewan Player Development Model Moves Forward - Saskatoon Blades
- WHL pre-season polls released - WHL
- Silvertips Debut New Hockey Radio Show on Monday Night - Everett Silvertips
- Chiefs open Saturday - Spokane Chiefs
- Wheat Kings name veteran Moore captain - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Two ways to follow the Pats - Regina Pats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
