WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

Published on December 16, 2003 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


The Spokane Chiefs will play the final game before the Holiday break at home on Wednesday night when they host the Portland Winter Hawks for the second game in a row. The Chiefs have 10 days off following Wednesday's game. The first game after the break, Saturday, December 27th versus Tri-City, will mark the half-way point of the season for Spokane.

TONIGHT

The Chiefs and Portland Winter Hawks will meet for the fourth time this season in the Arena and for the fifth time overall. Portland holds a 3-1 series lead with three straight wins over the Chiefs. The Chiefs earned a 7-4 win on October 15th. Seven different players scored goals, including Steven Gillen, Chad Klassen, Doug Auchenberg and Ned Lukacevic, who all had a goal and assist. The Chiefs and Hawks went through a seven game playoff series last season with the Spokane coming from a three games to one deficit to advance. Three of the games went into overtime, including a double overtime effort in game four, a 2-1 Portland win. The Chiefs are 16-5-2 in the last 23 games played in the Spokane Arena versus Portland and 27-11-4 in the last 42 games against the Winter Hawks.

UPCOMING

Saturday, December 27th vs. TRI-CITY AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs will host Tri-City for the third time this season as the series with the Americans and Spokane play for the seventh time this season. Spokane is 2-2-0-2 in the first six games of the series. Brad Schell has three goals and six assists in six games this season versus Tri-City. Chad Klassen has 3-3-6. All three of Jakub Langhammer's goals versus Tri-City have been scored on the power play. The Chiefs have lost all three games that they have scored first and are 2-1 in games that the Americans have scored the first goal of the game. In two games, Jim Watt has a 1.42 goals against and .938 save percentage. The Chiefs are 7-29 (24.1%) on the power play and Tri-City is 7-30 (23.3%).

LAST WEEK

Saturday, December 13th SPOKANE-0 vs. PORTLAND-2

The Portland Winter Hawks scored an empty net goal with 16-seconds remaining to ice a 2-0 win over the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night in the Spokane Arena. Portland scored at 16:07 of the first on the power play, one of two the Hawks would have all night, to take a 1-0 lead. Portland outshot the Chiefs 11-7 in the first period. Despite 18 shots in the third period, the Hawks Krister Toews shut the door on the Chiefs before Dan DaSilva's empty netter. Each team had 33 shots on goal with Jim Watt earning the second star by making 31 saves. Despite the shutout Chiefs fans three over 2,285 teddy bears onto the ice in the River Park Square Teddy Bear Toss. The teddy bears were collected and will be distributed to local charities in the coming weeks.

Friday, December 12th SPOKANE-0 at SEATTLE-3

The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Spokane Chiefs for the first time in three tries on Friday night in the Key Arena. The loss by the Chiefs evened the home-and-home series with Seattle after the Chiefs earned a 4-2 win over the T-Birds on Wednesday night at home. After a scoreless first period where Seattle outshot the Chiefs 9-8, the Thunderbirds struck first 12:46 into the second period. Thirty-two seconds into the third period the T-Birds tallied again for the 2-0 lead. Seattle added a power play goal with 1:15 remaining for the final 3-0 margin. The Chiefs were shutout for the third time this season. Twenty-year-old goaltender Barry Brust made 29 saves and the Chiefs were 6-7 on the penalty kill. Spokane finished 0-3 on the power play.

Wednesday, December 10th SPOKANE-4 vs. SEATTLE-2

Brad Schell scored a pair of goals and the Spokane Chiefs defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds on Wednesday in the Arena. Schell scored the first goal of the game 11:14 into the first with the Chiefs skating on one of their four power plays in the opening frame. At 6:09 of the second, Steven Gillen roofed a Joel Rupprecht pass on a two-on-one for his fifth of the year. Shortly thereafter the Chiefs put Seattle on the power play and the Thunderbirds capitalized just nine seconds into the man advantage. A little over two minutes later Seattle tied the score. In the third, Schell's shot from a sharp angle on the bottom of the left circle deflected off Seattle's goaltender, Josh Lepp, for the eventual game-winning goal. Later in the third Gillen returned the favor to Rupprecht who scored his second goal of the season for the final 4-2 margin. The Chiefs outshot Seattle 34-30 and went 1-7 on the power play. Chiefs 20-year-old goaltender Barry Brust stopped 28 shots on the night, half of those coming in the second period when Seattle put 16 pucks on net.

NEWS AND NOTES

SCHEDULE...Wednesday's game versus Tri-City will be the last game for the Chiefs before a 10-day holiday break. Spokane will return to the ice on Saturday, December 27th versus Tri-City at home and on Sunday the 28th at Portland. After the break the Chiefs have five games in six nights, including the annual New Year's Eve game at Tri-City. December 27th will mark the half-way point of the season for the Chiefs. Six of the Chiefs next seven games will be played versus US Division teams.

NATURAL BORN KILLERS...Spokane is 75 of their last 89 on the penalty kill (84.3%) over a span of 17 games. The Chiefs killed off 10 penalties versus Vancouver on December 3rd and on the 6th at Portland.

POWER RANGERS...The Chiefs are 24-109 (22.0%) on the power play over the last 22. Spokane is fifth in the WHL and first in the Western Conference with a power play percentage of 19.7%.

NO PIMS ALLOWED...The Spokane Chiefs and Portland Winter Hawks combined for only 10 penalty minutes last Saturday night a week after combining for 267. The Chiefs had a season low four penalty minutes on the 13th.

KLASSEN...Chad Klassen had a seven game point scoring streak snapped on December 4th at Kelowna. Klassen had five goals and eight assists during the streak. Klassen has gone scoreless in back-to-back games for just the second time this season. The 18-year-old is eighth in the WHL in scoring with 18 goals and 43 points. The 18-year-old has points in 27 of 34 games this season. Klassen, who had 15-29-44 last season, has already set a career high with 18 goals and is one point shy of setting a career high with 44 points.

SCHELLED... Brad Schell is fourth in the WHL in scoring with 19 goals and 47 points. The 19-year-old has points in 18 of 24 games and 35 points (13 goals and 22 assists) through the span. With the Chiefs first goal on October 11th versus Seattle, Schell recorded his 100th point of his career. Schell now has 137 career points (57-80-137). Schell was a part of Team WHL's two wins over a Russian Select team in the CHL-Russia Challenge Series. Schell did not register a point in the 7-1 and 4-1 wins in Calgary and Brandon. Schell played in his 200th career WHL game on Friday, December 12th at Seattle.

TEAM PACIFIC AND THE CHIEFS...Sixteen-year-olds Adam Hobson and Jason Lynch have been selected to play in the Under 17 Hockey Challenge this winter as a part of Team Pacific. Hobson has played 31 of 34 games this season and has scored three goals and five points. Lynch has appeared in 13 games this season with 24 penalty minutes. Both Hobson and Lynch were named to Team Pacific after participating in the BC Amateur Hockey Association's BC Best Ever Program this summer.

WEST IS BEST...Defenseman Myles Stoesz will play for Team Western at the Under 17 Hockey Challenge. The Steinbach, MB native is second on the Chiefs with 83 penalty minutes in 24 games.

AUCHENBERG...Twenty-year-old Doug Auchenberg had 1-5-6 in the eight games before his injury and three goals and 14 points in his last 15 games. The 20-year-old had a five game point scoring streak from November 2nd through November 12th. Auchenberg was sixth in the WHL in rookie scoring with seven goals and 27 points before he went down with a shoulder injury and has five multiple point games.

GARY, GARY QUITE CONTRARY ...Gary Gladue is the sixth highest scoring defenseman in the WHL. The 19-year-old had a seven game point scoring streak from October 24th through November 2nd. Gladue has five goals and 19 points in his last 23 games.

THE DIESEL...Jevon Desautels recorded his first career WHL hat-trick on October 31st versus Swift Current. The 19-year-old added an assist for a career high four points. In his last 22 games, Desautels has seven goals and 17 points. Last year's team leader in penalty minutes is second on the Chiefs this year with 74 PIMs and currently has 484 career in 214 games (tied for 21st all-time with Ray Whitney).

WATT'S UP...In his last nine games, Jim Watt has a 2.22 GAA and .924 save percentage and has a 3-4-0 record.

BARRY AND THE NETS...Barry Brust set the franchise record on October 24th by playing in his 140th career game, breaking Aren Miller's franchise record set in 1998. Brust has now appeared in 156 career games. The Westbank, BC native is also the franchise's all-time leader in minutes played with 9,002 career minutes in three-plus seasons. The four-year veteran has 62 career wins, six behind Miller for the most all-time in Chiefs history. The 20-year-old set single season records in 2001-02 with a 2.58 goals against average and .912 save percentage.

CAPTAIN KEHLER...Chiefs captain Joff Kehler has played 240 career games, 15th all-time in franchise history, and has scored 61 career goals and 103 career assist (24th all-time) for 164 points. With an assist on the Chiefs empty net goal on Wednesday night he became the 27th player in franchise history with 100 career assists.

LYNCH...Jeff Lynch has missed just seven games the last three season, including one this year. The only game that Lynch missed this season was due to suspension. The 18-year-old has played 169 career games. GP...Five players have appeared in all 34 games this season; Chad Klassen, Gary Gladue, Jevon Desautels, Ned Lukacevic and Steven Gillen. The only game that Brad Schell has missed was due to his commitment with Team WHL.

DRAFTED PLAYERS...Barry Brust (Minnesota, 3rd round, 2002), Jevon Desautels (Washington, 4th round, 2002), Brad Schell (Atlanta, 6th round, 2002)

INJURY REPORT...Doug Auchenberg (shoulder, five to seven weeks), Joel Rupprecht (concussion, one week), Colbi Zavisha (concussion, one week)

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 16, 2003


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