Chiefs Weekly Report
Published on October 4, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release
After just two games in the first two weeks of the season, the Chiefs will play six times in the next two weeks, including back-to-back nights on Tuesday and Wednesday this week on the road. Spokane has made a pair of trades in the past few weeks, acquiring an 18-year-old defenseman from Vancouver and an 18-year-old forward from Medicine Hat. The Chiefs will host Tri-City this Saturday night on Buck Night presented by Pepsi and Star @96.9.
DATE EVENT AIR GAME LOCATION
Monday, October 4th Travel to Vancouver
Tuesday, October 5th Spokane at Vancouver 6:30 7:00 Vancouver, BC
Wednesday, October 6th Spokane at Portland 6:30 7:00 Portland, OR
Thursday, October 7th Practice 1:00 Eagles
Friday, October 8th Practice 1:00 Eagles
Saturday, October 9th Spokane vs. Tri-City 6:30 7:00 Spokane Arena
Sunday, October 10th Off Day
Monday, October 11th Practice 1:00 Spokane Arena
Tuesday, October 12th Spokane vs. Lethbridge 6:30 7:00 Spokane Arena
Wednesday, October 13th Practice 1:00 Spokane Arena
Thursday, October 14th Practice 1:00 Spokane Arena
Friday, October 15th Spokane vs. Vancouver 6:30 7:00 Spokane Arena
Saturday, October 16th Spokane at Tri-City 6:30 7:00 Kennewick, WA
AIR- Denotes the beginning of Comcast Hockey Tonight on 790 the Fan on game nights.
UPCOMING
Tuesday, October 5th at VANCOUVER GIANTS AIR- 6:30 GAME-7:00
The Chiefs will hit the road to take on the Vancouver Giants in their first of four match-ups on the season with their BC Division rival. The Chiefs went 3-0-0-1 versus Vancouver last season earning seven of a possible eight points. Scott Lynch (2-2-4), Gary Gladue (1-3-4) and Chad Klassen (1-3-4) all had four points in as many games versus the Giants. Gladue, a Coquitlam, BC native, was also +4. Ned Lukacevic, who scored a goal in his first career game in the WHL as a 15-year-old versus the Giants, scored a pair of goals last season. Jim Watt was 2-0 in two starts with one shutout and a .967 save percentage. The Chiefs went 5-22 on the power play and 24-26 on the penalty kill.
Wednesday, October 6th at PORTLAND WINTER HAWKS AIR- 6:30 GAME- 7:00
Spokane will travel to Portland on Wednesday for their first of nine meetings on the season. The Chiefs will host the Winter Hawks on Friday, October 22nd in Portland's first trip to the Spokane Arena. The Chiefs finished their regular season series last year with the Hawks at 5-3-1-1. Chad Klassen led the Chiefs with seven goals and 18 points and was +7 on the season. The 19-year-old had three four-point games versus Portland, including a hat trick on March 7th in a 6-3 win. Ned Lukacevic had five goals and 10 points. Scott Lynch scored three goals, seven points and finished the regular season as a +11 in 10 games. Jim Watt played seven games versus Portland and finished 3-2-1 with a .903 save percentage. The Chiefs were 10-51 (19.6%) on the powerplay.
Friday, October 9th vs. TRI-CITY AMERICANS AIR-6:30 GAME- 7:00
In their first of 12 meetings on the season, the Chiefs will host the Tri-City Americans this Saturday night in the Spokane Arena. The Chiefs finished last year's season series with a 5-4-1-2 record with all five wins coming at home. The team that was outshot by the opposition was 8-3. Spokane finished the season series 15-57 (26.3%) on the power play. Chad Klassen had a team high eight goals and 16 points, including four goals and nine points on the power play. Gary Gladue, who was +3 in 11 games, scored twice and had nine points. Spokane will travel to Tri-City on Saturday, October 9th. The Americans will be back in Spokane on Saturday, November 6th.
LAST GAME
Saturday, October 2nd SPOKANE-4 vs. KOOTENAY-2
Four third period goals lifted the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-2 win over the Kootenay Ice on Saturday night in the Spokane Chiefs home opener. Ned Lukacevic, Derek Ryan, Steven Gillen and Chris Bruton all scored goals as the Chiefs came from a 2-0 deficit for their first win of the season. Kootenay scored goals in the first and second, including their second shorthanded goal in as many games versus Spokane, for a 2-0 lead going into the third period, but Lukacevic cut that in half less than a minute into the final frame. Adam Hobson assisted on the Chiefs first of the night. As the Chiefs were skating on one of their four power plays, Derek Ryan blistered a slap shot from the top of the right circle to beat Kootenay's Jeff Glass between the pads and tied the game at two at 10:39. Scott Lynch and Gustav Engman had the assists. At 15:40, Gillen used an opportune bounce off a skate in front to give the Chiefs their eventual game winner. From behind the net, Gillen's centering feed bounced off a skate in front and into the short side at 15:40 for a 3-2 lead. Seventeen-year-old rookie Chris Bruton finished the night with a length of the ice empty net goal with just 42-seconds remaining. Lynch earned his second assist of the night. Jim Watt stopped 28 shots, including 13 in the third period, for the win. The Chiefs were 3-3 on the penalty kill.
NEWS AND NOTES
HOWARTH YOU DOING...The Spokane Chiefs have acquired 18-year-old forward Kyle Howarth from the Medicine Hat Tigers for 19-year-old defenseman Liam Couture. Before being called up by Medicine Hat last season, Howarth scored 34 goals and 67 points in just 37 games with the Selkirk Steelers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Winnipeg, Manitoba product appeared in 12 regular season games with the Tigers last season and one playoff game. Howarth has played in two games for Medicine Hat this season, scoring one goal and posting four penalty minutes. Howarth was originally a 10th round selection (175th overall) 2001 WHL Bantam Draft.
LOGAN'S RUN...The Spokane Chiefs have acquired defenseman Joe Logan from the Vancouver Giants for 18-year-old defenseman Andy Schenn. Schenn had played the previous two seasons with the Chiefs and did not attend camp prior to this season. Logan is entering his third season in the WHL and had played 120 games with Vancouver, including two this season. The 18-year-old was originally a second round pick, 20th overall, in the 2001 WHL Bantam Draft. Logan, a Gull Lake, SK native, scored a career high five goals and 21 points as a 16-year-old in 2002-03. "Joe will give us a versatile defenseman with good puck skills in an age group where his assets are a necessity," Chiefs General Manager Tim Speltz said. "We feel comfortable Joe's dimension will be valuable to our team this year and in the future."
ROSTER NEWS...The Chiefs are carrying 26 players on its roster, including three goaltenders, seven defenseman and 16 forwards. By age, the Chiefs have three 20-year-olds, three 19-year-olds, nine 18-year-olds, seven 17-year-olds and four 16-year-olds. The Chiefs feature 13 rookies, including two goaltenders. On defense, Spokane has just one first year player on its roster and six veterans.
NICE FINISH...The Chiefs won six of their final seven regular season games last season, shutting out two of their opponents and winning once in overtime. The Chiefs were 6-22 (27.3%) on the power play in the wins.
KLASSENS BACK...Chad Klassen was the league's top scoring 18-year-old last season with 35 goals and 91 points. Klassen finished second on the Chiefs and sixth in the WHL in scoring and was tied for the team lead with a +17, including a +8 in his last six games of the year. In his final 18 games, Klassen had points in 15, scoring nine goals and 25 points. Last season Klassen recorded five four point game and four three point games on his way to 22 games with multiple points. His 38 power play points were second on the team and 26 power play assists were tops on the team.
LYNCH NEWS...Twenty-year-old defenseman Scott Lynch is entering his fifth season in the WHL and has more service in the league than any other Chief with 254 career games. Last season Lynch scored a career high 17 goals and 40 points, both tops for any Chiefs defenseman. Lynch's 17 goals were the most by a Chiefs defenseman since Bryan McCabe had 22 in 1993-94. Through 33 games last season Lynch had two goals and 13 points, but in his next 38, Lynch scored 15 goals and 27 points.
CAPTAIN DESAUTELS...The Spokane Chiefs have named 20-year-old forward Jevon Desautels its captain for the 2004-05 season. Desautels has played in 234 career games, all in a Chiefs sweater, putting him 19th on the franchise's all-time list. The Alida, SK native recorded a career high nine goals and 27 points in an injury shortened season last year. Desautels had 118 PIM in 2003-04 moving him into 15th place on the franchise's all-time list with 532 career minutes.
WATT'S NEST...Eighteen-year-old goaltender Jim Watt equaled a franchise record with four shutouts in 2003-04. Watt tied Scott Bailey's 1990-91 and David Lemanowicz's 1995-96 seasons. The Edmonton, AB native also set a franchise mark with a .915 save percentage. Watt finished the season with a 2.65 GAA and 16-14-1-1 record.
ZIMM'S IN...Sean Zimmerman was named the Spokane Chiefs Rookie of the year last season after leading all Chiefs defenseman as a +1. The 17-year-old was the Chiefs seventh round selection in 2003.
WHAT I DID IN THE SUMMER...Ned Lukacevic was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of this summer's NHL Entry Draft. The Port Coquitlam, BC native scored 19 goals last season and was one of two players (Klassen) that appeared in all 72 games. Lukacevic was tied for second on the team with five game winning goals.
GLADUE COULD MAKE IT...Gary Gladue has appeared in 236 career games between Spokane, Calgary and Prince George. Gladue scored a career high seven goals and 35 points last season and finished the regular season as a +11 in his last 18 games.
KEYVAN TO SUCCESS...The Spokane Chiefs acquired goaltender Keyvan Hunt from the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for a conditional sixth round bantam selection. Hunt appeared in eight games last season in Saskatoon posting a 4.79 goals against average and .863 save percentage. The Port Coquitlam, BC native played a majority of the season with the Ridge Meadows Flames of the PIJHL in 2003-04 finishing eighth in the league with a 3.61 GAA.
YOU MUST BE LOCAL...The Chiefs boast four players who have played for the Spokane Braves of the KIJHL, including Sean Zimmerman. Derek Ryan, last season's KIJHL Player of the Year, appeared in one regular season game last year and four playoff games. Seth Compton, a fifth round pick in 2003, and Mike Senseman, who played seven regular season games last year, are also on the roster.
RYAN'S SONG...Derek Ryan scored a goal in his first career WHL game, the regular season finale versus Kootenay last season. Ryan also scored one goal in the playoffs versus Everett. Ryan joins Ned Lukacevic as the two players on the roster who have scored goals in their first career games. Lukacevic did it as a 15-year-old. Ryan is a local product who attends Shadle Park High School in Spokane.
GOLDEN BOY...Adam Hobson scored one goal and two points in five games for Team Canada in August as they won a gold medal at the under-17 World Hockey Championships. Hobson also won a silver medal with Team Pacific with Chief teammate Jason Lynch in January at the under-17 World Hockey Challenge. Last season Hobson scored four goals and eight points in 63 games.
INJURY REPORT...Michael Grabner (broken collar bone, 3-4 weeks)
DRAFTED PLAYERS...Ned Lukacevic (L.A., 4th round, 2004)
Western Hockey League Stories from October 4, 2004
- Six Blades Going to the Skids - Saskatoon Blades
- Chiefs Weekly Report - Spokane Chiefs
- Looking for Weekend Entertainment? - Prince George Cougars
- Tigers Reassign Two Players - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Tigers Acqurie Couture From Spokane - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Weekly Ice report - Kootenay Ice
- Stone named Player of the Week - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Chiefs Acquire Medicine Hat Forward - Spokane Chiefs
- Brandon's Stone named WHL Player of the Week - WHL
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