WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

Published on March 7, 2005 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


The Spokane Chiefs will play four games in five nights, including two at home, starting on Wednesday night when they host the Everett Silvertips for the final time this season. The Chiefs will travel to Portland on Friday before a Saturday night showdown with the Tri-City Americans. Spokane will round out the week on Sunday night when they travel to Seattle.

Spokane starts the week two points back of Tri-City for fourth place in the US Division. The Americans will play on Tuesday night, at Kamloops, and Wednesday night, at Seattle, before Saturday night's game in the Spokane Arena.

REMAINING SCHEDULE

SPOKANE

Wed., March 9th vs. EVR

Fri., March 11th at POR

Sat., March 12th vs. TRI

Sun., March 13th at SEA

Wed., March 16th vs. POR

Fri., March 18th at KTN

Sat., March 19th vs. KTN

UPCOMING

Wednesday, March 9th vs. EVERETT SILVERTIPS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs will host Everett for the fifth and final time in their 10th and final match-up of the year versus the Silvertips. Spokane is 2-6-1 on the season versus the ‘Tips. The Chiefs earned a 3-0 win on November 17th, the first match-up of the season against Everett and Jim Watt's second shutout of his career against Everett. On January 21st, Spokane skated to a 5-2 win as Kyle Howarth scored a pair of goals. Howarth has four on the season against Everett. Jeff Lynch has four goals and five points on the year. Kevin Opsahl has played three games and has posted a 1.94 GAA and 1-1 record. Chad Klassen has two career four point games versus the Silvertips (10/24 and 12/28) including his first career hat-trick on November 19th, 2003 in a 4-2 win. The team that has led after the second period is 8-0 in the series.

Friday, March 11th at PORTLAND WINTER HAWKS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs will travel to play the Portland Winter Hawks for the fifth and final time this year. The Chiefs are 3-2-1-1 on the season and will host Portland on Wednesday, March 16th. Portland shutout Spokane 4-0 the last time the Chiefs and Hawks face off, on February 25th. The Chiefs scored seven goals for the second time this season versus the Winter Hawks on February 18th in Portland. Spokane tallied three times in the second and four times in the third with two goals by both Jevon Desautels and Michael Grabner. Kevin Opsahl stopped 31 shots, including 31 in the first period, for the win. Each team has won once in overtime with another game going the full five minute extra period. Three of the seven match-ups have gone to overtime. On December 15th, Ned Lukacevic scored three goals and six points as Spokane tallied three power play goals and two shorthanded. Each team finished with 38 shots. The Chiefs and Winter Hawks skated to a 0-0 tie on November 13th, the first ever scoreless tie in Spokane history. Kevin Opsahl, who started the season in Portland, had 31 saves in the tie. Lukacevic has four goals and seven points and Chad Klassen has two goals and seven points. Spokane and Portland will play each other three times over a span of six games and nine times total.

Saturday, March 12th vs. TRI-CITY AMERICANS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs will host Tri-City for the sixth and final time this year. It will be the 12th time the two have played. The Chiefs have already won the season series with a 6-3-1-1 this year versus the Americans, including a 2-2-1 record in the Spokane Arena. The Chiefs earned a 4-2 win on February 26th in their last meeting as Jeff Lynch and Ned Lukacevic each had two goals. Each team has won once in overtime this year, both in Tri-Cities. Spokane earned a 3-0 win over Tri-City on Saturday, October 9th in the Spokane Arena. Jim Watt stopped 29 shots in his first shutout of the season and Spokane put 50 pucks on net. Nine different players scored goals on October 16th at Tri-City in a 9-5 Spokane win. After giving up the first two goals of the game, the Chiefs scored nine in a row setting a franchise record on the road. Jeff Lynch scored an overtime game winner on November 27th. Chad Klassen has five goals and 10 assists and Ned Lukacevic has four goals and seven assists in 10 games. Jeff Lynch has six goals and 10 points. Jim Watt has played in all 11 games and has posted a 2.79 GAA and .905 save percentage. The team that leads after the second period is 10-0-1.

Sunday, March 13th at SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS AIR-4:30 GAME-5:00

The Chiefs will travel to Seattle in the ninth and final meeting of the year between Spokane and the Thunderbirds. The Chiefs are 3-5 against Seattle with two wins coming on February 2nd and the 9th. On the 2nd, the Chiefs earned a 3-2 win as Chad Klassen scored the eventual game winning goal 1:15 into the third period. Four different players scored goals on February 9th in a 4-2 win, including Danny Lapointe who had two points, including a shorthanded goal. Jeff Lynch has three goals and eight points in eight games. Chad Klassen (3-4-7) has seven points and Michael Grabner (4-2-6), Kyle Howarth (2-4-6) and Ned Lukacevic (2-4-6) each have six points. Jim Watt has started seven games and Kevin Opsahl one versus Seattle. The Chiefs are 37-43 (86%) on the penalty kill.

LAST WEEK

Saturday, March 5th SPOKANE-1 at PRINCE GEORGE-3

The Prince George Cougars scored goals in the first, second and third period en route to a 3-1 win over the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night in Prince George. The Chiefs outshot Prince George 31-23, including 14-6 in the first period, but Lee Zalasky redirected a point shot at 10:26 of the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead. In the second, Curtis Cooper snapped home a goal at 3:08 from the point for a 2-0 lead and Greg Gardner made it 3-0 in the third at 8:41. Twenty-year-old defenseman, and former Cougar, Gary Gladue scored Spokane's lone goal at 13:25. The goal was Gladue's fifth of the season.

Friday, March 4th SPOKANE-4 at PRINCE GEORGE-3

Four different Chiefs scored four goals in the second period as Spokane defeated the Prince George Cougars 4-3 in their first of back-to-back games on Friday night. Chad Klassen, Jeff Lynch, Sean Zimmerman and Michael Grabner negated a three goal first period by P.G. Prince George scored at 2:43 of the first period on the power play and again at 10:30 and 17:36 of the opening frame to go into the second up 3-0. The Cougars outshot Spokane 14-9 in the first period. The Chiefs started quick in the second as Klassen rebounded a Jeff Lynch shot at 1:43 to put the Chiefs on the board. Just two-minutes later Lynch scored his 21st of the season, a power play goal, to pull Spokane within one. Seventeen-year-old defenseman Sean Zimmerman's wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 12:45 tied the game at three. Ned Lukacevic then broke Michael Grabner out of the pack with a pass to the Austrian that sent him in on a breakaway. Grabner's goal at 15:33 acted as the game winner as Spokane scored on four of their nine shots in the second. The flurry of goals chased Scott Bowles, the Prince George starter, out of the game in favor of Real Cyr. Cyr faced 15 Spokane shots in the third. After allowing the 14 shots in the first, Spokane would allow just eight more. Jim Watt picked up his 19th win of the season.

Wednesday, March 2nd SPOKANE-1 at KELOWNA-4

Four different Chiefs scored four goals in the second period as Spokane defeated the Prince George Cougars 4-3 in their first of back-to-back games on Friday night. Chad Klassen, Jeff Lynch, Sean Zimmerman and Michael Grabner negated a three goal first period by P.G. and pulled the Chiefs even with the Tri-City Americans in the standings. Tri-City did not play on Friday night. Prince George scored at 2:43 of the first period on the power play and again at 10:30 and 17:36 of the opening frame to go into the second up 3-0. The Cougars outshot Spokane 14-9 in the first period. The Chiefs started quick in the second as Klassen rebounded a Jeff Lynch shot at 1:43 to put the Chiefs on the board. Just two-minutes later, Lynch scored his 21st of the season, a power play goal, to pull Spokane within one. Seventeen-year-old defenseman Sean Zimmerman's wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 12:45 tied the game at three. Ned Lukacevic then broke Michael Grabner out of the pack with a pass to the Austrian that sent him in on a breakaway. Grabner's goal at 15:33 acted as the game winner as Spokane scored on four of their nine shots in the second. After allowing the 14 shots in the first, Spokane would allow just eight more. Jim Watt picked up his 19th win of the season.

NEWS AND NOTES

THE PLAYOFF STORY...Just one team, Seattle, has clinched a playoff spot in the US Division while Portland and Everett are close. The Chiefs and Tri-City Americans are battling for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Division. Going into this week, Tri-City has a two point advantage over Spokane. Those two teams will face off on Saturday night in their last regular season meeting of the year. Each team has just seven games remaining.

WATT IS MOVING UP...Eighteen-year-old goaltender Jim Watt has played 109 career games in Spokane, fifth all-time and just two games out of third all-time. Barry Brust holds the franchise record with 161 games played. Watt's 49 career wins are seventh all-time in franchise history. The Edmonton, AB native has played 5,935 minutes, fifth all-time.

SENSEMAN ADDED TO ROSTER...Mike Senseman has been added to the Chiefs roster for the remainder of the regular season after leading the Spokane Braves of the KIJHL in scoring. Senseman, who has played 10 games as a Chief the last two year, scored 21 goals and 52 points in 36 games as a Brave.

DOWN ON THE FARM...Two Chiefs prospects were named Rookies of the Year in their respective Divisions in the KIHJL. Drayson Bowman, Spokane's first round selection last year, scored 29 goals and 59 points in 47 games with the Kimberly Dynamiters and was honored as the top rookie in the Eddie Mountain Division. Jason Greenwell, the Chiefs 11th round pick last year, appeared in 30 games with the Braves and was named Rookie of the Year in the Murdoch Division.THE PLAYOFF STORY...Just one team, Seattle, has clinched a playoff spot in the US Division while Portland and Everett are close. The Chiefs and Tri-City Americans are battling for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Division. Going into Tuesday night, Tri-City had a two point advantage over Spokane. Those two teams will face off on Saturday night in their last regular season meeting of the year. Each team has just seven games remaining. SENSEMAN ADDED TO ROSTER...Mike Senseman has been added to the Chiefs roster for the remainder of the regular season after leading the Spokane Braves of the KIJHL in scoring. Senseman, who has played 10 games as a Chief the last two year, scored 21 goals and 52 points in 36 games as a Brave. DOWN ON THE FARM...Two Chiefs prospects were named Rookies of the Year in their respective Divisions in the KIHJL. Drayson Bowman, Spokane's first round selection last year, scored 29 goals and 59 points in 47 games with the Kimberly Dynamiters and was honored as the top rookie in the Eddie Mountain Division. Jason Greenwell, the Chiefs 11th round pick last year, appeared in 30 games with the Braves and was named Rookie of the Year in the Murdoch Division.

GAMES PLAYED...Four Chiefs, Jeff Lynch, Adam Hobson, Gary Gladue and Gustav Engman, have played in all 65 games this season. Four others, Chad Klassen, Ned Lukacevic, Derek Ryan and Sean Zimmerman, have appeared in 64 games.

RYAN'S SONG...Derek Ryan is the Chiefs leading rookie scorer and is fourth in the WHL in that category with 12 goals and 42 points. Ryan has scored five goals and 14 points in his last 13 games. Ryan had a seven game point streak snapped on December 5th at Regina. In that span, Ryan had two goals and eight points. Ryan scored 128 points in 50 games last season with the Spokane Braves of the KIJHL. Ryan is originally from Spokane.

MORE ON ROOKIES...The Chiefs have a league high four players in the top 20 in rookie scoring, led by Derek Ryan (12-25-42). Kyle Howarth (15-10-25) is 14th, Michael Grabner (13-11-24) is 15th and Chris Bruton (9-14-23) is 20th.

THE LYNCH STORY...In his first 36 games Jeff Lynch scored seven goals and 21 points with six multiple point games. In the 30 games since, Lynch has 14 goals, including eight on the power play (compared to two in the first half) and seven multiple point games. Lynch has scored a career high 21 goals and 45 points, second on the team in scoring.

CLUTCH N' GRABNER...Seventeen-year-old rookie Michael Grabner has seven goals and 12 points in his last 19 games and recorded his first career two goal game on February 18th. Grabner is also a +8 in that span. Grabner played for Team Austria in December at the Division I World Hockey Championships.

TWO-HUNDRED CLUB...With Chad Klassen's shorthanded goal 31-seconds into the third period on February 19th the 19-year-old registered his 200th career point. Klassen is the 19th player in Chiefs history to hit that plateau. The goal was his 81st career (18th in Chiefs history). Spokane's number one selection in the 2000 WHL Bantam Draft has 123 assists (21st) and has played in 237 career games (21st all-time).

HOWARTH YOU DOING?...Kyle Howarth has 14 goals and 24 points this season and has scored 10 of this 14 goals in the last 20 games. Howarth earned the first star of the game in both contests on January 21st and 22nd after scoring two goals in each game.

FIVE COMBINED...Watt's four and Kevin Opsahl's first career shutout on November 13th versus Portland equaled a team mark with five shutouts in one season. It is the third season that Spokane has accomplished the feat (1990-91 and 1995-96).

EIGHT IS GREAT...Jim Watt set a franchise record with his eighth shutout of his career with a 33 save performance versus Medicine Hat on January 8th. It was the fourth of the year for Watt making him the first Chiefs goaltender with back-to-back seasons with four shutouts a piece. Watt broke a three-way tie with Aren Miller and David Lemanowicz for career shutouts.

HAVE MERCER...Second-year defenseman Dan Mercer is +7 in 25 games as a Spokane Chief. The 17-year-old was acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors on January 4th for Steven Gillen. Mercer is eligible for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

GLADUE COULD MAKE IT...Twenty-year-old defenseman Gary Gladue has two goals and six points in his last 10 games. Gladue has played in 298 career WHL games between Spokane, Calgary and Prince George.

STRAIGHT TO LAPOINTE...Danny Lapointe has two goals and five points in his last ten games and is +4 in 23 games as a Chief. The 20-year-old was acquired from the Prince George Cougars. The Victoria, BC native is in his fourth season in the WHL. Lapointe earned career numbers last year with 17 goals and 42 points and 125 penalty minutes in 61 games between Prince George and Portland.

TOP 25 COUNTDOWN...Jeff Lynch has moved to 10th all-time on the franchise's list with 271 career games played while Chad Klassen has played 237 career games. Klassen had his 158 consecutive games played streak end on December 1st when he played for Team WHL in Red Deer. Klassen's streak dated back to October, 2002. Klassen played in all 72 games last season. Ned Lukacevic had his consecutive games played streak stopped at 122 on February 5th.

CHIEFS ALL-TIME GAMES PLAYED

1 Brandin Cote 352

2 Tim Krymusa 332

3 Derek Schutz 322

4 Mason Wallin 319

5 JEVON DESAUTELS 296

6 Sean Gillam 281

7 Joff Kehler 279

8 Greg Leeb 276

9 Jason Podollan 271

JEFF LYNCH 271

11 Steve Junker 266

12 Travis Green 258

Lynn Loyns 258

13 Frank Evans 256

15 Hugh Hamilton 253

16 John Cirjak 252

17 Trent Whitfield 248

Kyle Rossiter 245

19 Brad Schell 239

20 Chris Barr 239

21 CHAD KLASSEN 237

22 Joe Cardarelli 232

23 Chris Heid 225

24 David Boychuk 221

25 Mike Jickling 219

THE CAPTAIN...Captain Jevon Desautels is fifth all-time on the franchise games played list with 296. Desautels also has 682 career penalty minutes, moving past Brad Ference into fifth all-time in Chiefs history. Assistant Coach Kevin Sawyer holds the franchise record with 989 career penalty minutes.LOGAN'S RUN...Eighteen-year-old Joe Logan has one goal and two assists in his last three games and three goals and seven points in 13 games as a Chief. Originally from Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, Logan is in his third season in the WHL. BRUTON'S BLOG...Rookie Chris Bruton is second on the team with six goals scored and now has a three game assist streak. Bruton has three helpers in that span and leads all Chiefs rookies in scoring. THRILLIN' GILLEN...Steven Gillen scored one of three Chiefs goals on Saturday night and now has four on the season. Gillen has two goals and three points in his last three games. Gillen has appeared in all 21 games this season and 93 career games after 68 last season. REICH OUT...Mike Reich scored his second career goal on Saturday, November 20th versus the Calgary Hitmen on a breakaway after coming out of the penalty box. The 16-year-old was hit with a pass from Joe Logan and went to the backhand for the goal. Reich is +4 in his last three games. THE CAPTAIN...Captain Jevon Desautels has moved up from 19th all-time on the Chiefs games played list to 15th all-time passing the likes of Trent Whitfield, Kyle Rossiter and Brad Schell. Desautels also has 577 career penalty minutes, just 13 minutes behind Frank Evans for 10th all-time in Chiefs history. Assistant Coach Kevin Sawyer holds the franchise record with 989 career penalty minutes.

CHIEFS ALL-TIME PENALTY MINUTES

1 Kevin Sawyer 989

2 Kerry Toporowski 889

3 Mick Vukota 706

4 David Boychuk 688

5 JEVON DESAUTELS 682

STOESZ PUT...Seventeen-year-old Myles Stoesz scored his first goal of the season on December 31st at Tri-City in a 3-1 win. Stoesz is second in the WHL in penalty minutes with 220 in 60 games. Stoesz is +8 in his last 27 games.

NED'S NIGHT...Ned Lukacevic scored three goals and added three assists on Wednesday, December 15th in a 7-4 win over the Portland Winter Hawks. The six points were the most for any Chief this year and his first career hat-trick. Lukacevic was a fourth round selection of the LA Kings this summer. Lukacevic has scored three shorthanded goals.

FAST AND FURIOUS...Chad Klassen scored 11-seconds into the December 10th game versus Swift Current and equaled Brad Schell's franchise record that was set on March 27, 2002 at the Portland Winter Hawks.

SHORTHANDED COMPLEX...The Chiefs have scored 13 shorthanded goals, including three games in December with multiple shorthanded goals. The Chiefs tallied three on December 4th at Moose Jaw and two more on December 5th at Regina and Ned Lukacevic scored two on December 11th. The Chiefs hold the CHL record with 31 shorthanded goals in 90-91.

THE ZIMMER-MAN...Sean Zimmerman is +11 in his last 27 games and leads all Chiefs defenseman with a +10. Zimmerman, the Chiefs seventh round selection in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft, was the Chiefs Rookie of the Year last season.

STREAKING...Chad Klassen has the league's third longest goal scoring streak this year at six games. The streak was snapped on December 18th at Kootenay. The 19-year-old had a nine game point scoring streak from November 30th through December 17th and a six game assist streak from October 6th through October 22nd. Derek Ryan had a seven game point scoring streak from November 24th through December 4th.

HOW SWEDE HE IS...Gustav Engman was on the ice all four times the Chiefs scored on February 9th at Seattle. Engman had a three game goal scoring streak snapped on December 8th at Everett. Engman scored his first career shorthanded goal on December 4th at Moose Jaw. Engman scored two goals and five points in 2003-04. The defenseman has 21 points this year.

FINDING A HOBBY...Adam Hobson has seven goals and 22 points in his last 37 games. The 17-year-old scored two shorthanded goals on December 5th at Regina. The last Chief to accomplish the feat was Tim Krymusa on 1/18/03 at Tri-City. Hobson won a gold medal with Team Canada at the Under-17 Junior Hockey Championships over the summer.

DOUGHNUTS...The Chiefs and Winter Hawks skated to a 0-0 tie on November 13th, the first ever of its kind in Chiefs history, spanning nearly 20 years and 1,386 regular season games. Spokane had played in 10 1-0 games. Kevin Opsahl had 31 saves and Dustin Butler stopped 20 shots for Portland.

INJURY REPORT...None to report

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 7, 2005


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