WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

Published on October 4, 2011 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


The Chiefs will play three games in four nights this week, including a pair of road games in Vancouver and Kamloops, and will host Kelowna on Saturday night at 7:00.

Spokane is coming off their first win of the season with a 7-2 decision in their home opener last Saturday night. Anthony Bardaro recorded a hat-trick, Steven Kuhn had two goals and Reid Gow added four assists.

After their two road games this week the Chiefs will play six straight and eight of the next nine in the Spokane Arena.

THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5TH at VANCOUVER GIANTS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs travel to Vancouver for their first of two meetings on the season and only game on the road. Vancouver will visit Spokane on Wednesday, February 15th in their only other meeting of the year. Spokane was 2-0 last year versus the Giants as they earned a 3-2 shootout win on December 10th in Vancouver as Spokane outshot the Giants 45-22. One week later Dominik Uher scored two goals and added an assist as the Chiefs held the Giants to just 15 shots on goal in a 4-0 win. Overall, Spokane was 2-8 on the power play and 5-5 on the penalty kill. On average, the Chiefs outshot the Giants 35.5-18.5. Brenden Kichton had two assists in two games.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH at KAMLOOPS BLAZERS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

Spokane will play in Kamloops in the first of four meetings of the year between the Chiefs and Blazers. The Chiefs will host Kamloops on Friday, November 18th. Spokane will not return to Kamloops again until Wednesday, February 1st. Spokane was 3-0-0-1 last season versus the Blazers. Spokane's three wins included a shootout victory in their first meeting on October 6th, 2010. Reid Gow and Darren Kramer both scored in regulation. Spokane also scored 10 goals twice versus Kamloops, both at home, November 24th and December 11th. In between, the Blazers picked up a 4-3 shootout win on November 26th. Brenden Kichton had one goal and five assists in three games while Dominik Uher had three goals and four points in his only game versus Kamloops last year. Corbin Baldwin was +6. The Chiefs were 8-22 (36.4%) on the power play and 16-18 (88.9%) on the penalty kill.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8TH vs. KELOWNA ROCKETS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs and Rockets will face off in their first of four meetings on the year and the first in Spokane. Spokane will travel to Kelowna in back-to-back weeks (December 27th and January 4th) before hosting the Rockets again on Wednesday, March 7th. Spokane was 2-1-1-0 last season versus Kelowna. The Chiefs were 2-0 on the road and 0-1-1-0 at home. Mac Engel started three of the four match-ups and was 1-1-1-0. Spokane was 4-15 (26.7%) on the power play and 14-17 (82.4%) on the penalty kill with two shorthanded goals. Brenden Kichton had one goal and four points in four games. The Chiefs outshot Kelowna, on average, 34.5-21.2. In the season series the Chiefs outscored the Rockets 13-12.

NEWS AND NOTES

SCHEDULE...Spokane will begin the season with three of their first four games on the road. After the Friday night game in Kamloops, Spokane will play six straight and eight of the next nine in the Spokane Arena.

CHIEFS ADD HAUPTMAN...The Chiefs added 17-year-old Jarid Hauptman to their roster. The Morinville, Alberta native will join the Chiefs this. Hauptman was Spokane's fifth round selection in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft and scored 30 points, including 13 goals, in 60 games last year with the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He had four goals and seven points in 10 games this year in Drayton Valley.

LAST SEASON...The Chiefs are coming off their fifth straight winning season and fourth straight season with 45 or more wins. They also advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four seasons and for the seventh time ever. Don Nachbaur was named the WHL Coach of the Year while Tyler Johnson was the Conference's Player of the Year and WHL Most Sportsmanlike. James Reid was the Conference's Goaltender of the Year. Reid, Johnson and Jared Cowen were all named to the Western Conference First All-Star Team. Brenden Kichton was named to the second all-star team.

LEAVING US...Spokane has lost five players off last year's roster to graduation or the NHL. Of last year's overages, Tyler Johnson is currently in camp with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Levko Koper has signed to play at the University of Alberta and James Reid has signed a two-way contract with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. In addition to the Marantz move mentioned above, 20-year-old Kenton Miller was claimed off waivers and the Chiefs traded 18-year-old Brady Brassart, both to the Calgary Hitmen. Tyler Vanscourt was traded to the Prince Albert Raiders.

THE BARD'S TALE...Nineteen-year-old Anthony Bardaro had a hat-trick on October 1st in a 7-2 win over the Tri-City Americans in the Chiefs' home opener. He now has four goals in two games. Bardaro is the Chiefs' leading returning goal scorer, and one of four on the Chiefs' roster that scored 20 or more last year. The Delta, BC native recorded a career high 24 goals, third on the Chiefs, in his second full season in a Spokane sweater. His 46 points were 35 more than he registered the season before.

IN YOUR KICHTON...Brenden Kichton was named the Chiefs John "Hitman" Hern Defenseman of the Year in 2010-11 after recording 81 points, the second most all-time by a Spokane blueliner (Bryan McCabe, 82 points, 1993-94). Kichton was selected by the New York Islanders in the fifth round in 2011. His 23 goals in 2010-11 were the third most by a defenseman. He is the first Chief defenseman since '93-'94 and just the fourth in franchise history to score 20 goals in a single season. Kichton finished tied for the league lead in scoring amongst defensemen. He was third in the league with a +55. Kichton scored two goals in a game six times in 2010-11. Kichton enjoyed a breakout season last year as he tied for the league lead in scoring amongst defensemen with 23 goals and 81 points.

GOW WEST, YOUNG MAN...Reid Gow had a career high four assists in the Chiefs' 7-2 win over the Tri-City Americans on October 1st. Gow had two goals and nine assists in 41 games as a rookie 16-year-old last season. He was Spokane's first round pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

FEELING DRAFTY...Fourteen Chiefs were selected by Spokane in the bantam draft, including three former first round picks; (Mitch Holmberg, 2008), Reid Gow (2009) and Tyler King (2010).

VETERANS...Spokane's current roster features 16 veterans off last year's roster, including one goaltender, six defensemen and nine forwards.

GOOD TO BE UHER...Dominik Uher was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 21 goals, 39 assists and 60 points in 65 games as an 18-year-old in 2010-11. Uher scored just one point in the first nine games of the season and had 59 in the last 56 games. Uher recorded his first career hat-trick and added an assist on December 11, 2010 in a 10-5 win over Kamloops. He also had a career high 10 game point scoring streak from January 7th through the 26th with six goals and 17 points. As a rookie in 2009-10 Uher had four goals and 11 assists in 53 games. Uher was the Chiefs lone selection, 47th overall, in the 2009 CHL Import Draft.

KAPTAIN KRAMER...Spokane Chief 20-year-old Darren Kramer has been named the Chiefs captain. Kramer was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. As a 19-year-old he was named the Chiefs' Rookie of the Year and the Players' Player. His 306 penalty minutes led the WHL. Kramer scored a goal and had five penalty minutes in his first career game in a Chiefs sweater on October 6th in a 4-3 shootout win over Kamloops. Kramer scored the overtime game winning goal in game one of the first round versus the Chilliwack Bruins. He had five goals, eight points and 21 penalty minutes in 17 playoff games.

GONE CAMPING...The Chiefs had four veterans, Brenden Kichton (New York Islanders), Dominik Uher (Pittsburgh Penguins), Darren Kramer (Ottawa Senators) and Blake Gal (Calgary Flames), attend NHL camps. Gal was a free agent invitee while the other three were selected in this summer's NHL Entry Draft. Kichton and Uher were taken in the fifth round while Kramer was selected in the sixth.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB...The Chiefs are currently carrying 10 rookies; two goaltenders, three defensemen and five forwards.

BALD IS BEAUTIFUL...Corbin Baldwin returns to the Chiefs as a 20-year-old in his fourth season. He appeared in a career high 71 games last season with 20 points and 110 penalty minutes, second on the team. He has played 179 career games with 253 penalty minutes.

ALL ENGELS... Mac Engel finished the 2011-12 regular season as the WHL's second leading goaltender with a 2.30 GAA. He had won his last eight starts. Engel was named the WHL's Goaltender of the Month for February as he posted a 9-2-0-0 record with two shut-outs, a 1.83 GAA and .930 save percentage. In his last 11 starts he was 10-1-0-0 with a 1.27 GAA, a .950 save percentage and three shutouts. Engel appeared in 15 straight games, including starts in the last 13, from January 22nd through February 21st. His first career shutout came on January 26th, 2011 with 18 saves in a 3-0 win over the Everett Silvertips. His four shutouts equaled James Reid's franchise rookie record.

GAL-EE...Blake Gal has scored 42 career goals, which leads all active Chiefs, including a career high 23 last season. Entering 2011-12 he has played in 202 career WHL games. Gal recorded his first career hat-trick on October 20th, 2010 in an 8-3 win over the Calgary Hitmen. He also scored two goals and three points on January 15th, 2011 in the Rockstar Outdoor Hockey Classic in an 11-2 win over the Kootenay Ice. Gal scored an overtime winner in game five of 2011 Western Conference Semi-Finals versus the Tri-City Americans to give the Chiefs a 3-2 victory.

KUHN'S CORNER...In his third season in Spokane, Steve Kuhn scored a career high 20 goals, 30 assists and 50 points in 2010-11. Kuhn has appeared in 218 straight games and is the only player in franchise history to play in all 72 games three straight seasons. Kuhn was third on the Chiefs' roster last year with 10 power play goals. His 218 career games make him the active franchise leader.

CHIEFS ACQUIRE GOALTENDER... The Chiefs acquired 18-year-old goaltender Luke Lee-Knight and a fifth round bantam selection in 2012 from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for defenseman Tyler Vanscourt. Lee-Knight finished fourth in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) with a 2.56 Goals Against Average last season while playing with the Calgary Royals.

BOSS MAN...Don Nachbaur, the reigning WHL Coach of the Year, enters his second season on the Chiefs' bench. After leading the Chiefs to 48 regular season wins Nachbaur has 480 career victories. He assisted on Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team that won the gold medal at the 2011 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament over the summer.

JUST ONE MORE...The Chiefs' leading goal scorer has had more goals than the team leader the previous season for the last six years. Beginning in 2006 Michael Grabner's 36 was nine more than Chad Klassen's 27 the year before. Grabner then had 39 in 2007 followed by back-to-back seasons of 42 and 47 goals by Drayson Bowman. Kyle Beach scored 52 in 2010 and was bettered by Tyler Johnson's 53 last season.

NHL DRAFT...Brenden Kichton (New York Islanders, 5th round, 2011), Dominik Uher (Pittsburgh Penguins, 5th, 2011), Darren Kramer (Ottawa Senators, 6th, 2011)

INJURY REPORT...Tanner Mort (upper body, one week), Liam Stewart (upper body, one week)

Check out the Spokane Chiefs Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from October 4, 2011


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.

OurSports Central