WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

Published on February 28, 2012 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


The Spokane Chiefs will play four games in five nights this week beginning Tuesday when they travel to Victoria, BC for the first time this year. Games on back-to-back nights will finish the four game season series with the Royals before they travel to Prince George to wrap-up the weekend on Friday and Saturday night.

Spokane sits five points behind the Vancouver Giants for fourth place in the Western Conference, but has played two games fewer. The Giants are idle until Friday night. Both the Royals and Cougars are in a four team race for the final two playoff spots in the Conference.

WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OTL SOL PTS PCT GF GA

1. *x Tri-City 62 44 15 1 2 91 0.734 248 161

2. *x Kamloops 62 43 15 1 3 90 0.726 250 173

3. x Portland 62 43 15 3 1 90 0.726 279 196

4. x Vancouver 63 36 23 1 3 76 0.603 223 201

5. x Spokane 61 32 22 4 3 71 0.582 220 195

6. Kelowna 64 26 29 3 6 61 0.477 190 218

7. Victoria 62 20 36 2 4 46 0.371 209 291

8. Seattle 61 21 38 1 1 44 0.361 146 243

9. Everett 62 17 36 1 8 43 0.347 155 243

10. Prince George 61 19 40 0 2 40 0.328 135 217

* - division leader

x - clinched playoff berth

y - clinched title

THIS WEEK

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH at VICTORIA ROYALS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00 RADIO-1510 KGA

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH at VICTORIA ROYALS AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00 RADIO-1510 KGA

The Chiefs will play in Victoria for the first time this season as they wrap up their four game season series with the Royals with games on back-to-back nights. The Chiefs are 2-0-0-0 on the season versus Victoria after a 6-5 shootout win on February 3rd. Five different players scored goals, including Dominik Uher who had a goal and two assists, in the win. The Chiefs scored twice in the shootout and held the Royals to one goal. Mark Kalus, with two goals, led five different goal scorers in the Chiefs' 6-1 win on October 26th in the Arena. Spokane jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period. The Chiefs outshot the Royals 33-13. The Chiefs will travel to Victoria for back-to-back games on February 28th and 29th to complete the regular season series. Spokane earned a five game series win in the first round of the playoffs last season versus the former Chilliwack Bruins franchise. Spokane was 2-0 on the road. Steven Kuhn led all Chiefs with five points (2-3-5). Blake Gal had four goals including a hat-trick in the series clincher. Spokane was 3-22 (13.6%) on the power play and 19-22 (86.4%) on the penalty kill. Spokane scored the first goal of the game in all five meetings and outshot the Bruins 49.5-24.2. Spokane put a franchise record 78 shots on goal in a 2-1 shootout win on March 16th, their final meeting of the year.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2ND at PRINCE GEORGE AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00 RADIO-1510 KGA

SATURDAY, MARCH 3RD at PRINCE GEORGE AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00 RADIO- 790 KJRB

The Chiefs will travel to Prince George to play the Cougars on the road for the only two times this season. Spokane hosted Prince George in back-to-back home games, two weeks apart, on November 26th and December 10th with the Cougars winning both games. Despite outshooting the Cougars 30-17 in the first game, Spokane dropped a 5-4 decision. Four different players scored goals for Spokane including Marek Kalus, Blake Gal, shorthanded, and Dominik Uher. The Chiefs were 1-4 on the power play and 4-4 on the penalty kill. On December 10th Spokane led 3-0 going into the third period and dropped a 4-3 shootout decision. The Chiefs outshot the Cougars 25-17. The Chiefs went 4-0 last year versus the Cougars outscoring Prince George 6.00-2.25, on average, per game. Spokane was 10-20 (50%) on the power play and 14-17 (82.4%) on the penalty kill.

NEWS AND NOTES

GOOD TO BE UHER ...Dominik Uher was named the WHL's Player of the Week on February 6th after scoring six goals and nine points in four games. Uher became the first Chief to score four goals in a game since Drayson Bowman did it on February 25th, 2009 in a 5-2 win at Kamloops. Uher's four goal game came on January 31st in a 5-3 win at Seattle. He has 11 goals and 18 points in his last 13 games. Uher also has 16 goals, 36 points and is +21 in his last 25 games. Uher helped the Czech Republic National Junior team to a fifth place finish at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships with a goal and an assist on January 4th in a 5-2 win over Team Slovakia. Uher finished the tournament with one goal and two assists in six games. Uher was an alternate captain for the Czech team. Uher had a seven game point scoring streak snapped on November 5th versus Tri-City. Uher had five goals and eight assists. He leads the team with six game winners. 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.

THE NACHBAUR 500 ...Don Nachbaur became the sixth coach in the history of the WHL to win 500 games as a head coach when Spokane defeated the Everett Silvertips on January 11th. Nachbaur is the reigning WHL Coach of the Year and is in his second season on the Chiefs' bench. Nachbaur won 202 in Seattle, 229 in Tri-City and has 80 in Spokane (511 total). 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.

SCHEDULE ...Spokane plays 14 games in February, six at home and eight on the road. Prior to the holiday break the Chiefs played 34 games in 99 days. In the second half of the season Spokane will play the final 38 games in 73 days.

THE STEW VIEW ...Liam Stewart has five goals in his last seven games and is +6 in that same span. Stewart also has six goals and three assists in his last 11 games. The 17-year-old leads all Chiefs' rookies in scoring with 12 goals and 22 points in 56 games. He is +4.

ROLLIN' ...The Chiefs tied a franchise record with 11 wins in January. They had accomplished that feat four previous times, the last being February, 2010. In their 15 game month, they went 11-2-2-0. Spokane had their seven game point streak snapped on February 1st at Victoria. Prior to that Spokane was 6-0-1-0 and had points in 13 of 14 games (11-1-2-0).

WALCHIPIN' IN ... Dylan Walchuk has six goals and 17 points in 24 games, including a three assist effort on January 31st at Seattle. Walchuk made his Spokane debut on January 11th versus Everett one day after being added to the roster. The British Columbia native was originally added to the Chiefs 50-player protected list in December, 2008. Last season Walchuk led the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League in points with 56, including 24 goals and 32 assists. He added another 13 goals and 20 points in 24 playoff games as Vernon finished as a runner-up in the Royal Bank Cup Championship, the Canadian Junior A National Title, one year after winning it. Walchuk split time this season at Northern Michigan University and Vernon.

SPOKANE CHIEFS DEFENSEMEN - ALL-TIME LEADERS

CAREER GOALS CAREER ASSISTS CAREER POINTS

1- Brenden Kichton-41 1- Frank Evans - 146 1- Bryan McCabe - 184

2- Sean Gillam - 40 2- Bryan McCabe - 145 2- Sean Gillam - 182

3- Bryan McCabe-39 3- Sean Gillam - 142 3- Frank Evans - 177

4- Jared Cowen-37 4- Jared Spurgeon - 133 4- Jared Spurgeon - 170

Jared Spurgeon-37 5- Brenden Kichton - 127 5- Brenden Kichton - 165

IN YOUR KICHTON ...Brenden Kichton's goal on February 6th versus Seattle was his 41st career, more than any other defenseman in Chiefs' history. Kichton has seven goals, including the overtime game winner on January 28th versus Kootenay, and 26 points in his last 26 games. Kichton also has 12 goals and 40 assists in his last 49 games. He now has 127 career assists. Only six other defensemen in Chiefs' history have had over 100 career assists. He is leading the WHL in defenseman scoring with 59 points. Kichton attended Team Canada's selection camp. He had an assist in Team WHL's 5-2 win over Team Russia in the in the CHL's SUBWAY Super Series versus Team Russia on November 16th. 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.

MIKEY LIKES IT ...Mike Aviani has five goals and 15 points in his last 17 games. He is also +7 in that stretch. Aviani recorded his second three point game of the season on February 6th versus Seattle with one goal and two assists in a 7-3 win. He also had two goals and three points on November 6th in an 8-1 win over Everett.

BALD IS BEAUTIFUL ...Twenty-year-old Corbin Baldwin has two goals, 14 points and is a +18 in his last 24 games. Baldwin is in his fourth season in Spokane and has played 237 career games with 356 penalty minutes.

DVD MACHINE ...Davis Vandane scored his first career goal on January 13th at Everett. Vandane is +18 in his last 26 games. In his last 21 he has two goals, 12 points and is +14. He played his 100th career WHL game on January 25th at Everett. He has appeared in all 61 games this season after playing a combined 50 last year between Saskatoon and Spokane.

UP ON THE ROOF ...Todd Fiddler has seven goals, nine assists and is +9 in 28 games as a Chief. He scored in his first game as a Chief, a 3-2 shootout victory over the Kootenay Ice on December 30th and in his home debut on January 6th versus Moose Jaw. Fiddler was acquired along with goaltender Eric Williams from the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday, December 28th.

HOLM COOKIN' ...Mitch Holmberg had a seven game point streak snapped on February 10th versus Seattle. He had two goals and six assists. Holmberg also had a six game point scoring streak snapped on January 13th at Everett. In the span he scored five goals, 10 points and was +9. Holmberg has 19 goals and 38 points in his last 39 games. Holmberg recorded his first career hat trick in a 6-3 win over Medicine Hat on December 3rd. After a two goal effort on January 22nd in a 6-1 win versus Portland he now has six multi-goal games.

KUHN'S CORNER ...Steven Kuhn recorded three points, including a pair of goals, in a 4-2 win over Everett on January 25th. He also scored the overtime game winner on December 14th versus Everett. Kuhn recorded his 100th career point with an assist on October 29th at Tri-City. In his career Kuhn has 50 goals, 75 assists and 125 points. Last year he scored a career high 20 goals, 30 assists and 50 points. Kuhn has appeared in 277 straight games, a franchise record, and is the only player in team history to play in all 72 games three straight seasons. Kuhn was third on the Chiefs' roster last year with 10 power play goals.

SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS ...On average, the Chiefs have allowed the fewest shots on goal in the WHL at 25.9. Spokane has averaged 33.7 shots for, which is sixth in the WHL.

KAPTAIN KRAMER ...Darren Kramer has four goals and six assists in his last 18 games. This season Kramer has scored 19 goals and 16 assists in 60 games. He recorded his first career three point game, all assists, in a 5-1 win over Kelowna on October 8th in Spokane. The 20-year-old is the Chiefs captain. Kramer is now 21st in franchise history with 474 penalty minutes. Kramer was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL 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. During the regular season last year, Kramer had had seven goals and 14 points.

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

INJURY REPORT ...Carter Proft (upper body, three weeks)

Check out the Spokane Chiefs Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2012


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