WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

Published on October 29, 2012 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


THIS WEEK

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH

vs. SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

The Chiefs will host the Seattle Thunderbirds for the second time in their third overall meeting of the season. Seattle won the first half of a home-and-home series on October 16th with a 6-4 decision at the ShoWare center. The Thunderbirds led 1-0 through the first period only to trail 2-1 1:15 into the second. Both teams scored three times in the second period but Seattle outscored the Chiefs 2-1 in the third. Brenden Kichton had two assists. Spokane outshot the Thunderbirds 32-23. Spokane earned a 2-1 win on October 19th as Adam Helewka scored twice. The Chiefs outshot Seattle 36-15. Spokane and Seattle will play nine times this season, including five home games. The two will play three straight games from January 5th through the 9th, twice in Seattle and once in Spokane. Spokane won the season series last year with five wins in eight games. In seven games Dylan Walchuk had two goals and seven points.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND

vs. RED DEER REBELS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

Spokane will host Red Deer in their only meeting of the season. In their only meeting last year, the Chiefs earned a 5-2 victory at Red Deer on November 30th, 2011. Mitch Holmberg scored twice for Spokane and Brenden Kichton had a goal and two assists. The Chiefs scored on their only power play opportunity and went 3-3 on the penalty kill. Spokane outshot Red Deer 22-15. The Rebels visit the Spokane Arena for the first time since a 4-2 win on October 23rd, 2010. Since 1992-93 the Chiefs are 16-11 with one tie against Red Deer and 12-6 in their last 18 meetings.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD

vs. EVERETT SILVERTIPS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

In their second of eight meetings this season the Chiefs will host Everett for the first time this season. Spokane will play four times in Everett and four in the Spokane Arena. The Chiefs will host Everett again on Tuesday, November 6th. The Silvertips picked up a 6-5 win on October 26th in their first game of the year. Everett led 3-0, 4-1 and 5-2 before Spokane scored three in the third period to make it a one goal game. The Chiefs outshot Everett 34-26. Todd Fiddler had two goals and an assist while Mike Aviani had a pair of assists. Spokane finished with an 8-1-1-0 record with one win in overtime last season against the Silvertips. Brenden Kichton finished the series with one goal and 14 assists and was a +15. Mike Aviani and Mitch Holmberg each had four goals and four assists. On average, the Chiefs outshot the Silvertips 40.4-23.2 and outscored them 4.20-2.40.

NEWS AND NOTES

ROOFTOPS...Todd Fiddler has five goals and seven points in his last five games. He has 7-6-13 his last 12 games. Between Spokane and Prince Albert last year Fiddler played 73 games. He scored eight goals and 18 points in 38 games in Spokane last season.

HOLM-SCHOOL...Mitch Holmberg has been named to the roster for Team WHL for the Subway Super Series. He will play in the Wednesday, November 14th game at Vancouver versus Team Russia. Holmberg has five three point nights this season including a one goal and two assist effort on October 23rd at Prince George in a 6-1 win. Holmberg had a six game goal scoring streak snapped on Friday, October 12th at Kamloops. The 19-year-old is tied for fourth in the WHL in scoring. His career high 27 goals last season were second on the Chiefs. He added 28 assists for 55 points. Holmberg led all Chiefs with 11 goals in the playoffs, including two overtime winners (versus Vancouver in game four of the first round and game one of the second round against Tri-City). Holmberg was the Chiefs first round selection in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft.

VALCOURT PRESS...Collin Valcourt recorded his first career hat-trick in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Giants on October 13th. Valcourt now has seven goals and three assists in his last 14 games. Last year in his second full season he recorded 16 goals and 30 points. He has appeared in 137 career WHL games with 31 career goals, 65 points and 216 penalty minutes. As a rookie, Valcourt scored eight goals and 25 points in 53 games in 2010-11. He also added 95 penalty minutes, which were third on Spokane's roster.

AVIANI FLEW...19-year-old Mike Aviani has three goals, seven points and is +5 in his last five games. Aviani had a six game point scoring streak snapped on October 13th with five goals and two assists. He is also a team leading +12. Aviani had a career high 13 goals and 45 points in 70 games last year. He added 80 penalty minutes and was a +28.

HUH-LEWKA, I LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR...Adam Helewka has three goals and six points in his last six, including two goals in a 2-1 win on October 19th over the Seattle Thunderbirds. Helewka scored 24 goals last year for the Vancouver Giants of the BCMHL. He was originally listed by Spokane in December, 2011.

Text Box: SPOKANE CHIEFS DEFENSEMEN - ALL-TIME LEADERS CAREER GOALS CAREER ASSISTS CAREER POINTS 1- Brenden Kichton-49 1- Brenden Kichton - 150 1- Brenden Kichton - 199 2- Sean Gillam - 40 2- Frank Evans - 146 2- Bryan McCabe - 184 3- Bryan McCabe-39 3-Bryan McCabe - 145 3- Sean Gillam - 182 4- Jared Cowen-37 4- Sean Gillam - 142 4- Frank Evans - 177 Jared Spurgeon-37 5- Jared Spurgeon - 133 5- Jared Spurgeon - 170 IN YOUR KICHTON...Brenden Kichton recorded four points (two goals and two assists) in a 5-3 win over the Victoria Royals on October 5th at home. Kichton has become the all-time leading scorer as a defenseman in Spokane Chiefs history with 199 points, which is 24th in franchise history overall. Kichton was named Captain of the Chiefs in a pre-game ceremony prior to their home opener on September 29th, 2012. He was originally a third round pick in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft and is back in Spokane as a 20-year-old, his fifth season as a Chief. Last season Kichton was named the WHL's Western Conference Defenseman of the Year as he led all blueliners in scoring with 74 points, including 17 goals and 57 assists. Over the last two seasons he has scored 40 goals and 155 points. Kichton was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.

KING ME...In his last five games Tyler King has two goals, five points and is a +3. King was the Chiefs first round selection, 17th overall, in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft.

GOW SCHOLASTIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR...Three-year veteran Reid Gow has points in 10 of 15 games this season with two goals and 11 assists, five on the power play. Gow was selected as the winner of the WHL's Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy for the Scholastic Player of the Year last season. Gow earned a cumulative 95% in his core classes. The defenseman from Killarney, Manitoba scored 22 points, including 20 assists, in 54 games last year. Gow recorded a career high four points, all assists, in a 7-2 win over Tri-City on October 1st, 2011.

WALLY'S WORLD...Dylan Walchuk scored the game winning goal versus Prince George on October 20th with just 24-seconds remaining to preserve a 3-2 victory. Walchuk is currently tied with Brenden Kichton and Mitch Holmberg for the team lead with 12 assists. He had a five game point scoring streak with one goal and nine points snapped on October 16th at Seattle. Walchuk had his second three point game of the season with three helpers on October 13th in a 5-2 win over Vancouver. After being added to the Chiefs' roster on January 10th, 2012, Walchuk scored 10 goals and 24 points in 34 games. In 2010-11 he 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 joined the Chiefs after splitting time in 2011-12 at Northern Michigan University and Vernon.

STEW'S VIEW... Liam Stewart was named the Spokane Chiefs Rookie of the Year in 2011-12 after scoring 14 goals and 26 points in 66 games. He was also a +8. Stewart scored the game winning goal in OT of game six of the Western Conference Semi-Finals versus Tri-City forcing a game seven. Stewart scored two shorthanded goals on February 29th, 2012 in a 6-1 win over the Victoria Royals. Stewart led all WHL rookies with four shorthanded goals in 2011-12.

IN THE CREASE...The Chiefs currently are carrying two goaltenders, 19-year-old Eric Williams and 17-year-old rookie Garret Hughson. Williams was acquired in a trade in December, 2011 with the Prince Albert Raiders. As a Chief, Williams went 8-6-3-0 in 18 regular season appearances. Williams finished the post-season with the league's third best goals against average at 2.22. He won his first five playoff starts and had a .927 post season save percentage. Hughson appeared in 19 games last season with Medicine Hat of the AMHL.

NACHBAUR TO LEAD TEAM WHL/JOIN TEAM CANADA...Spokane Chief Head Coach Don Nachbaur will be the head coach of Team WHL at the Subway Super Series on November 14th and 15th. Team WHL will play Team Russia in the two games at Vancouver and Victoria over those two days. Nachbaur will also be an Assistant Coach on Canada's National Junior Team for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship in Ufa, Russia. Steve Spott, head coach and general manager of the OHL's Kitchener Rangers, will be the head coach. Former captain and assistant coach Kevin Sawyer will join the organization in an interim basis as a Coaching Assistant while Nachbaur attends to his duties with Hockey Canada. Jon Klemm, who is entering his fourth season as the Chiefs' assistant coach, will be the head coach while Nachbaur is away, beginning December 8th. Nachbaur will not return until early January, missing a potential of up to 11 games.

NHL DRAFT...Brenden Kichton (New York Islanders, 5th round, 2011)

INJURY REPORT...Marek Kalus (upper body, two-to-four weeks), Tanner Mort (upper body, day-to-day), Blake Gal (lower body, two-to-four weeks), Mitch Holmberg (upper body, tbd)

Check out the Spokane Chiefs Statistics

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