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WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

February 25, 2013 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH

at EVERETT SILVERTIPS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:00

RADIO-1510 KGA

Spokane will travel to Everett for the fourth and final time in their seventh of eight meetings. Spokane will host Everett on Friday, March 8th. Spokane is 4-2-0-0 on the season versus the Silvertips with a 3-0 record at home and a 1-2 record on the road. Everett skated to a 6-5 win on October 26th. Todd Fiddler had two goals and an assist. Spokane won the next three games, all at home, by a combined score of 12-1 with two shutouts. Five different players scored goals in Spokane's 5-0 win on Saturday, November 3rd. Eric Williams stopped 26 shots for the shutout. In their next game, just three days later on November 6th, Garret Hughson made 22 saves in a 4-0 win. Fiddler scored two more goals in the Chiefs 3-1 win on November 21st. The Silvertips earned a 3-2 win on January 4th. In their last meeting, Spokane skated to a 6-3 win in Everett on February 15th. Alessio Bertaggia scored twice. On average, the Chiefs are outshooting Everett 35.2-24.7. In five games, Todd Fiddler has five goals and nine points. Connor Chartier has three goals and eight points. Spokane has outscored Everett 12-3 in the third period. In four appearances, Garret Hughson has a 1.64 GAA and .931 save percentage.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1ST

at VICTORIA ROYALS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

SATURDAY, MARCH 2ND

at VICTORIA ROYALS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

The Chiefs will play in Victoria on back-to-back nights in their third and fourth meetings of the year. The two games will wrap up the season series with the Royals. Spokane is 1-1 with Victoria this season as Spokane skated to a 5-3 win on October 5th. Brenden Kichton scored twice and had two assists while Mitch Holmberg and Mike Aviani also scored in the win. Spokane was 3-6 on the power play and 6-7 on the penalty kill. The Royals earned a 5-3 win on February 10th. Dylan Walchuk, Mitch Holmberg and Adam Power scored for Spokane. In two games, Kichton has four points while Holmberg has two goals and three points. The Chiefs finished 4-0 versus Victoria last season and outscored the Royals 22-9 in the series. Last year Liam Stewart scored two shorthanded goals on February 29th in Victoria.

NEWS AND NOTES

PLAYOFFS...Spokane has clinched a playoff spot for the seventh season in a row and for the 24th time in the last 28 years.

ROSTER UPDATE... The Spokane Chiefs have added Jacob Cardiff, a 16-year-old forward from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, and reassigned 16-year-old defenseman Colton Bobyk to Red Deer of the AMHL. Cardiff scored 21 goals and 41 points this season in 42 games with the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. The 6'0", 180 pound right wing was Spokane's seventh round selection in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. Bobyk, Spokane's 10th round pick in 2011, played two games over the weekend for Spokane and will join Red Deer for the AMHL playoffs.

ALESSIO IS MORE...Alessio Bertaggia has five goals and two assists in seven games in Spokane. The Chiefs acquired the 19-year-old from Brandon in exchange for 19-year-old forward Marek Kalus, prospect Rhett Gardner, a third round pick in 2013 and a fifth round pick in 2014. He played for Switzerland in the last two World Junior Hockey Championships.

2,000...The Chiefs played their 2,000th game in franchise history on Sunday, February 10th versus the Victoria Royals. The Chiefs broke into the WHL on October 4th, 1985 versus the Kamloops Blazers. Despite Grant Delcourt tallying the franchise's first goal 36-seconds into the game, Spokane would drop a 7-4 decision. Their first win came two nights later at New Westminster, BC, the franchise that would later move to Tri-City and become the Americans.

HITTING 1,000...The Chiefs won their 1,000th game in franchise history on February 6th with a 5-0 victory over Kelowna. The Chiefs have now won 1,005 games all-time, lost 841 with 159 ending in a tie, shootout loss or overtime loss.

HOLM-SCHOOL...Mitch Holmberg has eight goals and 13 assists in his last 17 games, including his third hat trick this season at Kamloops on February 1st. Holmberg recorded a career high five points, three goals and two assists, in a 7-6 shootout win over Seattle on December 14th. Holmberg has 20 goals and 39 points in his last 34 games. His 81 career goals are 25th in franchise history. Holmberg played two games in the Subway SuperSeries.

GET CARTER...Carter Proft leads the WHL with 171 penalty minutes. The 18-year-old has appeared in all 62 games this season and has scored seven goals, four more than he had in 50 combined games last year with Brandon and Spokane. Proft scored on a penalty shot on January 9th versus the Seattle Thunderbirds.

ROOFTOPS... Todd Fiddler played his 200th career WHL game on February 10th versus Victoria. He tied a franchise record for quickest goal to start a period when he scored eight seconds into the third period versus Medicine Hat on January 26th. The original mark was set by Tony Horacek in 1988. Fiddler has 10 goals and 16 points in his last 17 games and is sixth in the WHL with 39 goals. Fiddler now has 27 goals and 46 points in his last 42 games. He recorded his first career hat-trick in a 3-2 win at the Seattle Thunderbirds on November 17th.

Text Box: SPOKANE CHIEFS ALL-TIME LEADERS ASSISTS 1 - Ray Whitney (1988-1991) 207 2 - Pat Falloon (1988-1991) 194 3 - BRENDEN KICHTON (2008- ) 190 4 - Mitch Wahl (2005-2010) 186 5 - Travis Green (1986-1990) 165 6 - Ryan Duthie (1991-1994) 164 Greg Leeb (1994-1998) 164 8 - Valeri Bure (1991-1994) 163 9 - Chad Klassen (2001-2006) 156 10 - Trent Whitfield (1993-1998) 155 BOLD - active IN YOUR KICHTON...Brenden Kichton had an 11 game point scoring streak snapped on January 21st at Portland. Kichton recorded six goals and 17 points during the stretch. Kichton appeared in his 300th career game on Friday, January 4th at Everett becoming just the eighth player in Spokane history to hit that mark. Kichton is also the franchise's all-time leader as a defenseman with 63 career goals, 190 career assists and 253 points. His 190 assists are third all-time in Spokane history. Kichton has nine goals and 24 assists in his last 32 games and is +25 in his last 37 games. He leads all WHL defensemen in scoring with 18 goals and 70 points. Last season Kichton was named the WHL's Western Conference Defenseman of the Year as he led all blueliners with 74 points, including 17 goals and 57 assists. Kichton was selected in the fifth round in 2011 by the New York Islanders.

GAL GAB...Blake Gal had an assist in his 300th career WHL game on January 21st at Portland. He became the ninth player in the history of the franchise to have appeared in that many games. He has seven goals and 15 points in his last 26 games. Originally a second round selection in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft, Gal joined the Chiefs at the end of the 2008 WHL season but did not appear in any regular season or playoff games in Spokane's run to the Memorial Cup. The Lethbridge, Alberta native has scored 67 career goals and 153 career points in five seasons.

Text Box: SPOKANE CHIEFS ALL-TIME LEADERS GAMES PLAYED 1 - Brandin Cote (1996-2002) 352 2 - Tim Krymusa (1998-2003) 332 3 - Levko Koper (2006-2011) 330 4 - BRENDEN KICHTON (2008- ) 324 5 - Derek Schutz (1994-2000) 322 6 - Mason Wallin (1998-2003) 319 7 - BLAKE GAL (2008- ) 315 8 - Jeff Lynch (2001-2006) 313 9 - Jevon Desautels (2000-2005) 301 10 - Steven Kuhn (2008-2012) 288 BOLD - active NACHBAUR'S 1,000TH...Don Nachbaur picked up a 5-2 win over Tri-City in his 1,000th WHL game on November 30th at home. He became just the fourth man in the history of the league to coach in 1,000 games. To this point of his career Nachbaur is 550-393 with 85 games finishing in a tie, overtime loss or shootout loss. He is fourth all-time in WHL wins. Nachbaur was the head coach of Team WHL for the Subway Super Series versus Team Russia and was an Assistant Coach for Team Canada at the World Juniors.

AVIANI FLEW...Mike Aviani has five goals and 12 points in his last 13 games. Aviani scored two goals in a 5-2 win over Portland on January 21st. Aviani had his third four point night with a hat trick, his first career, and an assist in a 7-4 win at Prince Albert on December 4th. He has 17 goals, including the game tying goal with 55-seconds left in a 7-6 shootout win over Seattle on December 14th and 38 points in his last 34 games.

GOW SCHOLASTIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR...Reid Gow has two goals and 18 points in his last 26 games. Gow has six goals and 27 points in his last 34. 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 assists, in a 7-2 win over Tri-City on October 1st, 2011.

INJURY REPORT...Tanner Mort (upper body, indefinite), Tyler King (upper body, day-to-day), Jason Fram (lower body, day-to-day)

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

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