WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

Published on March 4, 2013 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6TH

vs. SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

TV-NONE

The Chiefs will play Seattle for the first time since sweeping the Thunderbirds in a three game series in early January. Mike Aviani scored in all three games to push Spokane's record to 7-1 versus the Thunderbirds, including seven straight wins. Spokane posted a 7-6 shootout victory at home on December 14th. Spokane trailed 6-2 with 11:51 remaining. Mitch Holmberg scored three straight and Mike Aviani tied it up with 55-seconds left. The Chiefs scored twice in the shootout while Garret Hughson held Seattle to one goal on three chances. Overall, Aviani has six goals and 10 points and is +7. Todd Fiddler has five goals, including a hat trick on November 17th in a 3-1 win, and 10 points. Brenden Kichton has three goals and 10 points. On average, Spokane has outshot Seattle 38.5-27.6. Spokane has scored the first goal six times, going 6-0 in those games. The Chiefs have outscored Seattle 15-5 in the third period. Eric Williams is 6-1 with a 2.53 GAA and .909 save percentage.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8TH

vs. EVERETT SILVERTIPS

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

TV-ROOT SPORTS

Spokane will host Everett for the fourth and final time in their eighth of eight meetings. Spokane is 5-2-0-0 on the season versus the Silvertips with a 3-0 record at home and a 2-2 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. Spokane skated to a 6-3 win in Everett on February 15th as Alessio Bertaggia scored twice. Brenden Kichton had a pair of goals and Hughson stopped 25 shots on February 27th in their last meeting, a 4-1 Spokane win. On average, the Chiefs are outshooting Everett 34.3-24.9. In seven games, Todd Fiddler has six goals and 10 points. Kichton has three goals and 10 points and Connor Chartier has three goals and eight points. Spokane has outscored Everett 12-3 in the third period. In five appearances, Garret Hughson has a 1.50 GAA and .938 save percentage. The Chiefs are 6-25 (24%) on the power play and 15-17 (88.2%) on the penalty kill with two shorthanded goals.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9TH

vs. KOOTENAY ICE

AIR-6:30

GAME-7:05

RADIO-1510 KGA

TV-NONE

The Chiefs will host Kootenay in their third meeting marking their fifth and final match-up of the season. Kootenay skated to a 4-1 win on February 8th in Cranbrook. Mitch Holmberg scored the Chiefs' lone goal. Spokane took just one penalty in the game. Spokane's Dylan Walchuk scored 9:04 into the third period to break a 3-3 tie on January 12th. Spokane was 1-1 on the power play and did not have to kill a penalty. The two traded wins on the opposition's home ice in late December, including a 1-0 win by Spokane in Cranbrook on December 28th. Todd Fiddler scored the game's only goal 18:17 into the second period. Eric Williams recorded his second shutout of the season with 29 saves and Spokane was 4-4 on the penalty kill. Kootenay skated to a 7-3 win in Spokane the following night

NEWS AND NOTES

HUGH-GE STARTS...Garret Hughson is 4-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .937 save percentage in his last four starts. Hughson stopped 32 in a 2-0 win over Edmonton on February 23rd for his second shutout of the season.

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

POWER REJOINS CHIEFS...The Chiefs have recalled 17-year-old defenseman Adam Power from the Spokane Braves of the KIJHL. The Post Falls, ID native played nine regular season games and five playoff games for the Braves. In two stints with the Chiefs this year, Power has appeared in 16 games, scoring one goal and three points.

ALESSIO IS MORE...Alessio Bertaggia has seven goals, including the overtime game winner on March 1st at Victoria, and two assists in 10 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. 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 1,008 games all-time, lost 841 with 159 ending in a tie, shootout loss or overtime loss.

HOLM-SCHOOL...Mitch Holmberg has nine goals and 15 assists in his last 19 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. His 82 career goals are 25th in franchise history. Holmberg played two games in the Subway SuperSeries.

GET CARTER...Carter Proft leads the WHL with 180 penalty minutes. The 18-year-old has appeared in all 65 games this season and has scored eight goals, five 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...With his 40th goal of the season on February 27th at Everett, Todd Fiddler joined Drayson Bowman (twice), Kyle Beach and Tyler Johnson as Chiefs to score 40 or more goals since the 2007-08 season. Fiddler is the 25th player in franchise history to score 40 or more goals. Coming into the season Fiddler had scored 35 goals in 144 career games. 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 12 goals and 18 points in his last 20 games and is tied for fifth in the WHL with 41 goals. Fiddler now has 29 goals and 49 points in his last 45 games. He recorded his first career hat-trick in a 3-2 win at the Seattle Thunderbirds on November 17th.

SPOKANE CHIEFS ALL-TIME LEADERS

ASSISTS

1 - Ray Whitney (1988-1991) 207

2 - Pat Falloon (1988-1991) 194

3 - BRENDEN KICHTON (2008- ) 192

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

IN YOUR KICHTON...Brenden Kichton has three goals and eight points in his last five games. Kichton recorded two goals in a game for the second time this season in a 4-1 win at Everett on February 27th. 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 66 career goals, 192 career assists and 258 points. His 192 assists are third all-time in Spokane history. Kichton has 12 goals and 26 assists in his last 35 games. He leads all WHL defensemen in scoring with 21 goals and 75 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 has three goals and five points in his last four games. 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 nine goals and 19 points in his last 29 games. Originally a second round selection in the 2007

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- ) 327 5 - Derek Schutz (1994-2000) 322 6 - Mason Wallin (1998-2003) 319 7 - BLAKE GAL (2008- ) 318 8 - Jeff Lynch (2001-2006) 313 9 - Jevon Desautels (2000-2005) 301 10 - Steven Kuhn (2008-2012) 288 BOLD - active 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 70 career goals and 159 career points in five seasons.

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 553-393 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 at the Subway Super Series vs. Team Russia and was an Assistant for Team Canada at the World Juniors.

AVIANI FLEW...Mike Aviani has played 198 career games in a Chiefs' uniform. Aviani has six goals and 15 points in his last 16 games. 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 18 goals and 41 points in his last 37 games.

GOW SCHOLASTIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR...Reid Gow has two goals and 21 points in his last 29 games. 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)

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

Check out the Spokane Chiefs Statistics

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