This was one of those games that had me nervous. Even with the return of Stefan Ulmer and Mike Reddington the Chiefs were five players down and facing a Tri-City team that has been playing well as of late.
My fears were laid to rest on Saturday.
The Spokane Chiefs came back from the Christmas break rested and ready to play and showed it in a 4-2 win over the Tri-City Americans in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. First off, let's talk about rookie goalie James Reid. Reid has been inconsistent at times backing up Tokarski but he had a pretty good game on Saturday. He stopped 26 shots, sixteen of those coming in the third period. Second, the Chiefs continued to spread the puck around and control the pace of the game most of the time. The four goals came from four different Chiefs. Jared Cowen started the scoring for the Chiefs in the second period with a wicked slapshot that made jaws rattle and NHL scouts salivate. Ryan Letts scored the second goal off of a rebound from rookie Anthony Bardaro, who was playing in his first game as a Chief. The third goal came from Trevor Glass off of a feed from Seth Compton in a beauty 2 on 1 breakaway. Captain Justin McCrae finished the scoring for Spokane. On top of it, the Chiefs played with an intensity that was missed during the last few weeks. They were determined not to let Tri-City push them around and played with a chip on their shoulder that earned them a hard fought and very entertaining victory.
Also, I have to brag about the rookies a bit. They continue to learn at a quick pace and are improving with every game. Brenden Kichton keeps impressing me with his defensive skills and fits well with the veteran defensemen. Center Kenton Miller has also been looking better with every shift he takes. He's going to be a star in the WHL someday. Mike Betz, Steve Kuhn, David Conrad, and T.C. Cratsenberg have also been playing well and show that Spokane has a good future ahead of it.
As it stands now the Chiefs have pulled within three points behind Tri-City for first place in the U.S. division with a date at Tri on New Year's Eve. This is getting interesting.
Go Chiefs!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Dear Santa....
I think I've been a pretty good boy this year. Anyway, here are a few things I want for Christmas:
1. I WANT ONDREJ ROMAN PLAYING HOCKEY IN SPOKANE!!!! Hopefully you didn't find that rude, Santa, but I've been waiting for this since the season starts. Also, it is Ondrej's dream to play hockey in the NHL, and that is hard to do when you're in Europe. This has to happen by January 10th or he can't be added to the Chiefs roster. Please, free Ondrej Roman.
2. I would like the offense back to playing at the level they are capable of. It's not good that our defensemen are getting more goals than the offense. Bowman, Wahl, Johnson, Koper, and McCrae have all been good but they all have room for improvement. I would also like to point out that making the first item on the list will help this item.
3. I would like the Chiefs to make a trade for an offensive player. I know this kinda falls under the second item on the list but I felt I had to list this separately. I have noticed that Lethbridge has been dumping some if their players but still has Zach Boychuk. He would be a fine addition to the Chiefs. Maybe the Chiefs can trade Bret Bartman, Cory Baldwin, and a gift card for the Olive Garden to get him.
4. I want the WHL officials to learn the rules of hockey. Especially Papp. There's gotta be a hockey for dummies book you can send him. Make sure the book uses small words and had lots of pictures.
5. I want Tri-City to start losing. I don't necessarily want to be terrible, just to lose enough that they're looking up at us in the standings. That also means the Chiefs need to win on the 27th (I REALLY need that one). Please let them win that one. My sister is going to that game. She needs to see them win. We all need to see them win.
And lastly, I want the Chiefs to repeat as WHL champions. Get them back to the Memorial Cup. I'll even make them promise not to break the cup this time.
Anyway, I hope this is not too much. I'm sure you can make all of this happen.
Rick
1. I WANT ONDREJ ROMAN PLAYING HOCKEY IN SPOKANE!!!! Hopefully you didn't find that rude, Santa, but I've been waiting for this since the season starts. Also, it is Ondrej's dream to play hockey in the NHL, and that is hard to do when you're in Europe. This has to happen by January 10th or he can't be added to the Chiefs roster. Please, free Ondrej Roman.
2. I would like the offense back to playing at the level they are capable of. It's not good that our defensemen are getting more goals than the offense. Bowman, Wahl, Johnson, Koper, and McCrae have all been good but they all have room for improvement. I would also like to point out that making the first item on the list will help this item.
3. I would like the Chiefs to make a trade for an offensive player. I know this kinda falls under the second item on the list but I felt I had to list this separately. I have noticed that Lethbridge has been dumping some if their players but still has Zach Boychuk. He would be a fine addition to the Chiefs. Maybe the Chiefs can trade Bret Bartman, Cory Baldwin, and a gift card for the Olive Garden to get him.
4. I want the WHL officials to learn the rules of hockey. Especially Papp. There's gotta be a hockey for dummies book you can send him. Make sure the book uses small words and had lots of pictures.
5. I want Tri-City to start losing. I don't necessarily want to be terrible, just to lose enough that they're looking up at us in the standings. That also means the Chiefs need to win on the 27th (I REALLY need that one). Please let them win that one. My sister is going to that game. She needs to see them win. We all need to see them win.
And lastly, I want the Chiefs to repeat as WHL champions. Get them back to the Memorial Cup. I'll even make them promise not to break the cup this time.
Anyway, I hope this is not too much. I'm sure you can make all of this happen.
Rick
Oh well....
I really didn't expect a whole lot from this game. Even a special appearance by former captain Chris Bruton didn't bolster my expectations (You remember Bruton. He was the one holding the Memorial Cup back in May when it fell apart). The Chiefs have so many players missing right now (Bowman, Wahl, Johnson, Tokarski, Ulmer, and Reddington) that I was only hoping that the Chiefs would beat Medicine Hat on Tuesday night. I'm glad my expectation weren't high.
Even though Spokane outshot the Tigers 46-25 they fell to Medicine Hat 3-2. The Tigers had a 2-0 lead after two periods even though Spokane put 37 shots on net. Spokane managed two quick goals in the third from Jared Spurgeon and rookie Blake Gal to tie it at 2 before Medicine Hat got the game winner. So much for that. The Chiefs head into the Christmas break with a two game losing streak and a full seven points behind Tri-City for first place in the division.
I hope that the Chiefs can turn this around. Odds are that Mike Reddington will be back from his knee injury for the December 27th game against Tri-City, but the others won't likely be back until after the first of the year, and Blake Gal will be playing for team Pacific in the under 17 tournament. The Chiefs still have the time and the talent to turn this around.
As it stands, the Chiefs don't have a game until the 27th against Tri-City. Boy, do we need that one.
Go Chiefs!
Even though Spokane outshot the Tigers 46-25 they fell to Medicine Hat 3-2. The Tigers had a 2-0 lead after two periods even though Spokane put 37 shots on net. Spokane managed two quick goals in the third from Jared Spurgeon and rookie Blake Gal to tie it at 2 before Medicine Hat got the game winner. So much for that. The Chiefs head into the Christmas break with a two game losing streak and a full seven points behind Tri-City for first place in the division.
I hope that the Chiefs can turn this around. Odds are that Mike Reddington will be back from his knee injury for the December 27th game against Tri-City, but the others won't likely be back until after the first of the year, and Blake Gal will be playing for team Pacific in the under 17 tournament. The Chiefs still have the time and the talent to turn this around.
As it stands, the Chiefs don't have a game until the 27th against Tri-City. Boy, do we need that one.
Go Chiefs!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Up and down, and up and down again
Ever to to a movie and left thinking there should have been more? Maybe a better plot line, or better story, or maybe even better acting? You liked the way the movie ended but you wished it was better.
That's how I felt Friday night.
The Spokane Chiefs scored a goal in the first period from Jared Cowen and made that stand up as they beat Seattle for the first time this year 1-0. James Reid was stellar in goal in place of the absent Distin Tokarski stopping everything that Seattle threw at him. The win was the Chiefs fourth in a row and pulled them within three points of idle Tri-City for first place in the U.S. division. It is also the second straight 1-0 win for Spokane, who also came off of a 1-0 win at Chilliwack on Tuesday.
The feeling I had on Friday? I wish I had that same feeling on Saturday.
Seattle got their act together, taking advantage of the Chiefs mistakes in their own zone and getting a 3-1 win over Spokane on Saturday. Trevor Glass gets the only goal for Spokane in the second period off of a feed from Drayson Bowman. Reid, who looked great on Friday, looked the opposite on Saturday. He faced only 18 shots in Saturday's game, stopping only 15. Spokane stays 3 points back thanks to a Tri beat down at the hands of the Vancouver Giants.
So in the name of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and the Hanson brothers, where did our offense go? Three goals in three games? And two of those came from defensemen! The Johnson - Koper - Letts line that was lights out a while back has been quiet. Justin McCrae still looks like he's trying to find his groove, and everyone is missing their lead passes and just seem to have an overall knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope that all of the players departing for the world juniors find their groove. We need them.
I did see something very positive this past weekend, and that came from rookie defensemen Brenden Kichton. With Jared Spurgeon and Stefan Ulmer gone to the world juniors, and Mike Reddington still out with a groin injury, Kichton was called upon to play a lot of minutes on the ice. He really showed what he was made of. His defense was solid and he showed that he has skill and great awareness at the position. I think I found my favorite rookie of the season. Nice job Brenden Kichton!
Spokane has one more game before the Christmas break when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday. Spokane will then resume play on December 27th with a HUGE home game against Tri-City.
Go Chiefs!
That's how I felt Friday night.
The Spokane Chiefs scored a goal in the first period from Jared Cowen and made that stand up as they beat Seattle for the first time this year 1-0. James Reid was stellar in goal in place of the absent Distin Tokarski stopping everything that Seattle threw at him. The win was the Chiefs fourth in a row and pulled them within three points of idle Tri-City for first place in the U.S. division. It is also the second straight 1-0 win for Spokane, who also came off of a 1-0 win at Chilliwack on Tuesday.
The feeling I had on Friday? I wish I had that same feeling on Saturday.
Seattle got their act together, taking advantage of the Chiefs mistakes in their own zone and getting a 3-1 win over Spokane on Saturday. Trevor Glass gets the only goal for Spokane in the second period off of a feed from Drayson Bowman. Reid, who looked great on Friday, looked the opposite on Saturday. He faced only 18 shots in Saturday's game, stopping only 15. Spokane stays 3 points back thanks to a Tri beat down at the hands of the Vancouver Giants.
So in the name of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and the Hanson brothers, where did our offense go? Three goals in three games? And two of those came from defensemen! The Johnson - Koper - Letts line that was lights out a while back has been quiet. Justin McCrae still looks like he's trying to find his groove, and everyone is missing their lead passes and just seem to have an overall knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope that all of the players departing for the world juniors find their groove. We need them.
I did see something very positive this past weekend, and that came from rookie defensemen Brenden Kichton. With Jared Spurgeon and Stefan Ulmer gone to the world juniors, and Mike Reddington still out with a groin injury, Kichton was called upon to play a lot of minutes on the ice. He really showed what he was made of. His defense was solid and he showed that he has skill and great awareness at the position. I think I found my favorite rookie of the season. Nice job Brenden Kichton!
Spokane has one more game before the Christmas break when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday. Spokane will then resume play on December 27th with a HUGE home game against Tri-City.
Go Chiefs!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Good Luck Chiefs!
The month of December in junior hockey means it's tournament time. Several tournaments in North America and Europe get underway soon and that means players from junior hockey leave their respected teams to play on their national tournament teams. Spokane is no different as they say farewell and good luck to those who will be temporarily absent for a while.
First off is Defensemen Stefan Ulmer. He is headed back to Austria to play for his national team in the World Junior Championships.
Also leaving is Dustin Tokarski and Jared Spurgeon, who are headed back to Canada to try out for Team Canada. If they make the team they will also be playing in the World Juniors. Noticeably off Canada's list is Jared Cowen. I'm glad he's going to be in Spokane while we're shorthanded but I'm blown away that he has not given an invite.
Team USA will be well represented by Chiefs as Drayson Bowman, Mitch Wahl, and Tyler Johnson will all be playing for Team USA in the same tournament.
Rookie Blake Gal will also leave Spokane while he plays for Team Pacific in the 2009 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge.
All of the above Chiefs will be back in Spokane after the first of the year. They will all be missed while they are gone but I wish them all the best in their tournaments. I'm sure they will do the Chiefs organization proud. Go get 'em!
I will also note that Ondrej Roman will be playing for the Czech Republic in the World Juniors as well. I'm hoping that he will be allowed to return to the Chiefs after the tournament is over. Hopefully this is the last time I will type this.........FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!
First off is Defensemen Stefan Ulmer. He is headed back to Austria to play for his national team in the World Junior Championships.
Also leaving is Dustin Tokarski and Jared Spurgeon, who are headed back to Canada to try out for Team Canada. If they make the team they will also be playing in the World Juniors. Noticeably off Canada's list is Jared Cowen. I'm glad he's going to be in Spokane while we're shorthanded but I'm blown away that he has not given an invite.
Team USA will be well represented by Chiefs as Drayson Bowman, Mitch Wahl, and Tyler Johnson will all be playing for Team USA in the same tournament.
Rookie Blake Gal will also leave Spokane while he plays for Team Pacific in the 2009 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge.
All of the above Chiefs will be back in Spokane after the first of the year. They will all be missed while they are gone but I wish them all the best in their tournaments. I'm sure they will do the Chiefs organization proud. Go get 'em!
I will also note that Ondrej Roman will be playing for the Czech Republic in the World Juniors as well. I'm hoping that he will be allowed to return to the Chiefs after the tournament is over. Hopefully this is the last time I will type this.........FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!
Whew!
Can't get much more dramatic than that.
Drayson Bowman continued his hot streak scoring the only goal with just 24 seconds left in the third period to break a scoreless tie as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Chilliwak Bruins 1-0. Tokarski stopped 21 shots in the shutout. Unfortunately that's all I have on the game right now. It was a road game so I couldn't be there (also not televised). Also, the Chiefs website is down right now so no luck there. Anyway, the Chiefs moved within five points back of Tri in the U.S. Division. Next up is home games on Friday and Saturday against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Hopefully the Chiefs will have their site up and running by then.
Drayson Bowman continued his hot streak scoring the only goal with just 24 seconds left in the third period to break a scoreless tie as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Chilliwak Bruins 1-0. Tokarski stopped 21 shots in the shutout. Unfortunately that's all I have on the game right now. It was a road game so I couldn't be there (also not televised). Also, the Chiefs website is down right now so no luck there. Anyway, the Chiefs moved within five points back of Tri in the U.S. Division. Next up is home games on Friday and Saturday against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Hopefully the Chiefs will have their site up and running by then.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Job Well Done!
This was one for the ages!
First off, I have to thank Mitch Wahl for scoring the teddy bear goal early. I had thirteen stuffed animals and I didn't want to have to look out for them for a long time. Sure enough, 3:52 into the first period Mitch Wahl gets the first goal of the game and HERE COME THE BEARS! 4,067 in all! Second, I have to thank the rest of the team for not letting up after that goal. After waiting for the ice to get cleared and scraped with the zamboni it's easy to lose that momentum. Thankfully the Chiefs kept up the pressure. They scored, and scored, and scored, and scored one more. The score was 5-1 Chiefs AT THE END OF THE FIRST PERIOD! Drayson scored two goals and three assists and was absolutely on fire! The other goals in the first went to rookie Steve Kuhn and defensemen Jared Spurgeon. This might have been the best period I have seen the Chiefs play....ever!
They continued the pressure in the second and got their sixth goal of the night from a sweet breakaway by Dustin Donaghy. The only downside in the second was a missed penalty shot from Drayson Bowman that I'm sure he wants back. If he only had gotten his third goal of the night there. Bears tossed in the first, hats tossed in the second from a Bowman hat trick.....so close. Not much to talk about in the third except a pity goal for Kootenay with about two minutes left. Spokane 6, Kootenay 2. Thanks for coming Kootenay. Seriously, thanks for coming. I saw the Kootenay Ice fans in attendance tossing bears as well (I said Kootenay fans rock). Thanks for participating!
Also, I know I've been dogging Bret Bartman lately, more so at the games than on the blog, but he had a pretty good game last night. Two assists and one fight. His defense looks like it's improving. Ryan Letts has also been getting dogged by me lately. He still didn't have a good game but he did get into a fight with Matt Frasier. That fight ended quickly when Frasier has a 'Oh crap, I'm fighting Ryan Letts!' moment.
With the win the Chiefs managed to stay seven points behind Tri in second place in the U.S. division. It pains me to say this but Tri-City has been absolutely light out lately with an eight game winning streak, which includes wins against both Vancouver and Calgary as well as us (insert growl here). Hopefully they'll cool off soon. In the meantime the Chiefs travel to Chilliwack on Tuesday for a date with the Bruins. Then it's home next weekend for two games against the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Go Chiefs!
First off, I have to thank Mitch Wahl for scoring the teddy bear goal early. I had thirteen stuffed animals and I didn't want to have to look out for them for a long time. Sure enough, 3:52 into the first period Mitch Wahl gets the first goal of the game and HERE COME THE BEARS! 4,067 in all! Second, I have to thank the rest of the team for not letting up after that goal. After waiting for the ice to get cleared and scraped with the zamboni it's easy to lose that momentum. Thankfully the Chiefs kept up the pressure. They scored, and scored, and scored, and scored one more. The score was 5-1 Chiefs AT THE END OF THE FIRST PERIOD! Drayson scored two goals and three assists and was absolutely on fire! The other goals in the first went to rookie Steve Kuhn and defensemen Jared Spurgeon. This might have been the best period I have seen the Chiefs play....ever!
They continued the pressure in the second and got their sixth goal of the night from a sweet breakaway by Dustin Donaghy. The only downside in the second was a missed penalty shot from Drayson Bowman that I'm sure he wants back. If he only had gotten his third goal of the night there. Bears tossed in the first, hats tossed in the second from a Bowman hat trick.....so close. Not much to talk about in the third except a pity goal for Kootenay with about two minutes left. Spokane 6, Kootenay 2. Thanks for coming Kootenay. Seriously, thanks for coming. I saw the Kootenay Ice fans in attendance tossing bears as well (I said Kootenay fans rock). Thanks for participating!
Also, I know I've been dogging Bret Bartman lately, more so at the games than on the blog, but he had a pretty good game last night. Two assists and one fight. His defense looks like it's improving. Ryan Letts has also been getting dogged by me lately. He still didn't have a good game but he did get into a fight with Matt Frasier. That fight ended quickly when Frasier has a 'Oh crap, I'm fighting Ryan Letts!' moment.
With the win the Chiefs managed to stay seven points behind Tri in second place in the U.S. division. It pains me to say this but Tri-City has been absolutely light out lately with an eight game winning streak, which includes wins against both Vancouver and Calgary as well as us (insert growl here). Hopefully they'll cool off soon. In the meantime the Chiefs travel to Chilliwack on Tuesday for a date with the Bruins. Then it's home next weekend for two games against the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Go Chiefs!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Lions, Tigers, and BEARS!!!!
.....and dogs and monkeys and turtles and dolphins etc.
It's time for my favorite regular season game of the year! A game that combines my love of hockey, my love of giving, and my love of throwing stuff. It's the Spokane Chiefs annual teddy bear toss game against the Kootenay Ice. It's also a good pick for the visiting team. Kootenay fans absolutely rock! I'm sure they will be participating as well. So for all of you going to the game Saturday get ready to get your toss on! As you can see from the picture I'm loaded and ready. Also, try not to be late. Two years ago the Chiefs scored the first goal just two minutes into the game. Watching the fans who were late mad rush to throw their bears was pretty funny.
So which Chief is getting the teddy bear goal? It's not always a high goal scorer. Last year's goal went to Mike Reddington. Not only is he a defensemen, but it was also his first goal of the season. Levko Koper is probably one of the odds on favorites with Drayson Bowman and Mitch Wahl. Tyler Johnson? That could happen. Another defensemen, perhaps? Jared Cowen or even Stefan Ulmer come to mind. Seth Compton is a dark horse along with any of the rookies. I'm almost going with Mitch Wahl on this but I think I'll be a little bit different.
My prediction: It will be the Captain. Justin McCrae is my pick to get the teddy bear goal late into the first period!
Go Chiefs and go bears!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Streak Over!
Every team seems to arrive at this point sometime. The Spokane Chiefs arrived there on Wednesday night. They were coming off of a terrible weekend, losing back to back games and facing a Calgary Hitmen that had won eleven straight games and had the best record in the WHL. It was also apparent that if the Chiefs lost they would end up seven points behind first place Tri-City. Some games end up being more important than others. This was one of those games.
The Chiefs needed this one. They REALLY needed this one.
This turned out to be a great game. The teams battled back and forth for three periods. The Chiefs managed three goals against Calgary: The first goal came in the first period from Drayson Bowman who faked the goalie right out of his pads. The second came in the third from Tyler Johnson beating the goalie stick side, and the third goal came with less than three minutes in the third when our new captain Justin McCrae redirected a Jared Cowen blast to tie the score at three. After five minutes of scoreless overtime it's on to the shootout.
I love the fact that I am optimistic about shootouts now. After all, the Chiefs have won their last two shootouts. Tokarski continues to shine between the pipes and stopped all three shots in the shootout. It came down to Drayson Bowman coming down the ice with the Lone Ranger theme playing in my head. Bowman fakes, goes glove side, scores! Chiefs win!
This was a much needed win. Calgary was first in the WHL in about every category including the power play, penalty kill, goals scored, goals against, and bears thrown in a teddy bear toss (I heard it was over 12,000*). The Hitmen, along with the Vancouver Giants, are right now the best teams in the WHL. Spokane showed a lot of character in this game. They showed that they can maintain their composure and come back against a great team in Calgary. Good on you, Chiefs! I really hope that this win will go a long way in getting the Chiefs back on top. With the win the Chiefs keep pace with Tri-City, staying five points behind Tri in second place in the U.S. Division.
Next up for the Chiefs is the teddy bear toss game on Saturday against the Kootenay Ice. My predictions on who will get the teddy bear goal are coming. Bears on ice! Gotta love that!
*I didn't do the Calgary teddy bear toss game justice. I just got through checking the official total and they threw 22,722 stuffed animals! Damn. That's a lot of plush. The video is on youtube if you feel the need.
The Chiefs needed this one. They REALLY needed this one.
This turned out to be a great game. The teams battled back and forth for three periods. The Chiefs managed three goals against Calgary: The first goal came in the first period from Drayson Bowman who faked the goalie right out of his pads. The second came in the third from Tyler Johnson beating the goalie stick side, and the third goal came with less than three minutes in the third when our new captain Justin McCrae redirected a Jared Cowen blast to tie the score at three. After five minutes of scoreless overtime it's on to the shootout.
I love the fact that I am optimistic about shootouts now. After all, the Chiefs have won their last two shootouts. Tokarski continues to shine between the pipes and stopped all three shots in the shootout. It came down to Drayson Bowman coming down the ice with the Lone Ranger theme playing in my head. Bowman fakes, goes glove side, scores! Chiefs win!
This was a much needed win. Calgary was first in the WHL in about every category including the power play, penalty kill, goals scored, goals against, and bears thrown in a teddy bear toss (I heard it was over 12,000*). The Hitmen, along with the Vancouver Giants, are right now the best teams in the WHL. Spokane showed a lot of character in this game. They showed that they can maintain their composure and come back against a great team in Calgary. Good on you, Chiefs! I really hope that this win will go a long way in getting the Chiefs back on top. With the win the Chiefs keep pace with Tri-City, staying five points behind Tri in second place in the U.S. Division.
Next up for the Chiefs is the teddy bear toss game on Saturday against the Kootenay Ice. My predictions on who will get the teddy bear goal are coming. Bears on ice! Gotta love that!
*I didn't do the Calgary teddy bear toss game justice. I just got through checking the official total and they threw 22,722 stuffed animals! Damn. That's a lot of plush. The video is on youtube if you feel the need.
Monday, December 1, 2008
'Da Bears!
The Spokane Chiefs annual teddy bear toss game is now less that a week away! Hopefully everyone will be prepared. So get some bears or something! As you can see they don't need to all be bears (the penguin can go far. You can throw him like a football). I would like to see the Chiefs bear throwing record get broken this year. And to the Chiefs players I say this: Can you score early? I have a lot of animals to keep track of and it would be nice to throw them in the first period.
Get your bear on!
Finally....a 'C' on a Chief!
Well, we are 26 games into the WHL regular season and we finally have a captain: Justin McCrae! A but of a surprise, but a good choice all the same. I suppose the Chiefs waited to award him with the 'C' after he got back from his knee injury. Anyway, I guess this would be a good time for.......
Getting to know your Chiefs part 5: #17 Justin McCrae!
6'0" 188lbs. Birthday: October 30th, 1988 Home: Cochrane AB Position: RW
Justin McCrae is in his fifth season in the WHL. He was picked up in the first round of the WHL bantam draft in 2003 by the Saskatoon Blades. He played in entire WHL career in Saskatoon until the Chiefs picked him up in a trade back in January 2008. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Justin McCrae was an important part of the Chiefs run through the playoffs last season and in the Memorial Cup. His leadership skills as well as his playoff experience proved to be invaluable. He helped anchor the line with Tyler Johnson and Levko Koper last season. He get a lot of ice time over the weekend along side of Mitch Wahl and Drayson Bowman. McCrae will sport the 'C' on his jersey for the first time on Wednesday when the Chiefs play Calgary.
Seth Compton, Drayson Bowman, and Jared Spurgeon were named alternate captains and will be wearing the 'A' on their jerseys for the rest of the season. Congratulations to Justin McCrae! Now get to work! We gotta win some games here!
Getting to know your Chiefs part 5: #17 Justin McCrae!
6'0" 188lbs. Birthday: October 30th, 1988 Home: Cochrane AB Position: RW
Justin McCrae is in his fifth season in the WHL. He was picked up in the first round of the WHL bantam draft in 2003 by the Saskatoon Blades. He played in entire WHL career in Saskatoon until the Chiefs picked him up in a trade back in January 2008. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Justin McCrae was an important part of the Chiefs run through the playoffs last season and in the Memorial Cup. His leadership skills as well as his playoff experience proved to be invaluable. He helped anchor the line with Tyler Johnson and Levko Koper last season. He get a lot of ice time over the weekend along side of Mitch Wahl and Drayson Bowman. McCrae will sport the 'C' on his jersey for the first time on Wednesday when the Chiefs play Calgary.
Seth Compton, Drayson Bowman, and Jared Spurgeon were named alternate captains and will be wearing the 'A' on their jerseys for the rest of the season. Congratulations to Justin McCrae! Now get to work! We gotta win some games here!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Extreme Weekend Dissapointment!!
I'm not sure where to begin on this one.....
At long last the Spokane Chiefs played a home game. A long stretch that kept them away from home for 17 days was finally over. I figured it would do them good to play at home in front of a favorable crowd and get a win over an more or less average Kamploops Blazers team that they beat the first two times by a combined score of 11-4.
Boy was I wrong on that one.
Kamploops basically came to Spokane Saturday and handed them their own in a 4-2 Chiefs loss. Combine that with the 5-1 loss at Tri-City on Friday night and it turned out to be a horrible weekend for the Chiefs. Spokane now finds themselves in second place in the U.S. division five points behind Tri.
Where do I begin here?
I know it's easy to start with the officiating but let's start with the players: They are not playing with the same kind of intensity that they showed last season. They are not playing smart and they are letting their tempers get the best of them. Some examples: Dustin Tokarski not being able to shrug off a bad call from the officials on Friday, and he carried that temper through the rest of the game. Jared Spurgeon lazily giving up the puck in the defensive zone on Saturday which led to a Kamploops goal. The Chiefs on their 5-3 power play from Saturday. I know that Tyler Johnson scored on that power play, but he was open in front of the net for so long he had time to make a sandwich and read the first few chapters of 'War and Peace' before someone spotted him. Note to the Chiefs: You're better than this. There's a reason people say you can repeat as Memorial Cup Champions. I know you can. The Calgary Hitmen come calling on Wednesday. Best team in the WHL right now. Hopefully the Chiefs can rebound.
Now, just because I started with the players doesn't mean that the officials have escaped my target line. The officiating was some of the worst I have ever seen! I mean a seeing eye dog could have called a better game! There were so many bad and blown calls I'd list them but my battery will run out before I'm done. Can the WHL please get those officials back to school or something? Maybe they need counseling or something (if they do my sister is a great counselor). Maybe they need a talking to (my dog does that pretty well). There is a WHL rulebook. You don't have to make this stuff up as you go along. Seriously, help us to help you. I thought Theissen was bad last season, now I kinda miss him. Get it together before I try and switch you with the cast of America's Next Top Model!
Okay, I'll end it on a good note. It was good to see Justin McCrae back from his knee injury. He hasn't got his skating legs under him yet but that will change soon. That kid is lethal on ice, and we can sure use his scoring presence. Also, the teddy bear toss game is Saturday against Kootenay. The bears are restless!
Go Chiefs!
At long last the Spokane Chiefs played a home game. A long stretch that kept them away from home for 17 days was finally over. I figured it would do them good to play at home in front of a favorable crowd and get a win over an more or less average Kamploops Blazers team that they beat the first two times by a combined score of 11-4.
Boy was I wrong on that one.
Kamploops basically came to Spokane Saturday and handed them their own in a 4-2 Chiefs loss. Combine that with the 5-1 loss at Tri-City on Friday night and it turned out to be a horrible weekend for the Chiefs. Spokane now finds themselves in second place in the U.S. division five points behind Tri.
Where do I begin here?
I know it's easy to start with the officiating but let's start with the players: They are not playing with the same kind of intensity that they showed last season. They are not playing smart and they are letting their tempers get the best of them. Some examples: Dustin Tokarski not being able to shrug off a bad call from the officials on Friday, and he carried that temper through the rest of the game. Jared Spurgeon lazily giving up the puck in the defensive zone on Saturday which led to a Kamploops goal. The Chiefs on their 5-3 power play from Saturday. I know that Tyler Johnson scored on that power play, but he was open in front of the net for so long he had time to make a sandwich and read the first few chapters of 'War and Peace' before someone spotted him. Note to the Chiefs: You're better than this. There's a reason people say you can repeat as Memorial Cup Champions. I know you can. The Calgary Hitmen come calling on Wednesday. Best team in the WHL right now. Hopefully the Chiefs can rebound.
Now, just because I started with the players doesn't mean that the officials have escaped my target line. The officiating was some of the worst I have ever seen! I mean a seeing eye dog could have called a better game! There were so many bad and blown calls I'd list them but my battery will run out before I'm done. Can the WHL please get those officials back to school or something? Maybe they need counseling or something (if they do my sister is a great counselor). Maybe they need a talking to (my dog does that pretty well). There is a WHL rulebook. You don't have to make this stuff up as you go along. Seriously, help us to help you. I thought Theissen was bad last season, now I kinda miss him. Get it together before I try and switch you with the cast of America's Next Top Model!
Okay, I'll end it on a good note. It was good to see Justin McCrae back from his knee injury. He hasn't got his skating legs under him yet but that will change soon. That kid is lethal on ice, and we can sure use his scoring presence. Also, the teddy bear toss game is Saturday against Kootenay. The bears are restless!
Go Chiefs!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Getting to Know the Chiefs Part 4: Dustin Tokarski
5'11" Birthday: September 16th 1989 Home: Winnipeg MB Position: G
Dustin Tokarski shows how one can make the most of an opportunity. He was NOT picked up in the WHL entry draft, and after tryouts was turned down by both Swift Current and Calgary. He finally ended playing for the Prince Albert Mintos of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. He solid play eventually got noticed by the Chiefs and he was listed by the Chiefs in December 2005. During his 06-07 rookie season in Spokane he ended up starting every playoff game for Spokane due to an illness to Chiefs' starting goalie Kevin Armstrong. Even though the Chiefs lost in the playoffs to Everett Tokarski kept the Chiefs in every game and showed he could handle the playoffs.
The 07-08 season was his breakout year. He split time with Armstrong in goal and helped the Chiefs win 30 of their 50 wins last season. He posted a 2.05 GAA and a .922 save percentage. Dustin's experience in the playoffs last season earned him the starting job for their historic playoff run to the Memorial Cup. In the Memorial Cup Tokarski earned MVP honors with an amazing 1.72 GAA and an unbelievable 52 save performance against host Kitchner to win the Memorial Cup. He was drafted bu the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL draft.
Dustin Tokarski definitely has a future in the NHL. He is a little undersized for a goalie but he makes up for it with his skill and passion for playing the position. He has used the chip on his shoulder to become the best goalie in the WHL, and I look forward to seeing where is hockey career goes.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
It's not how you start....
All things considered I'll take it.
The Spokane chiefs rebounded from their three game losing streak to win the last two games on their six game road trip through the eastern division. The Chiefs found their offense Friday as they beat up on the Moose Jaw Warriors 6-2. The game was highlighted by Levko Koper's two goal night. Koper currently leads the Chiefs in goals and points. Dustin Tokarski continues to impress between the pipes as he stopped 40 shots. Spokane then took that momentum into Saturday's game against the Swift Current Broncos and came away with a 3-2 shootout win. Jared Cowen and Mitch Wahl scored the goals for the Chiefs, both coming into the first period. Drayson Bowman then scored the only shootout goal by both teams to earn the victory.
Spokane finished their roadie with a 3-3 record and kept a one point lead over the
Tri-City Americans for first place in the U.S. Division, which makes Friday's game at Tri-City a battle for first place. Then it's home on Saturday against the Kamploops Blazers. Home.....did I say something about a home game? That's right a HOME game! THIS SATURDAY! It's been so long I may have to mapquest directions to the arena. Time to dust off the Chiefs jersey and get my voice warmed up! Go Chiefs!
The Spokane chiefs rebounded from their three game losing streak to win the last two games on their six game road trip through the eastern division. The Chiefs found their offense Friday as they beat up on the Moose Jaw Warriors 6-2. The game was highlighted by Levko Koper's two goal night. Koper currently leads the Chiefs in goals and points. Dustin Tokarski continues to impress between the pipes as he stopped 40 shots. Spokane then took that momentum into Saturday's game against the Swift Current Broncos and came away with a 3-2 shootout win. Jared Cowen and Mitch Wahl scored the goals for the Chiefs, both coming into the first period. Drayson Bowman then scored the only shootout goal by both teams to earn the victory.
Spokane finished their roadie with a 3-3 record and kept a one point lead over the
Tri-City Americans for first place in the U.S. Division, which makes Friday's game at Tri-City a battle for first place. Then it's home on Saturday against the Kamploops Blazers. Home.....did I say something about a home game? That's right a HOME game! THIS SATURDAY! It's been so long I may have to mapquest directions to the arena. Time to dust off the Chiefs jersey and get my voice warmed up! Go Chiefs!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Can we get some scoring up in this place?
It's harder to see what is going on since the Chiefs are on the road and not on TV but the Chiefs offense either got lost on the road trip or they are still stuck at the border. Spokane lost 4-1 to the Brandon Wheat Kings and then 2-0 to Regina. That's one goal in six periods of play. Their shots on goal are average so I'm guessing that they are throwing the puck on net and hoping for a rebound. Problem is that doesn't seen to be working. It doesn't help that Justin McCrae is still out with a knee injury (I miss him) and Ondrej Roman is still on the other side of the planet (I REALLY miss him). Those two could really add some punch. As it stands now the Chiefs are 1-3 on this road trip and I am ready for it to be over.
They have two more games left on this swing. They play the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday and then the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday. Then it's five days of much needed rest before they travel to Tri-City on November 28th and then it's HOME against Kamploops on the 29th! Home........has a nice ring to it. I miss watching the games.
They have two more games left on this swing. They play the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday and then the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday. Then it's five days of much needed rest before they travel to Tri-City on November 28th and then it's HOME against Kamploops on the 29th! Home........has a nice ring to it. I miss watching the games.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Fur Will Fly!
I've been talking a lot about the Chiefs and their bear of a road trip to the eastern conference and it got me thinking about another 'bear' of a game just around the corner. I am now counting down the days until the Chiefs annual 'Teddy Bear Toss' game. The game is December 6th against the Kootenay Ice. That's less than three weeks away and is one of the games I look forward to more than the others. For those who are unfamiliar with this concept I will explain: On the December 6th game you can bring a new or gently used bear (or other stuffed animal). When the Chiefs score their first goal you throw the bear onto the ice. The bears are then collected and given to various charities for the upcoming Holiday season. This is always one of the funnest games of the season for me.
For those who will be attending that game please bring a bear. Heck, bring two. It doesn't even need to be a bear. You can find good plush animals out there for around five bucks. Just think about it, for the price of one beer you can make a child happy. The game is now 19 days away. I hope to see a packed house of fans and bears!
By the way, those two bears are going to the game, and I have others (I think I may have gotten a little carried away this year). I'll be putting pictures of them up soon.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Opening weekend split
Road trips can be a bear sometimes.
The Chiefs managed a split over the weekend to open up their six game road swing through the eastern division. They started with a 3-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday. Ryan Letts got his fifth goal of the season to start off the scoring. Rookie Steve Kuhn also scored in the first and Tyler Johnson netted the game winner. The Chiefs then lost to Saskatoon on Saturday. All the scoring was done in the third period as Mitch Wahl knocked in a feed from Ryan Letts to get the Chiefs their only goal of the game. The Chiefs get Monday off and will play four road games in five days starting with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Tuesday. I really wish I could get the games on TV. I like it better when I actually see the game instead of looking at recaps and stat sheets.
Spokane did manage to keep a one point lead in the U.S. division due to a Tri-City loss (thanks again, Portland). I never did think the Chiefs would win all six games on this road trip. There are some good teams back in the eastern division. If they can take four out of six that would be nice. Then they can pound on Tri-City the day after Thanksgiving before they play their next game on November 29th against Kamploops.
Go Chiefs!
The Chiefs managed a split over the weekend to open up their six game road swing through the eastern division. They started with a 3-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday. Ryan Letts got his fifth goal of the season to start off the scoring. Rookie Steve Kuhn also scored in the first and Tyler Johnson netted the game winner. The Chiefs then lost to Saskatoon on Saturday. All the scoring was done in the third period as Mitch Wahl knocked in a feed from Ryan Letts to get the Chiefs their only goal of the game. The Chiefs get Monday off and will play four road games in five days starting with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Tuesday. I really wish I could get the games on TV. I like it better when I actually see the game instead of looking at recaps and stat sheets.
Spokane did manage to keep a one point lead in the U.S. division due to a Tri-City loss (thanks again, Portland). I never did think the Chiefs would win all six games on this road trip. There are some good teams back in the eastern division. If they can take four out of six that would be nice. Then they can pound on Tri-City the day after Thanksgiving before they play their next game on November 29th against Kamploops.
Go Chiefs!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Can't Stop Levko Koper!
What a great way to end a homestand!
Levko Koper continued to be an offensive juggernaut scoring two goals in the second period as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-2 to end their five game homestand. Koper's 14 goals on the season leads all Chiefs. The first goal was by Mitch Wahl on a blind backhand that faked out Lethbridge so badly they are probably still trying to figure out how that happened. Trevor Glass and Seth Compton were the other goal scorers, with Compton's goal being an empty netter.
Dustin Tokarski tended the net again for the Chiefs and stopped 35 shots on the evening. He continues to be an absolute maniac in net! Every game he continues to make crazy saves and show just why he is the BEST GOALIE IN THE WHL! He can twist so much he makes a slinky look bad. This team is good enough to make it back to the Memorial Cup and Dustin Tokarski is one of the main reasons why.
Also, I have noticed that the Chiefs are getting much better on the power play. They were 3 for 6 in tonight's game and have 23 power play goals on the season so far. Their 27.4% efficiency on the power play is third in the WHL.
Spokane now goes on their eastern division road swing to play in order: Prince Albert (Nov. 14), Saskatoon (Nov. 15), Brandon (Nov. 18), Regina (Nov. 19), Moose Jaw (Nov. 21) and Swift Current (Nov. 22). That means the Chiefs won't be home until after Thanksgiving. That's a long time to go without hockey in Spokane. Bummer.
Levko Koper continued to be an offensive juggernaut scoring two goals in the second period as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-2 to end their five game homestand. Koper's 14 goals on the season leads all Chiefs. The first goal was by Mitch Wahl on a blind backhand that faked out Lethbridge so badly they are probably still trying to figure out how that happened. Trevor Glass and Seth Compton were the other goal scorers, with Compton's goal being an empty netter.
Dustin Tokarski tended the net again for the Chiefs and stopped 35 shots on the evening. He continues to be an absolute maniac in net! Every game he continues to make crazy saves and show just why he is the BEST GOALIE IN THE WHL! He can twist so much he makes a slinky look bad. This team is good enough to make it back to the Memorial Cup and Dustin Tokarski is one of the main reasons why.
Also, I have noticed that the Chiefs are getting much better on the power play. They were 3 for 6 in tonight's game and have 23 power play goals on the season so far. Their 27.4% efficiency on the power play is third in the WHL.
Spokane now goes on their eastern division road swing to play in order: Prince Albert (Nov. 14), Saskatoon (Nov. 15), Brandon (Nov. 18), Regina (Nov. 19), Moose Jaw (Nov. 21) and Swift Current (Nov. 22). That means the Chiefs won't be home until after Thanksgiving. That's a long time to go without hockey in Spokane. Bummer.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Getting to Know the Chiefs Part 3: Stefan Ulmer
5'9" 165 lbs. Birthday: December 1st, 1990 Home: Kloten, Switzerland Position: D
Stefan Ulmer was picked up by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2007 European import draft. As a rookie in the 07-08 season Stefan scored three goals, 12 assists, and finished the season at a +13.
So far this year Stefan has shown his value to the Spokane Chiefs. He is a strong presence on the ice and helps fill the void left by the injured Jared Spurgeon (Spurgeon is out with an ankle injury and should be back soon). He has already scored two goals and 12 assists and is at a +10. He assisted on all three goals and got the game winner in the shootout against Tri-City last Saturday. He is the best offensive-minded defensemen on the Spokane Chiefs roster, and has even been utilized as a forward on Mitch Wahl's line from time to time. His overall game continues to improve and he plays well with his line mates. He is eligible for the 2009 NHL draft in June and could be one to watch on draft weekend. The more I watch him play the more I'm glad that he's not wearing some other team's jersey.
Wednesday night the Chiefs play Lethbridge in a rematch of last seasons WHL finals. Then the Chiefs head out on their loooooooooooong road trip, which means no home games until after Thanksgiving. That's a long time to go without my hockey.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
One Wild Weekend!
It was the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Chiefs lost to Portland Friday night 2-1. I'm not going to talk about this game much. The refs blew a call that should have stopped play and Portland got their second goal, which turned out to be the game winner. Regardless, the Chiefs played terrible. One of their worst games of the year. Enough on that.
Saturday night meant Tri-City was coming to town. The Chiefs got off to a slow start in the first period, getting no goals and only ONE SHOT ON GOAL! Are you kidding me? One shot? What, were you auditioning for Disney on Ice? Anyway, at the end of the first Tri was up 1-0.
The second period started with the Chiefs playing up to the level that they should be playing. They tied the score at 1 with a goal by Drayson Bowman (glad to see you coming out of your slump, Bowman). Tri scored again to make it 2-1 but a much better effort from the Chiefs that period.
The third period started with Mitch Wahl scoring top shelf just 41 seconds into the third to tie it at 2. Then Seth Compton scored while falling down to put them up 3-2. The the refs made a completely bogus call (Papp is the officials name, ironically the same official who blew the call against Portland on Friday) that gave Tri-City a one man advantage (2 man advantage after coach Sauter gets a bench minor), which they use to score to tie the game at 3 and send it into overtime. No team scored in overtime so we go to a shootout.
I'll admit, I was a little worried. We were 0 for 3 in shootouts this year, and Tri-City goalie Chet Pickard is no slouch. after three shots a piece it was 1-1. Tokarski was absolutely stellar during the shootout, only letting in 1 shot on some absolute beauty saves. The goalies battles back and forth for several rounds, until the sixth round of the shootout when Chiefs defensemen Stefan Ulmer puts it past Pickard. Chiefs win 4-3 in a shootout.
I'll say that Stefan Ulmer is really coming into his own this year. His defense improves every game. Tokarski - well, what can I really add to what has already been said about him. Simply put: He's awesome. Best goalie in the WHL.
One more note on Papp (the official): This message goes to anyone who knows him. It can be a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, it doesn't matter. Can one of you PLEASE buy him a 'Hockey for Dummies' book for Christmas? he really needs it. Actually change that. This can't wait. Could you buy it for him sooner? Like maybe by Tuesday? I don't know how much more of his bogus calls I can take.
The Chiefs are off until Wednesday when they face the Lethbridge Hurricanes in a rematch of the WHL finals. It gives me time to rest my voice. Right now I sound like Vin Diesel with a bad chest cold.
Go Chiefs!
The Chiefs lost to Portland Friday night 2-1. I'm not going to talk about this game much. The refs blew a call that should have stopped play and Portland got their second goal, which turned out to be the game winner. Regardless, the Chiefs played terrible. One of their worst games of the year. Enough on that.
Saturday night meant Tri-City was coming to town. The Chiefs got off to a slow start in the first period, getting no goals and only ONE SHOT ON GOAL! Are you kidding me? One shot? What, were you auditioning for Disney on Ice? Anyway, at the end of the first Tri was up 1-0.
The second period started with the Chiefs playing up to the level that they should be playing. They tied the score at 1 with a goal by Drayson Bowman (glad to see you coming out of your slump, Bowman). Tri scored again to make it 2-1 but a much better effort from the Chiefs that period.
The third period started with Mitch Wahl scoring top shelf just 41 seconds into the third to tie it at 2. Then Seth Compton scored while falling down to put them up 3-2. The the refs made a completely bogus call (Papp is the officials name, ironically the same official who blew the call against Portland on Friday) that gave Tri-City a one man advantage (2 man advantage after coach Sauter gets a bench minor), which they use to score to tie the game at 3 and send it into overtime. No team scored in overtime so we go to a shootout.
I'll admit, I was a little worried. We were 0 for 3 in shootouts this year, and Tri-City goalie Chet Pickard is no slouch. after three shots a piece it was 1-1. Tokarski was absolutely stellar during the shootout, only letting in 1 shot on some absolute beauty saves. The goalies battles back and forth for several rounds, until the sixth round of the shootout when Chiefs defensemen Stefan Ulmer puts it past Pickard. Chiefs win 4-3 in a shootout.
I'll say that Stefan Ulmer is really coming into his own this year. His defense improves every game. Tokarski - well, what can I really add to what has already been said about him. Simply put: He's awesome. Best goalie in the WHL.
One more note on Papp (the official): This message goes to anyone who knows him. It can be a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, it doesn't matter. Can one of you PLEASE buy him a 'Hockey for Dummies' book for Christmas? he really needs it. Actually change that. This can't wait. Could you buy it for him sooner? Like maybe by Tuesday? I don't know how much more of his bogus calls I can take.
The Chiefs are off until Wednesday when they face the Lethbridge Hurricanes in a rematch of the WHL finals. It gives me time to rest my voice. Right now I sound like Vin Diesel with a bad chest cold.
Go Chiefs!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Shutout from the newbie!
That's how I like to see the defense play!
The Chiefs get another shutout win beating the Red Deer Rebels 2-0. What makes this a little different is that the Chiefs goalie was NOT Tokarski, but rookie goalie James Reid instead, who notched his second win and first shutout of the season. The only scoring in the game came in the first period from Levko Koper and Mitch Wahl (actually Koper's goal was an own goal knocked in by Red Deer Goalie Darcy Kuemper). The Chiefs didn't play well in the offensive zone in the second period but they played lockdown defense which gave Red Deer few chances. Jared Cowen continues to improve dramatically on defense, and rookie Brandon Kichton is showing signs of becoming an excellent defensive player. Stefan Ulmer and Trevor Glass are solid as usual, and even though Brett Bartman has made a few mistakes lately his overall play has gotten better.
I also have to give rookie T.C. Cratsenberg props. Rookies don't get into fights often. Not only did Cratsenberg scrap but he took care of his fight business so well that I swear I saw Ryan Letts tear up on the bench like a proud Papa. Baldwin (another rookie) also got into a scrap with Red Deer brawler Cody Esposito and managed not to get his face caved in. It's unusual to see fights in the second period with the score only 2-0, especially against a team you see only once a year. Either way, the scoreboard showed 2-0 Chiefs. I'll Take it. With the win the Chiefs pull back into a first place with Tri-City in the U.S. Division.
The Chiefs get Thursday off then it's Portland on Friday. Then it's Tri-City in a huge game on S-A-TUR-DAY....NIGHT! Make sure you wear red for that game.
Go Chiefs!
The Chiefs get another shutout win beating the Red Deer Rebels 2-0. What makes this a little different is that the Chiefs goalie was NOT Tokarski, but rookie goalie James Reid instead, who notched his second win and first shutout of the season. The only scoring in the game came in the first period from Levko Koper and Mitch Wahl (actually Koper's goal was an own goal knocked in by Red Deer Goalie Darcy Kuemper). The Chiefs didn't play well in the offensive zone in the second period but they played lockdown defense which gave Red Deer few chances. Jared Cowen continues to improve dramatically on defense, and rookie Brandon Kichton is showing signs of becoming an excellent defensive player. Stefan Ulmer and Trevor Glass are solid as usual, and even though Brett Bartman has made a few mistakes lately his overall play has gotten better.
I also have to give rookie T.C. Cratsenberg props. Rookies don't get into fights often. Not only did Cratsenberg scrap but he took care of his fight business so well that I swear I saw Ryan Letts tear up on the bench like a proud Papa. Baldwin (another rookie) also got into a scrap with Red Deer brawler Cody Esposito and managed not to get his face caved in. It's unusual to see fights in the second period with the score only 2-0, especially against a team you see only once a year. Either way, the scoreboard showed 2-0 Chiefs. I'll Take it. With the win the Chiefs pull back into a first place with Tri-City in the U.S. Division.
The Chiefs get Thursday off then it's Portland on Friday. Then it's Tri-City in a huge game on S-A-TUR-DAY....NIGHT! Make sure you wear red for that game.
Go Chiefs!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
It's Time for the Levko Koper Show!
It finally happened.
I have been a Spokane Chiefs fan for over a dozen years now. Even though this is my first year with season tickets I would usually go to about ten games during the regular season. During all this time I have NEVER been present for a Chiefs hat trick. There have been many games where it almost happened; games where a Chief player would get two goals in the first only to be scoreless the rest of the way. I have been waiting for a loooooong time to see my hattie.
That wait ended tonight.
Levko Koper scored two goals in the first period and added his third with 12 seconds left in the second to get his first career hattie as the Chiefs beat Kootenay 5-1. The other two goals were brought to us by Mitch Wahl (glad to see Mitch playing well again). Ryan Letts added two assists and Tokarski was stellar as usual between the pipes.
This was one of the best performances from the Chiefs so far, and it was a great way to start a five game home stand. The defense was solid. Jared Cowen showed just why he will be a top 10 pick in next years NHL draft. I really enjoyed watching Kootenay players try and knock down Cowen only to watch them drop to the ice (next time try running into a brick wall - it will hurt less). Their fore checking was solid, and the passing was better. Ryan Letts made a pass to assist on Koper's first goal that was so sweet I spent several minutes trying to pick my jaw up off the floor (in my defence the floor was sticky). The Johnson - Koper - Letts continues to play great together. I'm very impressed with how well Ryan Letts has played on that line while filling in for the injured Justin McCrae. I'll also give props to Kootenay for not wanting to fight Letts. After all, an angry Ryan Letts makes people flee from the building in terror!
The Chiefs have three home games in four days next week, starting with Wednesday's game against Red Deer.
One more note: I didn't catch the name of the woman who sang the National Anthems for both countries, but BRING HER BACK! She was great! I get a little annoyed when someone sings the National Anthems like they are auditioning for American Idol. So whoever she is just have her sing them for the rest of the season.
Go Chiefs!
I have been a Spokane Chiefs fan for over a dozen years now. Even though this is my first year with season tickets I would usually go to about ten games during the regular season. During all this time I have NEVER been present for a Chiefs hat trick. There have been many games where it almost happened; games where a Chief player would get two goals in the first only to be scoreless the rest of the way. I have been waiting for a loooooong time to see my hattie.
That wait ended tonight.
Levko Koper scored two goals in the first period and added his third with 12 seconds left in the second to get his first career hattie as the Chiefs beat Kootenay 5-1. The other two goals were brought to us by Mitch Wahl (glad to see Mitch playing well again). Ryan Letts added two assists and Tokarski was stellar as usual between the pipes.
This was one of the best performances from the Chiefs so far, and it was a great way to start a five game home stand. The defense was solid. Jared Cowen showed just why he will be a top 10 pick in next years NHL draft. I really enjoyed watching Kootenay players try and knock down Cowen only to watch them drop to the ice (next time try running into a brick wall - it will hurt less). Their fore checking was solid, and the passing was better. Ryan Letts made a pass to assist on Koper's first goal that was so sweet I spent several minutes trying to pick my jaw up off the floor (in my defence the floor was sticky). The Johnson - Koper - Letts continues to play great together. I'm very impressed with how well Ryan Letts has played on that line while filling in for the injured Justin McCrae. I'll also give props to Kootenay for not wanting to fight Letts. After all, an angry Ryan Letts makes people flee from the building in terror!
The Chiefs have three home games in four days next week, starting with Wednesday's game against Red Deer.
One more note: I didn't catch the name of the woman who sang the National Anthems for both countries, but BRING HER BACK! She was great! I get a little annoyed when someone sings the National Anthems like they are auditioning for American Idol. So whoever she is just have her sing them for the rest of the season.
Go Chiefs!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Getting to know the Chiefs Part 2: Drayson Bowman
6' 0" 188lbs. Birthday: March 8th 1989 Home: Littleton, Colorado Position: LW
Drayson Bowman was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and raised in Littleton, Colorado. In 2003 Drayson and his family moved to Vancouver so he could play hockey in the bantam leagues. He was the first pick of the Spokane Chiefs (8th overall) in the 2004 bantam draft. He quickly made his presence with the Chiefs in the 06-07 season scoring 24 goals and 19 assists and earning rookie of the year honors. He was drafted in the third round by the Carolina Hurricanes (72nd overall) in the 2007 NHL draft. In the 07-08 season he led the Chiefs with 42 goals while adding 40 assists and was a +32. He was one of the biggest reasons for the success of the Chiefs in their Memorial Cup championship run, scoring in all five games the Chiefs played in the tournament, including a hat trick against Belleville in the first game and scoring the game winner against Kitchner in the championship. Hockey runs in the Bowman family as well: Drayson's little brother Collin also plays in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets.
If you want to see Drayson while he's in Spokane you better do it soon. Even though he is only 19 years old he is likely to get called up by the Hurricanes next season. He got a long look at camp and almost got the call this season. He did sign a three year contract with the Hurricanes over the summer, and it's not likely that they would make that kind of investment without calling him up. Ironically enough during his time with the 'Canes he shared a line with former Chief Ray Whitney, who was a member of the 90-91 Spokane Chiefs that also won the Memorial cup.
I completely expect that this will be Drayson's last season with the Spokane Chiefs. He will end up in the NHL and will flourish there. I know it's down the road a little, but I look forward to seeing Drayson playing in his first NHL all star game. That WILL happen.
On a sadder note and off subject: The Chiefs have taken Ondrej Roman off their active roster. He can still be added to their roster again if he gets back before January 10th. My emotions are all over the board on this so I'll say it again before I get cranky: FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!
Drayson Bowman was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and raised in Littleton, Colorado. In 2003 Drayson and his family moved to Vancouver so he could play hockey in the bantam leagues. He was the first pick of the Spokane Chiefs (8th overall) in the 2004 bantam draft. He quickly made his presence with the Chiefs in the 06-07 season scoring 24 goals and 19 assists and earning rookie of the year honors. He was drafted in the third round by the Carolina Hurricanes (72nd overall) in the 2007 NHL draft. In the 07-08 season he led the Chiefs with 42 goals while adding 40 assists and was a +32. He was one of the biggest reasons for the success of the Chiefs in their Memorial Cup championship run, scoring in all five games the Chiefs played in the tournament, including a hat trick against Belleville in the first game and scoring the game winner against Kitchner in the championship. Hockey runs in the Bowman family as well: Drayson's little brother Collin also plays in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets.
If you want to see Drayson while he's in Spokane you better do it soon. Even though he is only 19 years old he is likely to get called up by the Hurricanes next season. He got a long look at camp and almost got the call this season. He did sign a three year contract with the Hurricanes over the summer, and it's not likely that they would make that kind of investment without calling him up. Ironically enough during his time with the 'Canes he shared a line with former Chief Ray Whitney, who was a member of the 90-91 Spokane Chiefs that also won the Memorial cup.
I completely expect that this will be Drayson's last season with the Spokane Chiefs. He will end up in the NHL and will flourish there. I know it's down the road a little, but I look forward to seeing Drayson playing in his first NHL all star game. That WILL happen.
On a sadder note and off subject: The Chiefs have taken Ondrej Roman off their active roster. He can still be added to their roster again if he gets back before January 10th. My emotions are all over the board on this so I'll say it again before I get cranky: FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!
Monday, October 27, 2008
More thoughts on the weekend.
I thought I would elaborate more on what I saw at the games over the weekend.
Even thought the Chiefs beat Prince George, they didn't play up to the level that we are used to seeing so far this year. Lets face it: We would not have won Saturday if that had been Tri-City or Vancouver instead. Drayson Bowman and Mitch Wahl completely disappeared this weekend. Those two had back to back sub-par games. Especially Mitch, who was noticeably tired near the end of Saturday's game. Bowman looked frustrated and that translated into sloppy play. Hopefully a good week of practice will turn that around.
I'll give the Tyler Johnson - Levko Koper - Ryan Letts line a pass. Yes, they did make mistakes as well (especially in their passing). But at least that line was productive. Over the weekend Johnson has two goals and an assist. Koper had two goals. Letts had a goal and as assist. As a matter of fact if it wasn't for a goal by Dustin Donaghy with about thirty seconds left in Saturday's game against Prince George the Johnson line would have been responsible for all of the scoring over the weekend.
The Defense was also lackluster. I lost count of how many times they turned it over in their own zone. If Tokarski wasn't on his game we would have given up several more goals. Trevor Glass played decent on defense, but the other defensemen played below the level they are capable of. It probably didn't help that defensemen Jared Spurgeon didn't play over the weekend, and is on the injury report as a leg injury (by the way, I saw him walking around the arena Friday night with no crutches and no limp, so it doesn't appear serious).
It wasn't just the Chiefs that had on off weekend. I had choice things to say about the officials during both games. There were a lot of missed calls. Hey refs, learn what offsides is! Seriously. And you can't call tripping if the player just falls on his own! Even my dog knows what tripping is. So start calling the games right or Santa is putting you on the naughty list!
I believe we will have a good week of practice and this coming weekend we'll play much better. I can' imagine players like Bowman, Wahl, and the other veterans on the team having another bad weekend. The Chiefs are at Everett on Friday, then it's five straight games at home starting with Kootenay on Saturday.
Go Chiefs Go!!!
Even thought the Chiefs beat Prince George, they didn't play up to the level that we are used to seeing so far this year. Lets face it: We would not have won Saturday if that had been Tri-City or Vancouver instead. Drayson Bowman and Mitch Wahl completely disappeared this weekend. Those two had back to back sub-par games. Especially Mitch, who was noticeably tired near the end of Saturday's game. Bowman looked frustrated and that translated into sloppy play. Hopefully a good week of practice will turn that around.
I'll give the Tyler Johnson - Levko Koper - Ryan Letts line a pass. Yes, they did make mistakes as well (especially in their passing). But at least that line was productive. Over the weekend Johnson has two goals and an assist. Koper had two goals. Letts had a goal and as assist. As a matter of fact if it wasn't for a goal by Dustin Donaghy with about thirty seconds left in Saturday's game against Prince George the Johnson line would have been responsible for all of the scoring over the weekend.
The Defense was also lackluster. I lost count of how many times they turned it over in their own zone. If Tokarski wasn't on his game we would have given up several more goals. Trevor Glass played decent on defense, but the other defensemen played below the level they are capable of. It probably didn't help that defensemen Jared Spurgeon didn't play over the weekend, and is on the injury report as a leg injury (by the way, I saw him walking around the arena Friday night with no crutches and no limp, so it doesn't appear serious).
It wasn't just the Chiefs that had on off weekend. I had choice things to say about the officials during both games. There were a lot of missed calls. Hey refs, learn what offsides is! Seriously. And you can't call tripping if the player just falls on his own! Even my dog knows what tripping is. So start calling the games right or Santa is putting you on the naughty list!
I believe we will have a good week of practice and this coming weekend we'll play much better. I can' imagine players like Bowman, Wahl, and the other veterans on the team having another bad weekend. The Chiefs are at Everett on Friday, then it's five straight games at home starting with Kootenay on Saturday.
Go Chiefs Go!!!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Back on track
That's more like it!
The Spokane Chiefs rebounded from their loss Friday night to beat the Prince George Cougars 4-1. Spokane got the scoring off in the first period with a goal by Levko Koper. The score would remain 1-0 until the second period when the Cougars tied it up on a really sloppy turnover by Brett Bartman in front of their own net to give me the first Maalox moment of the season(Bartman, you were playing so well). Tyler Johnson put the Chiefs up for good in the third period with the assist from my favorite player Ryan Letts. Koper added an empty netter and then Dustin Donaghy put a sweet shot past the goalie to end the scoring: Chiefs 4, Cougars 1. With the win the Chiefs move back on top of Tri-City in the U.S. Division.
By the way, Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski gets two assists in the game. Dustin, are you trying to pad your point totals? I think he has four assists this season already. Also, the assist by Ryan Letts gives him six points for the season, which matches his total for last season. Go Letts!
On an added note, it was great to see Kevin Armstrong again. This was his first time back in Spokane since he was traded to Prince George in the off season. I'm also glad that he was given a very warm reception by the Chiefs fans. He was just as much a part of last season's Memorial Cup run as the rest of the Chiefs. There was even a nice little moment when the Chiefs presented him with his Memorial Cup championship ring. Way to go, Army!
No games until next Friday at Everett, then it's Saturday night at home against Kootenay. Also, thank you Spokane Chiefs for playing my Bay City Rollers clip. I'm glad it's back. Anyway, see everyone on S-A-TUR-DAY.....NIGHT!
The Spokane Chiefs rebounded from their loss Friday night to beat the Prince George Cougars 4-1. Spokane got the scoring off in the first period with a goal by Levko Koper. The score would remain 1-0 until the second period when the Cougars tied it up on a really sloppy turnover by Brett Bartman in front of their own net to give me the first Maalox moment of the season(Bartman, you were playing so well). Tyler Johnson put the Chiefs up for good in the third period with the assist from my favorite player Ryan Letts. Koper added an empty netter and then Dustin Donaghy put a sweet shot past the goalie to end the scoring: Chiefs 4, Cougars 1. With the win the Chiefs move back on top of Tri-City in the U.S. Division.
By the way, Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski gets two assists in the game. Dustin, are you trying to pad your point totals? I think he has four assists this season already. Also, the assist by Ryan Letts gives him six points for the season, which matches his total for last season. Go Letts!
On an added note, it was great to see Kevin Armstrong again. This was his first time back in Spokane since he was traded to Prince George in the off season. I'm also glad that he was given a very warm reception by the Chiefs fans. He was just as much a part of last season's Memorial Cup run as the rest of the Chiefs. There was even a nice little moment when the Chiefs presented him with his Memorial Cup championship ring. Way to go, Army!
No games until next Friday at Everett, then it's Saturday night at home against Kootenay. Also, thank you Spokane Chiefs for playing my Bay City Rollers clip. I'm glad it's back. Anyway, see everyone on S-A-TUR-DAY.....NIGHT!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Bad. Just plain bad.
The Spokane Chiefs entered Friday night leading the U.S. division. They would not finish that way.
The Chiefs played most of the first two periods flat and with little enthusiasm against the Seattle Thunderbirds. After a scoreless first period the Chiefs managed to get on the board when Tyler Johnson put one past the Goalie just before the end of the second period to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. Then my favorite player Ryan Letts added his fourth of the season to make the score 2-0 a minute into the third period. It looked like the Chiefs got things going again.
Then the wheels came off.
Seattle gets a quick goal to cut the lead in half, and then adds a shorthanded goal to tie the score at 2. Seattle continues to capitalize on the Chiefs sloppy play to add their third goal of the period with six minutes to play. They would not let up the rest of the way: Seattle 3, Spokane 2.
I can only hope that what I witnessed was the worst game the Chiefs will play all season. They continued to make mistake after mistake. It was only a matter of time before Seattle started scoring. Let's face it: Seattle was the better team Friday night.
Hopefully they will get their act together for Saturday night's game against Prince George.
The Chiefs played most of the first two periods flat and with little enthusiasm against the Seattle Thunderbirds. After a scoreless first period the Chiefs managed to get on the board when Tyler Johnson put one past the Goalie just before the end of the second period to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. Then my favorite player Ryan Letts added his fourth of the season to make the score 2-0 a minute into the third period. It looked like the Chiefs got things going again.
Then the wheels came off.
Seattle gets a quick goal to cut the lead in half, and then adds a shorthanded goal to tie the score at 2. Seattle continues to capitalize on the Chiefs sloppy play to add their third goal of the period with six minutes to play. They would not let up the rest of the way: Seattle 3, Spokane 2.
I can only hope that what I witnessed was the worst game the Chiefs will play all season. They continued to make mistake after mistake. It was only a matter of time before Seattle started scoring. Let's face it: Seattle was the better team Friday night.
Hopefully they will get their act together for Saturday night's game against Prince George.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Free Ondrej Roman: Part 2
It's not bad enough that I'm bummed that my beloved Philadelphia Flyers have gotten off to a rotten start, but I'm also bummed that Ondrej Roman is still not with the Chiefs. I really thought that he would be allowed to return once the NHL regular season started and he wouldn't be playing with the Dallas Stars, but obviously that's not the case.
From everything that I've gathered here's the situation: Ondrej Roman was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 2007 NHL draft, but has not yet been signed by the Stars. The IHF (International Hockey Federation) will get financial compensation from the Dallas Stars in the Stars sign Ondrej. But the IHF wants the Dallas Stars to pay them financial compensation as if Ondrej was already signed by the Stars. Dallas doesn't want to pay in case they decide not to sign Ondrej to a contract. So the IHF is holding up Ondrej in the Czech Republic until this situation gets resolved. Basically Ondrej is in the middle of a squabble between the Dallas Stars and the IHF. I should also note that this happened last year to Tri-City forward Petr Stoklasa, who is also from the Czech Republic (he was allowed back after the World Junior Championships, which are held in December).
Here's where I get worried: If Ondrej Roman is not back by January 10th the Chiefs can't add him to their roster. If this goes past January 10th then Ondrej would be staying in the Czech Republic the rest of the season, and possibly permanently. I really hope this gets resolved quickly. Ondrej's goal has always been to play in the NHL, and he definitely has the talent. I also want to be able to see him in the Chiefs jersey again, and if you haven't seen our power play this season we really need him. So I will say this every day until he comes back:
FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!!!!!
From everything that I've gathered here's the situation: Ondrej Roman was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 2007 NHL draft, but has not yet been signed by the Stars. The IHF (International Hockey Federation) will get financial compensation from the Dallas Stars in the Stars sign Ondrej. But the IHF wants the Dallas Stars to pay them financial compensation as if Ondrej was already signed by the Stars. Dallas doesn't want to pay in case they decide not to sign Ondrej to a contract. So the IHF is holding up Ondrej in the Czech Republic until this situation gets resolved. Basically Ondrej is in the middle of a squabble between the Dallas Stars and the IHF. I should also note that this happened last year to Tri-City forward Petr Stoklasa, who is also from the Czech Republic (he was allowed back after the World Junior Championships, which are held in December).
Here's where I get worried: If Ondrej Roman is not back by January 10th the Chiefs can't add him to their roster. If this goes past January 10th then Ondrej would be staying in the Czech Republic the rest of the season, and possibly permanently. I really hope this gets resolved quickly. Ondrej's goal has always been to play in the NHL, and he definitely has the talent. I also want to be able to see him in the Chiefs jersey again, and if you haven't seen our power play this season we really need him. So I will say this every day until he comes back:
FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!!!!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Getting to know the Chiefs Part 1: Ryan Letts
6'2" 215 lbs. Birthday: Feb. 15th, 1989 Home: Newport Beach, CA Position: RW
Ryan Letts was acquired by Spokane in a trade with the Calgary Hitmen in October 2007 for a sixth round draft pick. He quickly became a fan favorite when he got into a fight in his first game as a Chief against the Kamploops Blazers. He bacame known as a great fighter last season against the Chilliwack Bruins in a fight that was.....well.....incredibly one sided. He usually plays on the Chiefs fourth line but has been playing on the second line a lot this season with Tyler Johnson and Levko Koper due to a knee injury to Justin McCrae. He has gotten quicker over the summer and has improved his stick handling skills and works well on the second line. So far this season he has 3 goals and 1 assist and is a +5. He hasn't gotten into any fights this season, but I attribute that to the fact that no one wants to fight him anymore (Kyle Beach not fighting Letts a couple of weeks ago was probably the smartest thing he will do all season).
It might seem a little unusual to see a California boy so interested in hockey, but remember that Wayne Gretzky was traded from Edmonton to Los Angeles at the end of the 80's. Gretzky influenced a lot of kids in the Southern California area, including Letts. He wears #7 because it's a lucky number for him and it was the same number his dad wore. His favorite hockey team is the Aneheim Ducks (I suppose I can forgive him for that). Better yet, his favorite team is NOT the New York Rangers. You can tell he loves the game, he loves playing in Spokane, and he gets along great with his teammates, the fans, and the community as a whole. No wonder why he has become my favorite player this season.
I'll be doing these player profile posts from time to time to fill in the larger gaps between games so stay tuned.
Ryan Letts was acquired by Spokane in a trade with the Calgary Hitmen in October 2007 for a sixth round draft pick. He quickly became a fan favorite when he got into a fight in his first game as a Chief against the Kamploops Blazers. He bacame known as a great fighter last season against the Chilliwack Bruins in a fight that was.....well.....incredibly one sided. He usually plays on the Chiefs fourth line but has been playing on the second line a lot this season with Tyler Johnson and Levko Koper due to a knee injury to Justin McCrae. He has gotten quicker over the summer and has improved his stick handling skills and works well on the second line. So far this season he has 3 goals and 1 assist and is a +5. He hasn't gotten into any fights this season, but I attribute that to the fact that no one wants to fight him anymore (Kyle Beach not fighting Letts a couple of weeks ago was probably the smartest thing he will do all season).
It might seem a little unusual to see a California boy so interested in hockey, but remember that Wayne Gretzky was traded from Edmonton to Los Angeles at the end of the 80's. Gretzky influenced a lot of kids in the Southern California area, including Letts. He wears #7 because it's a lucky number for him and it was the same number his dad wore. His favorite hockey team is the Aneheim Ducks (I suppose I can forgive him for that). Better yet, his favorite team is NOT the New York Rangers. You can tell he loves the game, he loves playing in Spokane, and he gets along great with his teammates, the fans, and the community as a whole. No wonder why he has become my favorite player this season.
I'll be doing these player profile posts from time to time to fill in the larger gaps between games so stay tuned.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Losing to Tri makes me very angry!
What's a team gotta do to win a shootout here?
Spokane lost to Tri-City 3-2 in an overtime shootout down in Tri-City. The only Chiefs goals came in the first period courtesy of Dustin Donaghy and Mitch Wahl, who made this crazy spin move to free himself in front of the net (think Michael Jackson in the 'Thriller' video). Tri-City matched our goals with one in the first and one in the second. No overtime goal so we ended up in a shootout, which we lost for the third time this year.
This leads me to my shootout point: How come we can't win a shootout? We've been involved in three so far this year, and lost all three. Watching on TV it really looked like the guys were out of sorts, especially Mitch Wahl. It appeared like he didn't know what he wanted to against Pickard, and when facing a goalie as good as Chet Pickard you better have a plan. I know he can do it. I've seen him make incredible moves on goalies in breakaways during games. They also struggled at this last season. Hopefully coach Sauter will drill them more on shootouts. If we're going to finish on top of the U.S. division we need to win a few of those. At least we earned a point out of it, which puts our point streak at 11 games. And we are still three points ahead of Tri-City in the standings, so there is a silver lining of sorts.
No more games until Friday when Seattle comes calling. Then a home game against Prince George on S-A-TUR-DAY....NIGHT! Speaking of that: Hey Chiefs organization. I noticed you're not playing my Bay City Rollers song anymore on Saturday nights. Why you gotta be like that? I really missing hearing it.......S-A-TUR-DAY....NIGHT!!!!
Spokane lost to Tri-City 3-2 in an overtime shootout down in Tri-City. The only Chiefs goals came in the first period courtesy of Dustin Donaghy and Mitch Wahl, who made this crazy spin move to free himself in front of the net (think Michael Jackson in the 'Thriller' video). Tri-City matched our goals with one in the first and one in the second. No overtime goal so we ended up in a shootout, which we lost for the third time this year.
This leads me to my shootout point: How come we can't win a shootout? We've been involved in three so far this year, and lost all three. Watching on TV it really looked like the guys were out of sorts, especially Mitch Wahl. It appeared like he didn't know what he wanted to against Pickard, and when facing a goalie as good as Chet Pickard you better have a plan. I know he can do it. I've seen him make incredible moves on goalies in breakaways during games. They also struggled at this last season. Hopefully coach Sauter will drill them more on shootouts. If we're going to finish on top of the U.S. division we need to win a few of those. At least we earned a point out of it, which puts our point streak at 11 games. And we are still three points ahead of Tri-City in the standings, so there is a silver lining of sorts.
No more games until Friday when Seattle comes calling. Then a home game against Prince George on S-A-TUR-DAY....NIGHT! Speaking of that: Hey Chiefs organization. I noticed you're not playing my Bay City Rollers song anymore on Saturday nights. Why you gotta be like that? I really missing hearing it.......S-A-TUR-DAY....NIGHT!!!!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Different team, same result.
We sure do play great at home this year!
The Spokane Chiefs beat the Kamploops Blazers Friday night 5-2 to maintain their four point lead over Tri-City in the U.S. division. Spokane has earned at least one point in their last 10 games. Seth Compton started the scoring off for the Chiefs in the first period followed by a goal by Tyler Johnson just a couple minutes later. Drayson Bowman scored in the second and then again early in the third to put the game out of reach for Kamploops. Jared Cowen added a sweet wrister later in the third to finish the scoring (Cowen has a pretty good shot for a defensemen). My guy Ryan Letts didn't get a goal but did assist on the Tyler Johnson goal to give him four points on the season (he had no goals and six assists last season). Before the game the Chiefs received their championship rings from the Memorial Cup. Very nice! If only Ondrej Roman was here for it. FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!
Spokane is a perfect 5 for 5 at home this year, outscoring the opponents 24-5! I'm loving the crowds this year and how loud and rowdy we all are. It's been a fun atmosphere and I expect it to continue all season. My voice is finally starting to get used to all the shouting I do at the games.
I think Drayson Bowman's new nickname should be 'Houdini'. Every game he makes these ridiculously good plays that make the opposing team's coaches bring out the pepto-bismol. You get the feeling that when he has the puck he's going to deke everyone on the ice, on the bench, and the drunk fans in section 214. I have to think the other teams' coaches have to be saying things like this in the locker room: "OK, guys. See the guy in the red jersey with the number 27 on the back? Someone seriously needs to pick him up once in a while." I think we'll have another nickname for him at the end of the season....MVP!!!
Saturday night the Chiefs have a HUGE game at Tri-City. It's on channel 78 for those in the Spokane area that have cable. Next home game is next Friday against Seattle.
Go Chiefs!
The Spokane Chiefs beat the Kamploops Blazers Friday night 5-2 to maintain their four point lead over Tri-City in the U.S. division. Spokane has earned at least one point in their last 10 games. Seth Compton started the scoring off for the Chiefs in the first period followed by a goal by Tyler Johnson just a couple minutes later. Drayson Bowman scored in the second and then again early in the third to put the game out of reach for Kamploops. Jared Cowen added a sweet wrister later in the third to finish the scoring (Cowen has a pretty good shot for a defensemen). My guy Ryan Letts didn't get a goal but did assist on the Tyler Johnson goal to give him four points on the season (he had no goals and six assists last season). Before the game the Chiefs received their championship rings from the Memorial Cup. Very nice! If only Ondrej Roman was here for it. FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!
Spokane is a perfect 5 for 5 at home this year, outscoring the opponents 24-5! I'm loving the crowds this year and how loud and rowdy we all are. It's been a fun atmosphere and I expect it to continue all season. My voice is finally starting to get used to all the shouting I do at the games.
I think Drayson Bowman's new nickname should be 'Houdini'. Every game he makes these ridiculously good plays that make the opposing team's coaches bring out the pepto-bismol. You get the feeling that when he has the puck he's going to deke everyone on the ice, on the bench, and the drunk fans in section 214. I have to think the other teams' coaches have to be saying things like this in the locker room: "OK, guys. See the guy in the red jersey with the number 27 on the back? Someone seriously needs to pick him up once in a while." I think we'll have another nickname for him at the end of the season....MVP!!!
Saturday night the Chiefs have a HUGE game at Tri-City. It's on channel 78 for those in the Spokane area that have cable. Next home game is next Friday against Seattle.
Go Chiefs!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Rack up another one!
They just keep rollin' rollin' rollin' on!
The Chiefs continued their winning ways by posting a 5-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks Wednesday night. Rookie goalie James Reid got the start and posted his first win, stopping 30 of 32 shots. The Chiefs also continued their unselfish play as they scored five goals from five different players for the third time this year. Levko Koper started the scoring in the first period. The second period saw Drayson Bowman deke three players at once and put the puck past the goalie (Bowman, I'm glad Carolina sent you back, but how on earth are you not playing in the NHL right now? Carolina needs their head examined). Spokane added three more goals in the third by David Conrad, Mitch Wahl, and an empty netter by Blake Gal. No Ryan Letts goal this game, which ends his goal scoring streak at 2 (I'm calling my shot, he scores a goal at Tri-City this weekend). This makes the Chiefs 4 for 4 at home so far this season, scoring a total of 19 goals while giving up only three.
I also must note that even though rookie defensemen Brett Bartman didn't get a point tonight he finished the game with a +1. That puts him at +15 for the season, which leads the WHL. Are you kidding? +15 already? The season isn't even a month old yet! Also, he's a rookie! This kid is becoming a freak on ice very quickly. It's going to be fun watching him this season.
Unlike Tri-Stinky or Everett, it's kind of hard for me to pick on Portland, as that team has not only been terrible over the past few years, but also poorly run. That might be changing soon as the WHL announced today that they approved the sale of the Portland Winterhawks. They will remain in Portland, as that was in the agreement of the sale. I hope this turns things around in Portland. It's more fun to hate on teams when they're not terrible. After all, look at how fun it is playing Tri-City now that they don't stink all the time.
Next game is Friday night when we host the Kamploops Blazers. It's also the game where the Chiefs get their championship rings from the Memorial Cup. So get there early and remember to brush up on the Canadian National Anthem!
The Chiefs continued their winning ways by posting a 5-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks Wednesday night. Rookie goalie James Reid got the start and posted his first win, stopping 30 of 32 shots. The Chiefs also continued their unselfish play as they scored five goals from five different players for the third time this year. Levko Koper started the scoring in the first period. The second period saw Drayson Bowman deke three players at once and put the puck past the goalie (Bowman, I'm glad Carolina sent you back, but how on earth are you not playing in the NHL right now? Carolina needs their head examined). Spokane added three more goals in the third by David Conrad, Mitch Wahl, and an empty netter by Blake Gal. No Ryan Letts goal this game, which ends his goal scoring streak at 2 (I'm calling my shot, he scores a goal at Tri-City this weekend). This makes the Chiefs 4 for 4 at home so far this season, scoring a total of 19 goals while giving up only three.
I also must note that even though rookie defensemen Brett Bartman didn't get a point tonight he finished the game with a +1. That puts him at +15 for the season, which leads the WHL. Are you kidding? +15 already? The season isn't even a month old yet! Also, he's a rookie! This kid is becoming a freak on ice very quickly. It's going to be fun watching him this season.
Unlike Tri-Stinky or Everett, it's kind of hard for me to pick on Portland, as that team has not only been terrible over the past few years, but also poorly run. That might be changing soon as the WHL announced today that they approved the sale of the Portland Winterhawks. They will remain in Portland, as that was in the agreement of the sale. I hope this turns things around in Portland. It's more fun to hate on teams when they're not terrible. After all, look at how fun it is playing Tri-City now that they don't stink all the time.
Next game is Friday night when we host the Kamploops Blazers. It's also the game where the Chiefs get their championship rings from the Memorial Cup. So get there early and remember to brush up on the Canadian National Anthem!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Never stop beating the Everett Silvertips!
If the Chiefs keep playing like this at home this could be the best season ever!
After spotting Everett an early goal in the first the Chiefs scored three in the second and two in the third to beat the Silvertips 5-1. The Chiefs continue to be both impressive and unselfish on offense as the five goals were scored by five different players. Dustin Donaghy started the scoring off for the Chiefs in the second period to tie the score at 1. Then Ryan Letts continued to be a goal scoring maniac by getting his third goal in two games to put the Chiefs up for good. Rookie David Conrad netted his first goal as a Chief to finish the scoring in the second. The Third period scoring started with Drayson Bowman to make the score 4-1 (in case you missed him Everett, Bowman was that big red blur that blew past your whole defense). The final goal came from rookie Mike Betz, who also netted his first career goal as a Chief.
Near the end of the game we were all reminded why we hate Kyle Beach so much when he started a fight with Drayson Bowman by attacking him from behind. Beach also tried to start something with Tyler Johnson earlier in the second period until Ryan Letts stepped in. Further proof that 'friends don't let friends fight Ryan Letts'!
The Chiefs are still in first place in the U.S. division, two points ahead of Tri-City (I also refer to them as Tri-Stinky). Next up is Portland on Wednesday night. Spokane is unbeaten in three home games so far this year, scoring fourteen goals while only giving up the lone goal against Everett, which was a rebound of the back wall that bounced so freakishly weird that my former high school physics teacher would have passed out trying to explain the physics of it.
Also, I noticed that Drayson Bowman is now sporting an 'A' on his jersey (alternate captain). At the start of the season the alternate captains were Justin McCrae and Seth Compton. McCrae hurt his knee worse than originally thought and now he is out indefinitely. Bowman should be alternate captain until McCrae is healthy. Now if we can only get a captain named....
After spotting Everett an early goal in the first the Chiefs scored three in the second and two in the third to beat the Silvertips 5-1. The Chiefs continue to be both impressive and unselfish on offense as the five goals were scored by five different players. Dustin Donaghy started the scoring off for the Chiefs in the second period to tie the score at 1. Then Ryan Letts continued to be a goal scoring maniac by getting his third goal in two games to put the Chiefs up for good. Rookie David Conrad netted his first goal as a Chief to finish the scoring in the second. The Third period scoring started with Drayson Bowman to make the score 4-1 (in case you missed him Everett, Bowman was that big red blur that blew past your whole defense). The final goal came from rookie Mike Betz, who also netted his first career goal as a Chief.
Near the end of the game we were all reminded why we hate Kyle Beach so much when he started a fight with Drayson Bowman by attacking him from behind. Beach also tried to start something with Tyler Johnson earlier in the second period until Ryan Letts stepped in. Further proof that 'friends don't let friends fight Ryan Letts'!
The Chiefs are still in first place in the U.S. division, two points ahead of Tri-City (I also refer to them as Tri-Stinky). Next up is Portland on Wednesday night. Spokane is unbeaten in three home games so far this year, scoring fourteen goals while only giving up the lone goal against Everett, which was a rebound of the back wall that bounced so freakishly weird that my former high school physics teacher would have passed out trying to explain the physics of it.
Also, I noticed that Drayson Bowman is now sporting an 'A' on his jersey (alternate captain). At the start of the season the alternate captains were Justin McCrae and Seth Compton. McCrae hurt his knee worse than originally thought and now he is out indefinitely. Bowman should be alternate captain until McCrae is healthy. Now if we can only get a captain named....
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Ryan Letts. 'Nuff said.
I have waited for a long time to be able to say this: RYAN LETTS IS A GOAL SCORING MACHINE!!!!! I watched Ryan Letts all last year, playing on the fourth line, doing his job wearing the other teams down, getting into fights that he always won. But I wanted to see him score a goal so badly. There were several times last year he came so close it was almost heartbreaking. Even though he tried like crazy, he never did get that first goal last year.
Fast forward to this year: I watched him at training camp, and I noticed a different Ryan Letts. The attitude was still there, but he had adopted a different style of play. He slimmed down a little and added some muscle over the summer. He has gotten faster going up and down the ice and gets to the puck quickly. His stick handling has also improved, as he controls the puck well. He has also gotten smarter. He is getting better at reading his linemates and knowing exactly where he needs to be on the ice at any given time. Seeing all these changes gave me confidence that this year that the Ryan Letts goals would happen.
Then, it happened: They were in Portland Friday night. Ryan Letts gets.....not one.......but TWO GOALS! I was so happy for him! I was only wishing that the goals happened at home and not on the road. But he wasn't finished. Playing Everett at home on Saturday night he gets another goal, which turned out to be the game winner! Three goals in two games! This is better than I ever thought it would be.
I think Ryan Letts just became my new favorite player. I was Ralphie from the movie 'A Christmas Story', and the Letts goals were my Red Ryder BB Gun! I really hope he keep up the excellent work. He has definitely arrived, and has every right to be proud.
Fast forward to this year: I watched him at training camp, and I noticed a different Ryan Letts. The attitude was still there, but he had adopted a different style of play. He slimmed down a little and added some muscle over the summer. He has gotten faster going up and down the ice and gets to the puck quickly. His stick handling has also improved, as he controls the puck well. He has also gotten smarter. He is getting better at reading his linemates and knowing exactly where he needs to be on the ice at any given time. Seeing all these changes gave me confidence that this year that the Ryan Letts goals would happen.
Then, it happened: They were in Portland Friday night. Ryan Letts gets.....not one.......but TWO GOALS! I was so happy for him! I was only wishing that the goals happened at home and not on the road. But he wasn't finished. Playing Everett at home on Saturday night he gets another goal, which turned out to be the game winner! Three goals in two games! This is better than I ever thought it would be.
I think Ryan Letts just became my new favorite player. I was Ralphie from the movie 'A Christmas Story', and the Letts goals were my Red Ryder BB Gun! I really hope he keep up the excellent work. He has definitely arrived, and has every right to be proud.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Tyler Johnson is getting noticed
For all of those Tyler Johnson fans out there (and I know there are lots), Shawn Roarke from nhl.com wrote a sweet article about Tyler Johnson that's worth checking out. I'll say it right now: Tyler Johnson will end up playing in the NHL someday. Bank it now. As far as his size goes, Danny Briere of my beloved Philadelphia Flyers is under 6 feet. So is Saku Koivu. And Martin St. Louis from the Tampa Bay Lightning is listed at 5'9" (that's what they list him at....he looks smaller) and he knows how to make goalies look stupid.
Chiefs host Everett tomorrow. Hope to see a good crowd!
Chiefs host Everett tomorrow. Hope to see a good crowd!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Back to back weekend
Alright, Chiefs fans!
Spokane has back to back games this weekend. They'll be at Portland on Friday and home against Everett on Saturday. If you need more incentive to go to the game on Saturday, I'll point out that Kyle Beach is back playing with Everett and should be there for us to hate on. I'm there and I'm bringing a whole bag of 'I hate Kyle Beach' with me. If only Chris Bruton were there....ah, the memories!!
Spokane has back to back games this weekend. They'll be at Portland on Friday and home against Everett on Saturday. If you need more incentive to go to the game on Saturday, I'll point out that Kyle Beach is back playing with Everett and should be there for us to hate on. I'm there and I'm bringing a whole bag of 'I hate Kyle Beach' with me. If only Chris Bruton were there....ah, the memories!!
Can you feel it?
There's something definitely in the air. It always comes around this time of year, and I'm not talking about the change in the weather. It's the feeling that makes me turn to channel 31 (Versus network) when I normally don't care what's on that channel. It's the feeling that makes me watch my DVD's of 'Slap Shot' and 'Miracle' back to back, and even 'Mystery, Alaska' on occasion. It's the feeling that makes me want to play the latest NHL video game I own (by the way, it's NHL 2K9 on the Wii - and it is awesome)! The feeling is HOCKEY, and I mean ALL HOCKEY!!! The NHL is back, televised on Versus. Back to back NHL games on TV to start the season makes me happy. Hockey is back in full and I am loving it!
By the way, I saw that Sarah Palin is dropping the puck at the home opener of my beloved Philadelphia Flyers. If they have a bad season I am blaming her!
By the way, I saw that Sarah Palin is dropping the puck at the home opener of my beloved Philadelphia Flyers. If they have a bad season I am blaming her!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Oh Captain My Captain?
So what's taking so long?
In case you haven't noticed the Chiefs still don't have a captain. Since the whole team's back (minus Ondrej) I'm not sure what the holdup is. I figured they were waiting to see what was going to happen with Falk before they made a decision. Now that he's gone there should be a decision soon. So who's it gonna be? My guess is Seth Compton. He's a 20 year old and has been with the Chiefs longer than anyone else on the team right now. I suppose Bowman has a shot at it, as does McCrae or Trevor Glass. Whoever it is, pick a captain already! I would like to see someone with a 'C' on his jersey before the teddy bear toss game. Out.
In case you haven't noticed the Chiefs still don't have a captain. Since the whole team's back (minus Ondrej) I'm not sure what the holdup is. I figured they were waiting to see what was going to happen with Falk before they made a decision. Now that he's gone there should be a decision soon. So who's it gonna be? My guess is Seth Compton. He's a 20 year old and has been with the Chiefs longer than anyone else on the team right now. I suppose Bowman has a shot at it, as does McCrae or Trevor Glass. Whoever it is, pick a captain already! I would like to see someone with a 'C' on his jersey before the teddy bear toss game. Out.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Grrrrrrrrr!!!
Well, the Chiefs lost to Seattle 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday. I know the Chiefs can't win them all......but Seattle? Really? The T-birds might actually be worse than Portland this year. On top of that it was their first win of the season.
I know I could easily come up with the excuses: The Chiefs played four games in five days, Ondrej Roman is still gone, Justin McCrae is out with a knee injury, Tyler Johnson didn't play after he got hurt in Friday's game, Justin Falk is gone (signed with Minnesota), they were on the road, etc. Still, it was Seattle. Did you see what Vancouver did to them? Oh, well. I've seen worse loses before, just don't let it happen again.
At least they can rest up for a few days. Their next game is Friday against Portland.
On a happier note the sweet Mitch Wahl goal against Everett in which he beat basically their whole team is on youtube if you feel the need to see it again. Seeing that goal puts me in my happy place!
I know I could easily come up with the excuses: The Chiefs played four games in five days, Ondrej Roman is still gone, Justin McCrae is out with a knee injury, Tyler Johnson didn't play after he got hurt in Friday's game, Justin Falk is gone (signed with Minnesota), they were on the road, etc. Still, it was Seattle. Did you see what Vancouver did to them? Oh, well. I've seen worse loses before, just don't let it happen again.
At least they can rest up for a few days. Their next game is Friday against Portland.
On a happier note the sweet Mitch Wahl goal against Everett in which he beat basically their whole team is on youtube if you feel the need to see it again. Seeing that goal puts me in my happy place!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thanks for Coming, Everett!
Wow!
I believe I said in my last post that tonight's game with Everett would be a good one. I really thought Everett would keep it close. Boy, did I miss that one! The Chiefs smacked the Tips around for 60 minutes, winning by the score of 5-0. Tokarski stopped 30 shots on his way to his third shutout this season (I put the shutout over/under for Toka at 12 for this season). The goals went to Cowen, Johnson, Bowman, Gal, and Mitch Wahl, who worked his way through three Everett defenders and beat the goalie on what could be called an early goal of the year candidate. Two home games, two shutouts. I'm loving this!
Note to anyone who plays the Spokane Chiefs in Spokane this year: You come, you get beat, you go home. End of story.
I believe I said in my last post that tonight's game with Everett would be a good one. I really thought Everett would keep it close. Boy, did I miss that one! The Chiefs smacked the Tips around for 60 minutes, winning by the score of 5-0. Tokarski stopped 30 shots on his way to his third shutout this season (I put the shutout over/under for Toka at 12 for this season). The goals went to Cowen, Johnson, Bowman, Gal, and Mitch Wahl, who worked his way through three Everett defenders and beat the goalie on what could be called an early goal of the year candidate. Two home games, two shutouts. I'm loving this!
Note to anyone who plays the Spokane Chiefs in Spokane this year: You come, you get beat, you go home. End of story.
Welcome back Trevor Glass!
OK Chiefs Fans!
I know Spokane plays Everett in less than five hours from when I type this but the Chiefs announced earlier today that Trevor Glass is back in Spokane after his tryout with the Rockford Ice Hogs. He should suit up for tonight's game. I'm glad he's back, and a little suprised as well. I thought he would sign with Rockford, as that is where former Chiefs head coach Bill Peters coaches.
Also, Justin Falk signed an entry level contract with Minnesota. Falk is one of only two Chiefs not in Spokane, the other being Ondrej Roman (see earlier post on him).
Everett's in town tonight. Ought to be a good one. Go Chiefs!
I know Spokane plays Everett in less than five hours from when I type this but the Chiefs announced earlier today that Trevor Glass is back in Spokane after his tryout with the Rockford Ice Hogs. He should suit up for tonight's game. I'm glad he's back, and a little suprised as well. I thought he would sign with Rockford, as that is where former Chiefs head coach Bill Peters coaches.
Also, Justin Falk signed an entry level contract with Minnesota. Falk is one of only two Chiefs not in Spokane, the other being Ondrej Roman (see earlier post on him).
Everett's in town tonight. Ought to be a good one. Go Chiefs!
Free Ondrej Roman!
Enough already!!!
I want Ondrej Roman in a Spokane Chiefs jersey now! This has gone on long enough! If you don't know yet, Ondrej is still in the Czech Republic waiting for his release. The NHL and the Czech Republic Hockey Federation are in a dispute and Ondrej is caught in the middle. C'mon people, get over your petty differences and release him so he can come back to Spokane and do what he does best: making Tri-City look bad. I know this is junior hockey, and that players are rarely here for more than a few years, but this is the product of a disptue between stubborn organizations that can't come to an agreement.
Attention NHL and the Czech Republic Hockey Federation: Get this done!
FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!
I want Ondrej Roman in a Spokane Chiefs jersey now! This has gone on long enough! If you don't know yet, Ondrej is still in the Czech Republic waiting for his release. The NHL and the Czech Republic Hockey Federation are in a dispute and Ondrej is caught in the middle. C'mon people, get over your petty differences and release him so he can come back to Spokane and do what he does best: making Tri-City look bad. I know this is junior hockey, and that players are rarely here for more than a few years, but this is the product of a disptue between stubborn organizations that can't come to an agreement.
Attention NHL and the Czech Republic Hockey Federation: Get this done!
FREE ONDREJ ROMAN!!!!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Spokane Chiefs Forever!
Hello and welcome!
My name is Rick (some know me as Hitch) and this is my blog dedicated to hockey, all hockey, and nothing but hockey. I am a season ticket holder for the Spokane Chiefs (you might remember them, they are the current junior hockey Memorial Cup champions and the ones who were holding the cup when it fell apart in their hands). The Chiefs are without question my favorite hockey team on any level. Go Chiefs Go!!
I have favorites in other leagues. My favorite team in the NHL is the Philadelphia Flyers (if you like the New York Rangers, don't even think of coming here). I also follow the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL), the Saginaw Spirit (OHL) and will be following the Fresno Falcons (ECHL) this year.
This blog will be primarily about the Spokane Chiefs, and the teams they play against in the WHL. Speaking of which, they play Everett Friday. I'll be there, Chiefs jersey and all!
Go Chiefs Go!
My name is Rick (some know me as Hitch) and this is my blog dedicated to hockey, all hockey, and nothing but hockey. I am a season ticket holder for the Spokane Chiefs (you might remember them, they are the current junior hockey Memorial Cup champions and the ones who were holding the cup when it fell apart in their hands). The Chiefs are without question my favorite hockey team on any level. Go Chiefs Go!!
I have favorites in other leagues. My favorite team in the NHL is the Philadelphia Flyers (if you like the New York Rangers, don't even think of coming here). I also follow the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL), the Saginaw Spirit (OHL) and will be following the Fresno Falcons (ECHL) this year.
This blog will be primarily about the Spokane Chiefs, and the teams they play against in the WHL. Speaking of which, they play Everett Friday. I'll be there, Chiefs jersey and all!
Go Chiefs Go!
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About Me
- Hitch
- This is my dog Wembley, She likes car rides, being with people, and does a really good cute face.