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.