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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!