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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Hitch
- This is my dog Wembley, She likes car rides, being with people, and does a really good cute face.