Chiefs trade D for O
The Spokane Chiefs have traded two defensemen for offense.
Below is our unedited story, which leads off the notebook that will appear in tomorrow's newspaper and then there are some addition comments on the trade. We posted the initial news earlier, which also includes a history lesson - Chiefs Chris Bruton KO'd new Chief Kyle Beach a few years back. There is also more information on the Hurricanes' blog. And there's this quick note calling the trade a win-win.
Two games into the Western Hockey League season the Spokane Chiefs rolled the dice.
The Chiefs sent veteran Michael Reddington, 19, and rookie Landon
Oslanski, 17, to
“It’s necessary with the numbers we had on D,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. “We were going to be moving young guys to play at lower levels, which I don’t think is right if they’re ready to play, which they’ve proven they are. We had to open up some room. Any time when you’ve got young guys pushing old guys it’s a great situation and yet it makes for an unhappy situation for some players.”
Beach, a former first-round Bantam pick and the WHL Rookie of the Year with Everett in 2007, has 187 points (80 goals) in 179 career games and was taken 11th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2008 NHL Draft. But the 6-foot-3, 210-pound left wing has also amassed 583 penalty minutes in his three seasons.
“We view it as a competitor, as an intense individual and an energetic person,” Chiefs coach Hardy Sauter said. “We’re hoping we can channel that at times a little differently. We don’t foresee any problems at all.”
The Chiefs return seven of their eight defensemen from last season when they led the league with fewest goals allowed but had several young players waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, one of their major concerns was scoring.
“When we decided we were had to trade a D, we looked at our needs and said we wanted a top six forward and we also wanted to get bigger,” Spletz said. “We got a top three forward who is as big and as physical a forward as we have in our league. … I don’t think we were tricking anybody with the players we gave up but we knew to acquire a player of this stature, we were going to have to give up good players as well.”
Beach should arrive before practice today and Sauter said with
two practices before Saturday’s home opener against
“We’ll see how that jells on the ice,” Suater said. “It probably won’t be perfect Saturday night but any time you add a player that has that much hockey sense, he’s going to find his way around and make good plays. … We feel like we’ve made our team better right now. In the future, time will tell.”
More than goals will determine that.
“Kyle will start here with a clean slate,” Spletz said. “He’s
older, he’s more mature. I think he wants to do the right things. We’re
comfortable he wants to be a pro. I think he understands now after being at two
camps with
“I’m comfortable with the leadership in our room he’s going to
know the expectations in
The Chiefs are celebrating their 25th season in the WHL with numerous promotions. It starts with the home opener, when fans receive a commemorative puck.
Beginning Oct. 10 fans can help select the Top 25 Chiefs in 25 Years. Voting can be on on-line at the Chiefs’ website or at the Arena.
Any players who get into a fight better get down to business.
The WHL has adopted new rules about fights: No pre-fight “posturing” and “preening;” no removal of helmets; no fighting immediately after a faceoff; and no throwing an opponent to the ice during a fight.
The fallout is likely to be more bruised hands from hitting helmets but should have little affect on the game.
Tri-City is the first visitor to the Arena for the 18th time in
20 seasons. The Americans drew 4,812 for their home opener last weekend, a 7-1
win over defending WHL champion
Spletz: "For Michael Reddington this will be good because he’ll go where he’s going to be one the of the top two guys, if not the top guy. Hopefully he’ll get some of the recognition he deserves and arguably hasn’t gotten since he’s been here. Not that he hasn’t been good, he’s been excellent, but he sure hasn’t got as much recognition. ... (Landon Oslanski) is a good player, no question about it. It was probably going to have a be a rotation. Ossy’s going to be a real good player, I don’t think we were tricking anybody with the players we gave up but we knew to acquire a player of this stature, we were going to have to give up good players as well."
Sauter: "We gave up a very good defensemen in Michael Reddington, we gave up what we think is going to be a very good defenseman in Landon Oslanski. But we needed what we thought was a top-end forward and that was the price."