The Spokane Chiefs veterans are in town and going through fitness testing as we write. Rookies report Wednesday and the Western Hockey League team's training camp begins Thursday. The Red-White game is Sunday afternoon at 1. (As soon as I get the rosters I'll post or link them.)

To celebrate the return of hockey, a couple of notes on former Chiefs are below.

From Gregg Drinnan's blog on former Chiefs captain Trent Whitfield: F Trent Whitfield (Spokane, 1993-98) is expected to be sidelined until at least February after undergoing surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. Mark Divver, the Providence Journal’s assistant sports editor, reports that Whitfield, 33, suffered the injury while running on Aug. 13. He had surgery on Wednesday. Whitfield, a former Spokane captain, was the captain of the AHL’s Providence Bruins last season. He had 43 points in 52 games in Providence, and picked up one assist in 16 games with the parent Boston Bruins.

From John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Herald.

Tokarski revisits Prince Albert roots

Dustin Tokarski spent two years in Prince Albert, stopping pucks for the Mintos. He made 61 saves in the triple-overtime final in 2006 to lead Prince Albert to the first of back-to-back Telus Cup national midget hockey championships.

The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect was back at the Art Hauser Centre this week as an instructor for Kelly Guard’s goaltending school.

Unlike his days with the Mintos, Tokarski was shooting pucks during his return to Prince Albert. Along with other instructors, he challenged young goaltenders and experienced the other side of breakaways. 

“It’s a blast,” Tokarski said between sessions Wednesday afternoon. “The funnest part about it is to be able to dangle around a bit.”

So, who’s the better shooter between Tokarski and Prince Albert Raiders graduate Garrett Zemlak, one of the other goalies instructing this week?

“I’d say it’s nip and tuck,” Tokarski said with a smile. “He’s got a better shot, but I think I might have a little bit better hands.”

Asked the same question, Zemlak reacted as quickly as would any goalie with good reflexes.

“Oh, me,” he quipped. “Big time. Just wait. You’ve got to watch the breakaway competition here in a bit.”

In reality, Zemlak said he benefited from working with Tokarski, the former Spokane Chiefs’ goaltender who was an AHL rookie with the Norfolk Admirals last season and had an NHL stint with the Lightning.

“I hadn’t seen Dustin for, like, a few years,” said Zemlak, who has signed with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign and has been invited to the Los Angeles Kings’ NHL training camp in September.

“Just to hang out with him and take in some stuff from him, with his pro hockey (experience) and knowing what it’s like, it’s been good.”

Tokarski, who is from Watson, Sask., leaves for Tampa Bay’s training camp Sept. 9, a week before his 21st birthday.

He was called up to the NHL in January when the Lightning ran into injuries, and he played 44 minutes in his two big-league appearances.

“It was definitely just a bonus,” Tokarski said of his NHL promotion. “I didn’t expect it. It was pretty cool to get called up for a bit.

“The AHL was a good learning curve, and I think I got better, so I’ll move back there this year and improve again.”

In the AHL, he posted a 2.51 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage with the Admirals.

He believes his familiarity with pro hockey, on and off the ice, will enhance his performance this season.

“This year, especially, after being a rookie in the AHL, I’ll be ready to rock and roll there,” he said. “I’ll just focus on playing goal. I already know the ropes of where to live and what to do there, so that’ll be good.”

From the relative comforts of junior hockey, he stepped into a man’s world in Norfolk, Va., though he still has a boyish look.

“Definitely, it’s a huge change, way out there in the East Coast, living on your own, getting to know the area,” said Tokarski, sporting a Lightning ball cap. “But it’s a nice area, so I should be fine.

“I’ve lived away from home since I was 15, but I was with billets (in midget and junior), so it was a bit different (as a first-year pro). Since I was 15, I’ve had to grow up a lot. (The pro lifestyle) is definitely a change, but not as big as some would think.

“Just paying bills, doing laundry, washing dishes, stuff like that, where I wasn’t doing it before.”

Tokarski won a Memorial Cup with Spokane in 2008 and a world junior championship with Team Canada in the 2009 tournament at Ottawa.

Tampa Bay selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL entry draft.

The Lightning made a big splash this spring when they named Steve Yzerman as the team’s general manager.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Tokarski said. “It’s a little overwhelming, having a guy like that as your GM. He’s made some good moves in the off-season, and he seems to be a good people person.

“You can feel it in the air, just the excitement and the new management, with everything new. They’re really focusing on putting a world-class organization together.”

A couple of WHL forwards from Saskatoon, James Wright and Carter Ashton, are among the Tampa Bay prospects. Wright played in the NHL for half of last season, before returning to the Vancouver Giants. Ashton skates with the Regina Pats.

Tokarski trains weekdays in Saskatoon, where he sees the likes of Ashton and Wright during the summer months. 

“I go to the lake, or I go home, on weekends,” Tokarski said. “We work hard during the week and it’s nice just to relax on the weekend, go in the boat a bit and get on the water.”

He makes regular visits to his girlfriend’s hometown of Prince Albert.

“I played here for two years,” he said. “It was great to meet good people. It’s definitely fun coming back.”

Although he has worked at goalie camps in Calgary and Saskatoon, this was Tokarski’s first stop at Guard’s school.

“Kelly is a good guy to work with, and he’s a pretty darn good teacher, so it’s fun coming out and helping out,” Tokarski said. “Summer is pretty busy, but when I can, I like to get out and give back a bit.”

Guard, who is from Prince Albert, also played goal in the WHL and the AHL.

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