As part of their 25th anniversary celebration the Spokane Chiefs, with the help of fans, picked 25 all-time greats.

It's quite an impressive list and 15 of the 25 were introduced at a press conference Friday afternoon and 16 will be recognized tonight before the game with Prince George. In photo (Christopher Anderson/S-R) above, Jay Stewart of the Spokane Chiefs announces the list.

The list is below. It would be great if you would share your memories. Look for a story centered around the one player that came with the team from Kelowna for the 1985-86 season. There will be other stories in the future.

The Top 25 Chiefs in 25 Years include 13 Memorial Cup Champions, five from 1991 and eight from 2008. Three players  went on to win the Stanley Cup as pros, two were NHL All-Stars and the top six scorers in Chiefs history are represented.  Fifteen of the 25 players have played in the NHL, including five this season.  Four players from the 2009-10 Chiefs are also represented on the team; Jared Cowen, Tyler Johnson, Jared Spurgeon and Mitch Wahl. 

 

 

2009-10 is the 25^th season the Chiefs are skating as a WHL franchise in Spokane after moving from Kelowna prior to the 1985-86 season.  417 players have worn a Chiefs jersey in the 25 seasons since.  The list includes two goaltenders, seven defensemen and 16 forwards.

 

 

Chiefs’ fans had the opportunity to help select the top 25 Chiefs through on-line voting and balloting at the games.  Other factors in selecting the top 25 Chiefs included career achievements, honors and team success.

 

                                                                                                              

 

                                 REGULAR SEASON                                      PLAYOFFS

 

GOALTENDERS         YRS      GP    W      L      T/OTL/SL                   GAA     SO   GP   W    L          GAA        SO

 

*37-Trevor Kidd           90-91    14      8       3      0       3.52   0          15    14    1      2.07      2

 

34-Dustin Tokarski      06-09    129    77      39    7       2.27   15         39    25    14    1.96      4

 

 

                                             REGULAR SEASON                   PLAYOFFS

 

SKATERS                  YRS      GP   G      A       PTS   PIMS      GP   G     A     PTS   PIMS

 

27-Drayson Bowman   05-09    265   130   112    242    275         39    21    19    40      20

 

12- Chris Bruton          04-08    258   58     80      138    368         27    4      8      12      12

 

20-Valeri Bure             91-94    178   135   163    298    175         22    22    20    42      26

 

10-Brandin Cote          96-02    352   101   154    255    495         52    11    16    27      52

 

*2-Jared Cowen           06-10    171   19     46      65      167         27    1      4      5       23

 

15-Justin Falk             05-08    182   7       42      49      221         27    1      4      5       20

 

*19-Pat Falloon           88-91    204   146   194    340    122         21    15    22    37      14

 

*15-Brent Gilchrist       85-87    98     90     100    190    128         14    8      14    22      25

 

*18-Travis Green         86-90    258   137   165    302    228         18    10    10    20      13

 

*9-Tyler Johnson         07-10    185   67     86      153    112         33    10    6      16      32

 

*4-Jon Klemm             88-91    204   16     120    136    207         21    4      7      11      13

 

20-Greg Leeb              94-98    276   127   164    291    225         56    19    30    49      40

 

4-Bryan McCabe         92-95    152   39     145    184    467         13    1      9      10      32

 

*17-Jason Podollan     91-96    271   145   136    281    423         52    36    24    60      78

 

*11-Derek Ryan          03-07    216   66     100    161    139         10    4      2      6       2

 

34-Kurt Sauer             99-02    180   12     41      53      206         29    3      4      7       22

 

*25-Kevin Sawyer        92-95    176   21     27      48      989         22    3      2      5       77

 

*25- Derek Schutz       94-00    321   89     118    207    617         60    7      18    25      85

 

*18-Jared Spurgeon     05-10    256   36     126    162    115         33    2      8      10      26

 

*17-Kerry Toporowski 89-91    130   12     29      41      889         21    2      2      4       145

 

*14-Mitch Wahl           05-10    263   95     176    271    277         37    8      20    28      31

 

14-Trent Whitfield        93-98    248   114   155    269    272         56    29    33    62      40

 

*14-Ray Whitney         88-91    214   141   207    348    102         21    16    22    38      18

 

 

*Players who attended the press conference and will be recognized at center ice.

 

 

 

 

 

27- DRAYSON BOWMAN

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
04-05	4	0	0	0	0	--	--	--	--	--
05-06	72	17	17	34	51	--	--	--	--	--
06-07	61	24	19	43	55	6	2	5	7	4
07-08	66	42	40	82	62	21	11	9	20	8
08-09	62	47	36	83	107	12	8	5	13	8
TOTALS	265	130	112	242	275	39	21	19	40	20

 

Drayson Bowman’s numbers alone make him one of the top players in franchise history but it was his knack for playing big at big times and Memorial Cup Championship ring that put him in the top 25.  His tournament high six goals, including a hat-trick in the opening game, and game winner in the final helped deliver Spokane its second Memorial Cup title in 2008.   In his regular season career, he scored 130 goals, sixth all-time in franchise history, and another 21 goals in the post-season, fourth in Chiefs history.  His 242 career points are 12^th in franchise history and make him one of the top scoring forwards to wear a Chiefs jersey.  Of the players to skate for Spokane since moving into the Arena in 1995-96, nobody scored more goals than the Littleton, Colorado native.  Bowman led the Chiefs in scoring two straight seasons, 2007-08 and 2008-09.   Bowman became the first Chief since 1994 to score 40 goals in back-to-back seasons.  Bowman was selected with the Carolina Hurricane’s third round pick (72^nd overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 24 goals and 43 points in 61 games in 2006-07.  Bowman was named the Chiefs Rookie of the Year as a 16-year-old after scoring 17 goals and 34 points and was the first 16-year-old to hit double digits in goals since Brandin Cote accomplished the feat in 1997-98.  Bowman was selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft, 8^th overall. 

 

 

12-CHRIS BRUTON

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
04-05	62	11	17	28	55	--	--	--	--	--
05-06	66	12	14	26	111	--	--	--	--	--
06-07	63	9	12	21	103	6	1	1	2	6
07-08	67	26	37	63	99	21	3	7	10	6
TOTALS	258	58	80	138	368	27	4	8	12	12

 

Prior to the 2007-08 season, Chris Bruton was named captain of the Chiefs and talked then about leaving a legacy in Spokane.  Little did he know that at the end of the season the team would deliver a Memorial Cup Championship and hang the organization’s second such banner in the Spokane Arena.  Bruton’s biggest career goal came with the Chiefs trailing the Lethbridge Hurricanes 1-0 in the third game of the WHL Championship series.  The captain scored with 2:04 remaining, sending it into overtime for Spokane’s Tyler Johnson to win it.  The Chiefs would eventually sweep the series on their way to the Memorial Cup.  You won’t find his name in any of the top 25 lists for major offensive categories, but Bruton was the ultimate leader that did all the little things, getting the most out of his abilities and drawing the same effort out of his teammates.  His 20-year-old season was his best offensively, setting career numbers with 26 goals, 37 assists and 63 points, finishing third on the team in scoring.  Bruton appeared in 258 career WHL games, tied for 17^th all-time in franchise history after he was originally an eight round selection in the 2002 WHL Bantam Draft.  The Calgary native was a two time choice as the Chiefs Humanitarian of the Year and a two-time winner of the team’s Player’s Player award.

 

 

20-VALERI BURE

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
91-92	53	27	22	49	78	10	11	6	17	10
92-93	66	68	79	147	49	9	6	11	17	14
93-94	59	40	62	102	48	3	5	3	8	2
TOTALS	178	135	163	298	175	22	22	20	42	26

 

Valeri Bure was a trend-setter in Spokane.  The first ever Russian to play in the WHL, Bure became and remains the Chiefs highest scoring European in franchise history with 298 points, fourth all-time for all players.  His 135 goals are fifth all-time and 163 assists are seventh.  Bure is tied with Pat Falloon for third all-time in points per game, averaging 1.67 in his 178 games.  Of the Chiefs in the top 10 all-time in scoring, no-one played fewer career games than Bure and eight of the nine had played more than 200 career games (Ryan Duthie, 7^th all-time had played in 198). His 68 goals in 1992-93 are a franchise record and 147 points are second all-time for a single season.  Bure finished second in the WHL in scoring that season and was named to the WHL’s First All-Star team, one of just five Spokane forwards to earn that honor.  He joins Falloon and Ray Whitney as the only Chiefs to score 60 goals in a single season.  Bure is also one of two former Chiefs to play in an NHL All-Star Team (Whitney) when he played in the 2000 contest for the World team with his brother Pavel and against Whitney.    Bure played 10 seasons in the NHL with Montreal, who selected him in the second round (33^rd overall) in 1992, Calgary, Florida, St. Louis and Dallas.  In the NHL he scored 174 goals and 400 points in 621 games.  Bure also won a silver medal (1998) and bronze medal (2002) with Russia in two appearances at the Olympics.

 

 

10-BRANDIN COTE

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
96-97	7	0	0	0	0	--	--	--	--	--
97-98	66	12	12	24	84	18	6	3	9	10
98-99	68	15	27	42	114	--	--	--	--	--
99-00	71	19	32	51	66	15	0	6	6	14
00-01	69	27	43	70	117	8	1	1	2	12
01-02	71	28	40	68	114	11	4	6	10	16
TOTALS	352	101	154	255	495	52	11	16	27	52

 

Through 25 seasons nobody played more games in a Spokane jersey than Brandin Cote’s 352, sixth in WHL history.  Cote is one of three players (Derek Schutz and Jason Podollan) in franchise history to appear in the top-25 in games played (1^st), goals (101-13^th), assists (154-9^th), points (254-10^th) and penalty minutes (494-17^th).   Cote was named the Chiefs Player of the Year in 2000-01 after scoring 27 goals and 70 points after finishing second on the team in scoring.  Although he was a two-time WHL All-Star it was Cote’s commitment to the Spokane community that set him apart.  Cote won the Chiefs Ken Rabel Humanitarian of the Year honor for three straight seasons and was honored by the Canadian Hockey League in 2002, his 20-year-old season, with the same award.  In his five full seasons in Spokane, Cote wore a letter for four of them, including the captain’s C for two seasons.  Cote was Spokane’s first round selection, 17^th overall, in 1996.

 

 

2- JARED COWEN

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
Jared Cowen	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
06-07	6	0	2	2	2	6	0	1	1	6
07-08	68	4	14	18	62	21	1	3	4	17
08-09	48	7	14	21	45	--	--	--	--	--
09-10	49	8	16	24	58
TOTALS	171	19	46	65	167	27	1	4	5	23

 

Expectations were high for Jared Cowen after he became the only Chief to be selected with the first overall selection in the WHL Bantam Draft.  Spokane nabbed the 6’5” defenseman in 2006 and since then he has met everything expected of him.  As a 15-year-old, he played a regular shift in the playoffs.  At 16, he appeared in 68 games and helped the Chiefs win the Memorial Cup.  He was also named the Western Conference Scholastic Player of the Year and the Chiefs Rookie of the Year.  At 17, he scored seven goals and 21 points in 48 games before suffering a season ending knee injury at the end of January.  Despite the injury, the Ottawa Senators selected the Allan, Saskatchewan native in the first round, ninth overall, in the summer of 2009 becoming the highest defenseman and second highest Chief pick of all time.  Prior to the 2009-10 season, Cowen was named the captain of the Chiefs.  He has represented the WHL twice in the CHL’s Canada-Russia SuperSeries and was a part of Canada’s silver medal winning world junior team in 2010.

 

 

15-JUSTIN FALK

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
05-06	48	0	8	8	35	--	--	--	--	--
06-07	62	3	12	15	88	6	0	0	0	8
07-08	72	4	22	26	98	21	1	4	5	12
TOTALS	182	7	42	49	221	27	1	4	5	20

 

Justin Falk’s WHL career went from being a 10^th round bantam selection to one of seven defensemen named to the Chiefs top 25 players of all-time.  Originally property of the Calgary Hitmen, Falk was selected with the 189^th overall selection in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft and played only nine games with them before a November, 2005 trade brought him to Spokane.  Falk led the Chiefs in plus-minus two straight seasons (05-06 and 06-07) and finished as a +27 in 2008 when he played in all 72 regular season games, 21 WHL playoff games and four Memorial Cup games.  At the Memorial Cup, he was one of four Chiefs to be named to the Tournament All-Star team (Dustin Tokarski, Drayson Bowman and Mitch Wahl) and scored a goal in a 2-1 win against Kitchener in the second game of the round robin portion of the tournament.  Falk was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL Draft.  Falk has spent the past year-and-a-half with the Houston Aeros, Minnesota’s American Hockey League affiliate.

 

17- PAT FALLOON

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
88-89	72	22	56	78	41	--	--	--	--	--
89-90	71	60	64	124	48	6	5	8	13	4
90-91	61	64	74	138	33	15	10	14	24	10
TOTALS	204	146	194	340	122	21	15	22	37	14

 

When discussing greatest players in franchise history it doesn’t take long before Pat Falloon’s name comes up.  The franchise’s greatest goal scorer with 146 in three seasons, Falloon is one of three Chiefs to score 60 in a season (Ray Whitney and Valeri Bure), but Falloon is the only one to do it twice.  The Foxwarren, Manitoba native is second all-time with 194 career assists and 340 career points.  His 138 points in 1990-91 are third all-time for a single season.  His legacy was cemented when he scored a Memorial Cup record eight goals in ’91, a mark that still stands, and led the Chiefs to their first CHL title.  Falloon was one of two Chiefs (Ray Whitney) named to the WHL’s post-season All-Star team in 1991 after he scored 64 goals and 138 points, the third most in a single season.  He is one of three Chiefs to score five goals in a game and scored a franchise record five points (3-2-5) in one period on January 12^th, 1991 against Tri-City.  Falloon is the highest Chief ever selected in the NHL Draft after San Jose took him second overall in 1991.  Falloon played 575 career NHL games in nine seasons.

 

 

15-BRENT GILCHRIST

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
85-86	52	45	45	90	57	9	6	7	13	19
86-87	46	45	55	100	71	5	2	7	9	6
TOTALS	98	90	100	190	128	14	8	14	22	25

 

Of the Top 25 Chiefs in 25 Years no one scored at a more prolific rate than Brent Gilchrist.  In just 98 games, Gilchrist scored 190 points and is still the franchise’s leader at 1.94 points per game.  In his second season in Spokane, Gilchrist led the Chiefs in scoring with 45 goals, 55 assists and 100 points.  He played in just 46 games.  He is the only original Chief on the list making the move with the Kelowna Wings in 1985-86 to Spokane.  His entire four-year WHL career, two with Kelowna and two with Spokane, Gilchrist scored 141 goals, 149 assists and 290 points.  Gilchrist’s nine game goal scoring streak in 1986-87 is tied with Terry Perkins and Marian Cisar for the longest in franchise history and he holds the distinction of recording the organization’s first hat-trick in their first ever win, a 7-4 decision at New Westminister on October 6^th, 1985.  Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the fourth round, 97^th overall, in 1985, Gilchrist would play for 15 seasons in the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup in 1998 with the Detroit Red Wings.  Gilchrist is one of three former Chiefs (Jon Klemm and Ray Whitney) to do so.  He scored 135 goals and 305 points in 792 NHL games.

 

18-TRAVIS GREEN

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
Travis Green	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1986-87	64	8	17	25	27	3	0	0	0	0
1987-88	72	33	53	86	42	15	10	10	20	13
1988-89	72	51	51	102	79	--	--	--	--	--
1989-90	50	45	44	89	80	--	--	--	--	--
TOTALS	258	137	165	302	228	18	10	10	20	13

 

When Travis Green’s Chiefs career was over, the Castlegar, BC native was the franchise’s all-time leader in goals (137), assists (166), points (303) and games played (258).  Those numbers have stood the test of time.  In the 20-years after he skated his last shift in Spokane, Green still sits fourth all-time in goals, third in assists and third in total points.  He averaged 1.17 points per game, 13^th all-time, and was the first player to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back years, the first time in 1987-88 when he had 33 goals and 86 points and then again in 1988-89 when he had 51 goals and 102 points.  Only four other players have led the Chiefs in scoring more than one season.  He is the only player in Chiefs history to have seasons of 30, 40 and 50 goals and just one of three to score more than 30 in a season three times (Trent Whitfield and Jason Podollan).  Green was selected in the second round, 23^rd overall, by the New York Islanders in 1989 and spent 14 seasons in the NHL with New York, Anaheim, Phoenix, Toronto and Boston.  In total, he played 970 games and scored 193 goals in the NHL.  Green is currently the Assistant General Manager/Assistant Coach with the Portland Winterhawks.

 

 

9- TYLER JOHNSON

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
07-08	69	13	22	35	34	21	5	3	8	24
08-09	62	26	35	61	52	12	5	3	8	8
09-10	54	28	29	57	26
TOTALS	185	67	86	153	112	33	10	6	16	32

 

The Tyler Johnson story has yet to be completed but his first three chapters have been pretty remarkable.  Consider that he has been named the WHL Finals MVP, a Memorial Cup Champion, two-time player on the United States National Team including a gold medal in the 2010 World Juniors; Johnson’s resume puts him on the top 25 Chiefs of all-time.  One of two Spokane born and bred products on the list (Derek Ryan), Johnson grew up watching the team practice at Ice World USA  and later became an 11^th round  bantam selection.  Johnson was named the Western Hockey League Finals MVP after scoring three goals in four games during the 2008 Ed Chynoweth Cup, including game winners in games three and four, and a shorthanded goal.  In 2007-08, Johnson led all Chiefs rookies with 69 games, 13 goals and 35 points and scored a goal in his first career game in the Spokane Arena.  He scored 56 goals and 120 points in 39 games with the Coeur d’Alene Lakers in the NORPAC in 2007.

 

37-TREVOR KIDD

 

	Regular Season								Playoffs
	GP	MIN	W	L	T	GA	GAA	SO	GP	MIN	W	L	T	GA	GAA			SO
90-91	14	749	8	3	0	44	3.52	0	15	926	14	1	0	32	2.07			2
TOTALS	14	749	8	3	0	44	3.52	0	15	926	14	1	0	32	2.07			2

 

How can a player with just 14 regular season games be considered for the top 25 of all-time?  Take a look at his 15 playoff games, plus four more in the Memorial Cup.  Hardware talks and Trevor Kidd is one of two Spokane starting goaltenders to win a WHL and Memorial Cup Championship.  Kidd was acquired by the Chiefs in January, 1991 and became the final piece to the championship puzzle.  The goaltender helped Spokane win 14 of their final 17 regular season games and 14 out of 15 playoff games posting a remarkable 2.07 GAA and recording two shutouts. Kidd was the 11^th overall selection in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by Calgary and played 385 career games in 11 NHL seasons.  He also won a silver medal with Canada at the 1992 Winter Olympics.

 

 

4- JON KLEMM

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
88-89	66	6	34	40	42	--	--	--	--	--
89-90	66	3	28	31	100	6	1	1	2	5
90-91	72	7	58	65	65	15	3	6	9	8
TOTALS	204	16	120	136	207	21	4	7	11	13

 

Of the members of the 1991 Memorial Cup championship team it would be the captain who would become the most decorated of the bunch.  Klemm, who was acquired by the Chiefs as an 18-year-old from the Seattle Thunderbirds in 1988, went from being an undrafted free-agent to an 18-year pro and two time Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche (1996, 2001).  Klemm, a stay-at-home blueliner as a pro with 142 points in 773 NHL games, has the sixth most assists, 120, as a defenseman in Spokane history.  In total, Klemm finished with 136 career points.  In 15 playoff games in 1991, Klemm had three goals and nine points and scored a goal with 21-seconds left in the second period in the Memorial Cup clincher in a 5-1 win over Drummondville. Klemm played 204 career games in a Chiefs sweater, including all 72 in the 1990-91 season.

 

 

20- GREG LEEB

 

		Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
94-95	72	21	34	55	48	11	5	10	15	10
95-96	64	33	21	54	54	18	1	7	8	16
96-97	72	27	59	86	69	9	3	3	6	4
97-98	68	46	50	96	54	18	10	10	20	10
TOTALS	276	127	164	291	225	56	19	30	49	40

 

Regarded as one of the most popular players in Chiefs history, Greg Leeb was also one of its most consistent.  Leeb played 276 career games, 10^th all-time in franchise history, and missed just 12 in a four-year career.  Leeb’s 56 career playoff games are second all-time in franchise history.  From day one of his career, Leeb played a huge role on offense leading all Chiefs rookies in scoring, fourth on the team, with 21 goals and 55 points in 1994-95.  His career high 96 points as a 20-year-old in 1998 is the most by a Chief since 1993-94 and was the second consecutive year he had led the team in scoring (just one of four Chiefs to accomplish that feat (Travis Green, Derek Ryan and Drayson Bowman)).  His 127 career goals are seventh all-time, 164 assists are tied for fifth all-time and 291 points are fifth in franchise history.  In his 56 playoff games, Leeb scored 19 goals and 49 points, third in Chiefs history. 

 

 

4-BRYAN MCCABE

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1992-93	46	3	44	47	134	10	1	5	6	28
1993-94	64	22	62	84	218	3	0	4	4	4
1994-95	42	14	39	53	115
TOTALS	152	39	145	184	467	13	1	9	10	32

 

Bryan McCabe began his junior career as a Medicine Hat Tiger and ended it with an appearance in the Memorial Cup with the Brandon Wheat Kings but in between he became one of the greatest defenseman in Spokane history.   McCabe averaged more points per game (1.21) than any other defenseman in Spokane Chiefs history recording 184 points in 152 games.  McCabe is the only defenseman in the Chiefs top 25 (24^th) in scoring and his 62 assists and 84 points in 1994 are a record for most in a single season by a blueliner.  He is also just one of two defensemen (Mitch Cornett) to record a hat-trick, doing it twice in the 1993-94 season.  McCabe was the Captain of the Chiefs in 1994-95 before a mid-season trade to Brandon.  Since making his debut with the New York Islanders in 1995, McCabe has stayed in the NHL appearing in over 1,000 games and counting.  He represented Canada at the 2006 Olympics and as of February 2010, McCabe was playing for the Florida Panthers.

 

 

17- JASON PODOLLAN

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
91-92	2	0	0	0	2	10	3	1	4	16
92-93	72	36	33	69	108	10	4	4	8	14
93-94	69	29	37	66	108	3	3	0	3	2
94-95	72	43	41	84	102	11	5	7	12	18
95-96	56	37	25	62	103	18	21	12	33	28
TOTALS	271	145	136	281	423	52	36	24	60	78

 

Jason Podollan will go down in Chiefs history as one of the all-time greatest goal scorers and one of its most consistent.  Podollan is second in franchise history in goals scored with 145, but it was his 21 goals in the 1996 playoffs that left an indelible mark for Chiefs hockey fans.  That single post-season total is the third highest in WHL history and the most since 1983.  The Chiefs would win 50 games his final season in Spokane and advance to the WHL Finals against the Brandon Wheat Kings.  For his career he is one of two chiefs to score 20 or more goals in four straight seasons (Greg Leeb) and one of three to have three 30-goal seasons (Trent Whitfield and Travis Green).  Podollan is also 14^th all-time with 136 assists and sixth on the scoring list with 281 points.  Of the five players on the list ahead of him only one wore a Chiefs jersey after Podollan’s career ended (Greg Leeb).  He joins Brandin Cote and Derek Schutz as the only players in the top 25 in games played (271-11^th), goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (423-24^th).  He arrived in Spokane as a 15-year-old in 1991-92 and played in 10 playoff games.  By the end of his career as a 19-year-old he would become the first Chief to play in the post-season five straight years (only Joff Kehler has done it since).  Only Trent Whitfield has more career playoff points that Podollan’s 60 (36 goals and 24 assists) and he is fourth all-time in career post-season games played with 52.  Podollan led the Chiefs in scoring with 43 goals and 84 points in 1994-95, the year after he was selected in the second round of the NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers.  Podollan also helped Canada win a gold medal in the 1996 World Junior Hockey Championships.

 

11-DEREK RYAN

 

	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003-04	1	1	0	1	0	4	1	0	1	0
2004-05	71	14	32	46	39	--	--	--	--	--
2005-06	72	24	37	61	50	--	--	--	--	--
2006-07	72	28	31	59	50	6	3	2	5	2
TOTALS	216	66	100	161	139	10	4	2	6	2

 

When Derek Ryan scored a goal in a Mites Skate game at the old Spokane Coliseum, it would be a pre-cursor to his career.  Fast forward to the final game of the regular season in the Spokane Arena in 2004 where Ryan was suiting up for the Chiefs in his first career game, he would replicate the feat he had accomplished as a youngster, scoring a goal in front of the home town fans.  Local players had dotted the Chiefs roster in the past, but Ryan was the first to make such a big impact on the team and community.  He joined Dan Holden and, later on, Tyler Johnson as three local players to score a goal in their first game at home.  Prior to joining the Chiefs, Ryan was named the KIJHL’s Player of the Year with the Spokane Braves in 2003-04.  His first full season as a Chief, 2004-05, Ryan scored 14 goals, 32 assists, 46 points and was named the WHL’s Western Conference Rookie of the Year.  Ryan is one of five Chiefs in franchise history to lead the Chiefs in scoring in two separate seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07).  He is also a two-time winner of the Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year honor.  On December 28^th, 2006 Ryan set a franchise record by scoring two goals in 16 seconds against the Prince George Cougars. In his career as a Chief, Ryan played 216 of a possible 217 games. Ryan graduated from Shadle Park High School and is currently playing for the University of Alberta where he is in his junior year.

 

 

34-KURT SAUER

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
99-00	71	3	12	15	48	15	2	1	3	8
00-01	48	5	10	15	85	3	1	0	1	2
01-02	61	4	19	23	73	11	0	3	3	12
TOTALS	180	12	41	53	206	29	3	4	7	22

 

The only spot you’ll see Kurt Sauer’s name in the Chiefs record book is under games played.  As of February, 2010, Sauer was 51^st all-time with 180 but as arguably the best stay-at-home defenseman in Spokane history flying under the radar would be just fine for the Sartel, Minnesota native.  Sauer arrived in Spokane in the fall of 1999 as an undrafted free agent and someone who attracted little attention from US colleges.  It was no coincidence that the Chiefs went from 19 wins the year he arrived to 47 wins and playing for a WHL Championship the following year in 2000.  Sauer was named the Chiefs Co-Rookie of the Year (Roman Tvrdon) in 1999-2000.  How important was Sauer to the Chiefs lineup?  As a 19-year-old in 2000-01, he missed all but 11 games in the second half of the season.  Spokane’s won just eight of the 25 games without him.  With him, Spokane went 10-1.  After his junior career was over Sauer went directly to the NHL with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and his former coach Mike Babcock.  Sauer and the Ducks appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals that season and he has spent all but four games of his professional career in the National Hockey League with Anaheim, Colorado and Phoenix.

 

 

 

25- KEVIN SAWYER

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1992-93	62	4	3	7	274	8	1	1	2	13
1993-94	60	10	15	25	350	3	0	1	1	6
1994-95	54	7	9	16	365	11	2	0	2	58
TOTALS	176	21	27	48	989	22	3	2	5	77

 

It would be easy to define Kevin Sawyer’s career by the penalty minute totals, but that tells only half the story.  Sawyer is one of the Chiefs all-time great success stories going from a non-roster camp invitee to playing in the NHL.  Growing up just over the border in Christina Lake, British Columbia, Sawyer’s parents would bring him down to watch Chiefs games and by the time he was an 18-year-old rookie, he was a fixture in the Chiefs lineup.  Sawyer averaged 5.62 penalty minutes per game and earned the captain’s ‘C’ as a 20-year-old.  After three seasons and setting a franchise record for career penalty minutes with 989 (18^th in WHL history), Sawyer signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Blues.  In his eight seasons as a pro Sawyer appeared in 110 NHL games with four different teams.  Prior to retiring due to injury, Sawyer spent his final season with the Stanley Cup bound Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003.  He enjoyed his best season in the NHL with 57 games in Anaheim and 221 penalty minutes, fourth in the league. Upon retirement, Sawyer spent two seasons as an Assistant Coach with the organization he played for, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

 

 

25- DEREK SCHUTZ

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
94-95	2	0	0	0	2	--	--	--	--	--
95-96	70	10	7	17	121	18	1	4	5	37
96-97	61	20	21	41	126	9	1	3	4	9
97-98	67	22	34	56	113	18	1	5	6	21
98-99	56	5	12	17	133	--	--	--	--	--
99-00	65	32	44	76	122	15	4	6	10	18
TOTALS	321	89	118	207	617	60	7	18	25	85

 

A three time 20-goal scorer and the Chiefs Player of the Year and Captain of the 2000 Western Conference Champions Derek Schutz is one of five former first round bantam selections named to the top 25 Chiefs of all time.  In his five year career, Schutz played 321 games, third all time in franchise history, and played 59 playoff games, tops in the 25 year history of Chiefs hockey.  Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1994 Bantam Draft, Schutz played on Chiefs teams that won 50 games (1996), 45 games (1998) and 47 games (2000) making him the only Chief to play on three 40 win teams (a mark that could be equaled this season by eight current Chiefs).  His teams advanced to the WHL Finals twice (1996 and 2000) and the Western Conference Finals another time (1998).  He also played in the 1998 Memorial Cup hosted by Spokane.  Despite suffering through shoulder injuries as a 19-year-old, Schutz played 56 games and rebounded as a 20-year-old with his finest junior season, 32 goals and 76 points in 1999-2000.  Schutz is 20^th all time in franchise history in goals scored, 15^th with 133 assists, 17^th with 221 points and eighth with 617 penalty minutes.  He, Brandin Cote and Jason Podollan are the only players in franchise history to appear in the top 25 in each category.  Schutz played in the 1997 CHL Top Prospects Game, the 1997 WHL All-Star game and was selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round of the 1997 NHL Draft.

 

 

18-JARED SPURGEON

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
05-06	46	3	9	12	28	--	--	--	--	--
06-07	38	4	15	19	16	--	--	--	--	--
07-08	69	12	31	43	19	21	0	5	5	16
08-09	59	10	35	45	37	12	2	3	5	10
09-10	44	7	36	43	14
TOTALS	256	36	126	162	115	33	2	8	10	26

 

When it comes down to it, the best defenseman in the best defensive stretch in Spokane Chiefs history has been Jared Spurgeon.  The Edmonton, Alberta native is a two-time winner of the Spokane Chiefs John “Hitman” Hern Defenseman of the Year award, including 2008, the year the Chiefs won the Memorial Cup and allowed 160 goals.  He won it again in 2009 when the Chiefs lowered their goals against to 145, the ninth lowest total in WHL history.  Spurgeon posted a +36 in both of those seasons.  Originally a 10^th round selection in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft, Spurgeon has the fourth most assists out of any defenseman in Chiefs history and as of February, 2010 is climbing the career games played list.  Spurgeon was also named the Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year in 2008 and was selected as the Players’ Player in 2009.  Spurgeon attended Team Canada’s Selection Camp in December, 2008 and was selected by the New York Islanders in the sixth round in 2008.

 

 

34- DUSTIN TOKARSKI

 

	Regular Season											Playoffs
		GP	MIN	W	L	T	GA		GAA	SO		GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA		SO
06-07		30	1674	13	11	2	78		2.80	2		6	364	2	4	17	2.8		0
07-08		45	2543	30	10	3	87		2.05	6		21	1352	16	5	31	1.38		3
08-09		54	3264	34	18	2	107		1.97	7		12	812	7	5	23	1.7		1
TOTALS		129	7481	77	39	7	272		2.27	15		39	2528	25	14	71	1.96		4

 

When it comes to individual and team success as a Spokane Chief, not many players have achieved as much as Dustin Tokarski.  Originally listed by Spokane in December of 2005, Tokarski would become the most decorated goaltender in Chiefs history.  Tokarksi earned the Stafford Smythe Trophy as the 2008 Memorial Cup MVP and holds the Spokane Chiefs franchise record for wins (77), consecutive wins (11-twice), most shutouts in a season (7, he is also second with 6), most shutouts in a career (15, five more than second place), single season goals against average (1.97 when he led the WHL in 2009, he is also second with a 2.05), career goals against average (2.27), the top two seasons in save percentage (.937 and .922.  Both led the WHL), career save percentage (.925), most career playoff games for a goaltender (39) and had a shutout string of 186:15 in the playoffs.  Tokarski was also selected as the Chiefs Player of the Year in 2008-09 and earned the WHL’s second team Western Conference All-Star team at the end of the season.  Over a two year span in the regular season, Tokarski won 64 of 99 games and another 23 in the playoffs.  The Humboldt, Saskatchewan native is the only Chiefs goaltender to win a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships, earning the title in 2009.  Tokarski was drafted in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008.

 

17- KERRY TOPOROWSKI

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1989-90	65	1	13	14	384	6	0	0	0	37
1990-91	65	11	16	27	505	15	2	2	4	108
TOTALS	130	12	29	41	889	21	2	2	4	145

 

If toughness is a trait synonymous with Spokane Chiefs hockey, then Kerry Toporowski stands near, if not on top, of the mountain.  “Topper” holds the franchise record for penalty minutes in a single season with 505 in the Memorial Cup year of 1991.  That total is the most in the WHL since the 1977-78 season and third all-time in league history.  In just two seasons, Toporowski had 889 penalty minutes and finished his short two-year career as the franchise’s leader with 889 minutes, a total that is still second overall.  He averaged 6.84 penalty minutes per game.  In 1991, Toporowski was selected in the fourth round, 67^th overall, by the San Jose Sharks.  His specific traits and strengths made him one of the most popular players in Chiefs history.

 

 

14- MITCH WAHL

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
05-06	2	0	0	0	0	--	--	--	--	--
06-07	69	16	32	48	50	4	0	1	1	5
07-08	67	20	53	73	63	21	6	8	14	20
08-09	63	32	35	67	78	12	2	11	13	6
09-10	62	27	56	83	86
TOTALS	263	95	176	271	277	37	8	20	28	31

 

For some perspective on where Mitch Wahl sits in Chiefs history; the Seal Beach, California native will be the only player in the top 10 all-time on franchise’s scoring list that played their entire career this decade and just one of two (Brandin Cote) that played their entire career in the Spokane Arena. Of the other nine names in the top 10, only Greg Leeb and Trent Whitfield played a majority of their careers after 1995.  Only Ray Whitney (207) and Pat Falloon (194) will have more assists as a Chief.  The fourth overall selection in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft will also finish his career averaging over a point per game.  As a 17-year-old, Wahl finished second on the team in scoring with 73 points and led the team with 53 assists and helped the Chiefs win the 2008 Memorial Cup.  He was named to the tournament All-Star team after scoring after scoring two goals and six points.  Wahl was selected by the Calgary Flames in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and played for the United States at the 2009 World Junior Hockey Tournament.

 

14-TRENT WHITFIELD

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
93-94	5	1	1	2	0
94-95	48	8	17	25	26	11	7	6	13	5
95-96	72	33	51	84	75	18	8	10	18	10
96-97	58	34	42	76	74	9	5	7	12	10
97-98	65	38	44	82	97	18	9	10	19	15
TOTALS	248	114	155	269	272	56	29	33	62	40

 

Trent Whitfield is one of four players in the history of the franchise to score 30 goals three different times (Travis Green, Mark Wingerter and Jason Podollan). He is also the franchise’s leader in career playoff scoring with 29 goals and 62 points.  His 56 playoff games are tied with Greg Leeb for second all-time.  He sits ninth on the career list in the following categories: goals scored (114), assists (155) scoring (269).  He averaged 1.08 points per game, 16^th in franchise history, in 248 career games, 23^rd all-time.  His 34 goals and 76 points in 1996-97 placed him on the WHL’s post-season All-Star team, just one of six Chief forwards all-time to earn that honor.  Whitfield joined his teammate Hugh Hamilton and coach Mike Babcock on the 1997 gold medal winning Canadian World Junior Team.  He captained a 45 win team in 1998 that appeared in the Memorial Cup and played on a 50 win team in 1995-96 when he scored 33 goals and a career high 84 points.  Whitfield has spent the past 12 years as a pro and has played 191 games in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins. 

 

 

14-RAY WHITNEY

 

	Regular Season					Playoffs
	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
88-89	71	17	33	50	16	--	--	--	--	--
89-90	71	57	56	113	50	6	3	4	7	6
90-91	72	67	118	185	36	15	13	18	31	12
TOTALS	214	141	207	348	102	21	16	22	38	18

 

Ray Whitney’s resume stands apart from all others in Spokane Chiefs history.  Whitney is the only Chief in history to win a Memorial Cup, Stanley Cup and to play in an NHL All-Star game.  He is the all-time leading scorer in Spokane Chiefs history with 348 points which includes 141 goals (third all-time) and 207 assists (first all-time and the only player in franchise history with more than 200).  After scoring 50 points as a 16-year-old, Whitney exploded for back-to-back 100-plus point seasons, including a franchise record 185 points (the seventh most in WHL history) in 1990-91 when he led the WHL in scoring and was named the WHL’s Most Valuable Player.  His 67 goals that season are second all-time for the Chiefs in a single season and 118 assists are a franchise record and fifth in WHL history.  He and Pat Falloon are the only players to score 50 goals in back-to-back seasons.  In his three seasons as a Chief, he missed just two games appearing in 214 of a possible 216 games.  He is one of four players in Chiefs history to score five goals in a single game and holds the franchise’s record for most consecutive games with a point (27) and most consecutive games with an assist (22).  In 1991, he was selected by San Jose in the second round (23^rd overall) of the NHL Draft and has played in well over 1,000 NHL games with San Jose, Edmonton, Florida, Columbus, Detroit and Carolina.  Whitney helped the Hurricanes win the 2006 Stanley Cup joining Jon Klemm and Brent Gilchrist as the only former Chiefs to do so.  Whitney appeared in the 2000 and 2003 NHL All-Star Games.

 

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