Call It Present Considerations Mccabe Deal Pays Off Sooner Than Expected

When the Spokane Chiefs dealt all-star defenseman Bryan McCabe to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Feb. 2, the universal reaction was that Spokane traded the present for the future.

McCabe went to Brandon for defenseman Adam Magarrell and impressive future considerations, including a first- and second-round pick in the bantam draft.

The surprise is that, heading into tonight’s playoff opener with the Tri-City Americans at the Coliseum, the Chiefs are 13-4-3 since dealing McCabe.

The Wheat Kings aren’t complaining. It took McCabe a couple of games to fit into a reduced role, but the trade worked out just as they thought it would.

It gives Brandon a shot at winning the Memorial Cup.

The Wheat Kings finished the regular season with a 10-1 spurt that resulted in the WHL East Division championship and a first-round playoff bye.

The consensus is that McCabe’s absence coincides with the Chiefs getting healthy, but there’s more to it.

“When I left Spokane, Gilly (Sean Gillam) had to step up and he did,” McCabe said. “(Jason) Podollan stepped up. It was a good move for the two of them and a good move for the (Chiefs) organization.”

Podollan led the Chiefs in goals (43), assists (41), gamewinning goals (five) and short-handed goals (four). He tied for the team lead with 17 power-play goals.

Gillam was named this week to the WHL West Division second team.

McCabe says, although he doesn’t do as much in Brandon as he did here, he jumps in the offensive rush at every opportunity.

McCabe bumped into Tim Speltz at the WHL banquet Tuesday night in Calgary. “Looks like you guys really miss me,” he said, tongue in cheek.

Daniel is MVP

Goaltender Jarrod Daniel, the major factor in the Chiefs setting a club record for fewest goals allowed (261), was named Budget Car and Truck Rental Player of the Year this week at the club’s annual awards banquet.

Daniel, who was No. 2 in the WHL in minutes played (3,608) and shots faced (2,127), finished tied for third in the West Division all-star balloting.

Gillam and rookie center Greg Leeb picked up two awards. Gillam was named best defenseman and received the player’s choice award. Leeb was chosen rookie of the year and most sportsmanlike player.

Also honored were Hugh Hamilton, with the Chiefs’ best plus/minus; Joel Boschman, scholastic player of the year; Scott Fletcher, humanitarian award, and Jason Podollan, leading scorer.

Around the WHL

Tonight’s playoff opponent, Tri-City, finished a cool 4-6 in its last 10 games… . Tri-City’s Terry Ryan, who led the Americans with 11 game-winning goals, was the only WHL top-20 scorer to log more than 200 penalty minutes… . The Americans are 14-4-2 with 20-year-old defenseman Ryan Brown in the lineup. Brown will play tonight… . The Chiefs averaged a club-record 4,278 in the Coliseum… . Spokane won eight games in overtime, one shy of the regular-season WHL record set by the ‘89-90 Portland Winter Hawks… . Should the Tacoma Rockets advance to the second round, they’ll play home games at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. A boat show at the Tacoma Dome April 2-11 will knock the Rocks off their home ice… . The Regina Leader-Post reports that owners of the Vancouver VooDoo International roller hockey franchise are looking for a WHL franchise and will pay the Rockets to play in Vancouver. Rockets owner Bruce Hamilton insists the arrangement is not the preliminary to moving the franchise to the Vancouver area after next season, when Hamilton’s lease with the Tacoma Dome expires… . Portland heads into the playoffs without two key players, right wing Layne Roland (finger) and left wing Brad Isbister (hip flexor)… . The Memorial Cup in Kamloops is a final four format starting May 13. The sudden-death final is May 21. The Kamloops Blazers - the host club and the WHL West Divsion champion for the 10th time in 12 years, are aiming for an unprecedented third major junior hockey championship in four years… . Spokane Chiefs marketing director Dave Pier was runner-up in the voting of coaches and general managers for the St. Clair Group Trophy for the league’s top marketing executive.