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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Puck Stops Here Chiefs Won’t Pursue Disgruntled Moose Jaw Goalie

The last time the Spokane Chiefs went shopping for a game-saving goaltender they worked a long-range deal involving a disgruntled Moose Jaw Warrior.

The name was Jarrod Daniel - remember him? - who’d left the Warriors in late ‘93. Eventually his rights were dealt to Portland with the understanding that the following year he’d be in Spokane as a 20-year-old for the ‘94-95 season.

The deal more than panned out. Daniel was the Chiefs’ player of the year last season.

Well, this year there’s another unhappy 20-year-old netminder sitting idle after leaving the Western Hockey League club in Moose Jaw.

His name is Jody Lehman.

Will history repeat itself? Are the Chiefs cooking up a deal for Lehman?

“No,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz declared Monday.

Is that “hell no” or just the executive smokescreen kind of “no?”

“Definitely not,” Speltz said.

The Chiefs, who got a solid effort Sunday night out of goalie David Lemanowicz in a 6-1 win over the Portland Winter Hawks, have had nights lately when they’re soft between the pipes.

But on the whole, Speltz insists, the club is happy with Lemanowicz and backup Aren Miller.

“We’re satisfied,” Speltz said. “At the same time, it’s a situation where there’s nobody available who could step in and improve your team.”

Nobody has to remind the well-spoken and motivated Lemanowicz that the question always comes down to what have you done for me lately.

The Chiefs got a little spoiled last year when the acrobatic stops of Daniel were an every-night occurrence.

Although not nearly as spectacular as Daniel, Lemanowicz has crept into the top 5 among WHL goaltenders with a 3.47 goals-against average.

“Personal stats like that are nice,” Lemanowicz said, “but I don’t care if we win 10-9, as long as we win.”

It’s the Calgary Hurtmen

Spokane gets its first look Wednesday night at the Calgary Hitmen, what’s left of them, anyway.

The club that got off to a quick start under Graham James, who won the ‘89 Memorial Cup with the Swift Current Broncos, is foundering without veteran center Derek Wood, picked up in the expansion draft from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Hitmen have lost eight of the nine games Wood has missed with a knee injury.

The club is also without Ryan Tobler (broken wrist), Kirk Dewaele and Mike Piersol (knee). All but Dewaele (broken collarbone, out indefinitely) are expected back next week, after the Hitters stop in Spokane.

Wood underwent knee surgery Nov. 9, when the Hitmen starting hitting the skids.

“We can’t use the loss of Wood as an excuse,” James said at the time. “If we do, we’ll lose 10 in a row.”

“Graham James is starting to sound like a prophet,” said Todd Kimberly, who covers the Hitmen for the Calgary Herald.

Of Bryan Maxwell, the former Spokane coach who’s already beginning to turn it around as the new head of hockey operations in Lethbridge, Kimberly said he was introduced to Maxwell’s aversion to losing after a Lethbridge-Calgary game won by the Hitmen.

“Away from the rink he’s a super guy,” Kimberly said, “but that night I was standing outside the locker room and I heard a lot of (angry words, many starting with F).

“After standing outside the door for a while I figured, I really don’t need any quotes,” Kimberly said. “I think I’ll just leave now.”

It’s great to be an American, now

After a slow start, the performance of the Tri-City Americans is beginning to match the potential.

After his club came from behind to knock off the Chiefs 4-3 in an entertaining game in Kennewick Saturday night, Tri-City coach Bob Loucks almost smiled.

“I’m not going to go out on a limb and say we’re playing where we should be playing,” said Loucks, “but we’re playing better. We’re getting a little more coordinated between our forwards and defensemen and that’s really starting to help.”

I’m not sure how you translate that, but I’ll guess: if there are any offensive-minded defensemen left in Tri-City they’re learning to stay home while the goal-scoring forwards whack away at the goalkeeper.

Old-time hockey.

As impressive as the Americans were Saturday night, Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said, “We outchanced them. If you outwork and outchance a team, in the long run you’ll beat them. I never want to give the opposition too much credit.”

Chief notes

Spokane is home for the holidays, for the most part. Seven of the next nine games before Christmas are in the Arena. … Forty of North America’s top young players will compete in the Canadian Hockey League Chrysler Cup Challenge in Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 15. … The game brings together the leading prospects for the NHL entry draft, a showcase that could include Chiefs center Trent Whitfield. “I’ve got to think Trent would be a candidate,” Chiefs GM Speltz said. “Aren Miller (goaltender) and (defenseman) Ryan Berry are could-be’s.” … The Chiefs’ contract with radio station KGA expires at the end of the season. The station that booms games into the Canadian prairies and the club are talking, but an agreement covering next season has yet to be nailed down. … Al Tuer, coach and general manager in Moose Jaw, said he hasn’t seen West Division-leading Kamloops yet. Until he sees the Blazers, he puts Spokane with anybody in the league. Why? “Team speed,” Tuer said. “They move the puck real well and they support real well. They play like a team, not a bunch of individuals. They’re well-coached.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo