Chiefs Changes: Leonov Goes Pro Nine Veterans Will Be Missing When Team Opens Camp Friday

Dmitri Leonov will continue his hockey career in this country as a professional.

The 21-year-old Russian left wing - last year’s leading scorer with the Spokane Chiefs - has reached agreement with the St. Louis Blues and will report to training camp with the National Hockey League club.

If he sticks, he’ll sign an NHL contract, his Calgary agent, Vlad Shuskovsky, said Monday. If he doesn’t, he’ll report to the Blues’ American Hockey League farm in Worcester, Mass., under terms of a minor league contract.

Leonov’s loss to graduation is part of a changing of the guard in Spokane. Nine important players in the Spokane Chiefs’ surprise run to the Western Hockey League West Division championship last season aren’t expected back when the club opens training camp Friday.

Beyond Leonov, the list includes last year’s most valuable player, Darren Sinclair (headed to the Vancouver Canucks organization); captain Sean Gillam (Detroit); and David Lemanowicz (Florida), the WHL’s top goaltender.

Alternate captain Jay Bertsch (New Jersey), sniper Jason Podollan (Florida), who finished his junior career as Spokane’s second-leading career goal-scorer, and Jan Hrdina, a key mid-season acquisition, are also among those headed to bigger things.

Hrdina has been offered a contract by the Pittsburgh Penguins but has yet to sign.

“The offer seems workable,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. “When I say that I don’t think they’re close yet, but from my understanding he’s hoping he can go to camp, show them what he has and sign a contract. We don’t expect to have him back.”

Defenseman John Shockey has elected to pass on his final year of junior hockey eligibility to serve his mission with the Mormon church.

Right wing Randy Favaro was lost to the new Edmonton Ice in the WHL expansion draft.

Jared Hope, a promising but injury-plagued center, who played here only briefly, was also selected by Edmonton in the WHL’s over-age player draft.

That leaves the door open to more than a half-dozen new faces. Between 85 and 100 players and prospects will jam the Arena ice Friday.

Included are 18-year-old left wing Yegor Mikhailov of the Red Army team and 18-year-old right wing Marian Cisar of Bratislava, Slovakia, acquired in the June Canadian Hockey League import player draft.

The Chiefs will eventually settle on 22 or 23 players, Speltz said.

“Not all of the guys who’ll be in here for camp are trying out,” Speltz said. “Some are too young and are just here for a look-see.”

Although the key scorers and leaders appear headed for professional jobs, coach Mike Babcock isn’t faced with a major rebuild. His 15 returnees were impressive in varying roles a year ago.

Last year, the initial question was in goal. Lemanowicz answered that emphatically with a great season.

But even without him, the Chiefs start the year with “a more capable goaltending tandem than we started with last season,” Speltz said.

Marc Magliarditi has left Western Michigan University after a standout freshman year to join the Chiefs. He and Aren Miller, who backed up Lemanowicz, sometimes brilliantly, will compete for playing time.

Forechecking demon Trent Whitfield, quick and aggressive Greg Leeb and the Burnaby, British Columbia, Connection of John Cirjak and Joe Cardarelli also return. They’re proven scorers at the highest level of junior hockey.

Defenseman Adam Magarrell, who’ll spend part of the pre-season in camp with the NHL Phoenix Coyotes, should be a dominant WHL D-man. With smooth Hugh Hamilton, tough Joel Boschman and Chris Lane and Brad Ference set to fulfill their potential, the Chiefs are strong at the blue line.

The opposition - as well as the Arena crowd - will keep an eye on left wing Kris Graf, whose 199 penalty minutes in only 52 games was second-highest on the club. Graf seemed to thrive on the tough-guy role he shared with Bertsch last season.

Ty Jones, who had a terrific Air Pacific Cup, a four-nation under-17 tournament in Nelson, B.C., last week, gives the Chiefs a combination of toughness and talent at right wing despite the fact he’s only 17.

Jones was named the most valuable forward at the tournament after scoring four goals with five assists in five games. Jones, from Eagle River, Alaska, led the U.S. team to the silver medal.

Center Derek Schutz, coming off a strong rookie season, is destined one day to captain the Chiefs, Babcock has said.

Defenseman Ryan Berry and right wing Mike Haley are other returning veterans.

Babcock has a new assistant in 29-year-old Brad Cox from Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, where he had been named head coach. Cox replaces Parry Shockey, now coach of the WHL Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The assistant has a more important role this year with Babcock scheduled to miss at least five games in late December and early January as coach of the Canadian team in the World Junior Tournament.

The Chiefs open a six-game schedule of exhibition games on Friday, Aug. 30, in Kimberley, B.C., against Portland. They play two practice games in Spokane, both at Eagles Ice-A-Rena at 6 p.m. The first is Sunday, Sept. 1, with Portland, and the following Sunday, Sept. 8, with Seattle.

The Chiefs open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 20, in Kelowna.

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