Chiefs Need Trim For Intrasquad Game

The Spokane Chiefs get into their new season in earnest this week when coach Mike Babcock begins trimming his Western Hockey League club’s training camp roster prior to Sunday’s annual Red and White intrasquad game.

The Chiefs go through fitness tests today prior to Friday’s opening practices at the Arena.

The squad will be divided into four groups for drills on Friday morning, starting at 8 a.m. The first scrimmage is at 2:30, the second at 4:30. Scrimmages are scheduled throughout Saturday starting at 8 a.m., the last one at 4 p.m.

Babcock said he expects to have the squad down to about 40 players for Sunday’s Red and White game at 1 p.m. in the Arena. All sessions are free and open to the public. Enter the Arena through the door to the Chiefs offices.

A number of familiar faces will skate here before their NHL clubs convene for training camp. Included are former team captains Paxton Schulte, Kevin Sawyer and Sean Gillam.

Ten Chiefs will eventually head out to pro camps. They are defensemen Ryan Berry (Florida), Adam Magarrell (Phoenix), Chris Lane (Boston) and Hugh Hamilton (Hartford), center Trent Whitfield (Boston), right wings John Cirjak (Colorado) and Marian Cisar (Los Angeles), left wing Joe Cardarelli (Tampa Bay) and goaltenders Marc Magliarditi(Chicago) and Aren Miller (Detroit).

All are due back.

Six key players on last year’s club - Gillam, David Lemanowicz, alternate captains Jay Bertsch and Jason Podollan, Jan Hrdina and the club’s MVP Darren Sinclair are expected to stick with their professional organizations.

The Chiefs have already sold more than 3,000 season tickets, a club record. They had 2,608 season-ticket holders last year, their first in the Arena.

, DataTimes