Seattle At Spokane Chiefs

Time: Tonight at 7:05 in the Arena.

Records: Spokane (30-15-3), Seattle Thunderbirds (17-22-5).

Tickets:$6, $8, $10, $12.

Radio: KGA-AM (1510) 6:05 p.m. Hockey Tonight with Craig West. Chiefs coach Mike Babcock 6:20.

Key players: Spokane: C Darren Sinclair (16 goals, 27 assists), C Jason Podollan (20, 14), D Sean Gillam (7, 29), C Trent Whitfield (24, 38), D Hugh Hamilton (6, 37), LW Dmitri Leonov (22, 36), LW Greg Leeb (28, 15), RW John Cirjak (19, 26), RW Randy Favaro (13, 22), GK David Lemanowicz (3.08 goals-against), RW Jay Bertsch (12, 15).

Seattle: C Blair Manning (17 goals, 44 assists), RW Jan Hrdina (18, 27), C Patrick Marleau (19, 24), GK Jeff Blair (4.36 goals-against) or Doug Bonner (3.60), C Chris Schmidt (19, 16), C Tyler Perry (13, 21), D Michal Divisek (7, 23).

At a glance: T-Birds are as good at home (14-5-4) as they are bad on the road (3-17-1). Look for the younger Blair, who started the year in Kamloops, to start in goal. The 17-year-old has played well (and often) of late. Seattle coach Nachbaur is thinking ahead, not only to what T-Birds might spring in the way of an upset in the playoffs to salvage this year, but how they can position themselves for a better ‘96-97. Dealing alternate captain Shawn Gervais, a strong defenseman, to Tri-City this week is evidence that the future in Seattle is no longer now. Tonight, the rivalry of two of the WHL’s top rookies Seattle’s Marleau and Spokane’s Derek Schutz, is renewed. “I don’t want to put pressure on Marleau, but in my mind he’s one of the top - if not, the top - 16-year-old in the league,” Nachbaur said. “He has skills people his age just don’t have - skating strength and power, great puck sense, all the offensive tools. Although he’s still learning how to play without the puck, he’s picked up an incredible amount this year playing on our top line with Hrdina. He faces the opposition’s best players every night and that’s made him better.” Nachbaur, last year’s WHL coach of the year, likes what he sees in Spokane. “They’re a tough hockey team,” he says. “Not physically tough - although they play a hard game - but they keep coming at you hard with three or four lines. They have skill players and foot soldiers who know their roles.”

, DataTimes