Chiefs Net Standout Blue-Liner Komarniski Heads For Spokane
Zenith Komarniski is coming.
The big trade Spokane Chiefs fans have expected in this Memorial Cup season was sprung Monday, when Spokane general manager Tim Speltz acquired the all-star defenseman from the Tri-City Americans.
The Chiefs sent center Blake Evans and defenseman Regan Darby to Tri-City for the 19-year-old Komarniski, an impact player from Vegreville, Alberta, known throughout the Western Hockey League for his versatility.
The Chiefs also got 19-year-old right wing Kris Waltze in the deal, the first ever between Speltz and Bob Brown, the Tri-City general manager who previously built a dynasty as GM of the Kamloops Blazers.
Komarniski - known in Tri-City as Zeke - gives the Chiefs a dominant blue-liner, a returning first-team West Division all-star who last year was named to the all-Canadian Hockey League second team.
He started the season as team captain but had been in hot water recently with Rick Lanz, who last month replaced Bob Loucks as Tri-City coach.
Lanz had benched Komarniski, who refused to serve a penalty in Tuesday night’s 4-3 loss to the Saskatoon Blades. With 1:43 left in the second period, Komarniski was called for high sticking. He refused to report to the penalty box, choosing instead to head for the locker room.
Saskatoon scored to tie the game at 2. With 8 seconds left, with Komarniski still in the dressing room, Saskatoon scored again to go up 3-2.
He took another high-sticking penalty in the third period. Saskatoon scored on that power play and Komarniski was benched for the rest of the game.
“It was a bonehead, stupid thing on my part,” Komarniski told the Tri-City Herald’s Eric Degerman. “Emotions took over… It was stupid and I apologize for that.”
Lanz said, “There are rules that you live and die by. Take a penalty, you serve it like anybody else.”
Tri-City alternate captain Craig Stahl was more critical in an interview Friday with the Herald.
“Skating off the ice … was like he was leaving us out to dry,” he said. “Zeke has changed. Maybe that’s what happens to people. When he became captain he wanted so bad to get the team to win. I think there was a lot of pressure thrown on him.
“Maybe he tried too hard,” Stahl added. “He’ll still be a great friend but sometimes people change, things change and a team changes. Maybe this is best for us and for him.”
Komarniski was troubled last year with a broken arm and slowed this year by a groin injury suffered in training camp with the NHL Vancouver Canucks.
The deal was contingent on Komarniski coming in 100 percent. Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said there are no concerns about his physical status.
Komarniski, who had requested a trade, was the Canucks’ third-round draft pick in ‘96.
Speltz said he expected no trouble from his newest acquisition.
“This kid wants to play,” he said. “He’s never been a problem and he won’t be a problem. I don’t know what his deal was there and I don’t care.”
Darby is sidelined with an ankle injury but Evans was playing well for the Chiefs in the middle of a third line with Marc Brown and Jared Smyth.
“We’re giving up two very good players and quality people who are going to be our nemesis for years to come,” Speltz said. “They have the potential to be all-stars. That’s why the deal happened so fast.
“Our thinking this year is Memorial Cup.”
Babcock said Evans will be a “dominant two-way player. And Regan Darby is going to turn lots of heads. He’ll be a high draft pick in the spring.”
Komarniski played for Babcock in an under-18 tournament in Japan, and tried out for Team Canada last year coached By Babcock and assistant Mike Pelino.
“It’s not like we don’t know who we’re getting,” the coach said.
The Chiefs will play for the championship of major junior hockey as the host team in the four-team Memorial Cup tournament May 9-17.
“We’re committed to being as competitive as we can be,” Speltz said. “If there is a player of this magnitude available, were interested. In that sense everyday is trade deadline for us.”
, DataTimes