Chiefs Prepare To Face Portland Twice
After a weekend of strong goaltending and commendable effort, the Spokane Chiefs prepare this week for their only home exhibition.
The Chiefs, 2-0 after sweeping Western Hockey League champion Lethbridge on the road, are in Portland Friday night before meeting the same club at Eagles Ice-A-Rena at 6 p.m. here on Sunday.
Shaun Fleming, penciled in as the backup goaltender, had strong outings in Spokane’s 5-1 and 4-1 wins in Lethbridge.
“The puck hit him a lot, but then he was in good position a lot, too,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said.
“Besides Fleming, we liked the work ethic,” assistant coach Mike Pelino said. “For a lot of our guys, it was their first opportunity to experience the WHL. They came through in a real positive way. We stood up for each other and just played a couple of good, solid hockey games.”
The Chiefs had 25 players for practice Tuesday, Pelino said, “without anybody back from pro camps.”
The bulk of the veterans, including starting goaltender Aren Miller - are training with their pro teams, leaving the exhibition season to the undrafted, mostly younger players.
“We’re not too concerned about systems at this point,” Pelino said. “We want to see what players are made of.”
The games in Lethbridge matched each team’s younger players.
“Nobody disappointed us,” Speltz said.
Jared Smyth (shoulder) has the only injury of concern, Speltz added.
Twelve Chiefs are in NHL camps. In addition to Miller (Detroit Red Wings), they include right wing/center John Cirjak, who’s getting a look from the Red Wings as a free agent.
Others in pro camp are Greg Leeb (Dallas), Trent Whitfield (Boston), Hugh Hamilton (Carolina), Marian Cisar (Los Angeles), Ty Jones (Chicago) and Joe Cardarelli (Tampa Bay).
Also away at camp are Derek Schutz (Calgary), Brad Ference (Vancouver) and Curtis Suter (Phoenix)
“Some of those guys won’t be back,” Speltz said. “I don’t think Whitfield, Hamilton or Cardarelli will return.”
Around the WHL
The Chiefs have an interest in 19-year-old left wing Trevor Wasyluk, who decided not to report to camp with the Medicine Hat Tigers… . The Kelowna Rockets are without 18-year-old defenseman Ken Wilhelm, who was a no-show at camp. He says he wants to take a year off. The club has suspended him… . Prince George wants to move leading scorer Robert Petrovicky. Petrovicky has proven skills but he is an import player (you can only have two) and 20 years old (you can only have three). Those are reasons for pause… . The Regina Pats have lost defenseman Mark Thompson for a month with a sprained left knee suffered in an intrasquad game.
, DataTimes