Chiefs Say Goodbye To Haley

The Spokane Chiefs and 20-year-old right wing Mike Haley parted company Wednesday.

Haley, whose career in major junior hockey ended Sunday night when he was ejected after a fight in the Chiefs’ exhibition loss to the Portland Winter Hawks, was on his way to Lethbridge to enroll in college, coach Mike Babcock said.

Babcock said Haley’s departure was a mutual decision based on the best interests of the player.

“We hate to see him go,” Babcock said. “He’s a great guy who contributed everything he had, but we have to think about who our front-line players are going to be in the Memorial Cup.”

The Chiefs will play as the host team in the May 9-17 Memorial Cup, the four-team championship tournament of junior hockey.

The Chiefs also say their first pick in the import player draft, Czech forward Petr Sykora, may not be with them at all and almost certainly won’t be here when the season opens Sept. 27.

Prep volleyball

Jennifer Reed’s 23 assists and six kills helped Priest River (4-1, 2-1) defeat visiting Moscow 15-11, 11-15, 15-12 and tie second-place Bonners Ferry in the Intermountain League.

Courtney Goetz led the losing Bears (3-6, 1-2) with 11 kills and six blocks.

, DataTimes MEMO: Changed in Spokane Edition