Spokane returns to rink for first time since Cup

It seems, without any sort of negotiation, that Drayson Bowman has picked up a truck payment.

The Spokane Chiefs forward, who signed an entry-level contract in the off-season with the Carolina Hurricanes, made a deal with his parents last year when they bought him a new truck. The agreement: He would have to take on the expense when he inked an NHL contract.

“There wasn’t a negotiation,” Bowman joked on Thursday afternoon from Chiefs training camp at the Arena. “They clearly laid it out.”

Bowman, and several other Chiefs from last year’s Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championship roster, took the ice Thursday for the official start to a new hockey season. Approximately 60 players – split up into three teams – practiced and scrimmaged while general manager Tim Speltz, new head coach Hardy Sauter and the Chiefs’ scouting staff watched this year’s crop from the stands.

The Chiefs have 18 players back from last year’s roster, including Bowman – who led the Chiefs in scoring last season – and Memorial Cup MVP goalie Dustin Tokarski, a 2008 Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick. Other returning players include defensemen Trevor Glass, Mike Reddington, New York Islanders prospect Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild prospect Justin Falk and Stefan Ulmer.

Returning forwards are Bowman, Calgary Flames prospect Mitch Wahl, Carolina prospect Justin McCrae, Levko Koper, Tyler Johnson, Seth Compton, Ryan Letts and Dustin Donaghy.

There were two key players from last year’s team who were noticeably absent from the ice – defenseman Jared Cowen, the Chiefs’ No. 1 overall draft pick in 2006, and import forward Ondrej Roman.

Cowen is in Spokane, but he’s resting after recently helping Canada’s national men’s summer U-18 team to a gold medal at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in Piestany, Slovakia, earlier this month.

Roman has a different set of circumstances.

The Czech Republic native and Dallas Stars prospect is still overseas waiting to be released by the International Ice Hockey Federation. For now, the Chiefs aren’t certain when they will get their veteran forward back in Spokane.

“It’s a scenario that we think is going to be resolved, so for us, right now the best thing is to just wait and let it run its course,” Speltz said. “Right now there is no transfer agreement (between the IIHF and the NHL).

“In a normal situation they don’t mind releasing those players, but they still have what they consider their right to development money from the NHL.”

Veterans aside, the younger groups of players, including the 2007 draftees, were impressive on the opening day of camp.

“I’m very happy with our group of (1993-born players) and our 1992s coming back,” director of scouting and player personnel Chris Moulton said. “We kept the camp small so we could focus in on our guys, and it’s been the right decision now that we’ve seen it a day in.”

The 1993-born players are the 2008 draft class and aren’t eligible, because they are only 15-years-old, to make the team this year.

Several 16-year-old players, however, are being looked at, including forward Blake Gal, who was brought up for the postseason last year, forwards Michael Betz and TC Cratsenberg and defenseman Brenden Kichton. Cory Baldwin, 17, and some other 2006 draftees are also vying for roster spots.

Moulton added that there is a specific group of players that is being considered for the available roster spots. Just how many of those there are depend on which players are sent back to Spokane from their respective NHL camps.

“We’re not as deep as people say we are,” Moulton said. “When they say we have tons of returning players and no spots – it’s not totally true. We have spots. There are about a dozen players we have highlighted that are competing for probably six or seven spots.”

Ice chips

Returning defenseman Brett Bartman had knee surgery at the beginning of June and is still in the recovery process. He was at camp Thursday but did not practice. Speltz said he should be ready to hit the ice soon. … Forward Curtis Kelner, who would be competing for one of three overage spots this season, did not report to camp. He has decided to go to college instead. There are four 20-year-old players at camp – Glass, McCrae, Falk and Compton. … Goalie James Reid, who was with Spokane at the beginning of last season, will likely back up Tokarski this season.