Chiefs seek status quo

The thing about taking the ultimate step is that there are only two places to go from there – stand still, or fall down.

That’s the position the Spokane Chiefs find themselves in after collecting Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League titles last spring.

The valuable pieces of hardware – the Ed Chynoweth Cup and Memorial Cup – are still evident in all their glory in the Spokane Arena offices and serving as a reminder of their season of success.

“A lot of people expect the same result,” first-year head coach Hardy Sauter said Saturday as the Chiefs prepared for their final game of the preseason in Kelowna.

“Obviously, it’s exciting in the sense that now the fans and supporters are excited and a little hockey crazy – that part is outstanding,” Sauter said. “The downside is that if you don’t repeat, it is considered a failure.”

Not that failure is an option for Sauter.

“I expect us to be one of the better teams in the league and to go deep in the playoffs, but at the same time it’s that same old cliché – one game at a time,” he said. “We will still need to learn lessons along the way and figure things out the hard way and develop our lineup.”

Sauter is no stranger to the system. He served as Spokane’s assistant last season under Bill Peters, who departed the organization – on the best of terms – when he accepted a job to coach the Rockford IceHogs, the Chicago Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate.

The Chiefs also lost three invaluable forwards when last season’s overage class graduated. Former captain Chris Bruton, who played on the top line, and second-line wingers Judd Blackwater and David Rutherford combined for 166 points (79 goals) last season.

That was just on the scoresheet. Perhaps even more priceless was their leadership qualities.

“There’s no doubt those guys were a huge part of our success,” Sauter said. “But at the same time, the guys coming back are a year older and a year more mature. They have been through the playoff experience, to the max, and they should be able to bring the leadership to the table, and certainly we’ll rely on their talent on the ice to lead us too.”

It starts in back for the Chiefs – with Memorial Cup championship MVP goalie Dustin Tokarski, who was drafted this summer by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tokarski finished the regular season third in the league and carried a 16-2-3 record, .944 save percentage and 1.38 goals-against average through the playoffs. Rookie James Reid will back up Tokarski, as fellow veteran Kevin Armstrong was dealt to Prince George in the off-season.

Playing in front of Tokarski were a slew of talented blue liners who were critical in the Chiefs’ success last season. Many of the key defenseman are back this season, including Jared Spurgeon, the team’s reigning Defenseman of the Year, and blue-collar veteran Trevor Glass.

Other returning defenseman include Jared Cowen, the top overall pick of the 2006 Bantam Draft and a highly rated top prospect in next summer’s NHL draft, Mike Reddington, import Stefan Ulmer and Brett Bartman. Overage defenseman Justin Falk, a Minnesota Wild prospect, is at pro camp and may not be returned.

Up front is where Sauter hopes to improve his team.

The Chiefs have the potential to return two top-line forwards – winger Drayson Bowman and center Mitch Wahl – and second-line center Ondrej Roman, who is still stuck in the Czech Republic awaiting his IIHF transfer agreement to be signed. Sauter expects the situation to be handled and for Roman, a Dallas Stars prospect, to be on Spokane’s roster again this season.

Bowman, who signed an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes this summer, leaves for pro camp this week, along with a fellow Hurricanes prospect – overage forward Justin McCrae.

Bowman could potentially stick in Carolina, but if he is returned Spokane will have back last season’s leading scorer, as Bowman provided 42 goals and 40 assists last season.

Wahl, who was drafted this summer in the second round of the NHL draft by the Calgary Flames, is also at pro camp. He finished second on the team in scoring last season with 20 goals and 53 assists. He is a proven playmaker, but will be expected to score more this season.

Veteran forwards Tyler Johnson, a Liberty Lake product, Levko Koper and McCrae – if he is returned and earns an overage spot – were relied on for two-way play last year and will need to provide more secondary scoring.

“If those three guys can use speed to shut down lines and to create more and more offensive chances for us, that’s gong to be extremely exciting,” Sauter said. “Hopefully, they can put pucks in the net. It’s no secret – we’re going to need that.”

There are also the forwards who provide intangables – solid checking, and goals here and there – like overage forward Seth Compton, who is a proven leader, Dustin Donaghy and Ryan Letts.

All told, 17 players from last year could be back. With Sauter’s plan of trimming the final roster to 22 or 23 players, which won’t happen for a while, there are only about six openings for rookies.

“(The team) is different,” Sauter said. “A lot different? No, but it is different. Talent-wise, we’re comparable. I think defensively we are potentially better. Offensively, we might start a little slow, but as the season rolls on we will get more comfortable.”

The U.S. Division competition will certainly aid the process as Tri-City, which finished ahead of Spokane in the division and Western Conference standings last season, should also be a top competitor in the league.

“In the end, the division was one of two things that helped us the most last season,” Sauter said. “You fight for every point you get and you benefit in the sense that it makes you ready to go every night.

“With that going for us, and all the other things I think we have going for us, we should be in running for a top spot (in the league) and go deep in the playoffs.”