Trip to East Division gives some Chiefs taste of home

This season’s Western Hockey League schedule provided a pleasant coincidence for Spokane Chiefs right wing Jacob Cardiff. Not only are his Chiefs scheduled to play in his parents’ town of Regina, Saskatchewan, but the game falls on Cardiff’s 19th birthday. “Maybe the tides are going to turn and I’ll score a couple of goals,” Cardiff said. The Chiefs’ every-other-year trip to the WHL’s six East Division teams begins today at Moose Jaw, the only team to defeat Spokane when it last made the excursion in 2012-13. For most Chiefs, the trip epitomizes the rigors of the league schedule as the team ventures more than 1,000 miles to reach its farthest destination, Brandon, Manitoba. For Cardiff, defenseman Evan Fiala and goaltender Tyson Verhelst, the long bus ride serves as a homecoming. Verhelst hails from Brandon and Fiala grew up in the small town of Clavet, Saskatchewan, 20 minutes from Saskatoon. Fiala recently heard that someone from the Saskatoon Blades’ organization traveled to the school in Clavet and offered tickets to students for Tuesday’s game against the Chiefs. “But I don’t know if they’re going to show up,” Fiala said. “As long as my family shows up, that’s enough for me.” Fiala said his family plans to attend all five games scheduled in Saskatchewan. “It’s a little nerve-wracking to me, I guess you could say,” Fiala said. “A little bit more pressure.” Verhelst estimates that 50 friends and family will be in attendance for the Feb. 13 game in Brandon. “As soon as I saw the schedule, I made sure that I wrote it down,” Verhelst said. “I’ve had it memorized and I’ve been looking forward to this day.” As a child, Verhelst attended many Wheat Kings games with his father, often falling asleep but waking up in time to watch the last few minutes. “I’m not sure if I’m playing that (Brandon) game,” said Verhelst, who backs up Garret Hughson in goal. “I really hope so. If I get the chance to, it will be something that I definitely remember for a long time.” Brandon (38-9-3-2, 81 points), the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference, should provide the Chiefs with their stiffest challenge on the trip. “Brandon has some skilled guys and they’re a skilled team,” Cardiff said. “I think we’re going to find a lot of different games with the way some of those (East) teams play.” Cardiff’s family previously lived in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, where he and his brother Zach played for the Notre Dame Hounds Midget AAA team, but his parents have settled in Regina. “I’d always gone to Pats games growing up and Saskatoon games sometimes when we were there to see my aunt and uncle,” Cardiff said. “Mom used to have season tickets to Pats games through her work, so we were out there quite often.” After today’s game at Moose Jaw, the Chiefs will meet Regina on Saturday, Cardiff’s birthday. Following Tuesday’s game at Saskatoon, Spokane will meet Prince Albert on Wednesday. The grueling tour ends next weekend at Brandon and Swift Current (Saturday). The Chiefs’ whirlwind jaunt may allow some of their WHL Bantam Draft selections to watch a game and meet the players and coaches. That’s what Cardiff did when Spokane traveled east two years ago. “It kind of made me feel like I was part of it a little bit,” Cardiff said. “I kind of got the whole experience of the travel and what they go through, hauling bags and luggage.”