Where former Spokane Chiefs and other local players stand heading into the 2021 NHL season
The National Hockey League begins its season this week with a normal schedule – including a break for the Winter Olympics – with the usual 82 regular-season games and a new 32nd team in the Seattle Kraken.
As has been the case the last few seasons, three Spokane natives are on NHL rosters, but two will don new jerseys. A handful of other former Spokane Chiefs players are on rosters as well, as the Western Hockey League team continues to see an increase in the number of its alumni in the NHL.
Here’s a look at who is where this season:
Derek Ryan and Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton Oilers: Yamamoto first played for the Oilers during the 2017-18 season, and each year since his role – if not his production – has increased. In 52 games during last year’s shortened season, Yamamoto scored eight goals and added 13 assists. That’s down from the 26 points he had in 27 games during the 2019-20 season.
This year, he is joined by Ryan, who spent the last three of his six NHL seasons playing for the Oilers’ rival, the Calgary Flames. At 34, Ryan is 11 years older than Yamamoto and has now played in 345 NHL games, third-most among active former Chiefs. Ryan and Yamamoto, both Spokane natives, are the only two U.S.-born skaters on the Oilers roster this season.
Tyler Johnson, Chicago Blackhawks: After winning back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 31-year-old Johnson was traded to the Blackhawks this offseason. In the preseason, he centered Chicago’s top line, so an increase in minutes looks likely for the Spokane native this season.
Johnson, whose No. 9 will be retired by the Chiefs in February, switched to No. 90 in Chicago. He has played 589 regular-season NHL games in his career and has 161 goals and 200 assists, good for the fifth-most points ever by a former Chiefs player. He needs 39 more points to tie Valeri Bure for fourth on that list.
Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild: After making his NHL debut during the 2010-11 season, the former Chiefs defenseman is now 707 regular-season games into his NHL career, all of those played with the Wild. This will be his second season as team captain.
Spurgeon has now played more NHL games than all but five former Chiefs players, and he has a shot to catch Jon Klemm (773) this season to move up a spot.
Ty Smith, New Jersey Devils: Though he missed time during the preseason, the Devils’ former first-round pick will look to build on a strong rookie campaign last season, when he scored two goals and added 23 assists in 48 games played. He finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting.
Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Los Angeles Kings: Once a Chiefs’ co-captain with Smith, the forward has now played 43 games for the Kings across three seasons. He had seven goals and four assists in 34 games last year, missing some time due to an injury.
Dustin Tokarski, Buffalo Sabres: The 32-year-old goaltender first reached the NHL in 2009-10, when he played two games with the Lightning. He bounced between the NHL and American Hockey League in the seasons since in a handful of organizations, but last year he caught on with the Buffalo Sabres for 13 games, and this fall he is back with them as, presumably, their No. 2 goalie.
Adam Beckman, AHL: The WHL Player of the Year during the 2019-20 season, Beckman was among the final players cut by Minnesota during its preseason camp. That was despite a strong showing in the preseason, when he scored four goals in four games. He will start the season in the AHL.