Spokane Chiefs veteran players Adam Helewka and Calder Brooks had already formed two-thirds of a solid line when they welcomed 16-year-old Kailer Yamamoto into their midst on Saturday. The results spoke for themselves. Read story

Helewka, 19, and Brooks, 20, have fit well in their few games together. Brooks came to the Chiefs early in the season after a trade with Prince Albert, and Helewka missed three games because of an injury.

"Ever since I’ve been here, Adam and I have a little bit of chemistry," Brooks said. "We’re able to work together and have some practices now under our belts. Obviously, he’s a really skilled player so he knows where to be smart and find some open ice. When I’m able to get him the puck, he puts it in the net."

Putting the two with Spokane native Yamamoto on Saturday produced every Chiefs score. It's been quite a week for Yamamoto, whose first career WHL goal on Wednesday was the winner against Everett. He followed that with a goal Friday against Seattle, and was credited with three assists during Saturday's win.

"He’s a great player, really fun to play with, but this was our first game together," Helewka said of Yamamoto. "It went well, so I think only better things can come from this."

"He’s very, very skilled," Brooks said. "He’s quick and tenacious. He does a lot of things right for how young he is. I’m very impressed with his game and happy to have him on our line as well."

Another young Chiefs player, 17-year-old goalie Tyson Verhelst, had a special moment on Saturday by stopping 21 shots for his first career WHL victory in his second start.

Kootenay lost for the fifth consecutive time and ninth in 10 games, but the Ice, who defeated Spokane in overtime three weeks ago, nearly pulled off the upset. Kootenay scored two quick goals late in the game and had a third-period goal disallowed for incidental contact on Verhelst.

The one-goal games -- eight in the first 12 the Chiefs have played -- will test the patience of Chiefs coach Don Nachbaur.

"We were in scramble mode for the last 9 minutes of the third period," Nachbaur said. ... "This is instilled by your veteran players. Our veteran players are really guilty of trying to make plays and turning pucks over and putting us in situations that our young ‘D’ couldn’t defend. And that’s where it starts. It wasn’t (the Ice) making plays, it was us making plays for them."

"We really got off our guard," Helewka said. "I mean, we thought we won the game already and we lost focus. They got a couple of quick ones, but we battled and won the game."

"If we win, that’s OK, but we need to find a way to close games out," Brooks said.

 

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