Dan Weaver

Chad Gans beat the Spokane Chiefs to Medicine Hat by a week, but it wasn't the homecoming he'd hoped for. The Chiefs released the 19-year-old left wing Friday. Gans, acquired Nov. 21 from the Moose Jaw Warriors, is back home in Medicine Hat, where the Chiefs play the Tigers on Saturday night.

Here's how good it's going. The Kamloops Blazers - THE Kamloops Blazers, the reigning champions of junior hockey - went up by a goal in the first period Saturday night and Mike Babcock hardly noticed. What the coach of the Spokane Chiefs was seeing at the time was domination, a one-sidedness from the start that marked the Chiefs' 4-1 win before 10,528 at the Arena.

Two Western Hockey League contenders acquired players this week in hopes of mounting stronger stretch runs in the tightly bunched West Division. The Tri-City Americans picked up right wing Mike Dubinsky Wednesday from the Brandon Wheat Kings for center Dorian Anneck and a second-round pick in the 1997 bantam draft. The Kamloops Blazers on Thursday added former Spokane Chief Dean Kletzel, a 19-year-old center who played 55 games here during the '92-93 season.

Seattle's Jaxon Dekker struggles to keep Spokane's Greg Leeb out of scoring position in the Chiefs' victory Wednesday. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Although rosters for the Jan. 23 Western Hockey League All-Star game won't be announced until this morning, the educated guess here is that as many as four Spokane Chiefs could play for the West Division. As the league's No. 1-rated goaltender, David Lemanowicz is a shoo-in. Right wing Jason Podollan is another lock. Spokane's Dmitri Leonov, the division's player of the month for December, is expected to make the cut as well. Another worthy of an invitation is Sean Gillam, the Chiefs' defenseman/captain who had hoped to make the Canadian World Junior tournament team.

Chiefs owner Bobby Brett honors Jason Podollan at center ice Saturday in the Arena. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

In a developmental setting such as the Western Hockey League it's sometimes hard to tell the front-runners from the stragglers, so quickly do fortunes change. The young Red Deer Rebels sputtered through the first half of the season while the Spokane Chiefs, stocked with veterans, came out smoking.

It'll be brother against brother tonight in the Arena when the Spokane Chiefs take on the Red Deer Rebels. Greg Leeb will be at left wing for the Chiefs. At right wing for the Rebels will be his younger brother Brad, a 16-year-old rookie who'll suit for the first time since breaking his wrist on Nov. 22.

Things were looking up for Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners after Griffey scored the winning run in an 11th-inning American League playoff victory over the Yankees. Photo by Associated Press

1. Thoroughbred trainer Bruce Wagar, left, and his assistant, his daughter, Annette, want to see racing survive at Spokane's Playfair Race Course. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Trainer Bruce Wagar was out of his field when he invested in Playfair Race Course, but he and his daughter, Annette, hope racing has a future in Spokane. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Operators of the state's three major race tracks are discussing ways to salvage a 1996 horse racing season in Spokane, the general manager of Spokane's Playfair Race Course said Thursday. Dan Hillyard, Playfair GM, will meet again today with Ron Crockett, president of Emerald Downs, the new track in Auburn that opens in June. The goal is to formulate long-range solutions to Playfair's declining on-site attendance and parimutuel wagering, Hillyard said.

Winston Cup driver Chad Little struggles to control his excitement after switching from Ford to Pontiac. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Podollan

The Spokane Chiefs worked out a new wrinkle on the old hat trick Saturday night. It's the Medicine Hat trick - you score three goals in the first 3 minutes then take the rest of the night off.

Spokane's Dmitri Leonov hooks around the net for a shot on Swift Current goaltender Aaron MacDonald, helping the Chiefs power their way to victory. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Sean Gillam's three-point night included the game-winning goal Wednesday night as the Spokane Chiefs moved to within two points of the lead in the Western Hockey League West. The Chiefs assumed sole possession of second place - two points behind the division-leading Kamloops Blazers - with a 4-3 win over the Swift Current Broncos before 4,315 at the Arena. Trent Whitfield had a pair of goals after John Cirjak scored for the Chiefs, who took advantage of a Swift Current's manpower shortage with a barrage of power-play goals.

The Spokane Chiefs appear to have lost a promising talent for the balance of the year. Center Jared Hope, who has suffered two concussions this season that have limited him to five games, will return Monday to his Edmonton home where he'll stay until his situation improves, Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said Tuesday. "It looks more and more like he won't be back this season," Speltz said, "unless things improve."

Lifelong hockey fan Charlie Palmer makes his mark as the official artist of the Spokane Chiefs. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Spokane's Greg Leeb battles Kelowna defense in front of the Rockets goal. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Spokane's Greg Leeb battles Kelowna defense in front of the Rockets goal. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Kilburn in 1961

At age 33, linesman Steve Murphy rarely feels like he can fly. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

Another night, another set of heroes. The story of numerical strength - December chapter - marched on Saturday night with Jay Bertsch, Randy Favaro and defenseman John Shockey doing the principal damage in the Spokane Chiefs' 5-1 breeze over Regina's pooped-out Pats. Bertsch had a pair of goals, his sixth and seventh of a season that for him is gathering steam. The first was the game-winner in front of 8,011 at the Arena, pushing the season attendance to a Western Hockey Leaguehigh 104,606. Favaro - playing with his usual body-slamming abandon - added a goal and an assist in Spokane's fourth straight win.

The Chiefs are happy with the play of goalie David Lemanowicz. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review