Dan Weaver

The Spokane Chiefs were still bristling Monday over an incident that has temporarily cost them veteran defenseman Joel Boschman. Boschman suffered a broken thumb in Sunday night's 4-3 exhibition loss to the Portland Winter Hawks at Eagles Ice-A-Rena. "We're hoping he can play in the regular-season opener," Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said.

Call it what you will - Portland Winter Hawks coach Brent Peterson wrote it off as a waste but Sunday night's exhibition hockey game was anything but forgettable. Joel Boschman will remember it every time he looks down at his injured right thumb. The veteran Spokane Chiefs defenseman lost a glove and took a hard slash to his unprotected hand midway in the third period of Spokane's 4-3 loss to Portland at Eagles Ice Arena.

Former Spokane Chiefs defenseman Bryan McCabe became the youngest captain in the history of the New York Islanders, and the youngest current captain in the National Hockey League, this week. McCabe, who turned 22 on June 8, played three seasons in Spokane from 1992 until the Brandon Wheat Kings acquired him at the trade deadline in February 1995. He's the first former Chiefs players to serve as captain of an NHL club. He wore the captain's "C" in Spokane in the '94-95 season.

After a weekend of strong goaltending and commendable effort, the Spokane Chiefs prepare this week for their only home exhibition. The Chiefs, 2-0 after sweeping Western Hockey League champion Lethbridge on the road, are in Portland Friday night before meeting the same club at Eagles Ice-A-Rena at 6 p.m. here on Sunday. Shaun Fleming, penciled in as the backup goaltender, had strong outings in Spokane's 5-1 and 4-1 wins in Lethbridge.

It wasn't one of Gina Berry's better weekends. The jockey at Playfair Race Course took a spill last Friday morning while galloping a horse. The fall was bad enough that her injuries were initially thought to be serious. But Berry rebounded quickly and was off to Walla Walla to ride in a weekend fair meet.

All of junior hockey expects the Spokane Chiefs to swing a few deals on the way to the Memorial Cup. The Chiefs made the first of those anticipated moves Wednesday, acquiring veteran center Ron Grimard from the Edmonton Ice. The Chiefs gave up an undisclosed pick in the '99 bantam draft and a possible pick in 2000, contingent on whether Grimard plays as a 20-year-old.

The Washington State defense celebrates after stopping UCLA on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Its first venture outside the state was a modest but encouraging success. Now the top officer at Playfair Race Course wants to send Spokane's races into more tracks and off-track betting outlets in the East. Playfair's Sunday night program was picked up by the harness track at Northfield, Ohio, and by Philadelphia Park. Fans at the two outlets bet more than $20,000 on Playfair's eight-race card, track CEO Don Johnson said Monday. Playfair is exporting its signal out of state for the first time. Washington recently became the last state with significant thoroughbred racing to adopt full-card satellite wagering legislation.

Vince Ward, the self-described fastest computer salesman in horse racing, did it again Saturday night. As he did in last week's Inaugural Handicap, Ward mapped another patient course back to the winner's circle in the feature at Playfair, the $6,750 Distaff Handicap. He kept 9-1 shot Rolls Belle comfortably off the pace early, falling back to seventh in the field of eight, 7-1/2 lengths behind evenmoney favorite Weave Away. If backers of owner/trainer Bill Hobbs' 4-year-old filly were concerned a quarter of a mile into the race, Ward was right where he had to be, waiting for the favorite to run back to him.

When Mike Pelino, the Spokane Chiefs' new assistant coach, reported for work this week, the energy coming out of the coaches' office at the Arena was doubled. Pelino has a lot in common with his boss, Chiefs coach Mike Babcock. Like Babcock, Pelino brings an academic as well as athletic background to the Western Hockey League club that returns to work Wednesday with the opening of training camp.

Playfair Race Course has an agreement in place to send its races to Philadelphia Park and five Pennsylvania off-track betting sites, possibly as early as Sunday night, the track's chief executive officer said Friday. Playfair CEO Don Johnson said the Spokane track is awaiting approval from the Washington Horse Racing Commission before simulcasting to the Philadelphia Park network, that does $50 million annually on horse racing nationally.

Playfair Race Course goes to three nights of racing this weekend, hoping to improve on its dismal opening-weekend wagering figures. Although initial reports of the money handled at the Spokane track on Saturday and Sunday nights are boosted a little higher when betting on two other tracks is taken into account, public response at the mutuel windows still was only lukewarm. Saturday night, bettors in Spokane wagered $86,079 on Playfair's eight races. The on-site handle on Sunday night - $60,110 - was worse.

The first-race pack tries to keep up with eventual winner Gracious Grace as the horse racing season kicks off at Playfair. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

Dale, left, and Kim Wright prepare Dunraven Pass for today's Inaugural Handicap. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Former Spokane Chiefs assistant Brett Cox, let go at the conclusion of last season, has landed in the middle of a new challenge. Cox, 30, is both coach and general manager of the Bonnyville, Pontiacs, a Junior A team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. One of his earliest priorities is trying to land former Chiefs winger Yegor Mikhailov, whose rookie year in Spokane was interrupted by the crash last January of the team bus. Mikhailov was sidelined for the season with head and hand lacerations.

Che Meza will carry jockey Frank Best and high weight of 124 pounds in the $5,000 Inaugural Handicap, the featured race of opening night at Playfair Race Course. The track opens Saturday night with first post at 5 p.m. The Inaugural, the eighth and final race on the card, drew a field of eight including Dunraven Pass, the second-high-weighted entry. He'll carry 123 pounds and rider Lane Rennaker.

Playfair Race Course and the horsemen's bargaining unit have a "tacit agreement" on a contract, an important step in assuring that thoroughbred racing will go on in Spokane as scheduled. Playfair officials plan to open Saturday night. Although the contract has yet to be signed, "There are no financial issues left open," the track's chief executive officer, Don Johnson, said Monday.

Nobody knows where it'll lead but the long-awaited advent of simulcast wagering at Playfair Race Course is initially viewed as a return to happier days at the state's oldest race track. Warm weather, larger betting pools, full fields and a chance to make some money. These are the promises attached to Playfair's first season of exporting races to out-of-state betting sites. It starts Aug. 16 with opening night of a 47-day thoroughbred racing season. Playfair will offer racing three nights a week - Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays - until Monday, Sept. 8, when horsemen will add Mondays and go four nights before a a national audience.

1. Skinny 14-year-olds pile the pads on, don a helmet and look like men on the ice. A select few will continue to pursue dreams of playing in the NHL. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review 2. Ben Nelson of the Eastern Washington team gets plenty of support from his mom, Cyndi, right, his sister, Harmony, and his dad, Donald. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review 3. At their recent tourney in Whistler, B.C., Wolves players were intent on showing improvement. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review

1. When 14-year-olds like Ryan Athison of Vancouver, B.C., strut their stuff, Dudra sees the whole package: "I'm looking for the obvious: skating, shooting, that kind of thing." Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review 2. Ray Dudra is on the lookout for hockey talent of note. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review 3. An ability to think clearly while skating is part of what scout Ray Dudra looks for in a future Chiefs player. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review

Walter Prawdzick is "someone to watch," says scout Ray Dudra. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review

There will be no National Hockey League or National Basketball Association exhibitions in Spokane this fall. Spokane Chiefs owner Bobby Brett, who has exclusive rights to hockey events in the Arena, said Wednesday the NHL game has been put off a year. The San Jose Sharks will open their exhibition season in Boise. They return to Spokane next year, Brett said.

Travis King

Former Washington State basketball star Jonni Gray has a hand in her team's first-round victory at Hoopfest. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review