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Jeff Bunch

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Sports

Ice queen at thirteen

Don't be shocked if you see a diminutive 13-year-old walking around the aisles of a local grocery in full figure-skating regalia this week. Caroline Zhang, the rising star of U.S. figure skating, has been known to do just that, said older sister Yang.
News >  Spokane

Meissner aims for golden finish

Kimmie Meissner knows a window of opportunity when she sees one. And it's not likely to close before she attempts to leap through. Meissner, the reigning world champion, is leading a new wave of teens into Spokane for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. All are more than capable of carrying the torch in the absence of defending national champion Sasha Cohen, who is taking time off to pursue acting and other endeavors.
News >  Spokane

Weir vs. Lysacek: a new chapter

They are the grizzled veterans of the men's senior division and they've re-upped for four more years and another Olympic cycle. Johnny Weir, 22, and Evan Lysacek, 21, have been rivals since their junior days at nationals and are the co-favorites in this year's Championship Men's event.
Sports

Chiefs enter long Canadian journey with high hopes

It's a safe bet the Spokane Chiefs won't feel the itch to travel much when they arrive back at the Spokane Arena in the early-morning hours of Jan. 28. That's when the Chiefs will return from a 10-day road trip that will see them play seven games and cover more than 2,400 miles.
News >  Spokane

No rinky-dink ice

Right away, something seems different about figure-skating ice. That perception is correct, says Dave Gebhardt, operations director for the Spokane Public Facilities District. Compared with the ice his crew lays down for Spokane Chiefs hockey games, the figure skaters' stage is thicker, warmer and has a blue hue.
Sports

Skating’s next big thing

The past and present of U.S. figure skating don't think the sport needs a future star – at least right now. Besides, who that person might be is yet to be determined. That could all change when the U.S. Figure Skating Championships conclude next week in Spokane.
Sports

Chiefs come out of hibernation

There might finally be an explanation why the Spokane Chiefs have a bear for a mascot: the cold-weather hibernation. The Chiefs had been slumbering through the past week as the temperatures dipped in the city, putting together a two-game losing streak and not looking too sharp halfway through Friday night's game with the visiting Chilliwack Bruins (a bear).
Sports

Blazers take out Chiefs

The Spokane Chiefs didn't show much life through two periods Wednesday night, so the Kamloops Blazers went for the kill early in the third. Kamloops, which had the only goal through 40 minutes, took care of business in the final 20 minutes and won its seventh straight Western Hockey League game, 3-0 over the Chiefs at the Arena.
Sports

Chiefs swap D-men with Calgary

It was pretty much dead at the Western Hockey League trading deadline. There were no major deals for the period that ended Wednesday at 2 p.m., although the Spokane Chiefs made a move to get slightly younger on defense.
Sports

Grabner’s moment

It's a bit mind-boggling to think about the quickness of Michael Grabner's ascent.
Sports

Chiefs are ‘Tip-top

The Spokane Chiefs, owned by the Everett Silvertips in recent years, have somehow found the formula this season against the Western Hockey League's top team. Spokane proved it yet again Friday night, topping Everett 1-0 at the Arena in a tightly played contest.
Sports

Hobbled Hobson just waits

Spokane Chiefs captain Adam Hobson said he remembers the early November play that put him out of action just like it was yesterday. "Portland, (Max) Gordichuk, on the PK (penalty kill)," he recalled Thursday. "I went down, blocked the shot and it bounced directly off my knee and the puck went down all the way to the other end of the ice. I barely made it off the ice – one of the worst pains I've ever had in my life."
Sports

Chiefs start fast, flame out in loss to Americans

It was one of those games in which it's difficult to say if the Tri-City Americans won or the Spokane Chiefs lost. In the end it didn't matter, as Tri-City skated to a 4-3 shootout victory over Spokane in Western Hockey League play Saturday night at the Spokane Arena.
Sports

Newest Chiefs welcomed

The Spokane Chiefs, new and old, found their way back to Spokane on Friday. The team bus arrived in the early afternoon at the Spokane Arena with the coaches and most of the players after a 13-hour drive from Prince George, British Columbia, where Spokane won two games against the Cougars.
Sports

Chiefs trade McCue

The Spokane Chiefs found a taker for disgruntled defenseman Matt McCue. Spokane general manager Tim Speltz sent McCue to the Chilliwack Bruins on Wednesday for 20-year-old defenseman Stephane Lenoski and a sixth-round draft pick in the 2007 Bantam Draft. Lenoski is expected to play this weekend against Tri-City.
Sports

Chiefs complete lackluster weekend

In the race for second through fourth places in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, a team's fortunes can swing wildly based on the outcomes of "four-point" games – ones against division opponents. Ask the Spokane Chiefs.
Sports

Chiefs have way to go, but have come far

It's hard to say when the Spokane Chiefs franchise officially hit rock bottom. It sure felt like that to owner Bobby Brett and general manager Tim Speltz in March 2005 when the Western Hockey League team finished in last place in the U.S. Division and missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Sports

Chiefs sign No. 1 draft pick Cowen

The Spokane Chiefs have landed their big fish. The Western Hockey League team announced Wednesday that defenseman Jared Cowen, the No. 1 overall pick in last summer's Bantam Draft, has signed a contract with the team.
Sports

Chiefs KO T-Birds

On fight night at the Spokane Arena – with a "Rocky" theme running throughout it – the Spokane Chiefs answered the bell and knocked out their foe. The Spokane Chiefs scored their first three goals on power plays and downed the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 in Western Hockey League play Friday night.
Sports

Chiefs enter crucial divisional stretch

The race in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League won't be decided between now and Christmas. But the Spokane Chiefs can make things a lot easier for themselves if they perform well during that time.
Sports

Surplus of pluses

When you look at the statistics for the Spokane Chiefs, it jumps off the page. In the team's plus-minus ratings, defenseman Sean Zimmerman is the team leader – by far.
Sports

Chiefs close in on reaching coach’s goals

Spokane Chiefs coach Bill Peters gave his hockey team concrete goals before its recent stretch of home games. In order to stay in contention in the U.S. Division during the month of November, he said his team needed to: