If Chiefs Can Make Some Noise, They Can Take 5th
The Spokane Chiefs, who have all but wrapped up fifth place in the Western Hockey League West, can make it official tonight.
The Chiefs are 12 points up on the sixth-place Portland Winter Hawks with seven games left. Another win - worth two points in the standings - or a Portland loss will leave Spokane in the No. 5 spot.
The Chiefs can nail it by beating the Tacoma Rockets tonight at 7 in the Coliseum.
The picture is not nearly as cut and dried for the Rockets, who are two points behind second-place Seattle and five ahead of fourth-place Tri-City.
The first, third and sixth-place teams are in one pool of the first-round. The second, fourth and fifth-place finishers are in another pool. One from each side will be eliminated, leaving the two survivors from each side in the second round.
In the second round, the lowest remaining seed starts out on the road against the highest.
The Chiefs and Rockets are coming off strong weekends. Spokane salvaged a 3-3 tie at Kamloops and beat Portland 3-2 on the road. Tacoma blasted Tri-City 8-2 and nicked Portland 2-1.
“Our guys played hard in Kamloops,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “Any time you can come back in the third to tie and have a chance to beat them, it’s good. That was as even a game as we’ve played with them, in terms of opportunities.
“Portland had to play back-to-back games - I don’t think they had the same legs for us - so give them credit - but I thought we dominated.”
Around the WHL
Chiefs rookie right winger Mike Haley is expected to play after a freak laceration kept him out of the Kamloops and Portland games. A trunk full of equipment rolled off a ramp and struck Haley in the heel … Former New York Islanders goalkeeper Billy Smith, winner of the Vezina, Jennings and Conn Smythe trophies, is in Spokane this week. Affiliated with the NHL Florida Panthers, Smith worked with Chiefs netminders in the Coliseum Tuesday … The Calgary Hitmen, who begin WHL play next season, will start to fill their roster in a May 24-25 expansion draft. Each existing team will protect 11 players born in ‘76, ‘77 and ‘78. Others are available to Calgary … Calgary will also choose from a pool of 20-year-olds in July … The revamped National Hockey League draft is July 8 in Winnipeg.
Chiefs coach Mike Babcock gave high weekend marks to goaltender Jarrod Daniel and right wing John Cirjak. “Cirjak had his game of the year in Portland,” the coach said … Another key Chief of late is Jay Bertsch, who’s on a point-a-game pace over Spokane’s last eight outings … GM Tim Speltz is back after being out 17 of 24 days in part to scout for the bantam draft. The Chiefs have nine picks in the first five rounds of the April 27 bantam draft for 14-year-olds … West Division playoffs start Friday night, March 24 … The addition of Calgary brings realignment. Calgary joins Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Swift Current in a Central Division. Brandon, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw remain in the East … After recent meeting with owners and general managers, Speltz believes the next WHL expansion is at least two years off … The Seattle Thunderbirds are on a 13-game win streak.