Chiefs Begin Goodb At Coliseum

Winning on the road has become business as usual for the surging Spokane Chiefs.

The Chiefs, 18-10-2 since Jan. 1, launch the final week of regular-season play in the 40-year-history of the Coliseum tonight at 7 against the Tri-City Americans.

They also play Saturday and Sunday night games against the Prince George Cougars, who’ve lost 12 straight and were knocked out of playoff contention last week.

So when the Chiefs won two in Prince George over the weekend the reaction was low-keyed.

The motivation wasn’t what it has been.

When the Chiefs last played at Prince George just after the Christmas break, they were in last place with 23 points. The Cougars had 25 points in the standings.

Now, 10 weeks later, the Cougs are stuck on 31 points and the Chiefs have 61.

The Chiefs came alive in ‘95.

So while they wanted to win two in Prince George over the weekend, the games “weren’t conducive to bringing out the best in a lot of players,” Spokane coach Mike Babcock confirmed.

Spokane went on the road stuck in fifth place in the Western Hockey League West and assured of its position in playoffs.

“We played well enough to win (6-4 and 3-1),” the coach said. “I felt good about that. As for individual performances, David Lemanowicz (backup goaltender) played all right and I thought (right wing) Mike Haley was good. That’s about it.”

That’s not a knock on the players, Babcock added. They did find a way to sweep with very little on the line.

Babcock sees an easier motivational challenge this week.

First, tonight’s game is a playoff preview. The Chiefs and Americans are in the same pool for the first round.

Spokane and Tri-City will be joined by the No.-2 team out of the West - either Tacoma or Seattle. The Chiefs play two games against each opponent in the first round.

The playoffs start a week from Friday night at sites yet to be determined.

Second, many of the Chiefs will be joined this weekend by their families as the club commemorates 40 years of hockey in the Coliseum prior to Sunday night’s final game of the regular-season.

There’s a third factor.

“As we’ve been saying all along, we want to be playing our best hockey of the year heading into the playoffs,” Babcock said. “Right now we can say that. We’d like to keep that momentum going.”

Nostalgia in the Barn

The Chiefs and the Spokane Old Timers Association will honor seven teams including the first hockey club to play in the Coliseum prior to Sunday night’s regular-season final with the Prince George Cougars.

The 1948-49 and ‘49-‘50 Spokane teams that won U.S. national amateur championships will be recognized.

So will the ‘54-55 Spokane Flyers, the first to play in the Coliseum, and Spokane’s Allan Cup championship clubs of 1970, ‘72, ‘76 and ‘80.

Tom Mableson, ex-Spokane Jets and Spokane Flyers announcer, will attend the ceremony.

The Chiefs will hand out 4,000 commemorative posters after the game.

Chiefs dotta …

Right wing Jay Bertsch will miss another game tonight with a hip pointer … Joel Boschman is the Chiefs’ nominee for WHL Scholastic Player of the Year. Boschman, a defenseman from Saskatoon, is a senior at Ferris High School. Nominated for a second time are Byron Penstock of Brandon and Perry Johnson of Regina … Defenseman Rob Sandrock, who has filled in admirably while bouncing back and forth from Spokane to his Tier II team in Kimberley, is back with the Chiefs, although he won’t suit for tonight’s game … Two future Chiefs, defenseman Sean Trant from Vancouver and right wing Matt Mason of Trail, are skating with the club in practice. The two will be here for training camp next September …

Around the league

Tri-City’s Daymond Langkow and Marty Murray of Brandon are finalists for the league’s Player of the Year award … Langkow was named WHL West Division Player of the Year on Monday … The Regina Pats - preseason picks for last - have nailed seventh place in the WHL East and a playoff spot … The Tacoma Rockets have a better shot at catching Seattle for second in the WHL West now that top defenseman Alex Alexeev has returned after missing 18 games with a wrist injury . . . Tri-City ended Seattle’s 15-game win streak Friday night, turning over the league’s hottest club designation to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who have won eight straight … In the 18 games he’s played for Brandon after being traded by the Chiefs, All-star defenseman Bryan McCabe has five goals and nine assists. The Wheat Kings initially paired him with Wade Redden in the back end but lately have McCabe teamed with another ex-Chief, Kevin Pozzo.