No Place Like Chiefs’ New Home Spokane Rewards 10,452 Fans With Win In Arena’s Whl Opener

In the end, there was plenty to cheer Saturday night - a pair of hat tricks, inspired special-teams play and a 7-2 rout in front of a sellout crowd in the Spokane Chiefs’ inaugural game in the Arena.

But if the Chiefs’ romp over the Tri-City Americans seemed long to you, you weren’t alone.

Joe Cardarelli called it the longest game of his life.

The longest and the sweetest.

Cardarelli erased a 1-0 Tri-City lead with the first of his three goals to light up a crowd of 10,452 that watched the Chiefs move to 2-1 in the young Western Hockey League season.

Cardarelli, the Chiefs’ veteran left wing, enjoyed his goal so much he did it again, and again, in a five-point night that left him beaming in the locker room.

“The first goal was one of he biggest I’ve ever scored,” Cardarelli said. “Unreal rush. The fans got us going. But even bigger was the third goal, my first hat trick.”

John Cirjak had the puck on the wall, passed to Mike Haley, who put it between the skates of Tri-City’s Bryon Briske and found Cardarelli alone in the slot.

“I slid it under him, kind of a deflection/wrist-type thing for the far corner,” he said.

Eventually, 10 fights broke out. Eight players were banished. Referee Brent Reiber called a total of 345 minutes in penalties.

The second period was less a sporting event than a dockside brawl.

Perhaps sensing what was happening half a continent away, the Chiefs captain and tough guy of a year ago, Kevin Sawyer, was on the phone from St. Louis - where he’s making a bid to stick with the NHL St. Louis Blues. Sawyer congratulated coach Mike Babcock on his win - and took delight in the details.

Tri-City star Terry Ryan was unhappy.

“It wasn’t even close to the way we can play,” he said. “It was ridiculous, the effort we gave.”

Darren Sinclair also scored three goals, and Sean Gillam and Trent Whitfield had three assists on a special night for the special teams.

The Chiefs squashed the Tri-City power play as the Americans went scoreless in 13 tries. Spokane, meanwhile, scored six times on the power play. Only Cardarelli’s third goal came with both teams at even strength.

The domination was complete. At one point the Chiefs enjoyed a 25-9 advantage in shots. Counting anything that could have gone into the net, Spokane had 44 scoring opportunities to half that for the Americans.

Chiefs coach Mike Babcock downplayed any suggestion of an emerging pattern, a pattern of Chiefs dominance over the team that beat them in a bitter West Division semifinal playoff last April.

“We worked hard, give us some credit,” the coach said. “They were a dominant team over us early last year but it’s the team that dominates late (in the season) that matters.”

Spokane 7, Tri-City 2

Tri-City 1 0 1 - 2 Spokane 2 3 2 - 7

First period - 1, TC, Gyori 2 (Schneider), 13:02. 2, Spo, Cardarelli 1 (Whitfield, Gillam), 13:53 (pp). 3, Spo, Cardarelli 2 (Whitfield, Leonov), 14:52 (pp). Key penalties - Fletcher, Spo, double minor, 1:46; Haley, Spo, 6:22; Boschman, Spo, 9:23; Boikov, TC, 13:20; Komarniski, TC, 14:15.

Second period - 4, Spo, Cirjak 3 (Gillam, Whitfield), 1:22 (pp). 5, Spo, Sinclair 2 (Cardarelli, Gillam), 7:33 (pp). 6, Spo, Sinclair 3 (Cardarelli, Berry), 13:20 (pp). Key penalties - Ascroft, TC, :25; Shockey, Spo, instigating, game misconduct, 3:52; Cirjak, Spo, 4:32; Tr-City bench (too many men) 6:25; Komarniski, TC, instigating, game misconduct, 7:58; Cirjak, Spo, 8:51; Magarrell, Spo, 9:16; Anderson, TC, 11:49; Fletcher, Spo, roughing, game misconduct; Cervan, Spo, double minor, game misconduct; Favaro, Spo, game misconduct, 13:47; Smith, TC, Ryan, TC, Ascroft, TC, game misconduct, 13:47; Berry, Spo, 16:14.

Third period - 7, TC, Mi.Hurley 4 (Gyori), 2:40. 8, Spo, Cardarelli 3 (Haley, Cirjak), 4:23. 9, Spo, Sinclair 4 (Hamilton), 16:14. Key penalties - Boschman, Spo, 1:43; Svejkovsky, TC, 1:53; Toor, TC, 6:40; Gillam, Spo, 6:50; Ma.Hurley, TC, 7:02; Boikov, TC, 8:50; Zavediuk, TC, 9:22; Briske, TC, 10:59; Hamilton, Spo, 11:23; Boikov, TC, 11:44; Briske, TC, 13:59.

Power-play opp. - Tri-City 0 of 13. Spokane, 6 of 13. Saves - Tri-City, Boucher 15-8-17-40. Spokane, Lemanowicz 4-12-6-22. A - 10,452.

, DataTimes