Kamloops At Spokane Chiefs

Time: Tonight at 7 in the Arena.

Records: Spokane (5-2), Kamloops Blazers (6-2).

Tickets:$6, $8, $10, $12.

Radio: KGA-AM (1510) 6 p.m. Hockey Tonight with Craig West. Mike Babcock Show 6:20, Kamloops coach Ed Dempsey 6:40.

Key players: Spokane: C Trent Whitfield (5 goals, 10 assists), C Darren Sinclair (4, 5), C Jason Podollan (2, 0), LW Joe Cardarelli (5, 7), D Sean Gillam (1, 7), RW Randy Favaro (4, 6), RW John Cirjak (5, 4), LW Greg Leeb (5, 0), GK David Lemanowicz (3.55 goals-against), D Hugh Hamilton (1, 8), RW Jay Bertsch (1, 2).

Kamloops: LW Hnat Domenichelli (9 goals, 13 assists), C Bob Maudie (7, 5), RW Jarome Iginla (6, 6), D Aaron Keller (1, 9), D Jason Holland (3, 4) D Brad Lukowich (1, 5), GK Randy Petruk (3.42 goals-against).

At a glance: Smarting from Wednesday’s sloppy 10-8 loss at Portland, Chiefs need GK Lemanowicz to forget giving up five goals in nine shots and repeat what he did Monday in Kamloops, when he rejected 37 shots in a 4-3 Spokane win. The Chiefs that day handed GK Petruk his first loss since December 1994, a span of 28 regular-season games. Blazers make the long drive after a Friday nighter at home with Portland. They have incentive for a game this early in the season. The Chiefs have their number. Dating back to the start of last season Spokane is 4-3-2 against Kamloops, junior hockey’s Title Town. Nobody else in the Western Hockey League is close to .500 in that span against the Blazers, who are gunning for a third straight Memorial Cup under new head coach Demspey. Kamloops lost D Jake Deadmarsh for three months following surgery on a broken upper left arm. Chiefs fans get their first look of the regular season at Podollan, who returned late from camp with NHL Florida Panthers. Spokane is unbeaten in three appearances in the Arena.

, DataTimes