Chiefs Please Babcock; Exhibition Opener Friday

The Spokane Chiefs have the day off today before getting back to work prior to Friday night’s exhibition opener.

The Chiefs leave Friday for Kimberley, British Columbia, for a 7:30 p.m. practice game with the Portland Winter Hawks minus defenseman Adam Magarrell, among others.

Magarrell will head for camp with the NHL Phoenix Coyotes this week, Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. Travel plans of other veterans with pro ties were being sorted out Monday.

Babcock said he was happy with Sunday’s 5-5 tie in the annual Red and White game at the Arena.

His top two goaltenders, newcomer Marc Magliarditi and last year’s No. 2 stopper Aren Miller, were impressive. Miller pitched a 20-minute shutout in his one period of action. Magliarditi surrendered only one goal in 30 minutes.

Babcock was also impressed with his new right wing, Marian Cisar, the Chiefs’ first pick in the June import player draft.

Cisar, from Bratislava, Slovokia, a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings, had two goals for the Red team.

The 37th player selected in the ‘96 NHL entry draft, Cisar “was good, and so were a whole bunch of young guys,” Babcock said.

Ty Jones, Derek Schutz and Brad Ference - 16-year-old rookies last year - “showed signs of maturing over the summer and were excellent,” the coach said.

Andy Milne added a goal and an assist for the Reds. Justin Ossachuk and Blake Evans, the club’s first pick in the ‘95 bantam draft, also scored.

The Whites tied the game at 5 late in the game on a Wes Hendrickson goal. Hendrickson has played with the Tier II Spokane Braves.

Jones, Trent Whitfield, John Cirjak and Marc Brown also scored for the Whites.

The Chiefs, with 30 players still in camp, return to practice Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Eagles Ice-A-Rena.

, DataTimes