Favaro’s Move To Portland Helps Rich Get Richer

The best in the West got a little better Tuesday.

The Portland Winter Hawks picked up former Spokane Chiefs right wing Randy Favaro from the Edmonton Ice in exchange for Brett Person, a 16-year-old right wing who had been on Portland’s protected list.

Before he went to Edmonton in the May 23 WHL expansion draft, Favaro scored one of the important goals in Chiefs history - the game-winner in the second overtime of Game 6 of the Chiefs-Winter Hawks playoff in Portland.

Spokane went on to win Game 7 in the Arena, completing an unlikely comeback. The Chiefs had lost the first three games of the best-of-seven series but rallied to knock out Portland and then Kamloops to win the West Division championship.

Favaro, 20, is expected to make his Winter Hawks debut Saturday against Seattle.

It’s a fortunate change of scenery for the hard-checking forward from North Delta, British Columbia, who owns one of the hardest slap shots in junior hockey. He goes from a 6-25-1 expansion team to a club that has gone 14 games without a loss.

“It’s going to make us a little bit deeper,” Portland general manager Ken Hodge said. “We’ll be a better forechecking team with a bit more thump and bump.”

Favaro joins another 20-year-old ex-Chief in Portland, defenseman Kevin Popp.

In Edmonton, Favaro scored five goals - three on the power play - with seven assists in 28 games.

“He’ll be better on their team than he was on ours,” said Jeff Chynoweth, the vice-president of the Ice. “He was fine here but we’re slumping right now and we don’t have many 1980-born players. This gives us one more in an age group we need, and it gives a player who’s been in the league four years a chance to compete for first place.”

“He (Favaro) gives us a banger and a crasher in front of the net,” Hodge said. “He doesn’t have a lot of finish but he did show some finish in a very key game against us last year.”

He’s baaaaaaaack

If Seattle center Patrick Marleau isn’t the most accomplished player in the league at 17, he has the brightest future.

If Marleau has half as much luck as he has ability, he’s headed for a long career. Right now he’s just beginning to scratch the surface.

The 6-2 Marleau, who has a blend of size, great speed and quickness, is back in the Arena at 7 tonight, four nights after sparking the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-2 win over the Chiefs.

“He hasn’t played as well as he’s capable, certainly not as well as he’s going to, but he’s a real talent,” said T-Birds general manager Russ Farwell. “Talent-wise, he’s blessed.

“He can skate away from people by accident. When the puck kicks out and he gets loose, he doesn’t realize that other guys just can’t generate the kind of speed he does.”

Speed is one dimension. Stamina is another. He’s the same player when they drop the puck at 7 as he is when they pick it up at 10.

Marleau is just beginning to fill out.

“He’ll get bigger,” Farwell warns. “He’ll be a big, strong man.”

Farwell expects to have Marleau back another year. Beyond that, the NHL beckons.

Chiefs get help

A scout and an evaluator at training camp will assist the Spokane Chiefs while Mike Babcock works the World Junior Tournament in Geneva, Switzerland.

When Babcock leaves Thursday, Brett Cox will work as the head coach, assisted by Bill Peters and Doug MacLeod.

Cox is in his first year as Babcock’s full-time assistant.

Peters, 31, who played collegiate hockey, is active in the Central Alberta Junior Hockey Association. Peters was a guest coach and personnel evaluator at the last two Chiefs training camps. He’ll work behind the bench, Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said.

Doug MacLeod, 44, an assistant at the University of Lethbridge, has scouted for the WHL club the past two seasons. Among other duties, he’ll serve as the Chiefs’ eye in the sky on game nights.

Both coaching positions are temporary. Babcock returns from the world tournament late in the first week of January.

Around the WHL

Portland’s Doug Strobl faces disciplinary action - a suspension for one to five games - for his checking-from-behind major that sent Spokane’s Jared Smyth crashing into the goalpost Sunday night in Portland. The WHL office was reviewing the incident Tuesday. Smyth reportedly suffered a broken nose. … The Regina Pats were fined $500 and had four players suspended for brawling in a 7-2 loss Nov. 29 in Tri-City. Josh Holden got two games for spitting. He said he couldn’t punch with his hand in a cast, so … Suspended for coming off the bench were Regina’s Kyle Freadrich (three games), Josh Dobyn (two games), Dean Arsene (one) and Curtis Tipler (one). The Americans weren’t disciplined.

, DataTimes