Saturday’s Chiefs Game Will Be Notable For Absentees
The Spokane Chiefs will wind up the first half of their Western Hockey League season Saturday night with a problem that annually runs through the league just before Christmas.
Absenteeism.
The Chiefs’ game with Tri-City at 7:05 in the Arena is as prominent for who won’t be there as for who will.
That doesn’t necessarily make for a bad show. The Chiefs were short-handed Saturday night when they beat Prince Albert in what was an entertaining game.
But neither the Chiefs nor the Tri-City Americans are close to full strength. Even the Americans’ broadcaster and media relations director Ian Furness has other plans that night.
Chiefs coach Mike Babcock is running the Canadian team that leaves Toronto today for the World Junior Tournament in Geneva, Switzerland. The Chiefs find out early this morning if center Trent Whitfield and defenseman Hugh Hamilton are on the 2 p.m. (Pacific time) flight to Switzerland with him.
If not, they’ll be here in time for Tri-City. Word out of Kitchener, Ontario is that Hamilton has had a strong selection camp. Defensemen are in demand. Whitfield has been on the wing, where the Canadians have a lot of talent.
One who definitely won’t suit here Saturday night is improving Chiefs rookie center Blake Evans, who’s off with Team Western to the under-17 world tournament in Red Deer, Alberta. Defenseman Kyle Rossiter was also chosen for the event, by Team Pacific, but he’ll be here Saturday night before leaving for Red Deer, Chiefs assistant Brett Cox said.
Babcock will miss five games. Whitfield and Hamilton could miss as many. Evans will be gone four games, Rossiter three.
With Jay Bertsch still shelved with complications from concussions and Kris Graf gone for two months with a broken hand, the Chiefs have a serious manpower problem.
On the brighter side, right wing Mike Haley has recovered from the flu and left wing Jared Smyth (knee) may be ready to go on a bothersome knee.
Tri-City comes in minus goaltender Brian Boucher (U.S. national team), defenseman Zenith Komarniski (Canadian national team) and four injured players - Scott McCallum, Mike Hurley, Chris Anderson and Curtis Capjack.
Aaron Baker gets the start in goal for Boucher, a huge break for the Chiefs.
Around the WHL …
Team Canada will release five players this morning before leaving for Switzerland and the WJT. Among Tuesday’s cuts was Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Byron Ritchie… . A week after scoring his first NHL goal, ex-Chief Jason Podollan may be on the bubble when a couple of Florida Panthers come back from injuries. Johan Garpenlov is due back Thursday. Rob Niedermayer is expected back before Christmas. Both are forwards. Podollan’s goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on the power play is the 20-year-old’s only point in seven NHL games… . Podollan was leading the Carolina Monarchs in scoring with 11 goals in 19 games when he was promoted from the American Hockey League team on Thanksgiving. “He’ll be back with us,” predicted a Monarchs spokesman, “but not for long.” … Former Chiefs goaltender David Lemanowicz is also with the Monarchs, and playing more. Lemanowicz has a 3.41 goals-against average with an .891 saves percentage and a shutout playing every third game behind two-year man Kevin Weekes. Lemanowicz shut out Baltimore with 43 saves just before Thanksgiving… . Chiefs owner Bobby Brett says the $800,000 (Canadian) figure that the Chiefs reportedly guaranteed for the right to host the ‘98 Memorial Cup is “a little high.” Brett declined to name an exact figure.
, DataTimes