Ex-Chief Makes His Mark Unimpressive In Spokane, Russell Earns Honors In P.A.

Last October, after a forgettable relief appearance with the Spokane Chiefs in a 10-8 loss in Portland, goaltender Blaine Russell was traded to Prince Albert.

The Chiefs were playing David Lemanowicz - this week’s Western Hockey League player of the week - and rookie Aren Miller ahead of Russell, who’d appeared in only one of Spokane’s first 14 games. His goals-against average was an inflated 8.22. The previous spring, when he’d been brought up by the Tri-City Americans, Russell was bombarded by the Chiefs in a playoff game.

But Blaine Russell believed all he needed was another chance.

Turns out he was right.

When the Chiefs decided to shop Russell’s name around the league, response was underwhelming. The Prince Albert Raiders, who were going through some early season problems in goal, expressed some interest. Their head scout, Keith Wilson, worked in Tri-City the previous season and spoke up for Russell.

Chris Stewart, Raiders’ coach and director of hockey operations, agreed to give Russell a look.

The more Stewart saw, the more he liked.

It’s that way all over the league. Russell was not only the WHL’s goaltender of the month for January, he was major junior hockey’s goalie of the month with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .902 saves percentage. That takes in 48 teams throughout North America.

“His numbers are as good or maybe even better for February,” Stewart said Monday.

Russell, who turned 19 last month, has a 1977 birthday, meaning he’s eligible for two more seasons of juniors.

The Chiefs wound up with a fifth-round pick in this year’s bantam draft. In hindsight, the Chiefs might have taken a longer look at Russell, but nobody - least of all Stewart, who had Russell fall into his lap - is criticizing.

“You can’t say Spokane made a bad decision because there was no decision to make,” Stewart said. “They were set with what they had. Our (goaltending) situation was far from perfect. Russell had the opportunity to strut his stuff here. A young player’s success is often opportunity and confidence.”

The Raiders, on their way to the East Division championship and the top seed in the combined East/ Central Division playoffs, are solid in goal with Russell and Rod Branch, who came over in a trade with Calgary.

Russell said he was fortunate that Spokane picked him up in the summer, after Tri-City let him go. Spokane’s goaltenders coach, Jamie Reeve, who had Russell at Tier II Kimberley, British Columbia, last year, thought he warranted a look.

“I don’t think I got a real shot (in Spokane),” Russell said. “Something like 35 minutes (actually 36.5 minutes of playing time). Coming to Prince Albert was the best thing that could have happened. I found my focus.

“I felt at the start of the season I’d get into the league as a backup, but I’ve had my chance and proven myself and it’s been more than that. The majority of it is confidence.

“I just didn’t get much of a chance (in Spokane),” Russell added. “When I did, I didn’t perform. When I did get my shot I wasn’t there.”

Russell said his size (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) may have handicapped him here.

“I think they like to work with bigger goalies,” he said. “Lemanowicz is 6-2, Miller 6-3.”

Prince Albert was Russell’s only option in the WHL. Spokane general manager Tim Speltz said he scouted hard for a taker.

Russell, from Wetaskiwin, Alberta, has rewarded the one team that showed interest with a dream season. The highlight came on Jan. 30 with a 27-save shutout in Tri-City over the club that cut him.

“There was a little feeling of revenge there,” Russell said.

“In P.A. we have so much talent the pressure’s not really there. We’re a defensive team, big-time, but a team with so much offensive talent that all I have to do is make sure not to let in more than three goals.”

Russell more than held up his end of that bargain. By the time the third goal got by him he was already into his fourth game as a Raider.

So what does goalie of the month in the Canadian Hockey League mean?

“Just that I can play,” Russell said. “It was tough to leave Spokane. I wanted to be there but it didn’t work out.”

Shockey leaves hospital

Chiefs assistant coach Parry Shockey left Deaconess Medical Center Sunday after a painful bout with kidney stones.

“He’s tired and beat up, but the actual pain is over,” Chiefs GM Speltz said. “He was in deep pain for five or six days. Now he needs some time to recover.”

Another country heard from

For all the good it’ll do, two more hockey writers have weighed in against next season’s WHL scheduling format.

Scott Cruickshank, who covers the Kamloops Blazers, is sorry the league has abandoned the interlocking format that ensured each of the 17 teams would meet at least once home and on the road.

“I haven’t talked to one person who likes it,” Cruickshank says. “Not only will we see the Brandown Wheat Kings less, we’ll see the Prince George Cougars more. That’s crap, eh?”

Eric Degerman, who covers the Tri-City Americans, says “Fans here might not see a Jeff Friesen (the former Regina Pats star now with the NHL San Jose Sharks). People in the Central and East won’t see Daymond Langkow (of Tri-City).

“That means more to fans in the East and Central because nearly all the players come from that area. Families and friends will miss seeing their kids come in.

“U.S. fans - astute fans - will miss seeing teams like the Brandon Wheat Kings,” Degerman adds. “They want to see the Wade Reddens.”

West Division clubs will host an East and Central Division team one season, then travel to that city the following year. It’s a time-saver and a cost-cutter, primarily for the cash-strapped smaller-market teams.

So why not subsidize travel? Revenue sharing is not exactly a revolutionary sports concept. The WHL ought to think about it.

One of the two best games of the year in Spokane was the Chiefs-Prince Albert game Jan. 31.

From now on you’ll only see Prince Albert every other year.

Around the WHL

The WHL champ will travel to Peterborough, Ontario’s 3,886-seat Memorial Centre for the four-team Memorial Cup tournament May 11-19. The rink has standing room for 1,200. … With the addition of the expansion Edmonton Ice next year, the WHL is studying re-alignment. One possible scenario has Swift Current shifting from the Central to the East and Prince George moving from the West to the Central Division. … Prince Albert - three points up on Brandon in the race for the East title - has mortgaged its future on winning this year. Over a four-year span that extends into next season, the Raiders traded four of their top eight prospects.

Chief checks

Sean Gillam was honored in pregame ceremonies at the Arena Saturday night before playing in his club-record 269th game. … The Chiefs say they have reason to believe the groin injury that has sidelined Jan Hrdina is not as serious as the chronic problem that bothered former Chief Kevin Sawyer. “We’re seeing improvement,” Chiefs GM Speltz said. … Greg Leeb tried to play in Saturday night’s 3-3 tie with Kamloops but was uncomfortable with a knee brace. A new brace is on the way that should allow Leeb to play in comfort this week. “It won’t affect his speed,” Speltz said. “He’ll hardly know he has it on. Trent Whitfield is still wearing his. It’s a confidence-booster.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo