Leeb Brothers Skate On Opposite Sides Tonight

It’ll be brother against brother tonight in the Arena when the Spokane Chiefs take on the Red Deer Rebels.

Greg Leeb will be at left wing for the Chiefs. At right wing for the Rebels will be his younger brother Brad, a 16-year-old rookie who’ll suit for the first time since breaking his wrist on Nov. 22.

Brad Leeb will wear a protective cast for the 7 o’clock Western Hockey League game.

The Leebs, who grew up in Red Deer, Alberta, took separate paths to the WHL.

Brad was a second-round pick in the ‘94 bantam draft, the year the Chiefs used their first pick on center Derek Schutz, a future WHL star based on his performance thus far this year.

Brad Leeb was gone before the Chiefs got around to announcing their second pick.

Overlooked in the bantam draft in his draft year, Greg eventually was placed on the Chiefs protected list in March, 1994.

Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz remembers how scouting director Ray Dudra spoke up for the elder Leeb.

“The knock on Greg has always been his size,” Speltz said. “Ray has carte blanche when it comes to listing players. If he wants a player on our list, he goes on our list. But because of the size issue, he wanted to explain. He said, ‘I’m not saying this guy isn’t small. I’m not saying he’ll grow. I am saying he can play.’ “

Mike Babcock, hired as Chiefs coach in April, ‘94, quickly concurred.

At 5-10 and 160 pounds, Brad is bigger than his older brother. Listed generously at 5-9, Spokane’s Leeb is one of the smallest forwards in the league.

At 18, he’s also one of the most skilled.

“I don’t know enough of pro hockey to understand everything that goes into their decisions on a player,” Speltz said. “What Greg needs at the next level is a coach like Mike, who’ll overlook size and see that he’s so fundamentally strong.”

Babcock had things other than future pros and sibling rivalry on his mind Tuesday.

“We have to get the Chiefs going,” the coach said. “We haven’t exactly been wonderful since Christmas.”

The bright side is the return of left wing Joe Cardarelli, back after missing a month and a half with a broken leg.

“He reminds me of what Trent Whitfield went through last year when he came back (from a similar injury),” Babcock said. “Great for the first two nights and then out of gas. It’s going to take time before Cards is in good enough physical condition.”

Podollan makes his mark

Heading into tonight’s World Junior Tournament semifinal with the Russians in Worcester, Mass., Jason Podollan had three assists in Team Canada’s 4-0 start.

The Canadians beat the U.S. 6-1, Switzerland 2-1, Finland 3-1 and the Ukraine 8-1. They’ll play in the gold medal or bronze medal game on Thursday night, depending on tonight’s outcome.

Podollan could be back in Spokane in time for the game with the Tri-City Americans on Saturday night.

Phil Legault, a spokesman with the Canadian team, said Podollan’s contribution has been substantial.

“We’ve had to juggle lines for almost every game because of injury and a flu bug,” Legault said. “Podollan got hit by the flu lightly early in the tournament but fought it off. He’s played well.”

Podollan will get five or six days off to compensate for holiday time he didn’t get.

Nobody did it better

The Chiefs’ 24-9-3 record in the first half of the season was the best start ever recorded by a junior hockey club in Spokane.

Counting the Spokane Flyers, who folded after 27 games of the ‘81-82 season, the city is into its 13th Western Hockey League season. Only the 1990-91 Chiefs, who won the Memorial Cup, and the ‘91-92 club were even close to this year’s lightning start.

In fact, nine of the 13 teams that have played junior hockey here had losing records in the first 36 games of the season.

First-half records, compiled by Paul Delaney of our Vast Research Department:

The 1980-81 Spokane Flyers, 6-29-1; ‘81-82 Flyers 3-22-2; ‘85-86 Chiefs 15-21-0; ‘86-87 Chiefs 19-17-0; ‘87-88 Chiefs 16-18-2; ‘88-89 Chiefs 12-24-0; ‘89-90 Chiefs 12-21-3; ‘90-91 Chiefs 23-12-1; ‘91-92 Chiefs 21-12-3; ‘92-93 Chiefs 13-21-2; ‘93-94 Chiefs 16-20-0; ‘94-95 Chiefs 11-24-1; ‘95-96 Chiefs 24-9-3.

Notes

Chiefs forward Martin Cerven didn’t get a shot with the Slovakian national team in the World Junior Tournament after all. Cerven spent the holiday break at home in Trencin, Slovakia. “They (the national team) asked us if he was available for the tournament, and we said yes,” Speltz said. “They never got back to us.” … Spokane left wing Dmitri Leonov is WHL player of the month for December … The rear guard of the West Division is making rumbles. While Tri-City, Spokane, Kelowna and Kamloops resume the fight for breathing room at the top, the tail-enders are coming on. Since ending a 15-game losing streak, the Prince George Cougars are 6-6-1 and have won four of their last six… . The Portland Winter Hawks have won six straight, their longest streak in two years, with eight of their next 12 games at home.

The Winter Hawks had hoped to lure left wing Vladimir Orsagh, 18, their pick in the import draft and a fifth-round choice of the New York Islanders, to Portland for the second half of the WHL season. No luck there. Orsagh - at the World Juniors with the Slovakian team - again turned down Winter Hawks, although he may join the club next season… . Portland center Denny Gaudet has left the Winter Hawks to enroll in medical school in Moncton, New Brunswick. … The Prince Albert Raiders are said to be anxious to deal for a goaltender. Rumor has it that the best available is Chris Mason of Prince George… . The Boston Bruins have recalled former Chiefs goaltender Scott Bailey from Providence.

, DataTimes