Chiefs Earn Top Ranking Whl Dominates With 4 Of Top 6 In Final Chl Poll

The Spokane Chiefs, who finished the regular season unbeaten in their last 14 games, are the top-ranked junior hockey club in North America.

The Chiefs jumped from No. 3 to the top spot Monday in the final Tip Top Tailors poll of the season conducted by the Canadian Hockey League.

It’s the Chiefs’ first No. 1 ranking since the poll was instituted in the 1989-90 season.

“I’d rather be No. 1 in May, but this is pretty exciting,” Chiefs owner Bobby Brett said.

The poll encompasses 48 teams in eight provinces and three states.

Guelph (Ontario) fell from No. 1 to No. 2. The Storm also were No. 2 last year.

The Western Hockey League had seven in the top 20, including Brandon at No. 4, Prince Albert at No. 5 and Kamloops at No. 6.

Brandon and Prince Albert went 1-2 in the East Division and Spokane and Kamloops were 1-2 in the West.

Chief to get time off

Chiefs right wing Mike Haley will be suspended this week for a head-butting incident during Sunday night’s fight here with Prince George’s Matt Van Horlick.

“They (Chiefs) are bringing the tape (today),” WHL vice president Rick Doerksen said Monday. “We’ll review it and have a decision on Wednesday. In the past, the minimum suspension was one game, the maximum four games. This will fall somewhere in between.”

D for dough

The Chiefs compiled the third-best defensive record in the WHL since the league’s 72-game format was adopted in 1975-76. Mike Babcock is familiar with all the WHL’s defensive top three.

He coaches the Chiefs, who yielded 221 goals. Only two other teams since 1975-76 were tougher to score on - last year’s Kamloops Blazers and the ‘80-81 Victoria Cougars with NHL veteran Grant Fuhr in goal.

The Memorial Cup-champion Kamloops team of last year allowed only 202 goals, the lowest 72-game total in WHL history.

The 1980-81 Cougs are No. 2 at 217.

Babcock played against that team.

“They gave up 217 goals,” the coach said. “I remember one they let in. I scored one against them.”

Chiefs talk …

With his team-high 58 assists, Sean Gillam wound up seventh on the club’s all-time list with 142 helpers. Playoff points aren’t counted in career statistics. … Jason Podollan is eighth in assists with 136. … Podollan’s 281 points is fifth on the Chiefs’ career ladder. … Goaltender David Lemanowicz posted the lowest goals-against average in the 11-year history of the franchise, 2.89, but last year’s starting netminder, Jarrod Daniel, still holds the record for saves percentage at .900. Lemanowicz finished at .897. … The 75 shots the Chiefs launched against Prince George on Sunday night smashed the previous club record of 63 set on Feb. 1, 1987, against the Cougars. … The Chiefs, who drew 260,524 this year, an average of 7,237, smashed last year’s attendance record of 154,007. … Portland was No. 1 in the league with a CHL-record attendance of 301,000.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CHL RANKINGS Team (Record) 1. Spokane (50-18-4) 2. Guelph (45-16-5) 3. Granby (56-12-2) 4. Brandon (52-19-1) 5. Prince Albert (47-19-6) 6. Kamloops (47-22-2) 7. Ottawa (39-22-5) 8. Hull (52-16-2) 9. Detroit (40-22-4) 10. Peterborough (35-22-9)