Chiefs Lose Hope To Expansion Ice; Health Was Factor
Jared Hope, a skilled forward who lost most of his Western Hockey League season to complications from a second concussion, was drafted Thursday by the expansion Edmonton (Alberta) Ice.
Hope may not be the only player the Spokane Chiefs lose to the new WHL team. The dispersal of 20-year-olds - the over-age draft - is next month, shortly after the June 22 NHL Entry Draft.
The Chiefs have eight 19-year-olds on their roster. Although at least two - Jason Podollan and Sean Gillam - aren’t expected back, Spokane almost certainly has a numbers problem. The Chiefs can carry only three over-age players.
An 18-year-old from Edmonton, Hope has received medical clearance to start the season in September, Ice vice president Jeff Chynoweth said. A left-handed shooter, Hope scored one goal in five games last season before taking a shot from Tri-City’s Alexandre Boikov and suffering the concussion that took him out for the season.
“There was the usual shock that every player has when he finds out he’s going to a new team, but he was in the office today and he’s excited about it,” Chynoweth said. “It’s a fresh start.”
Hope pointed to the new WHL scheduling format that may preclude Edmonton from visiting Spokane in the regular season.
“That’s OK,” he said, “because the all-star game is in Spokane (on Jan. 21) and I’ll be back to play in that.”
Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said, “The big question for us was his health. I’m surprised they were able to take him. If he can play, he’ll be a good player in this league one day.”
Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said that “as tough as it is to lose Jared, we felt we had to show some loyalty to the players who got us to the league finals.”
Each WHL team had to subject 11 players born from 1977-79 to the draft. Each could lose only one player.
Hope, the third choice overall in the ‘92 bantam draft, is expected to center Edmonton’s first or second line.
Ice general manager Bob Tory said Hope represents a gamble with huge potential.
“Hope was a player we couldn’t pass up,” Tory said. “He’s big, he skates well and he has a tremendous shot. One hit and his career could be over, but he was once a can’t-miss prospect. I don’t think Ray Dudra (Chiefs scouting director) and his staff were wrong. The kid just got hurt.”
Hope said, “The dizziness is totally gone. I’m working out, going pretty hard and getting my weight back up. If I had come back to Spokane, I think I would have gotten a fair shot at first or second line, but I’m happy with the situation I’ve got.
“I’m going to miss Spokane - especially the boosters,” he added. “They treated me like a king. They treat all of us like kings. It’s a great organization from the top down to the dressing-room manager. But you’ve got to look at it as a business, because that’s what it is.”
The Ice drafted players who scored a combined 118 WHL goals a year ago, Tory said. Scott Burt (drafted from Swift Current), Jay Henderson (Red Deer), Kevin McDonald (Regina) and John Kachur (Medicine Hat) are WHL goal-scorers.
, DataTimes