Reduced Chiefs Home This Weekend
The Spokane Chiefs are down to what their coach calls bare bones this week for their second round of exhibitions.
Eight Chiefs, including the top two goaltenders, will leave for pro camp this week. What’s left of the Western Hockey League club will prepare for weekend practice games with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Chiefs are at Seattle Saturday night. Sunday night the rivalry shifts to Eagles Ice-A-Rena at 6.
Goaltenders Marc Magliarditi (Chicago) and Aren Miller (Detroit) are scheduled to leave this week for camp with their National Hockey League organizations. The T-Birds are likely to see Dwayne Renaud and/or Shaun Fleming in goal for Spokane.
Fleming, 16, was the Chiefs’ fourth-round pick in the ‘95 bantam draft.
Goaltending in Sunday night’s 4-3 win over the Portland Winter Hawks was solid, given the rash of penalties that led to short-handed situations. Portland had 11 power-play opportunities to the Chiefs’ six.
“We had enough penalties that they had some rubber on us for sure,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “Millsy (Miller) just stood in there and did some good things. I’m comfortable with our goaltending this year. I don’t think that’ll be a problem for us.”
Miller registered 40 saves, including 19 in the third period.
Other veterans heading to pro camp this week are Chris Lane and Trent Whitfield (Boston), Hugh Hamilton (Hartford), Joe Cardarelli (Tampa Bay), John Cirjak (Colorado) and Marian Cisar (Los Angeles).
Adam Magarrell and Ryan Berry left earlier.
All are expected back between Sept. 15-20, Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. Spokane opens defense of its West Division championship in Kelowna Sept. 20.
Left wing Jared Smyth’s knee, injured Sunday night, “is better than we thought,” Speltz said Tuesday. “We don’t think there’s any damage other than it’s sore and there’s swelling. We’ll know more later in the week.”
The Chiefs are still waiting for Cisar’s clearance from his native Slovakia. Asked if red tape could keep him out of regular-season games, Speltz said, “It’s a new situation for me but it could happen.”
, DataTimes