Sinclair To Skate In Syracuse Absence Of ‘95-96 Team Mvp Has Chiefs Looking For A Leader
The hope that center Darren Sinclair might be headed back to Spokane was laid to rest this week.
The Chiefs’ Most Valuable Player last year has been advised by the Vancouver Canucks to plan to remain with the Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse.
“We have no hope (of getting him back),” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said as he prepped the Chiefs for tonight’s home opener with the TriCity Americans. “We thought at one time there might be, but at this point, no.”
Although the Chiefs opened with a sweep on the road, Babcock said his club is a “long way from being good. It’s pretty early. We’re a long way from knowing what we have here.”
What they don’t have is a full complement of 20-year-olds. With only two - goaltender Marc Magliarditi and defenseman Adam Magarrell - the Western Hockey League Chiefs have room for an additional over-age player.
The limit is three. With seven key 19-year-olds the Chiefs are not inexperienced but there’s room for a 20-year-old leader. Sinclair would have been perfect but he’s going to stay with the Syracuse Crunch.
Spokane and Tri-City come into tonight’s 7 o’clock game at the Arena with added firepower. The Americans should have veteran Shawn Gervais back. The 20-year-old left wing was recuperating from surgery to repair a hernia and missed the Americans’ 4-1 loss to Spokane in Kennewick last Saturday.
Tri-City this week also picked up 19-year-old Curtis Capjack from the Moose Jaw Warriors. Nicknamed “Grease,” the 6-foot, 185-pound left winger is described in the WHL yearboook as a “rough and tough winger who isn’t afraid to mix things up.”
The Chiefs are stronger with the return of left wing Joe Cardarelli, who was on his way back from the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning when the Chiefs thrashed the Americans. Cardarelli will probably play on Trent Whitfield’s line, with right wing Ty Jones, Babcock said.
The Chiefs face a better-rested Tri-City goaltender Brian Boucher, who hopped off a plane from Philadelphia Saturday and was hustled into the lineup that night to face Spokane.
“The one thing you never want to do with them is underestimate Boucher,” Babcock said. “He competes every night.”
Around the league
The Kamloops Blazers suffered another jolt this week when recently elected captain - and former Spokane Chief - Dean Kletzel retired with recurring knee problems … The defending WHL champion Brandon Wheat Kings are off to a shaky start. Darren Van Oene is out for a month with a knee ligament tear suffered in Buffalo’s training camp. Another key forward, Cory Cyrrene, separated a shoulder in the Wheaties’ opener and is out three weeks … The Hitmen aren’t exactly a big hit in Calgary. The two-year-old WHL franchise sold only 900 season tickets. They lost their coach and GM, Graham James, who has resigned in the wake of alleged sexual misconduct. Charges against James are pending. The club drew only 2,700 for its Wednesday night game with Moose Jaw in the 20,000-seat Saddle Dome, where the break-even point for junior hockey is 4,000. First-year losses were reported at $250,000… . How does the Boise Hitmen sound?
, DataTimes