Chiefs’ Toughest Call Costs Them Their Captain

The Spokane Chiefs traded their captain, Joel Boschman, Thursday to get down to the Western Hockey League maximum of three 20-year-old players.

The Chiefs sent Boschman to the Red Deer Rebels for a third-round pick in the ‘98 bantam draft.

The draft choice will probably be used in a future deal to upgrade this year’s club, Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said.

“Trading Joel Boschman is undoubtedly the hardest move I’ve ever had to make here,” said Speltz, the eighth-year GM.

Boschman and the club’s remaining 20-year-olds - Trent Whitfield, Perry Johnson and Greg Leeb - were subjects of growing speculation over who would have to go.

Over the last two weeks it appeared that either Leeb or Boschman would be moved prior to Monday’s WHL deadline for cutting to three overage players.

A swift, versatile puck-carrying defenseman, Johnson can quarterback the power play. The Chiefs sent sniper John Cirjack - currently the WHL’s leading scorer - to the Regina Pats late in the summer for Johnson.

Whitfield is a proven world-class junior player.

So if Johnson and Whitfield were the untouchables, Leeb and Boschman were on the bubble.

Leeb in the last two weeks has been spectacular at times while Boschman, a defenseman from Saskatoon who joined the Chiefs in the ‘94-95 season, appeared to struggle with the pressure. Boschman is without a point in nine games.

But he is a punishing body checker. And he is, or was, the team captain. His class and leadership will be missed, Speltz said.

Boschman was told Wednesday that he was the subject of trade negotiations, Speltz said.

The Chiefs had hoped to receive a top-line player but the number of quality overage players who returned to the WHL in the last month was higher than anticipated.

“It became a matter of supply and demand,” said Speltz. Too many teams have too many valuable 20s.

“I’m comfortable sending Boschman to a quality organization with high-quality hockey people,” Speltz said. “He’ll be a key guy for them. They won’t know how key until he gets there.”

Deals were pending this week, Speltz said. This move “came a little more to light (Wednesday) and was decided this morning (Thursday).

“Joel’s choice would have been to play here but it’s good for him,” Speltz said.

Red Deer (6-8) is in third place in the WHL Central but is expected to bid for the division championship once star defenseman Jesse Wallin (broken arm) returns.

, DataTimes