Cote Enlivens Chiefs Scrum

Rookie Brandin Cote, who had a goal and an assist in a losing cause, caught coach Mike Babcock’s eye in Sunday’s Spokane Chiefs annual intrasquad game.

Three veterans - Marian Cisar, Jared Smyth and John Cirjak - were among the forwards who figured in the scoring in Team Red’s 7-3 win over Team White at the Arena.

But it was the 16-year-old Cote who was the “best guy we had out there as far as working hard all the time,” Babcock said. “And (Marc) Brown (also with the White squad) had a pretty good game.”

Aren Miller and Shaun Fleming split duty in goal. If Miller leaves for training camp with the Detroit Red Wings this week, 17-year-old rookie Jamie Iwamoto will back Fleming through much of the exhibition season, Babcock said.

“Fleming and Miller played real well in net (Sunday),” Babcock said. “Iwamoto had the best camp. He struggled a little today but that’s reality.”

The drafted veterans start heading out for training camps with their pro teams this week. The Chiefs don’t plan to have any of them when they open the preseason schedule with two games this weekend in Lethbridge, Alberta, the coach said.

, DataTimes