Former Chief Makes Classy Exit

Brad Ference left Spokane Tuesday morning with a touch of class.

After treating his former teammates to dinner Monday night, Ference left the Chiefs after four seasons.

Ference joined the Tri-City Americans in time to jump on the bus for a three-game swing to Swift Current, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

The Chiefs start the post-Ference era tonight short-handed.

Mason Wallin is out with an ankle injury, Cam Severson remains sidelined under WHL suspension for the elbowing major and game misconduct a week ago against Seattle and Jan Dusanek will not play because of a hip flexor pull suffered in Saturday night’s narrow loss to Calgary.

Newly acquired Ryan Thorpe is back in Kamloops this week, taking high school tests.

The Chiefs will have no healthy roster scratches tonight when they take on Red Deer in the Arena.

Trades are part of hockey but two in two weeks is a little strange, said Ference, who on the National Hockey League level was traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the Florida Panthers before Spokane sent him to Tri-City just prior to Monday’s WHL trade deadline.

Ference was Vancouver’s first-round draft pick in ‘97. The Canucks signed him last fall, but packaged him in the Pavel Bure trade to Florida.

“I’d like to thank my teammates, who have been on my side for 3-1/2 years,” Ference said.

“And please make sure and thank the fans for me, for supporting me through the good and the bad. All of it has made me a better person.

“It’s promising, because I go to a team that has a chance not only to win some games but make a run at the Memorial Cup. I know Dylan Gyori and Scott Gomez (Tri-City stars) from before. I lived with Gyori in Los Angeles, working out last summer.

“I’d also like to thank the club … for giving me the opportunity to showcase what I can do.”