Chiefs Land Defenseman
The Spokane Chiefs seem to have found the defenseman they were looking for.
The Western Hockey League club acquired 20-year-old Scott Roles and a fourth-round pick in the 2000 bantam draft Thursday from the Kootenay Ice for 18-year-old defenseman Cole Fischer.
Spokane has coveted an experienced, puck-moving blue-liner who can run the power play. That’s the talent Roles brings to the club that shoots for its fourth straight win Saturday night in the Arena against the struggling Portland Winter Hawks.
“He’s a guy who can get the puck in the net on the power play,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. `You hate to develop a player (Fischer) for two years then give him up, but the depth of our ‘81s (players born in 1981) allowed us to do it.”
The Ice were carrying four 20-year-old players, one over the league maximum. The deadline for getting down to three is Nov. 1.
“Scott isn’t a physical guy, but Spokane has other physical players,” Ice general manager Bob Tory said. “The fans in Spokane should enjoy Rolly. He’s a highly skilled guy, a good skater who makes intelligent decisions.”
Fischer goes to a club that skates on a smaller ice surface, which makes for increased contact.
“We hope he’s healthy and ready to go,” Tory said. “We know he’s had a shoulder problem, but he did play the other night.”
The acquisition of Fischer is a move for the future. Roles should pay an immediate dividend. With the two neighboring teams playing in different divisions, neither has to worry too much about getting beat up by the guy they let go.
“The trade makes sense,” Tory said.
Roles comes in with six assists in seven games, with four penalty minutes. Last year, in 64 games, he had seven goals with 34 assists, and was at his best in a tough playoff series with eventual league champion Calgary.
Fischer appeared in two of Spokane’s six games with no points. He scored 14 points in 66 games last year.
The Chiefs are expected to announce another move today.
A goaltender who was available - Cam Ondrik - was dealt by the Medicine Hat Tigers to the Saskatoon Blades for future considerations. The Tigers also sent tough guy Frazer Donahue and defenseman Kevin Young to Portland for right wing Ken Davis.