Rossiter Digesting World Trip

REPLAY: From Sports, January 11, 2000, page C4: Replay A review of a taped conversation with Tri-City’s Jared Smyth on Saturday night prompts a correction to a story that appeared in Monday’s editions. Smyth, a former Chief, was quoted in a hockey notebook as saying Spokane was “choking” in games with Tri-City. The word he used was struggling. “They’ve just been struggling against us,” Smyth said.

He called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, playing with his country’s best players under the age of 20.

The experience of a World Junior Tournament was something Kyle Rossiter says he’ll never forget.

But the Spokane Chiefs defenseman did reprise some of what past Chiefs have mentioned regarding the food at the WJT, held this year over the holidays in Sweden.

It takes some getting used to.

“They really like their boiled potatoes, which are pretty bland,” Rossiter said. “They got real old real fast. It was basic pork and potatoes every day. As far as I could see they don’t believe in many vegetables.

“It wreaked havoc with people’s digestive systems for the first little while, until you adjusted.”

Adjustment was called for all around.

The international game is played on a wider ice surface and is more finesse than physical, “There’s no red line,” Rossiter said. “There’s a lot more transition involved, and not as much forechecking.

“I had to adjust, but I played with Barret Jackman (of the Regina Pats) and we were pretty solid together. We used each other pretty well.”

The Canadians brought back a bronze medal, a letdown to their fans who cluster around TVs over the holidays to monitor the WJT. Canada hasn’t won the gold since Chiefs coach Mike Babcock was behind the bench in 1997.

But beating the United States 4-3 in the bronze medal game in a shootout was a thrill, Rossiter said.

“When (goaltender) Brian Finley (of the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts) stopped the fourth shooter for USA, it was something I’ll never forget,” he said. “We were down 2-0 and came back to win in a shootout. Playing for the bronze doesn’t sound like much, but when it’s bronze or nothing, it’s a lot.”

And now you won’t have to listen to your partner on defense here, Kurt Sauer of Sartell, Minn., give it to you over losing to the Americans.

“Exactly,” Rossiter agreed.

A happier homecoming

Jared Smyth played more than 200 games with the Spokane Chiefs over four seasons, before the club let him go this season to make room for another 20-year-old forward, Brent McDonald.

It was a move that seems to have benefited both parties.

McDonald, a more prolific scorer than Smyth, has fit in nicely here since coming down from Prince George.

The grin on Smyth’s face in the Arena hallway Saturday night after he and the Tri-City Americans beat the Chiefs spoke volumes about how he’s been doing lately.

Smyth went scoreless - as he did often with the Chiefs - but he had the game-winning goal on Friday night in Kelowna, and was looking for his third goal in as many games before the Chiefs blanked him.

Beating Spokane in the Arena “felt wonderful,” Smyth said.

“I’ve been waiting for it (his first game back),” he added. “Not having (Derek) Schutz in their lineup might have had something to do with it tonight but we seem to pull out something extra against them.

“And they’ve been chokin’ against us,” Smyth said.

Smyth was asked to explain the difference between playing in Tri-City and playing in Spokane.

“For me, I’m more relaxed,” he said. “I still have to work hard but just having a coach who understands me, and can let me play and gives me an opportunity … was a change I needed.”

Notes

Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz was camped by his office phone early Sunday night, preparing for today’s WHL trade deadline. Speltz said nothing of note involving the Chiefs - or anybody else for that matter - had come down as of late Sunday afternoon… . At least something came out of Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the Tri-City Americans in the Arena. Tim Smith extended his scoring streak to 11 games … The WHL expansion committee, which includes Chiefs owner Bobby Brett, has a major item when it meets during the All-Star break Jan. 18-19 in Kelowna. Tri-City owner Ron Toigo wants an expansion franchise in his Vancouver, B.C., home so he can sell the Americans to a so-far unnamed group of Tri-City backers. Bob Brown, Ams’ alternate governor and vice-president, is said to be part of the group. Should the WHL reject Toigo’s bid, the Tri-City owner is said to be considering moving the Ams to Vancouver.