Chiefs will begin on ice against Ice

Thu., Aug. 5, 2004

The Spokesman-Review

SPOKANE CHIEFS

2004-05 schedule

SEPT—25 at Kootenay.

OCT—2 vs. Kootenay; 5 at Vancouver; 6 at Portland; 9 vs. Tri-City; 12 vs. Lethbridge; 15 vs. Vancouver; 16 at Tri-City; 22 vs. Portland; 23 vs. Kamloops; 29 vs. Seattle; 30 at Tri-City.

NOV—5 at Kamloops; 6 vs. Tri-City; 9 vs. Red Deer; 10 at Kelowna; 12 vs. Seattle; 13 vs. Portland; 17 vs. Everett; 19 at Seattle; 20 vs. Calgary; 24 vs. Prince George; 26 vs. Kelowna; 27 at Tri-City; 30 at Prince Albert.

DEC—1 at Saskatoon; 3 at Brandon; 4 at Moose Jaw; 5 at Regina; 8 at Everett; 10 vs. Swift Current; 11 vs. Everett; 15 vs. Portland; 17 vs. Kootenay; 18 at Kootenay; 28 at Everett; 29 vs. Kelowna; 31 at Tri-City.

JAN—1 at Vancouver; 5 vs. Seattle; 7 at Everett; 8 vs. Medicine Hat; 15 at Tri-City; 16 at Everett; 21 vs. Everett; 22 vs. Tri-City; 25 vs. Seattle; 29 vs. Kamloops.

FEB—1 at Kamloops; 2 at Seattle; 4 vs. Everett; 5 vs. Tri-City; 9 at Seattle; 11 at Portland; 12 vs. Vancouver; 13 at Everett; 16 vs. Prince George; 18 at Portland; 19 at Tri-City; 25 vs. Portland; 26 vs. Tri-City; 27 at Seattle.

MAR—2 at Kelowna; 4 at Prince George; 5 at Prince George; 9 vs. Everett; 11 at Portland; 12 vs. Tri-City; 13 at Seattle; 16 vs. Portland; 18 at Kootenay; 19 vs. Kootenay.

In a break from long-standing tradition, the Spokane Chiefs will not open against their closest geographic rival for the 2004-05 Western Hockey League season.

The league announced its schedule Wednesday and it will be Kootenay, not Tri-City, against whom Spokane will make its season debut with a home-and-home series. The Chiefs and Ice will play games one week apart, on Sept. 25 at Cranbrook, British Columbia, and Oct. 2 at Spokane.

Spokane’s 72-game schedule includes 36 home games, 25 of which will be played on either Friday or Saturday. The Chiefs’ home schedule also includes three Tuesday and eight Wednesday home games, although it is subject to change.

The Chiefs will play in the WHL’s U.S. Division of the Western Conference and will meet archrival Tri-City 12 times (six home and six away). The Everett Silvertips, the defending U.S. Division and Western Conference Champions, and the Chiefs meet 10 times (five home, five away) and Spokane will play Portland (five home, four road) and Seattle (four home, five road) nine times each.

In addition to the opening series with the Ice, the Chiefs will face Kootenay four more times. All six matchups will be a part of a home-and-home series.

The Chiefs will play the rest of the B.C. Division four times each (two home, two away). The B.C. Division is the Vancouver Giants, Prince George Cougars, Kamloops Blazers, Kootenay, and the Memorial Cup Champion Kelowna Rockets.

This season, the Chiefs host teams from the Central Division (Red Deer, Lethbridge, Calgary, Swift Current and Eastern Conference Champion Medicine Hat) and travel to the East Division (Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Brandon, Moose Jaw and Regina) with five games in six nights.

The team opens camp at the end of August. The Chiefs are currently selling ticket packages only. Individual game tickets go on sale in early September.

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