Group of Chiefs could get picked in NHL draft

Last year Hoopfest came and went and all was quiet in the offices of the Spokane Chiefs.

That’s because the National Hockey League draft coincides with the local street basketball extravaganza and for just the second time the Chiefs were blanked in the entry draft.

That won’t happen again.

A handful of Chiefs could get the call, though most of them won’t hear the phone ring before Sunday. The exception could be forward Ned Lukacevic, who is projected as a possible third-round pick.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Spokane general manager Tim Speltz said. “We’ve heard good things about Ned. Anyone who has seen him play knows his talent and skill. He’s a little inconsistent but that improved from one year to the next.”

Lukacevic had 19 goals as a 17-year-old, including five game-winners and six on the power play. Last summer Lukacevic attended Team Canada’s U-18 selection camp.

The first three rounds of the draft are Saturday, the last three on Sunday. The draft is for players who turn 18 before Sept. 15.

Chad Klassen, Jim Watt and Gustav Engman could go Sunday with Steven Gillen, Jeff Lynch and Scott Lynch having outside chances.

Klassen and Watt could be a victim of size, Speltz said.

Klassen is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound winger, which somewhat offsets his 35 goals and 91 assists last season. The points left him one behind team leader Brad Schell (who signed with Atlanta recently after being drafted in the sixth round in 2002) and was sixth in the league. Also, Klassen only missed three regular season games the last two years.

Watt, 5-10, 174, had a solid season in goal with a team0record .915 saves percent despite a sub-.500 record. His goals-against average was 2.65.

Engman played in 58 games as a rookie defenseman and the first-rounder from the import draft finished even in plus-minus.

The draft day and the birth date for determining the age of a Western Hockey League player are different. Officially, Gillen, who turned 18 on May 1, has just completed his 17-year-old season. He is more likely to get drafted next year.

Scott Lynch has been drafted the past two summers but coming off a good season could get selected. However, he may be better off not to be drafted so he can sign a free-agent contract.

Prior to last year, the last time Spokane had a quiet draft day was 1986.

“Speltz said the Chiefs would have a new assistant coach sometime after the Fourth of July. Jamie Huscroft resigned at the end of the season to spend more time with his family in Seattle.

“Chiefs forward Adam Hobson has been invited to Canada’s National Under-18 Summer Team Selection and Development camp. The camp, which will consist of 40 of the best under-18 Canadian players, will run from July 31-Aug. 6 in Calgary. Twenty-two of the players will be selected to the U-18 national team that will play in the U-18 Junior World Cup in the the Czech Republic and Slovakia Aug. 10-15.

“The import draft is June 30. Spokane will make one selection to replace Jakub Langhammer.

Coaching carousel

Marc Habscheid, who coached the Kelowna Rockets to the recent Memorial Cup championship, was introduced as the new coach for Hockey Canada on Wednesday.

He resigned Monday and was immediately replaced by Rockets assistant Jeff Truitt. Habscheid, 41, will move to Calgary to take charge of Canadian teams that compete in European tournaments. He will also be involved with the Canadian team at the 2006 Olympic Games in Italy as the coach or assistant.

There is only one coaching vacancy left in the WHL – Brandon. Last week former Spokane assistant Parry Shockey was hired as the Moose Jaw coach and Dean Chynoweth, who left Seattle at the end of the season, was hired in Swift Current.

Shockey, 50, is the 11th coach in MJ’s 20-year history. Shockey, who also coached at Lethbridge, has been scouting for the L.A. Kings since he was fired by Regina. As a head coach, his teams are 95-50-9 (.626) in the regular season and 21-7 (.750) in the playoffs.

Notes

The WHL has decided it won’t change its rule that permits each of its teams to use three 20-year-old players. The decision was reached at the league’s annual meeting in Calgary last week.

With the next NHL season on shaky ground because of the labor situation, the WHL was thinking about allowing teams to use four, or even five, 20-year-olds. But the OHL had already decided to stay with three, so the WHL, wanting to maintain continuity among the major junior leagues decided to keep the status quo.

“The teams decided that the visitors will wear white jerseys from the season’s start through the Christmas break, with the home sides wearing their colored or third jerseys. The opposite will prevail after the break.

“The Regina Pats acquired 6-2, 215-pound right-winger Gary Sylvester from the Tri-City Americans for 18-year-old goaltender Jesse Deckert.