Chiefs exceed expectations
The Spokane Chiefs return to the Arena ice this weekend for a pair of Western Hockey League games with the memory of last weekend’s big win over Tri-City still fresh in their minds.
Spokane (4-4) hosts Portland (6-5) tonight and Kamloops (3-7-1) on Saturday. Both games start at 7.
The Chiefs are one of the more noticeable surprises of the young WHL season. Yes, it’s early in the 72-game regular season and Spokane had a better win-loss record at this point last season (6-1-0-1).
But this year’s Chiefs were selected in a preseason poll to finish 19th out of 20 teams in the league. Such a dubious ranking lowers the expectations and provides great motivation. Whatever the reason, it’s working for Spokane.
The Chiefs are up to 12th in the latest WHL poll and it’s understandable why coach Al Conroy is content with how his team has played. He and others have noticed there is something different about this team – in a good way.
Last Saturday’s 9-5 win over Tri-City was illustrative for several reasons. It was the Chiefs’ first road win; it came after they trailed 2-0; and nine different players scored as they reeled off nine consecutive goals.
“It’s an opportunity we pounced on – and that seems to be happening a lot this year,” said Spokane goalie Jim Watt. “Usually, if it’s 2-2 in a game, we’ll find a way to lose that game in previous years. … This year we pounce on our opportunities. The next thing you know it’s 9-2.”
This team doesn’t have one superstar and has showed the dedication and unselfishness the coaches have sought, as evidenced by two games last weekend.
“It was a good weekend,” said Conroy. “We lost to Vancouver 3-2 (Friday at home), but I thought we played real well. Then, Tri-Cities – being down 2-nothing in that Arena and being outshot 10-0 up until that point – I thought the guys showed a lot of resilience and a lot of character to score nine unanswered goals.”
That kind of offensive firepower has been present at times for Spokane this season, a surprise for a team that lost leading scorer Brad Schell and is skating seven rookies out of the 17 forward roster positions.
“It’s been the older guys leading the way and the younger guys following behind,” said Chad Klassen, the team’s leading scorer (seventh in the WHL), with six goals and eight assists. “It’s easy to win when everyone’s working hard together as a team. You see one guy doing it, so you’re going to do it too.”
Spokane’s veteran blue-line corps has dominated play at times and the puck spends a lot of time in the other end when Watt and his defensemen are rolling.
There is another key factor to this season’s start: Spokane hasn’t had any internal squabbling, either amongst the players or between the players and the coaching staff. The Chiefs have tried to add by subtraction with their roster moves and the players are starting to buy into Conroy’s approach in his third year.
“I’ve noticed a difference in his coaching this year,” said Watt. “Now that we’re being a team, now that we’re more of his kind of team … we’re starting to work with (Conroy) and he’s certainly starting to work with us. There’s a much greater click between the coaches and the players.”
Conroy said he feels the same way. He also cites the addition of another assistant coach position as a positive factor. Assistant coaches Rikard Gronborg and Kevin Sawyer have lent a new perspective on things.
But ultimately, the difference may come down to leadership by the players. The Chiefs have been more accountable to the man, a compliment to the team’s five captains and the maturity of its rookies.
“I like having the responsibility,” said Klassen of his role as an assistant captain. “You know the young guys look up to you, and I like that. I like helping them out when they need it.”
The Chiefs have found that by relying on each other off the ice to address problems that may arise, they are more in sync when crises arise on the ice.
“Not everything needs to be brought up with the coaches. It’s better if we can handle it as players in the dressing room,” said Watt. “There really hasn’t been anything like there has been in past years, and I don’t really expect anything to happen.”
•Austrian forward Michael Grabner, the Chiefs’ first-round selection in this summer’s Import Draft, is expected to make his regular-season debut this weekend after recovering from a broken collarbone suffered in the Chiefs first exhibition game of the year.