Chiefs’ playoff hopes on line against Kootenay

The Spokane Chiefs will try to keep their slim Western Hockey League playoff hopes alive tonight when they meet the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, British Columbia.

Spokane (24-36-8-2, 58 points) trails Tri-City (25-34-7-3, 60) for fourth place in the race for the final playoff spot in the U.S. Division. The Ice (100 points), the fourth-ranked team in Canadian junior hockey, are in second place in the B.C. Division and are still battling Kelowna the top spot in the WHL.

The teams meet again on Saturday night in Spokane when the Chiefs close out their regular-season schedule.

Tri-City has three games left: tonight at Everett; Saturday hosting Everett; and Sunday at Portland. If the Americans and Chiefs end up tied in points and wins, there would be a play-in game between them on Tuesday at the Arena.

The Chiefs will be playing without assistant captain Chad Klassen, their leading scorer, who had a season-ending knee injury on Wednesday night.