Chiefs sign No. 1 draft pick Cowen

The Spokane Chiefs have landed their big fish.

The Western Hockey League team announced Wednesday that defenseman Jared Cowen, the No. 1 overall pick in last summer’s Bantam Draft, has signed a contract with the team.

Cowen, a 6-foot-5, 207-pounder, had expressed his desire to play closer to his home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Cowen, however, said the Chiefs won over him and his family since he attended training camp in August.

“They did exactly the right thing,” said Cowen by telephone. “There’s no use pestering me. I just needed time to think about it. … It’s very exciting and a little bit of a relief. Now I know exactly what I’m going to do, which is good.”

Cowen will make his Chiefs debut at the end of the month, in home-and-home games against Tri-City on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31. He will also play for the team in three games on its Eastern road swing in late January: Prince Albert, Saskatoon, and Moose Jaw.

As a 15-year-old, Cowen can play in only five regular-season WHL games. He could also be called up to the Chiefs at the end of his Midget team’s season. He is playing for the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.

“We’re very excited to make this announcement,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. “It’s the next step in the process and we’re looking forward to Jared joining our team at the end of the month.”

Cowen’s agent, Rick Valette, said the Chiefs’ reputation as an organization was never the issue. He said the distance from Spokane to Saskatoon is still a challenge, but said Cowen and his family enjoyed the city during its visit. He said Cowen is ready for the challenge of playing at the WHL level.

“He’s developed an awful lot in the last year, even this off-season,” Valette said. “He’s very dedicated and does everything he can in his power to improve himself. He’s a very special young man and Spokane fans will be thrilled to watch him play for his junior career.”

Cowen is rated as the No. 2 overall prospect for the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the International Scouting Service. Scouts have compared him favorably with other top defenseman in the recent history of the WHL.

“Jared is a dynamic player who was our No. 1 choice, by far,” said Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Moulton. “We’re ecstatic in having him play for the Chiefs and he will be a big part of our team in the future.”

Cowen said he and his parents discussed ways to get around the physical distance. WHL games are available on the Internet and they will be able to see him in person when he plays in Alberta. The team makes its Eastern road swing, including a visit to Saskatoon, only every other year.

In August, those hurdles appeared to be too much for the team to sign Cowen. The team spent the past few months in contact with the Cowens, without rushing them. Speltz and Moulton closed the deal in the last week and received the contract Wednesday.

“It feels great,” said Speltz. “You never want to have the first overall pick. However, when you do, you have an obligation to the team to select the best player.

“I think as much as things didn’t look that cozy, Jared and his family were nothing but up front about things with us. Everything they said they’d do, they did. They needed their time to make to their decision.”

His parents will be in attendance for his WHL debut and Cowen will meet his billets at that time. “We are very excited. We can hardly wait to get down there and watch him play,” said his mother, Cara.