Chiefs have solid bet in net
The Spokane Chiefs showed over the weekend that they have good depth at the goaltending position, something that the Western Hockey League team has lacked in recent years.
“We like all of them. That’s the great thing,” said coach Bill Peters. “I think all of them are capable of playing in the league. They’re going to compete against each other and make each other better. That’s what you want in athletics is to be pushed, and we’ve got a really good setup.”
Goaltending coach Denis Sproxton, who is based in Red Deer, Alberta, has stayed in Spokane for this week to work with and evaluate four goaltending prospects: starter Kevin Armstrong and backup candidates Thomas Stehr, Dustin Tokarski and Darcy Kuemper.
When asked if the Chiefs’ current goaltenders are the best he’s seen as a group, Sproxton said yes.
“No question, our group of five (protected) list kids came in (to camp) in very good shape and had a good camp,” Sproxton said. “All five are real solid, capable goaltenders. This is definitely the best group.”
At age 16, it’s more likely that Kuemper will follow the path of the fifth goaltender, Rhys Chesney, who will return to junior hockey to get in a full season as a starter. That’s the route which was taken by Tokarski, 17, last year when his team won the Canadian national midget championship.
Tokarski was added by the Chiefs to their protected player list during the off-season. He impressed the team during camp and will be giving a challenge to returnee Stehr, 19.
“This kid seems to have a lot of composure – ice water running through his veins,” said Peters of Tokarski, who made the winning saves during the third period and shootout of the Red-White Game. “The guy seems like he has a pretty solid package.”
Stehr struggled during the Sunday scrimmage and Peters thought he looked “a little nervous.”
“He got beat early, then a couple hit the post … obviously, that’s not midseason form for him,” Peters said. “He’s got to get it picked up.”
Stehr is a veteran, however, and proved last year with several starts that he can be a quality goaltender in the WHL. He had a good week of practice working with Sproxton.
“My job is to make the goalies better – starter, backup, third string, fourth string, it doesn’t matter,” Sproxton said. “For me, right now, it’s just to make each goalie better as individuals and hopefully they’ll play better. You want to have a good problem at the end of the day with one, two, three goalies battling it out for two positions.”
Numbers game
When asked to cite the biggest surprise of training camp, Peters pointed to the effort of 17-year-old forward Cody Esposito.
Esposito was a top prospect last year, but suffered a shoulder injury from which he’s now recovered. Esposito, Chris Langkow, and Mike Reddington all have solid shots of making the team among younger players.
The team will carry roughly 30 players through this weekend’s exhibition tournament in Everett, allowing younger players to impress the coaches. Staying with the team after camp and playing in a game is a tough decision for a young player, as they forfeit U.S. collegiate eligibility by participating in WHL games.
Several players have been in camp all week after signing contracts with the Chiefs and will play in Everett, even though many of them won’t be able to play more than five regular-season games for Spokane as 16-year-olds.
One player who hasn’t had to make such a decision yet is Spokane product Tyler Johnson, a 16-year-old forward from Liberty Lake who is a former Chiefs draft pick. He is on the Chiefs’ 50-man protected player list and practiced with the team this week.