Watchful eye

Hardy Sauter has had the chance to see his team on the ice in an intrasquad scenario.

Now it’s time for Spokane’s new bench boss to see what his Chiefs can do against teams within the U.S. Division.

Sauter and 30 players will head west this weekend as the Chiefs kick off their seven-game exhibition schedule in Everett at the Silvertips’ tournament. Spokane will play Everett, the Portland Winter Hawks and the Tri-City Americans, respectively, today, Saturday and Sunday.

The Chiefs’ roster stands at 32 players after cuts were made earlier in the week.

There are four 15-year-old players still on the roster – all picks in this year’s bantam draft. Though they are too young to play for Spokane when the regular season rolls around, all four – first-round pick Mitch Holmberg, second-round selection Brady Brassart, fourth-round pick Tanner Mort and fifth-round pick Michael Aviani – will travel with the Chiefs this weekend and see preseason action.

“We’re going to play as many young guys in every game that we can,” Sauter said. “Obviously, we’re going to try and win the game, but in the end it is more important to assess talent at this point of the year.”

Two key players will not be with the Chiefs this weekend – forwards Drayson Bowman and Ondrej Roman.

Bowman is home in Colorado training for NHL camp with the Carolina Hurricanes, which begins Sept. 18.

Roman, one of Spokane’s two imports, is still home in the Czech Republic waiting for the IIHF to release the Dallas Stars prospect.

Chiefs tab Mendelson

The Chiefs are expected to make an announcement early next week on the hiring of Leigh Mendelson as the team’s new assistant coach, The Spokesman-Review confirmed with sources.

Mendelson spent last season as an assistant coach with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League. He has coached at many different levels in the United States and Europe – including stints with three USHL teams other then Omaha (Waterloo from 1995-96, Sioux City from 1996-2000 and Green Bay during the 2005-06 season).

Mendelson also coached for the USA Hockey National Team Developmental Program U18 team and worked in the ECHL, the Finnish Elite League and also spent time coaching in Austria and Holland.

He has worked with USA Hockey since 1994 as a coach in its Summer Development programs. In 1999, he was an assistant coach for the silver-medal winning Under-18 Team at the Four Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic.

Ice chips

The Chiefs reassigned 17-year-old forwards Taylor Fraser and Steve Wall, to their Junior A team in St. Albert, Alberta. The moves leave Spokane with 32 players on the roster – 18 forwards, 11 defensemen and three goaltenders. … The Chiefs picked up 18-year-old goalie Alex Wright in a trade with the Prince George Cougars for a conditional draft pick. … Spokane’s only home exhibition game is on Sept. 12 against the Kelowna Rockets at Eagles Ice-A-Rena.