He’s no stat king

The Spokane Chiefs were entertaining the Calgary Hitmen on Feb. 2 last year at the Arena when Seth Compton took a hard check on the blue line midway through the third period.

The veteran forward knew, right away, that something was wrong. So he skated off the ice – by himself – and the following day X-rays confirmed it: Compton had severely broken his leg.

“It (happened) pretty close to the bench and when your adrenaline is going you really don’t feel much,” Compton said. “I was actually a little bit scared and I just wanted to get out of there.

“I really don’t know how I did it.”

But he did – though skated may be too strong of a word.

“I wouldn’t say skated,” said Compton with a laugh. “You could say I glided off – but yeah, it was by myself.”

With a month and a half remaining in the Western Hockey League regular season, Compton had surgery and was told he would be out a minimum of eight weeks, meaning he was essentially lost for the season. After playing on a team that had failed to qualify for the postseason for two straight years, the West Richland native couldn’t have been more disappointed, especially when the Chiefs managed to end their playoff drought last year.

“I thought I was going to be able to come back,” he said. “There was a slight chance I could have if we would have gone to the second round, but I think I talked myself into it more than anything – the coaches and everyone else knew that it probably wasn’t going to happen.”

So it makes perfect sense that nobody is looking forward to the 2008 playoffs more than the 19-year-old Compton.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “I don’t have any experience, but I really don’t think that’s going to matter with my game. I think playoff hockey is the style of game that I like to play.”

The physical, up-tempo style of hockey is what Compton embodies. Goals are harder to come by and therefore more meaningful, aggression and intensity reach their peak, injuries are essentially a non-factor – unless you can’t walk – and everyone has one thing on their mind – winning a championship.

For good teams to do so, guys like Compton are essential if not invaluable.

Compton, who was drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2003 Bantam Draft and joined the KIJHL’s Spokane Braves for the 2003-04 season, played in 41 games as a rookie in 2004-05 and scored two goals and seven points. The following season, Compton played a career-high 67 games, scored three goals, and had seven points and 44 penalty minutes. Last season, before the leg injury, he played in 47 games, scored eight goals and had 15 points.

The thing about him is that you won’t find his worth on a stat sheet. Sure, he shows up – sometimes just when the Chiefs need it most. But Compton’s value isn’t in his career-high 12 goals, seven assists and plus-three marking in 63 games played this season.

It’s in the undersized forward’s oversized heart.

“Between being unselfish and committed, he has so much respect within the group,” said Chiefs coach Bill Peters.

An intelligent player who does the little things – blocking substantial amounts of shots on the Chiefs’ top penalty kill unit with his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame, or relishing in opportunities to take on an opponent’s top scorer as a key guy on the Chiefs’ checking line – Compton was named an alternate captain this season because of that respect and unyielding work ethic.

“It takes a lot of courage, to stay in that shooting lane for 72 games. He’s the guy that’s willing to do that,” Peters said. “He’s what you would call an undersized guy, but he finds a way to play well and contribute, and recently we think we may have formed a pretty good checking line with him, (Levko) Koper and (Tyler) Johnson.

“We think they can play against anybody in the league and it makes us a deeper team and a team that has defined roles.”

Lucky for the Chiefs, Compton takes pride in that. He hopes he’s back to do it for another season next year as an over-age player.

“I try to tell people I don’t think about it, but obviously I do think about it,” said Compton. “It’s something I’m really trying not to focus on, but I’d like to be here next year.”