Cowen to miss rest of season

Spokane Chief defenseman Jared Cowen will have reconstructive surgery on his right knee and will miss the remainder of the season. Cowen suffered an MCL sprain and a high grade injury to his ACL after finishing a check in a 6-0 win over the Chilliwack Bruins last Friday. Cowen is expected to have surgery in the next three weeks. Rehab will be up to five months and he will be ready for the 2009-10 season. The 17-year-old was ranked seventh overall by NHL’s Central Scouting for this summer’s Entry Draft for North American skaters. Prior to the injury Cowen had never missed a game due to injury having played in 153 of 158 WHL games, including playoffs and Memorial Cup. Cowen missed four games in 2007-08 to play at the 2008 under-17 World Hockey Challenge and one this season while he was away at the Top Prospects game. The Allan, Saskatchewan native led all WHL rookies last year with a +28 and this year had seven goals, 21 points and a +16 in 48 games.