Weather warming for outdoor hockey game

The Spokane Chiefs stayed on the sideline as the Western Hockey League trade deadline passed on Monday.

The question is how that affects the team, which is the hottest in the league right now. No deal means the continue has to continue to succeed with hard work and chemistry, but will that be enough to stay keep up with Portland and Tri-City , which made deals? How about staying ahead of Seattle and Everett ? The other team that can affect the Chiefs is Kootenay because the teams meet three times in eight days, beginning Friday and including Saturday’s outdoor game at Avista Stadium. More on trades from the Gregg Drinnan and Alan Caldwell blogs.

And speaking of the outdoor game, four days away, here’s the forecast: It’s not supposed to be below freezing from Thursday on with the low on Friday night 41 degrees and the high on Saturday 42, which I assume means the snow/rain showers means rain.