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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Chiefs acquire goalie Moodie from Saskatoon

Moodie
Spokane Chiefs Hockey

The Spokane Chiefs addressed one of their biggest needs Friday by acquiring 19-year-old goaltender Alex Moodie from the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for a future draft selection.

Moodie, a 6-foot-1, 182-pounder from Winnipeg, Manitoba, played in 28 games with the Blades last year, his third season in the Western Hockey League.

He compiled a 7-18-2 record last season with a 4.29 goals-against average. The Chiefs are hoping that Moodie returns to the form of his rookie season (2011-12), when he was 9-3-0 with a 3.42 GAA.

“Acquiring Alex does a few things for our organization,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said.

“It strengthens our depth at the goaltending position and also creates a healthy competition at that position moving into 2014-15.”

The Chiefs must make up for the graduation of goalie Eric Williams, who was 33-19-4 last year in his 20-year-old season. Williams has signed with the Colorado Eagles of the East Coast Hockey League.

Garret Hughson, 18, was Spokane’s backup goalie last season. Hughson went 7-7-2 for the Chiefs with a 3.28 GAA.

The Chiefs also have Tyson Verhelst on the horizon. Spokane drafted the 16-year-old in the third round in 2012 and he played this year with the Neepawa Natives of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

“We feel Garret Hughson has earned the opportunity to be a starter in the WHL and if Alex Moodie can regain the form he showed as a young goaltender, we’ll have two capable starting goaltenders,” Speltz said. “We also expect Tyson Verhelst is ready to make the jump to the WHL, so we have good depth and competition for our goaltending position.”

Moodie was the Blades’ fifth-round selection in the 2010 WHL bantam draft.

The Chiefs sent their fourth-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft to Saskatoon.