The Spokane Chiefs celebrated their Western Hockey League silver anniversary in 2010 by naming the top 25 Chiefs in 25 years.
Since this is the Chiefs’ 30th season, the team has added five names to the list to make it an even 30.
The Chiefs announced Tuesday that Mick Vukota (1985-87), Steve Junker (1988-92), Barry Brust (2000-04), Michael Grabner (2004-07) and Brenden Kichton (2008-13) have been added to the illustrious list.
Vukota and Junker will be in attendance when the Chiefs formally induct the quintet at 1 p.m. Friday at the Arena. Vukota and Junker will also be recognized at center ice before Friday night’s game against Calgary, the Chiefs’ first home game since Feb. 3.
Vukota stands in fourth place in franchise history with 706 career penalty minutes; Junker ranks 12th in career goals (106) and 17th in points (227); Brust is the franchise’s all-time leader in games (169), minutes (9,150) and saves (4,088) for a goaltender; Grabner is one of four Chiefs to lead the team in goals scored in back-to-back seasons; and Kichton holds the single-season record for points (85) by a defenseman.
Watch out for Hitmen
The Calgary Hitmen lost nine of their first 16 games this season and spent the first couple of months playing near the break-even point.
Now the Hitmen (34-18-1-4, 73 points) have won 11 of their last 12 games to close within four points of Medicine Hat for the Central Division lead.
The Tigers had a comfortable first-place lead until injuries cropped up. The team has lost eight of its last 10.
Tuesday’s game was the last regular-season meeting between Calgary and Medicine Hat. Calgary begins its U.S. Division tour on Friday in Spokane
Kings of the road
Tyler Coulter scored twice Monday as the Brandon Wheat Kings won their ninth consecutive road game with a 5-3 decision at Regina.
“I think when we play on the road, we play more structured than we do sometimes at home,” Wheat Kings head coach/general manager Kelly McCrimmon told James Shewaga of the Brandon Sun.
Brandon has picked up at least one point in 16 consecutive games, including 14 wins. Spokane handed Brandon one of its blips during the streak with last Friday’s 5-4 overtime road win by the Chiefs.
Around the league
Kelowna Rockets forward Leon Draisaitl was named WHL Player of the Week after compiling seven assists and two goals in four games. Draisaitl, selected third overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2014 National Hockey League draft, has totaled 190 points in 145 career WHL games. The Everett Silvertips’ Carter Hart was named WHL Goaltender of the Week after turning aside 46 of 48 shots in two games, including last Friday’s 6-0 shutout of the Vancouver Giants. … The Canadian Hockey League announced that Kelowna and Kamloops will be the WHL’s host teams for the Subway Super Series in November. The series matches junior teams from Canada and Russia. … Morgan Klimchuk has recorded nine goals and 15 assists in 19 games with Brandon since his Jan. 2 trade from Regina. Klimchuk made his first return to Regina on Monday and scored an empty-netter. … The Vancouver Giants are expecting a crowd of more than 9,500 at noon today when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors in what the club is calling “Hooky Day in Canada.”
