Chiefs hope to turn last season’s struggles into future success

The Spokane Chiefs were haunted by injuries and inconsistency last season. However, all those minutes given to younger players gives the organization hope that the Chiefs can turn all that experience into success this coming campaign.

The Chiefs, who all underwent fitness testing on Tuesday, officially report to camp on Wednesday before they take the ice for the first time on Thursday. On Sunday, the Chiefs will hold their annual Red and White Game at 1 p.m. at the Spokane Arena.

“We had so many older guys, veteran guys, go down” last season, coach Don Nachbaur said. “We were scrambling. But, we instilled a lot of confidence in the younger guys. And, they proved us right. It gets us excited this year about what we have.”

The Chiefs finished 33-30-5-4 (75 points), which was good enough for fourth place in the U.S. Division last season. Spokane also earned the final Western Conference wild card playoff spot before losing a first-round series against Victoria in six games.

On offense, the top scoring threats all return, led by Kailer Yamamoto (19 goals, 71 points); older brother Keanu Yamamoto (22 goals, 54 points); Dominic Zwerger (team-leading 27 goals, 55 points); Markson Bechtold (17 goals, 48 points) and Hudson Elynuik (19 goals, 44 points), who was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round (74th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft.

But the Chiefs lost a captain and glue guy in defenseman Jason Fram (12 goals, 46 points). His leadership alone could provide enough spark to turn a close game into a victory.

On the defensive side, the team does return Tyson Helgesen and Dalton Hamaliuk, who has the size (215 pounds) to provide enough thump to keep the opposing forwards looking over their shoulders.

The teams will also bring along the 2015 No. 1 pick Ty Smith, who played a couple games with the team last season. Also look for big things from Trent Huitema, a 1998-born defenseman, who at 6-foot-7 often towers over his opponents and teammates.

“We are going to be young,” Nachbaur said. “Young, for me, means a lot of teaching. We are looking forward to that.”

Behind the net, the team traded for 20-year-old Jayden Sittler and has prospects Matt Berlin and Donovan Buskey, who will all compete for probably only two spots.

Sittler, who played for Lethbridge (2.94 GAA and .905 saves percentage) will also compete for one of the three overage positions to make the team. The other candidates are Zwerger, Keanu Yamamoto, Bechtold and forward Jacob Cardiff (9 goals, 16 points).

Zwerger, of Austria, is also a “two spotter” who will compete with newly drafted Czech players Ondrej Najman and Pavel Kousal, a pair of 1998 forwards, for the two import-player positions.

“I don’t think there is any pressure on any of the players. That’s what training camp is for,” Nachbaur said. “But, those decisions are never easy for the coaches or the organization.”