Luke Toporowski’s expected six-game return could give Spokane Chiefs big boost

From staff reports

Spokane Chiefs forward Luke Toporowski has returned to Spokane and is expected to rejoin the team this week after a unique one-season loan to the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. Under WHL protocols, Toporowski is currently under a seven-day quarantine before resuming team activities.

“We’re excited to welcome Luke back to Spokane and look forward to seeing him back on the ice in a Chiefs jersey,” said Chiefs’ general manager Scott Carter. “We followed his progress closely in Sioux Falls and if all goes well, we expect him back in time to play his maximum allowed six games.”

Because Toporowski was loaned to Sioux Falls for the duration of the 2020-21 season, he will be designated as an Affiliate Player for the Chiefs, allowed to play a maximum of six regular season games.

Toporowski was a bright spot for the Stampede, ranking second on the team in points per game with 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 32 games (1.04/game). He trailed only fellow WHL forward Cole Sillinger, who was on a similar loan agreement from the Medicine Hat Tigers and is a top prospect for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Originally the Chiefs’ first-round pick (8th overall) in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, Toporowski has played 190 games with the Chiefs, piling up 132 points (60G-72A). He set career highs last season with 29 goals and 31 assists for 60 points, including 40 points (22G-18A) in just 31 games following the midseason holiday break.

Teammate Bear Hughes, who is also on a loan agreement to the USHL, is not expected back this season as his Fargo Force are a four-seed in the USHL’s Clark Cup Playoffs out of the Western Conference.