Smyth Rebman picks up slack, Spokane Chiefs get balanced scoring in 6-2 win over Kamloops

Don’t look now, but the Spokane Chiefs are playing some of their best hockey of the season. And they didn’t even need a pair of goals that were waived off to notch their fourth win in a row.

Six players scored goals, six had multipoint nights and the Spokane Chiefs beat the Kamloops Blazers 6-2 in a Western Hockey League matchup at the Arena on Wednesday. 

The Chiefs (16-9-0-0) have won five of their last six games, with three of those wins coming on the road.

“I think our team game is coming,” Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said. “The things we talked about earlier in the year – those little details, our identity, how we want to play the game – we’re more consistent with it now. I think (the players) are starting to understand it and see it. And not only that, when you do it and you do get results, I think you start to believe in it.”

“I think we really just got back to our game,” forward Smyth Rebman, who had a goal and an assist, said. “We have really started using our forecheck well, getting in hard on that and things are paying off for us.”

The Chiefs were missing several regulars due to injury, including leading goal scorer Shea Van Olm.

“I think when guys that played big minutes aren’t in the lineup, everyone’s got to step up a bit,” Rebman said. “I think me, (Rasmus Ekstrom) and (Sam Oremba) have been playing really good together these last few games, and we got rewarded for it tonight.”

It didn’t start out great – the Blazers (11-13-1-0) scored just 3 minutes into the game with a short-handed goal by Oren Shtrom, his seventh marker of the season. 

But the Chiefs tied it up at 8:13 of the first on a Berkly Catton backhander, his 11th of the season, off a feed from Mathis Preston from below the goal line.

Playing four on four late in the period, Preston scored at the horn on a breakaway but after review it was waived off as being after time ran out on the period.

“Once they make the call, you just got to put it away,” Lauer said of the waived off goals. “Our guys have done a good job of being able to do that – because it can be frustrating.”

The Chiefs had a second goal called back early in the second on goaltender interference, but moments later they were awarded a power play. This time, a puck in the back of the net actually counted as Rebman gathered a pass at the top of the crease from Catton, spun and whipped it past goalie Dylan Ernst for his seventh goal of the season and a 2-1 lead.

“(Rebman) has been good,” Lauer said. “I mean, a big reason why our power play’s working is because he’s in the net front. He’s creating a lot of confusion down there.”

“I definitely think about trying to be around (the net), but it’s also a little bit of instinctual,” Rebman said. “I’ve just always kind of always been around the net.” 

Spokane made it 3-1 a few minutes later when Rebman sent a skip pass through the crease to Ekström, who settled it as his feet and banged it past Ernst for his 11th goal of the season.

The Chiefs killed off a late penalty, but moments later Kamloops made it a one-goal game again when Tommy Lafreniere got loose in the slot and knocked in a pass from Kai Matthew for his 10th goal of the season with just 1:12 remaining in the period.

Asanali Sarkenov picked up a big insurance goal on the power play early in the third, his second goal of the season, after the Chiefs had several whacks at it. 

Preston finally got his goal midway through the frame, completing a tic-tac-toe with Catton for his ninth of the campaign to make it 5-2. Sam Oremba made it a half-dozen with another power play goal 2 minutes later, his sixth of the season, and Kamloops made a goalie change.

“(Preston) is a special player. He’s got offense, he’s got the ability to be creative and all that which we want him to be, but not only that he’s playing the game the right way,” Lauer said. “You know, he’s back-checking, he’s understanding the sort outs, he’s coming to the D-zone coverage and stuff like that, which, you know, takes time for young guys.”

Catton finished with a goal and three assists. 

Memorial Cup to Kelowna: Earlier in the day, the Canadian Hockey League announced the 2026 Memorial Cup hosting duties were awarded to the Kelowna Rockets.

The Chiefs were one of four other WHL franchises to submit bids for the event. Kelowna was scheduled to host in 2020, but the tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic.