Chiefs release WHL schedule for 2015-16 season

The Spokane Chiefs will open the 2015-16 season at home against the Tri-City Americans on Sept. 26, the team announced on Wednesday.

The Chiefs will host 27 weekend games; nine Fridays, 14 Saturdays and four Sundays. The remainder of the home schedule will be played on nine Wednesday nights throughout the season.

After the opener, the Chiefs will log a few bus miles with six straight road games starting with Kootenay on Oct. 2. Twelve of Spokane’s first 18 games are on the road.

Spokane will play 38 games against U.S. Division foes; 19 home and 19 away. They play the rival Tri-City Americans 12 times, the Everett Silvertips 10 times, the Portland Winterhawks eight times and the Seattle Thunderbirds eight times.

The home schedule will end on March 12 against Kelowna. The regular season finale will be March 19 at Tri-City.

• For complete schedule, see Scoreboard /B4

WSU assistant hired

New Washington State Cougars baseball coach Marty Lees continued to fill out his coaching staff by hiring former Coug catcher and minor league manager Jim Horner as an assistant coach.

Horner, a first-team All-Pac-10 catcher in 1996, also managed the Mariners’ Double-A Jackson Generals in 2014 and the first half of this season.