Chiefs trade Laday to get import pick
The Spokane Chiefs traded Hungarian defenseman Tamas Laday to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday in exchange for an eighth round pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.
“This trade was initiated on a couple of fronts,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. “First, we have an abundance of good, young defensemen that we feel are ready to play. Second, with the 26th pick in the upcoming import draft, we are only allowed to draft an import player if we have an available import spot.”
Spokane now has one European import roster position to fill heading into today’s CHL Import Draft; Austrian forward Dominic Zwerger occupies the second. The 26th overall pick marks the highest import draft position the Chiefs have held since 2005. Laday was originally acquired by the Chiefs as the 42nd pick in the 2014 CHL Import Draft.
Laday played 60 games for the Chiefs last season, recording six assists while piling up 104 penalty minutes.
• Spokane Chiefs defenseman Evan Fiala is participating in the Florida Panthers annual development camp this week in Coral Springs, Florida.
Fiala, a 6’4”, 193-pound blueliner from Clavet, Saskatchewan, led the Chiefs in penalty minutes last season with 107 while chipping in 12 assists in 68 games. He was Spokane’s first round (14th overall) selection in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.