Chiefs select Sauter

The defending Memorial Cup-champion Spokane Chiefs will announce Hardy Sauter as their new head coach today, The Spokesman-Review learned Thursday.

The Chiefs will hold a press conference this afternoon at the Arena to officially name Sauter, who served as an assistant coach to Bill Peters last season for the franchise’s run to its second Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League championships.

Peters stepped down last week after he accepted a job with the Rockford (Ill.) IceHogs of the American Hockey League – a Chicago Blackhawks affiliate.

Sauter could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Sauter was a defenseman from 1991-92, the year after Spokane won its first Memorial Cup. He scored 13 goals and 61 points in 66 games for the Chiefs after an early-season trade with the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he spent the majority of his junior career.

“Hardy has been around the game his whole life and has an outstanding hockey foundation,” general manager Tim Speltz said in a release last summer when Sauter was named assistant coach for the Chiefs. “It is an added bonus that he is a former Chief player.”

In three seasons in the WHL, Sauter played 211 career games and recorded 36 goals, 123 assists and 159 points. Sauter came to Spokane after spending two years as general manager/head coach of the Nipawin Hawks in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Under Sauter, the Hawks were 74-29-6-4. In 2006 he was named the league’s Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the award in 2007.

After Spokane, the Maryfield, Saskatchewan, native played two years at the University of Regina. Sauter also played 10 seasons in the pro leagues.

The Chiefs open the 2008-09 regular season Sept. 18 at Kootenay.