Chiefs open camp
Less than three months ago players packed their bags and returned to their hometowns for a brief summer vacation.
Now the boys are back in town and the Spokane Chiefs are ready to begin defense of their Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships. Approximately 70 players will check in to the Arena today for training camp, marking the beginning of a new season – one with high expectations.
Players will run through physical fitness testing today and hit the ice beginning Thursday, when they will split up into three teams and begin practicing and scrimmaging. Camp concludes Sunday afternoon with the annual Red-White scrimmage at the Arena.
“Expectations are a good thing,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. “We know we have a whole different set of challenges this season and we’re prepared for that. It’s the same as last year, where we knew we were ready to take a step and the players we had took the ultimate step.
“It came upon us quickly, but that doesn’t lessen the excitement for the season.”
While it was an off-season of change for the organization, Speltz cited continuity as an early strength for the club.
The Chiefs lost their head coach, Bill Peters, to the Chicago Blackhawks when Peters accepted an offer to coach the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate – the Rockford IceHogs.
Two players were traded over the summer – backup goaltender Kevin Armstrong to the Prince George Cougars and defenseman Jace Coyle to the Medicine Hat Tigers – for future draft picks. The Chiefs also graduated their three overage players from last season – captain Chris Bruton and second-line forwards David Rutherford and Judd Blackwater.
Starting at the top, continuity comes from Hardy Sauter – the Chiefs new head coach. Sauter was the Chiefs’ assistant last season under Peters, who often praised Sauter’s work with Spokane’s defensemen.
There are 19 of 24 players from last season’s Memorial Cup championship team that are eligible to return and make Spokane’s roster, including Memorial Cup tournament MVP goaltender Dustin Tokarski, leading scorer Drayson Bowman and defenseman of the year Jared Spurgeon.
Forward Curtis Kelner, who would be competing for one of three overage positions, has opted to go to college, lowering the number of returning players to 18.
What is unknown, and will be for some time, is how the roster will take shape.
Seven players will go to NHL camps sometime in the next month, including Bowman – a Carolina Hurricanes prospect who recently inked an entry-level contract – and fellow veteran forwards Justin McCrae (Carolina), Mitch Wahl (Calgary) and Ondrej Roman (Dallas).
Spurgeon, a New York Islanders’ draft pick this summer, and fellow blueliner Justin Falk (Minnesota) will also head to pro camp with their respective teams along with Tokarski (Tampa Bay).
Four of the 18 players returning will be competing for overage roster spots – Falk, McCrae, defenseman Trevor Glass and forward Seth Compton. Speltz said it won’t be an issue for awhile because Falk and McCrae may get a pro opportunity.
“We’ve got some changes for sure with losing our overage guys from last year and with our head coach,” Speltz said. “We’re trying to keep things consistent. The players will determine where we are at over the next two to three months.
“We want to be patient.”
Ice chips
The process of hiring an assistant coach is still ongoing. The Chiefs were going through the process with Cam Severson, a former WHL player, but Severson has decided to play overseas. … The Chiefs announced Tuesday that Todd Daniels has been hired as the new athletic therapist and conditioning coach. Daniels previously was the head athletic trainer for the U.S. Men’s Alpine Ski Team from 2006 through April of this year. Kacee Coberly has been hired as the new equipment manager.