Meet the Chiefs: Player bios for 2023-24 Spokane Chiefs

From staff reports

Birth year in parenthesis. Asterisk denotes WHL rookie. 2022-23 stats with Spokane unless otherwise noted.

Forwards

4 Ben Bonni (08): Drafted in 2019 sixth round (pick 129) by Medicine Hat; acquired in trade 2021. Debuted Oct. 8, 2021, vs. Seattle. First goal Oct. 9, 2022, vs Portland. 2022-23: 4-3-7, -16, 33 PIM in 58 games.

8 Will Jamieson (06): Drafted in 2021 fifth round (pick 111). Debuted March 10, 2023, vs. Portland. First point March 14, 2023, at Portland (assist). 2022-23: 8-19-27, 103 PIM in 35 games with Red Deer Chiefs U18.

11 Ty Cheveldayoff (03): Listed 2020. Debuted March 19, 2021, at Seattle. First goal April 10 vs Portland. First hat trick Nov. 6 at Portland. Attended 2023 Vegas Golden Knights Development Camp, Rookie Tournament and Main Training Camp as an invite. 2022-23: 20-23-43, -15, 113 PIM in 59 games.

16 Lukáš Král (03): 2023 CHL import draft, round 1 (sixth overall pick). Debuted Sept. 24, 2023, at Everett. Represented Czechia at the 2022 World U17 Hockey Challenge (2G-3A in 6GP). 2022-23: 13-17-30 in 45 games with Mountfield HK U20.

17 Carter Streek (04): Drafted in 2019 fourth round (pick 80) by Portland; acquired in trade with Saskatoon in 2021. WHL debut (with SAS) March 17, 2021. Chiefs debut Nov. 19, 2021. First goal: Nov.19, 2021. First four-point game March 12, 2022, (1G-3A). 2022-23: 18-11-29, -11, 45 PIM in 63 games.

21 Owen Martin (07): Drafted in 2022 second round (pick 27). Debut: Jan. 6, 2023. 2022-23: 15-25-40, 36 PIM in 28 games with RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg U18.

22 Cole Wadsworth (06): Drafted in 2021 fourth round (pick 73). Debut Sept. 23, 2022. First point Nov. 5. 2022-23: 0-5-5, -17, 28 PIMs in 52 games.

23 Coco Armstrong (06): Drafted in 2021 seventh round (pick 139). 2022-23: 11-16-27, 20 PIM in 50 games with Coquitlam Express BCHL.

26 Chase Harrington (07): Drafted in 2022 first round (eighth overall pick). Debuted Oct. 22, 2022. First point March 24, 2023. 2022-23: 13-24-37, +16 in 28 games with Delta Hockey Academy U18.

27 Berkly Catton (06): Drafted in 2021 first round (first overall pick). Debuted Feb. 11, 2022. First point April 2, 2022. First goal April 9, 2022. First four-point game March 4, 2023, (2G-2A). 2022-23 Chiefs Rookie of the Year. 2022-23 WHL U.S. Division Rookie of the Year. 2022-23: 23-32-55, -36, 36 PIM in 63 games.

28 Chase Bertholet (03): Drafted in 2018 fifth round (pick 94) by Red Deer; acquired in trade with Winnipeg in 2021. Debuted Dec. 11, 2019, with Winnipeg. Spokane debut Dec. 10, 2021. First point March 11, 2020. First goal March 23, 2021. First four-point game Dec. 28, 2021, at SEA (1G-3A). 2022-23 Chiefs Player of the Year and leading scorer. 2022-23 Ken Rabel Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year. 2022-23 WHL U.S. Division second-team all-star. 2022-23: 28-41-69, -21, 20 PIM in 67 games.

32 Hayden Paupanekis (07): Drafted in 2022 third round (pick 49). Debuted Jan. 7, 2023. First goal Sept. 24, 2023. 2022-23: 23-16-39, 24 PIM in 29 games with RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg U18.

34 Conner Roulette (03): Drafted in 2018 second round (pick 34) by Seattle; acquired in trade with Saskatoon in 2023. Drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2021 NHL draft, fourth round (pick 111). First goal Oct. 2, 2019, (with Seattle). First hat trick in sixth career game (Oct. 5, 2019). Served as an assistant captain for Team Canada Red at the 2019 World U17 Challenge. Won gold medal with Team Canada at the 2021 U18 World Championship (2G-3A in 7GP). 2019-20 Rookie of the Year with Seattle (19G-20A). 2022-23: 24-28-62, +19, 42 PIM with Saskatoon.

37 Cameron Parr (06): Drafted in 2021 fifth round (pick 97). Debuted Sept. 24, 2022. First point Nov. 19, 2022. First goal March 14, 2023. 2022-23: 1-3-4, -9, 55 PIM in 50 games.

Defense

2 Jaren Brinson (08): Drafted in 2019 second round (pick 36) by Prince George; acquired in trade with Winnipeg in 2022. WHL debut: April 1, 2021, with Prince George. Spokane debut: Nov. 4, 2022. First goal Dec. 18, 2021. 2022-23: 3-7-10, -18, 47 PIM in 68 games between Spokane and Winnipeg.

3 Brayden Crampton (04): Listed 2021. Debut Oct. 8, 2021. First point Oct. 23, 2021. First goal Feb. 5, 2022. 2022-23: 2-14-16, -19, 61 PIM in 56 games.

5 Nathan Mayes (06): Drafted in 2021 third round (pick 51). Debut Jan. 28, 2022. First point Jan. 7, 2023. 2022-23: 3-11-14, 40 PIM in 25 games with Yale Hockey Academy U18.

7 Owen Schoettler (07): Drafted in 2022 fourth round (pick 71). Won the 2023 CSSHL U17 Prep Championship with two assists in the championship game. 2022-23: 8-24-32, 51 PIM in 31 games with Northern Alberta Xtreme U17.

18 Will McIsaac (06): Drafted in 2021 second round (pick 28). Debut Jan. 15, 2022. First point Nov. 5, 2022. First goal Jan. 20, 2023. 2022-23: 2-9-11. -15, 38 PIM in 66 games.

24 Saige Weinstein (05): Drafted in 2020 first round (18th overall). Debut April 14, 2021. First point Dec. 17, 2021. First goal Jan. 25, 2022. 2021-22 Chiefs Rookie of the Year. Played on winning Team Canada Black in 2021 Capital City Challenge in Ottawa, Ontario. Helped Canada capture the gold medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Attended 2023 Colorado Avalanche Development Camp, rookie tournament and main training camp as an invite. 2022-23: 4-14-18, -9, 96 PIM in 57 games.

Goaltenders

33 Cooper Michaluk (05): Drafted in 2020 sixth round (pick 110). Debut Feb. 9, 2022. First start Feb. 12, 2022. First win Feb. 12, 2022. 2022-23: 7-19-3-4, 4.30 GAA, .879 SV% in 37 games.

35 Dawson Cowan (05): Signed in 2021 by Winnipeg; acquired in trade in 2021. Winnipeg debut: March 15, 2022. Spokane debut Nov. 18, 2022. First WHL win March 15, 2022. First Spokane win Dec. 2, 2022. 2022-23: 8-16-1-2, 4.04 GAA, .883 SV% in 28 games.

GM Matt Bardsley

Prior to joining the Chiefs as general manager last season, Bardsley was as a scout with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was the general manager of the Kamloops Blazers from 2018-21, winning B.C. Division titles in 2020 and 2021. He was the 2019-20 Western Conference Executive of the Year.

Before his post with Kamloops, Bardsley spent 18 seasons with his hometown Winterhawks, beginning as a scout in 1999.

Coach Ryan Smith

Smith starts his season as head coach and is 15th full-time head coach in franchise history. Spent the prior two seasons with the Chiefs as an associate coach before being named the interim head coach in early February 2022. Smith served as a coach for Canada’s national U-17 program for the 2022-23 season. Before joining Spokane for the 2020-21 season, Smith was an assistant coach for Medicine Hat Tigers from 2018-20. Smith got his start in the WHL with Swift Current in 2015-16 as an associate coach.