The first weekend of the season saw the Chiefs take their longest road trip of the season as they opened the year with two games in Prince George. I for one am thankful to have the 13 hour bus ride behind me and the prospect of not having to do it again for another season, barring playoffs of course, is just fine by me.

Chiefs opened the year with a convincing 6-3 win last Friday night. Levko Koper led the way with his second career hat trick, while Tyler Johnson and David Conrad chipped in a goal and an assist apiece. Mitch Wahl also had two assists as three straight goals by Spokane snapped a 2-2 tie after the first period. The Chiefs offense was dominating, putting up 52 shots, matching their season high from all of last season.

The next night, the Chiefs offense didn't generate nearly the chances they had the night before and fell short 2-1 in overtime. Koper scored his 4th goal in just two games midway through the third period to tie the game and send it to overtime. Special teams ended up deciding the game though, as Prince George scored on a power play goal in OT to win it 2-1. Spokane had just two power play chances in the game, while the Cougars had eight.

The first weekend was encouraging in that the team picked up 3 out of 4 possible points on the road. While the defense struggled a bit on opening night, the D was rock solid in game two. James Reid in net also improved from game one to game two, leading me to believe goaltending and defense will not be an issue for this team this year.

Offensively, game one showed that if all four lines play hard for 60 minutes, and if the team utilizes its' speed, they'll be a tough outfit to deal with later this year. The concerns offensively came up in game two, as the Mitch Wahl, Levko Koper and Steve Kuhn line generated the teams only goal, but will the team get consistent scoring from its' second and third lines? The third line scoring was an issue last year for the team, and it will again be a key this season.

On Wednesday, the team taking a big step towards addressing that need by picking up 19-year-old forward Kyle Beach from Lethbridge for defensemen Mike Reddington and Landon Oslanski. Many Chiefs fans will remember Beach from his days with the rival Everett Silvertips, and probably in not to fond terms. The biggest memory will come from Chiefs captain Chris Bruton laying Beach out cold in front of the Chiefs net in a game in Spokane two years ago. Let's just say Mr. Beach was not a popular player in Spokane's fans eyes.

There's no question Beach has major league talent. He was taken 11th overall in the first round by the Chicago Blackhawks two drafts ago, and with his 6'3" 205 pound size, he will be a force in front of the net and along the low walls playing with Mitch Wahl or Tyler Johnson. I personally have neverrr questioned his talent. He's got a greattt shot and can physically dominate a game. The big question is his maturity level. This is the player who shot a puck in the stands last year at a fan. This is the guy who showed up a team with a late game goal by showing off and starting a major brawl.

This type of behavior will not fly in Spokane I assure you. There's no question that former Chiefs coach Bill Peters, who now coaches the Blackhawks AHL affiliate in Rockford, got a chance to see what type of player and person Beach was at training camp this year. And there's no way General Manager Tim Speltz makes this trade if there was anyyy question about Beach not fitting into the structure the Chiefs on and off the ice. All I know is if Kyle Beach comes to play on a nightly basis, and is a leader on and off the ice in his pursuit of making the NHL one day, the Chiefs will be force in the race for the WHL title.

If not, it could turn into one frustrating season for the Chiefs...and their fans.

The Chiefs getting good news on Tuesday as defenseman Jared Cowan was returned by the Ottawa Senators. Cowan, who was sorelyyyy missed after injuring his knee in a season ending injury in late January of last season, will be a huge force on the blueline for an already strong defensive unit. Jared Spurgeon, coming off offseason shoulder surgery, is already back skating with the team and should be able to be back in action within a couple of weeks, doctors approval permitting. Corey Baldwin is also back practicing with the team, giving the team even more depth on the blueline.

It was this depth that saw the team dealing both Reddington and Oslanski. Mike Reddington was a key part of the team's rise from the bottom of the WHL to Memorial Cup champions. He was always an unsung player who was in the background in his accomplishments. Redder will be missed and I wish him nothing but the best in his pursuit of taking his game to the NHL.

The Chiefs will open their home season Saturday when they host the Tri City Americans. It should be a full house at the Spokane Arena and I'm looking forward to seeing how the Chiefs matchup with their major rival in the U.S. Division. Tri has edged out Spokane for the division title the last two years, and these two will be in the middle of fighting for that crown again this season.

There will also be a number of former players on hand to kick off the Chiefs 25th anniversary season. I look forward to celebrating the history of the franchise throughout the year. I'll be on the air on 1510 KGA beginning at 6:30pm Saturday night. Hope to see you at the Arena!

1 Comments

Amy said:

Boyle, do you happen to know what former players will be there for the anniversary?

September 23, 2009 6:34 PM

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