SPOKANE, Wash. — After gaining a split in their two-game road trip to Prince George last weekend to open the 2024-25 campaign, the Chiefs continued on the road with their first game within the U.S. Division at Wenatchee before returning to the Spokane Arena to open their home slate against the rival Tri-City Americans.
After skating short-handed in the games in Prince George, Spokane got a boost when they welcomed back five players from National Hockey League camps this past week.
The biggest return was last year's leading scorer Berkly Catton. The Seattle Kraken first-round pick returned from across the state late in the week and is a huge boost up front for a Chiefs club plagued by injuries up front early. Defenseman Saige Weinstein returned from Colorado, fellow defenseman Will McIsaac returned from St. Louis while a third defenseman, Nathan Mayes returned to the Chiefs from Toronto. Goalie Dawson Cowan is also back with Spokane, having come back from San Jose's camp.
Spokane also welcomed import forward Asanali Sarkenov after he missed the opening weekend due to visa issues.
The Chiefs would start their second week of the season with the 3-hour journey to Wenatchee to take on a Wild squad that flattened Seattle 7-1 in their season opener last weekend. The two clubs split their eight-game season series last year after Wenatchee won the first three before Spokane rallied to win four of five.
The Wild are now coached by former Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur, who led the club from the 2011-17 seasons. Spokane welcomed back forwards Owen Martin and Brody Gillespie from injuries they suffered in the last game of the pre-season, forcing them to miss the opening weekend in Prince George. With those two forwards back, the team then lost forwards Dane Pyatt to a leg injury suffered in the final game at Prince George and Coco Armstrong to an arm injury suffered in practice. Those two will be out for the near future, so getting Catton, Martin, Gillespie and Sarkenov back is huge for the forward corp.
Friday's game in Wenatchee would see Cowan get the start in goal, with the other four returnees in the starting lineup. Spokane would get an early power play, hoping to snap their 0-8 streak from the opening weekend. Unfortunately, not only did the Chiefs fail to score on the man advantage, but they coughed up their first short-handed goal of the season as the Wild took a 1-0 lead five and a half minutes into the game. Spokane would rebound on their next power play opportunity though as Sarkenov found Shea Van Olm by the left post to bring the Chiefs even at 1-1 midway through the first. The Chiefs would take their first lead late in the period when Catton hit Mathis Preston in stride down the right wing and Preston's second of the season gave Spokane a 2-1 edge after one.
Spokane would never lose the lead from there. Owen Martin capped off a 2 on 1 with Cam Parr late in the second as the Chiefs took a 3-1 lead into the third. Early in the final frame, Martin would return the favor as he found Parr trailing on a rush and Parr's first of the season put Spokane in command at 4-1. The Wild were far from done though as they scored two goals just four and a half minutes apart midway through the period to draw within 4-3 with plenty of time remaining. Van Olm would make the play of the game with a steal and then finding fellow over ager Rasmus Ekstrom for his second of the year at 14:20 to give the Chiefs a 5-3 lead. Spokane would kill off a Wenatchee power play, part of a 7 for 7 performance from the penalty kill, and score their first short-handed goal of the season in the last minute on a Nate Mayes empty-net tally to wrap up a 6-3 victory.
The win moved the Chiefs to 2-1 on the three-game road trip and gave the club a big boost heading home for their home opener Saturday against rival Tri-City. Last season, Spokane dropped their home opener to Tri as the Americans rallied with a three-goal third to capture a 3-1 victory. It was the only time the Chiefs lost at the Arena to the Americans in five contests in Spokane last year, so the Chiefs were hoping to avoid the same fate this season. Tri City was coming off a split of their road series at Victoria, losing their opener in overtime before returning the favor the next night in OT. With Portland losing Saturday at Everett, the winner would be taking over first place in the U.S. Division. Before the game, the Chiefs named Berkly Catton the 39th captain in the history of the Chiefs.
The first period would be pretty even with both teams getting two power-play chances and putting up nine shots apiece. The Chiefs would take the early lead as they converted their second power play of the first when Rasmus Ekstrom dangled the puck into the attack zone and snapped home his third of the season at 15:03 to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead after one. Tri City would come out and score on their first power play chance of their second to even the contest at 1-1 just over three minutes into the period. Spokane answered right back as Shea Van Olm scored in his second straight game at 4:21 to give the Chiefs a 2-1 advantage. Van Olm would net his second of the game on a tip-in of a Brayden Crampton shot on the power play midway through the second to put the Chiefs ahead 3-1 after 40 minutes.
In the third, Spokane would lock down defensively as goalie Dawson Cowan turned away all 10 Tri-City shots and rookie Asanali Sarkenov scored his first career goal on a rocket under the bar midway through the final period to cap off a 4-1 Chiefs victory. With the victory, Spokane moved their record to a U.S. Division best 3-1 and with six points and they sit two points ahead of second-place Portland.
The Chiefs remain home this week as they host Kelowna and division rival Seattle at the Arena on Friday and Saturday. I'll have the call on 103.5 FM the Game and 1510 AM KGA for Friday's game against Kelowna with the pre-game show at 6:30 pm and the puck drop at 7:05 pm, while Saturday's game with Seattle will be a 5:30 pm pre-game and a 6:05 pm puck drop. The two games will be the final ones at home until the final weekend of October so it's a last chance to cheer the Chiefs to the top of the division before they head out on a 2 week Eastern Division road trip. We hope to see you at the rink!
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