Chiefs Blog

I am fully aware how emotions can get a little “out of hand” at times and a there is nothing like a seven game series to prove this…

…and not to belabour a point, make an example of, or criticise anyone for their actions “in the heat of battle” (and I fully understand that we are talking of a select few here, NOT PAINTING EVERYONE WITH THE SAME BRUSH) BUT I would HOPE that Chase will never be embarassed by a Chase fan or fans taking someone to task for showing support for their team, whether in OUR barn or theirs…

Apparently, when it comes to your bells - SIZE DOES MATTER - ask George…

Awright - overall I suppose, a disappointing weekend with one win in three games but there WAS a bright spot…

The roadtrip the Chiefs experienced on the weekend isn’t 14 games spanning six weeks but a 10 hour bus ride to start a three game in three day trip certainly isn’t gonna make your legs feel good for Game One.  In Fernie, the Chiefs were down by three going into the second intermission, eventually losing 5 - 3.  The way the team has been going, this result is unexpected but, taking into account the drive, not surprising.

Things looked a bit better the next night in Kimberley where the Chiefs went into the 3rd period with a 1 - 0 lead and then the wheels fell off the bus - final score Kimberley 5 - Chiefs 2.  One of those games where the person singing the anthem should have been singing “the song that doesn’t end” because nothing good happened when it did.

Then there was Sunday.

Golden was playing Game Three for the weekend, just as the Chiefs were, difference being Golden were in their own beds the night before the game.  Still - should be a fairly even contest.  Chiefs would be hungry needing a win to salvage the weekend, the Rockets needing a victory to keep pace in the playoff race.

Remember last week I was asking about a five point game being a Chief’s record?  It doesn’t matter anymore.  I also made reference to the Chiefs single season goal and assist records being at risk (both held by Devon HOBBS).  Apparently Mr. HOBBS decided that he didn’t want to SHARE the “points in one game record”, neither does he want anyone breaking his records but himself.    Three goals and three assists against Golden in a 7 - 2 Chiefs win.  Oh - did I mention all three of HOBBS goals were shorthanded?  Believed to be a first for the KIJHL (has happened only ONCE in the NHL).  If I had been the Golden coach, I would have started declining the penalties.

SO - the possibilities are endless yet as far as playoff positions and match-ups.  The guys need to put Friday and Saturday behind them and build on Sunday’s game, play out the final four and let the chips fall where they may…

PS:

-  Chiefs play-by-play man Ian DOUGLAS took in the trip and helped out with all the broadcasts…

-  kudos to the two gents who do the Golden broadcast, there is nothing “homer” about them, they give you the game from a great perspective and are very entertaining too, what I did like was their “FIVE STARS” at the end of the game; Star #5 - Golden goalie Ben VANDERVIES, Star #4, Chiefs Brett LAIRD (played heady and large…), Star #3, Chiefs Kevin MONFETTE (excellent bringing the Chiefs out of their own zone), Star #2, (Sundance Kid to our Butch Cassidy) Jordan WOOD with a goal and 2 helpers and Star #1, Devon HOBBS (he would have been the 1st Star in Chase if the game had been there I think…)…

-  I dunno what the camera in Kimberley is mounted on but they should put some oil on it, one second it is on Kimberley’s goal, POOF, it’s on BYTES!!!  I didn’t get motion sickness that bad watching the Kamloops “Cam 1 - Cam 3 - Cam 1 - Cam 2 - Cam 1″ thing from days of old!  Kamloops broadcasts are much easier to follow this year and THANK YOU for that…!!!

- zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Great weekend - unbelievable weekend!

Back to back victories over Sicamous and not squeakers either, we are talking convincing victories!  The good news - we are two points back of the Eagles, three points back of Princeton BUT Princeton has one game in hand on us, Sicamous two.  Not to worry however…

The only thing we can control is how WE play but there are two teams ahead of us that have got to be looking over their shoulders VERY NERVOUSLY.  Keep up the good work Chiefs, take care of our house and we don’t need to look at what the others are doing.

How would you like to be Devon HOBBS and Jordan WOOD?  HOBBS had a seven point weekend, scored five points in Sicamous on Friday nite (a hat trick and two assists - a Chief’s record???) and had two assists in Chase on Saturday, WOODY had a five point weekend, with two points in Chase on Saturday.  Any player who scores two points in a game is GENERALLY a lock for a star but jeez guys, you USUALLY get 4 points a game, how can you expect to be rewarded for a two pointer???   …and thus, Saturday nite in Chase, Colton DEFRIAS, who had an assist and scored a shorthanded goal to put the game out of reach in the dying seconds of the second period was Star #1, Kris GLINSBOCKEL, playing his first home game since rejoining the team didn’t look out of place, threw lots of punishing hits and was a leader by example was Star #2 and Riley WALL, playing his second game in two nites was Star #3 for making 30 saves on 31 shots.  The way the play went, you would not have guessed that Sicamous had that many shots BUT when you take into account the key powerplays at the end and start of each period, The Great WALL of Chase held them off the board and this was huge.  …and YES - HONOURABLE MENTION to MIke MISENER who had a great game Saturday also - maybe we should have “Six Stars” on given nights…

OVERTIME…

Playoff tickets go on sale Feb 1st, call the Chief’s office or email your order to chasechiefs@telus.net

Ballots for the Most Popular Player will circulate throughout the rink for the last two regular games of the season.

Marc Mackenzie of the Chiefs sat out the weekend after an allergy problem flared up.

In the “What a Difference a Year Makes” category - Jordan WOOD is three goals shy of breaking Devon HOBBS team record for goals in a season, he has 26 so far, a wee bit of an improvement over the 9 goals he had last year.

Devon HOBBS is five assists short of breaking his own Chief’s record for assist in a season, presently sitting at 36.  HOBBS took over as the Chief’s all - time points leader from former Chief’s captain Casey PATTERSON on the last game before Christmas.

Casey PATTERSON was chosen as 2nd Star for his TRU Wolfpack in a game in Kamloops on Sunday which saw the Wolfpack defeat Victoria 6 - 4.  It was good hockey OTHER than the fact that a fighting penalty nets you a two game suspension so the players took on the look of loggers in the last eight minutes of the game hacking the daylites out of each other…

You truly have to admire the dedication that Jordan WOOD’s parents have to their son’s hockey career, have they missed a game in Chase this year?   Realizing that they are only a four hour drive away, it is still to their credit that they take the time to watch their son - some parents can’t drive their kids a couple blocks to the rink!  To Mr. & Mrs. WOOD, well done - you are an excellent example for others…

…and sitting six points out of second place currently being held by Princeton AND Sicamous, who we have two games against each yet - there IS a very real possibility that the Chiefs could find themselves in a bye situation in the first round of the playoffs.  What the team needs to do is a minor change in thinking - they are a different team than they were one one month ago, all the games they have played against Sicamous, Revelstoke and Princeton earlier in the year mean nothing.  I would suggest that the way the Chiefs played in Revelstoke on Friday is a clear indication that the “change in thinking” of which I speak is happening…

Friday night in Revelstoke, (Revelstoke 5 - Chiefs 4) the Chiefs went down by two goals in the second period and, maybe for the first time this season (???), they dug in, worked hard and come back to tie the game.  According to fans who attended, the Chiefs were easily a lucky break away from winning that game, the only difference was one penalty but it could have easily gone either way.  The only comment to that - GOOD WORK CHIEFS!!!

Saturday’s game (Chiefs 6 - Grand Forks 1) in Chase was a bit of a “laffer” but it could have been SO much worse.  Grand Forks goaltender Ryan GARBER was HUGE in the net, both in size and the way he played (if he was physically any bigger, they would have to enlarge the goalcrease!!!)  GARBER made twenty two saves in the first period alone to keep the game scoreless and was easily the game’s “fourth star”.

In the nine games remaining, there are four BIG TESTS, two against Princeton, two against Sicamous - GO GET THEM CHIEFS!!!

ICE SHAVINGS;

Chief’s fans can be extremely proud of their generosity, in a very impromptu “passing of the bucket” in the second intermission, $500 was raised for Haiti Earthquake Relief - WELL DONE !!!

IF you are having problems accessing the KIJHL website for webcasts, “kijhl.com” no longer exists, you have to use “kijhl.ca” now or no page will come up, and as the “pay-per-view” idea has gone by the wayside for this year, the Chiefs home games (and POSSIBLY some of the out of town ones) will be available on CFCH Radio again…

We are very sad to hear that “Slice of Heaven Pizza” has closed their doors, they were huge supporters of the team - we will miss the pizza give-away they sponsored each game - thank you and best wishes to the TKACZYK’s…

Jordan WOODS (First Star) had the first home ice hat trick of the season on Saturday nite, and how about all the hats that littered the ice (all but one from the Skybox - go figger…) !!!!!  Brock BALSON (Second Star) had two goals and should have also had a hat trick - he was absolutely stone-cold robbed by the Bruins goalie Ryan GARBER from point blank range just after WOODY’s goal - and the Skybox crew had already retrieved their hats in prep for it - just THAT close…  !!!

…and on that note - lets build a “HAT TRICK HAT BUCKET” for the arena, if you have an old hat laying around the house - (the more original the better!!!) - bring it to the rink and donate it!!!  Take a hat at the beginning of the game for ammo, if you don’t use it, put it back in the bucket as you leave!

The Chiefs are bringing back another old face to help out on the blueline as they head toward the playoffs, it was great to see Kris GLINSBOCKEL in the rink Saturday nite, he didn’t play this year as he has been going to school BUT he will join the team this week, I jokingly told him that seeing as I am too old to play, he is the best beer-league defenceman available for the team right now…  Glad you’re back GLINS !!!

AND FINALLY - Did you notice how slow the train whistle was on the Chief’s goals on Saturday nite?  It was as a result of the overzealousness and all the good natured(???) ribbing from the week before…

When we went to Christmas break, things looked a bit dim for the team in that we had lost a steady defenceman (Kelsey VONK) and our leading scorer (Devon HOBBS) was headed for greener pastures.

The upside was that Colton DEFRIAS was coming back and the team could only be expected to improve since the arrival of Coach FOX (and please, this is NOT to be taken as a slam against Tyler BOLDT however the team was not, in this persons “humble” opinion, playing up to expectations under his leadership).

The Hockey Gods are smiling on us apparently - let us be thankful!  Colton is back (second star on Friday nite), Devon HOBBS has returned from Ontario (he has numerous stories to tell…) AND we have a new player in the room in the name of Ian GRANT who comes to us from Barrhead, Alberta.  Ian had two goals and was 1st Star in his first game with the Chiefs on Friday nite - a very nice addition to the team.

If Friday’s game against Kamloops is any indication, we have a team that potentially has the horses to go a long way into the playoffs - barring injury OR that sense of complacency the team seems to fall into when they get a lead (see Sunday’s game at Armstrong where a 2 goal Chiefs lead disappeared in the dying minutes of the game - Jordan WOOD score his 20th of the season to rescue the O.T. win)

If you miss another game this season down at the ‘Dome, you will be sorry…!!!

NOTES;  The barn was rockin on Friday nite when Kamloops was in Chase, the bleachers almost at capacity -close to, if not the best crowd all year…

…announced during Friday’s game -”DEFRIAS of Kamloops, a ten minute misconduct, DEFRIAS of the Chiefs, a ten minute misconduct” -

it SHOULD have been announced- “DEFRIAS, party of two, your penalty box is ready…”

…does Ian DOUGLAS do play-by-play for EVERY TEAM in the K.I. ???  Listened to him from Armstrong on Sunday doing his usual “exemplary job”, Ian is also the “KIJHL Allstar Announcer”, he will be representing the Chiefs from Beaver Valley on Tuesday when he does the play-by-play for the Allstar Game - congratulations!!!

Jordan WOOD and David HARRISON will represent the Chiefs at the Allstar game, Devon HOBBS was originally voted to the team however he give up his spot when he went to Ontario - good luck to both!

…and finally - roughly 150 goals scored and nary a mistake by the person operating the train whistle - until Friday - ONE LITTLE EROOR…  blame HOBBS, that should have been in…

see you all Saturday nite…

Chase’s third coach in team history—Brad Fox—makes his debut tonight when the Chiefs look to chop right through the Princeton Posse.
Tied on 33 points with Princeton heading into this weekend’s home and home series, two wins would bolster the Chiefs’ chances of catching the Revelstoke Grizzlies, who sit atop the KIJHL’s Okanagan Division with 43 points.
Outfoxing the opposition may not be on the menu for Chase’s new bench boss, considering he hasn’t had much time to introduce his team to a new hockey philosophy.
A gritty, hard-nosed effort will likely be in order if victory is to be won.
Assistant coaches Chad Ferris and Peter ‘Smokin’ Pete’ Goodman will be alongside Fox, aiding him through this transitional period.
Outgoing head coach Tyler Boldt will be liasing with Fox, providing insight and whatever information is necessary to ensure Fox settles comfortably into his new position.
Boldt begins his tenure as Western Hockey League manager, player development and recruitment in the new year.
Last weekend the Chiefs beat the Nelson Leafs Friday and lost to the Grizzlies Saturday, both games were played at Art Holding Memorial.
Puck drops tonight at 7 p.m. at the Princeton & District Arena.
The Chiefs host the Posse tomorrow night, puck drop for that clash is also 7 p.m.

The first long roadtrip of the year can be an experience, the players can either come together or struggle greatly searching for an identity - I would suggest that the Chief’s first trip could be termed a success on all counts…

Beaver Valley isn’t known to be a really strong team however the Chiefs have never won in their barn - add that to the uncertainty of “the first long roadtrip” and what can you expect?  Expect anything…  As it turned out, the first start of the year for Riley WALL was apparently incentive for the team as they, by all accounts, worked their butts off and were full value in a 2 - 1 win.  Brandon MISTAL was the scoring machine for the Chiefs scoring both goals, (watching him play I am left wondering how he was passed over by TWO camps prior to returning to the Chiefs - how long can we expect to have him here???).

Saturday night found the Chiefs in a place and against a team they have never lost to.  Spokane is a strong team this year, they and Nelson are arguably the two best teams in the “Over the Mountain Division” (with Fernie and their present undefeated record being duly noted…).   Chiefs come out on top with a four goal second period, Brandon MISTAL had a goal and an assist and Tyson BENTLEY scored his first of the season.  Again - an excellent effort by all - Jordan BYTELAAR gettig the start in goal and playing superbly!

First long road trip?  If this is any indication, things are looking just fine!

other notes - With the return of Riley WALL, Chiefs 3rd goalie Cole ROBERT found himself on the outside looking in and has been traded to Sicamous for future considerations.  Even after the weekend they had, the Chiefs find themselves looking even better with the return of the Chiefs first ever captain Devon HOBBS.  Unfortunately, Jeremy LONG is a victim of the numbers game and has been released by the Chiefs as Devon will take the final 20 year old spot on the roster.  Hockey is a tough life, both on and off the ice, best wishes to both Cole and Jeremy…

OK - either we blog year round or we write the user name and password right on the bottom of the computer because my memory isn’t good enough anymore to go from the end of February to mid-Sept.  Between Lars and I, we got ‘er now tho!  

We only have camp, the exhibition season and the five games to cover…

When training camp convened at the end of August, it appeared that there would be a very minimal number of returnees this year (Riley WALL, Darren PITTENDREIGH, Chad PATTERSON and Jordan BYTELAAR from last year and former Chiefs Jeremy LONG, Tyson BENTLEY and Kyle FRASER returning)- but what a difference a couple weeks make! 

Of course, you had to know there would be SOME coming back from Junior tryouts however, and inasmuch as it is a disappointment for them, it is great to see Brandon MISTAL, Kelsey VONK, Brett LAIRD, Jordan WOOD and Colton DeFRIAS back in Chiefs uni’s (even tho Colton’s return is very short lived due to a wrist operation (the thing that kept him from moving to Jr. A) due this week).  Add a couple of very skilled players (Jordie COOL and Mike MISENER to name just two); a very promising looking team! 

Just out of interest, former Chief goaltender Kyle NEILSON and centre Devon HOBBS were both in Chase last week, both looking for teams - NEILSON headed for P.G. for a tryout and HOBBS is said to be headed to southern Alberta but who knows????

GAME WISE - The first week was not what we had expected, losing Game 1 to Revelstoke in O.T. (we did get to see the new “4 on 4 for 5 / 3 on 3 for 5″ overtime format - I like it!!!)  and losing Game 2 to Sicamous - the “rust” was very evident during those games.  The roll started for the Chiefs tho on Friday nite at home when they earned thier first victory of the season against “the new kids on the block”, the North Okanagan Knights, followed the next night with a victory in the Knights own barn and capping the weekend with a 2 - 0 victory in Penticton against the Lakers (formerly the Summerland Sting - I note that there was “guesstimated” to be 200 fans at the Penticton game which equals the number of fans the Sting had all last season - way to go Penticton!).  The Chiefs third goaltender Cole ROBERT earned the shutout making 30 saves.  Six points out of a possible 6 puts the Chiefs in a 3-way tie for the top spot in their division.

Next weekend will be a test - Beaver Valley on Friday and Spokane, who have been on a tear since the season opened.  Odd that the Chiefs travel all the way to Spokane for only a two game weekend, if you have to go that distance, one would have thought you would play three games to make it worth your while.

The captains and a/captains were announced this past weekend also, Kyle FRASER will be the 4th Team Captain while Tyson BENTLEY, Brett LAIRD and Brandon MISTAL will wear the “A”s.  Good choices!  An excellent mix of veteran leadership and up-and-coming youth.  Tyson and Brandon lead by example by showing up for every game, Kyle is always there for his teammates and this is an excellent opportunity for Brett to improve further on his year last year, both by giving all he has in every game and by playing up to his size.  Good choices…!

One last observation - congrats to last year’s Captain Casey PATTERSON who had a two goal in two games weekend playing for the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack this past weekend…

Fan support in Chase has been excellent - AS ALWAYS…  HEY FANS - WELCOME BACK !!!

14:14 into the second overtime period - what a run…  25 periods of hockey to decide it…

Nothing to be ashamed of there guys, not one thing.  Be proud of the work you did and the people that were behind you all the way.

Chief fans - job well done!  These guys played 15 games in 19 days and the fans were there every step of the way. 

Great year - great ride.

Chiefs management, Chiefs players, Chiefs fans - well done. 

I know one thing; Kamloops are breathing a sigh of relief tonite.

SO, go down by 2 in the first, come out even after two, play to a draw thru three.  Thru the entire game, the momentum seesawed back and forth, Sicamous had it in the first, Chase for most of the second, Chase for the first half of the third and Sicamous for the second half.  Now would you not believe that there would be a dramatic finish? 

Well - it was dramatic alright.  A breakaway off a neutral zone faceoff for Sicamous where the player fires it WAY over the net, the puck hits the glass and comes right back off the glass into the scrum of players that were chasing the guy with the breakaway - somehow the puck goes into the net.  The Sicamous players on the ice celebrate, the Sicamous players on the bench, just like the Chiefs players and the fans, all wait.  Legal goal or not???  Then the Sicamous players on the bench wisely go over the boards to celebrate.

…and the ref goes and stands behind the net like he had no idea what had happened (and I don’t think he did), and he waited (and we waited), I believed he was going to confer with his linesmen, then out of the blue, he calls it a goal…  I don’t know if it was kicked in, knocked in with a glove, knocked in by a Chief or an Eagle so I guess I really can’t complain about the ref or the goal however, simply put, it was a really (expletive deleted) way to end a game that was as good as that. 

…and now to the playoff schedule…

Yes CeeBee, I wholeheartedly agree - what kind of playoff schedule is this?  We just finished an 8 game round-robin, we are in a best-of-seven now, the winner of this series (without a break if it goes seven games) goes on to play Kamloops in a best-of-five????? 

How many games in how many nights now - I’ve lost count BUT this is certainly going to catch up with the players.  I would have to say that Chase took the night off on Monday - losing 6 - 2 and Sicamous took Tuesday nite off in the 6 - 1 game.  I am astounded that the game was as fast as it was last nite, I guess due to the night off.  It will be interesting to see how tonite’s game goes OR Saturday’s.  No matter what happens, it will truly be a shame that the most important game of the year for the teams involved will be played when they are not at a peak. 

This having been said - what is the solution?  The league is trying to keep things even for both ends of the Province.  I do know that if one series has to be best of five and one best of seven, the conference semi’s HAS TO BE best of five - giving one team four days off while the other team plays three more games is ridiculous - whoever wins is going into a best of five totally run down - how can they expect to have a chance against a team that has had rest?   Has got to be a better way…