The Spokane Chiefs seem to have some large shoes to fill this season. With the loss of Justin McCrae, Drayson Bowman, Dustin Tokarski, Brady Calla, Ondrej Roman, and Trevor Glass, there would seem to be some problems going into the new season. In just 3 short weeks of preseason games, it seems that Coach has officially been able to fill these shoes and eradicate all worry about loss of skill.

Mitch Wahl is back from (Calgary) Flames camp and seems more than ready to step into a leadership role while being even more of a contributor up front.

Tyler Johnson is also looking to go on an offensive swing this season. Having survived a few cuts at Minnesota Wild camp, his game is continually developing and his speed, agility and puck handling are by far his most dangerous weapons.

Ryan Letts has been injured during the preseason so we have not seen how he has developed over the summer but like always we know we can expect high amounts of energy and play making abilities rounded out with a lot of heart and soul from him.

Dustin Donaghy comes off a strong finish last season and we know we can count on him to contribute where needed. Last season the Chiefs had a slew of defensemen injured and Donaghy stepped up and played some D for a while. He's a very valuable asset to the team.

The Chiefs find themselves with a gaggle of young players that possess skill almost on par with the veterans. The "new" kids that have survived the preseason are Brady Bassart (C), Mitch Holmberg (RW), Mike Aviani (C), Dominik Uher (C), and Chase Martin (G). We've seen a lot of promise in this group and have nothing to fear for the future. Chase Martin seems to be the biggest surprise in being given the backup position to James Reid. When camp started, Alex Wright seemed the obvious choice for a backup but Martin exceeded everyone's expectation and unseated Wright.

Last season, the Chief were an offensive power-house with the Bowman-Roman-Calla line. Even with the goal-scoring total being lost here, the 2009-2010 team has the potential to be just as good. With the shocking/surprising move made by management, the Chiefs have recently acquired Kyle Beach. Known for his antics on and off the ice (more than anything), Beach could be the final piece to the Chiefs offensive puzzle for this season if he performs at the level he is capable of. He might be an agitator on the ice but he can score and make plays. The Chiefs organization is going to be the greatest or worst thing for Beach this season. Only he gets to decide. I can see him being a huge offensive addition for the Chiefs.

Speaking of huge offense... hey Levko Koper! With 4 goals in the first two games of the regular season, it seems that Koper has finally broken out of his shell and is showing everyone what we've known has been in there all along. Having been drafted in the 7th round by the Atlanta Thrashers this summer, most barely blinked an eye in his direction. After Thrashers camp, he left a lot of people with ecstatic expressions. "Most likely the biggest steal of the draft!" has been thrown about in the Thrashers community. With Levko, the future is bright and this season looks to be huge for him.

Kenton Milller and Anthony Bardaro seem to be the most improved rookies from last year. Miller has shown a lot of play-making abilities and Bardaro has gained a lot of impressive power. Even though Bardaro was injured at the TriCity Tournament, I have a feeling we'll see him back on the ice soon. Gal, Cratsenberg, Conrad, Betz and Kuhn round out the Chiefs promising forward talent.

On the defense side of things, by far the biggest (re)addition that is coming to the Chiefs lineup is Jared Cowen. With a season-ending knee injury, Cowen has the most to prove not only in Spokane but to Ottawa. Having been drafted 9th overall this summer by the Ottawa Senators, he will be out to prove he is stronger than ever, that his knee is NOT an issue and that he's more than ready to take the next step for the Senators.

Jared Spurgeon (Cowen's partner is destruction) had shoulder surgery over the summer and has been recovering quietly. Having missed (New York) Islanders camp earlier due to his recovery, I expect we will see a man on a mission this season. Spurgeon will be out to prove himself all over again to all of us that already believe. Being one of the smallest defenseman on the Chiefs roster, Spurgeon always works hard and has proven himself by being a top 3 defensemen for the Chiefs. Baldwin, Kichton, Morton, Leedahl and veteran Ulmer close-out the impressive d-core at the start of this season.

Even with the loss of skilled veterans, the Chiefs are looking downright impressive on paper thus far. With an almost fully-healthy lineup back this season and some added offense, the Chiefs are hoping to be a top team in the US Division and even the Western conference this season.

Wonder what Portland has to say about that? They looked mighty fine this preseason. I also got to see Kamloops/Kelowna play a preseason game and the Blazers are going to be a Western force to be reckoned with here in the coming seasons.

The only issues that seem to loom for the Chiefs this season are the integration of Beach and the overager problem. Jared Spurgeon, Brett Bartman, Dustin Donaghy, and Ryan Letts are all in their final WHL season. I couldn't even begin to guess what the organization is going to do about it. All contribute on some level for the Chiefs and I do not envy the person who makes this choice. We'll keep a close eye on this.

The Kyle Beach situation... the only thing we can do is wait. Wait to see how things go and if the line juggling will work out right. The more I think about it, and the more I am excited for the "IF" to actually work out... if Coach can get all the pieces to click... we will have a recipe for a downright deadly team. The Chiefs defense has lost very little since last season and will actually be gaining a key piece back in Cowen that was missing half the season. Defensively, the Chiefs look ready to roll. Offensively, I have a feeling this one will be played by ear. The roster is stacked with potential talent and enough leadership and skill to bring this year's Chiefs up a notch from last year.

The Chiefs open their home season this weekend against division opponents the TriCity Americans. One never has to worry about watching bad hockey when the Ams are in town. The stormy competition between these two teams always brings out the best in the players and [most] spectators. Now with the spectacle of adding Kyle Beach to the Chiefs roster, there's going to be an added air of suspense to the game... not to mention the rest of the season.

Let the hockey season begin.
Go Chiefs Go.