The second half is underway for the WHL. For teams like the Wenatchee Wild, notable pieces are off at the IIHF World Junior Championship, whereas for teams like the Spokane Chiefs, they get to take advantage of temporarily weakened opponents.
Wenatchee Wild without key pieces
The Wenatchee Wild ended the first half in first place in the U.S. Division thanks in large part to the presence of top contributors Conor Geekie (ARI) and Matt Savoie (BUF).
But with the duo playing for Team Canada at the WJC in Gothenberg, Sweden, as well as Rodzers Bukarts playing for Latvia, the Wild are relying more on their depth pieces. But on nights like Wednesday’s 5-2 loss in Spokane, their absence is more than noticeable.
”We have significant players out right now,” Wild head coach Roy Sommer said. “When we have Geekie and Savoie in the lineup, it’s a completely different ballgame. Complete with Kenta Isogai, I think they’re the best line in the Western Hockey League.”
The Wild likely won’t do much around the deadline due to the scarcity of their draft choices but will be aided once Geekie and Savoie return from Sweden in a week or so.
Spokane starting to climb
The vibes are about the best they’ve been all season for the Spokane Chiefs. After concluding the first half by taking three out of four points from the Portland Winterhawks, the second half started on Wednesday with the Wild.
Taking advantage of Wenatchee’s depleted roster, the Chiefs pounced on Wild goaltender Daniel Hauser, putting in five goals from five different skaters on the night.
One of those goal scorers was Ben Bonni, who made a highlight reel play to beat Hauser. “I was planning on trying to get in the middle somehow,” Bonni said. “Then I saw [Hauser] was a little bit out, so I made a move and it went in.”
Hauser’s counterpart, Dawson Cowan, backstopped the Chiefs to the 5-2 win with 39 saves on 41 shots faced. Cowan is 3-0 across his past three starts with a .954 save percentage. He made some massive stops during Saturday’s game against Tri-City as well, including a minute and a half 5-on-3 penalty kill time to hold the lead and eventually pull away to a 6-2 win.
“For us, it was a momentum swing, and it killed the momentum for them,” Spokane coach Ryan Smith said of his team’s performance on special teams Saturday.
The Chiefs have points in four consecutive games for just the second time this season, propelling them over the Vancouver Giants into the final playoff spot as of today.
“Every night, points are always on line,” Cowan said. “Every game feels like a playoff game where we have to give it our all.”
With the trade deadline nearing, Spokane is in a good position with their draft capital to make a splash, though with the roster being on the younger side, there likely won’t be many trades from the active roster.
“The players understand that [the deadline] is looming,” Smith said. “If you play this game long enough, you’re gonna get traded, sat, scratched; that’s just the way it works.”
Spokane concludes 2023 with a rematch against Tri-CIty down in Kennewick,WA, before beginning a road swing through Alberta.
Player highlight: Berkly Catton
It’s no secret that Berkly Catton is destined to hear his name called early in this summer’s NHL Draft from Las Vegas. His offensive awareness and complete hockey instincts are exactly why most have projected him to go near the middle of the top 10, with some models projecting him as high as fourth overall.
Following the game on Saturday in which Catton assisted on four of Spokane’s goals, I asked coach Smith what makes his top-line center so dominant. “He has elite vision and playmaking, he can make plays that not many in this league can,” Smith said. “Whoever gets the opportunity to take him not only is getting a great player, but an even better person.”
“He’s got all the attributes you could possibly want,” Cowan added to coach Smith’s rhetoric. “No matter what team he’s on at the next level, I think he’s the type of guy who will dominate wherever he goes.”
Catton wrapped up the month of December with points in all nine games played, including eight goals and 19 points during that stretch. He currently leads the team in assists with 29, and points with 51.
Everett and Seattle kick off the trade deadline
It’s officially trade season. Making the first big splash was Seattle, as they began to sell pieces to regain draft picks they traded away over the past two seasons. On Wednesday, they traded away Gracyn and Lukas Sawchyn and Tracen Ashley for eight assets including a first-rounder in 2026, and two second-round picks in 2026 and 2027.
As for the Silvertips, they made a trade with the Regina Pats on Sunday, sending 20-year-old defenseman Ty Gibson and a 2025 second-round choice to Regina in exchange for another 20-year-old in Parker Berge. Berge has 10 goals and 36 points in 37 games with the Pats this season, ranking fourth in league for points by a defenseman.
Everett and Seattle will likely continue to scour the market before next Wednesday’s deadline. Tri-City and Portland did a lot of transactions earlier in the year, so they may be quieter.
The trade deadline is set for Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Header photo taken by Brian Liesse. Photo courtesy of Seattle Thunderbirds.
0 Comments