Memorial Cup Review: Spokane Chiefs

The Spokane Chiefs captured their second Memorial Cup in franchise history after going perfect in the round robin and easily dismantling the Kitchener Rangers in the Finals. The Chiefs fused offence with responsible defense and never looked out of control the entire tournament. The biggest scare of the tournament was when captain Chris Bruton dropped the Memorial Cup.

Goaltending

Tokarski was brilliant in every game he played. He had a tough time against the Belleville Bulls in his first game, as he allowed four goals but earned the victory. After that game, he did not allow four goals in the entire tournament, as he played three consecutive games in which he surrendered but just one goal. Tokarski was named Memorial Cup MVP and for obvious reasons. He came up big when he needed too and gave his team a chance to win every contest. In a critical round robin game against the Rangers, he kept them off the score sheet for 56 minutes after a SH goal was scored on him to preserve a 2-1 win. This win essentially vaulted the Chiefs into the finals as a result.

Grade: A+

Defense

The common thread that was shared amongst the defensemen in terms of style and play was the simple play was always the best play. Not overly flashy, the defensive units each understood the game plan and played well within their capabilities. It had the appropriate mixture of size and skill. Players such as Cowen and Falk tipped the scales at 6-foot-5 and were relied upon heavily for their defensive acumen, whereas smaller more skilled players such as Spurgeon and Ulmer helped with breakouts and to manufacture offense. The cool, calm and calculated play of Reddington and Glass did not go unnoticed, as they were instrumental in keeping top players in check. Limiting shots from high scoring areas and containing many of the team's top forwards was something this defensive corps did with relative ease.

Grade: A+

Offence

A solid blend of offensive-minded players married with defensive forwards made this group successful. Much like the defense, the forwards understood what they were capable of and stuck to the game plan. The top unit of Bowman, Bruton and Wahl played in all key PP situations and scored 20 points between them, only the top line of Kitchener registered more as a collective group. The second line although un-sexy was extremely competitive and saved their best game for the finals. Overage players such as Rutherford and Blackwater did countless things right and were always involved in the play. Blackwater never stopped moving and always managed to secure key faceoffs in the offensive zone for the top unit to work with. The third line of Koper, Johnson and McCrae were equally dangerous, as they caught many players cheating and had the offensive fortitude to make team's pay if they underestimated them. Letts, Compton and Kelner provided limited duty on the fourth line but blessed with size they did a good job of banging away at the opposition and did not hurt their team with costly penalties.

Grade: A

Dustin Tokarski (2008), G, Spokane

Tokarski split the duties with Armstrong throughout the regular season but was given full time duties to start the playoffs .. he came through in countless series including wins over the Vancouver Giants and the heavily favored Tri-City Americans where he beat CHL Goalie-of-the-Year Chet Pickard in a grueling seven-game series .. four of the games went into OT and Tokarski held down the fort recording two shutouts in the series and allowing only 10 goals .. riding a high from defeating Lethbridge in four-straight games, Tokarski was named Memorial Cup MVP for his stunning performance .. a positional goalie that angles well and cuts down his rebounds .. not the biggest goalie but he maximizes his size by playing more of a hybrid style .. he is more effective when he stands tall but he combines the butterfly style on point and screen shots .. his skating is crisp and smooth and allows him to back in and out of his net .. not very nimble or agile, he quantifies his skills with his strong reflexes and quick recovery .. he has quick hands and feet and in most goals that beat him, he usually gets a piece of the puck .. he holds his ground down low with wraparounds .. does not leave his goal to handle the puck .. Tokarski has great side-to-side movement, which makes him very difficult to beat with cross-crease passes .. has the ability to step up his play in big games, as was witnessed through his entire playoff and Memorial Cup run .. he has strong mental composure and is able to dismiss bad goals on the odd chance he should let one in .. Tokarski should be a strong goaltending candidate for this year's draft given his recent accolades.

Jared Cowen (2009), D, Spokane

Cowen dressed in 68 games for the Chiefs this season and posted the highest plus/minus amongst WHL-rookie defenseman .. Cowen had the task of playing against the opposition's best players and considering he is only 17, it is all that more impressive .. a massive defender with surprising mobility and a firm understanding of positional play .. his footwork struggles at times but due to his massive size, he is rarely beaten due to his long reach .. Cowen is mindful not to over handle the puck .. his plays are very simple, glass and out or find the first pass and make it .. he does not carry the puck for prolonged periods of time .. at times, you want to see him make plays with the puck but he is very cautious about not being stripped of it .. looks for the body but is not a mean player .. he understands to take the body but does not do it with regularity .. he should be able to be a difficult player to play against once he increases his upper body strength and gains more confidence in his physical play .. Cowen is still quite raw .. his footwork is slightly off and at times, he can step up on a player only to lose him .. overall, the situations he has been thrust into and the success he has had thus far are remarkable and his potential is why he is being mentioned as a top-10 pick for next season's NHL draft.

Trevor Glass (2008), D, Spokane

Glass is making his second consecutive trip to the Memorial Cup .. a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers last season, Glass was acquired at the midway point of the season to give the Chiefs experience and a dependable defensive defenseman .. a reliable defender who is not overly fast but can keep up stride-for-stride with most forwards .. he is able to direct players to the outside and he manages to get a stick on the puck and hold them along the boards as if he was married to them .. he does not panic with the puck and his finesse skills with it are marginal .. his shot is poor and lacks power .. he can suffer through some lapses but for the most part, his experience and hockey sense help him log ample minutes and play error-free hockey.. Glass is at his best when he is not noticed .. he has modest size but is not afraid to take a hit and will not bail out if he sees one coming .. unflashy defenseman could be an ideal candidate to return as an overage player for next season.

Mike Reddington (2008), D, Spokane

Reddington enjoyed a productive campaign by playing in all but one game for the Chiefs this season .. a no-nonsense defender, Reddington, much like his peers on this Spokane backend plays according to system and does not try to take over a game with skills he does not have .. simply put, he plays within his limits and disguises his weaknesses by doing things he is successful at .. he angles guys to the outside, as he uses his foot speed to get a jump on a player .. his reverse movement falters at times .. Reddington has better than average puckhandling skills but they still have not matured .. he can make a decent first pass .. he can aggressively pinch in the offensive zone but needs to be reminded on occasion to return to the team game .. he took more chances early in the tournament and then settled down in the last few games .. he has some skill but his game is very ordinary and it is hard to determine what exactly he can bring to the table of an NHL club.

Justin Falk (Min), D, Spokane

A product of Snowflake, Manitoba the 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman enjoyed a breakthrough season in terms of offensive production .. not known as an offensive defenseman, he did score 26 points this season but his plus/minus totals improved dramatically .. Falk keeps his game very simple, he uses his size to his advantage, as he has an albatross reach .. his footwork struggles and he will need to make upgrades to that moving forward to the next level .. his stride is long and thick but lacks any power .. he has a wide stance and as such, he is not able to beat players to loose pucks .. he will always get a stick on the puck to pry it away but cannot settle the puck down, as it is not in his possession .. when forced to crossover, he is easily beaten and the book is to confuse him with criss-crossing over the blueline .. not a tough defenseman, he uses the stick check more of a defensive weapon than he does his size .. his passing skills got better but for the most part, they need to be crisper .. a good project but many facets of his game need to be improved.

Jared Spurgeon (2008), D, Spokane

An original 10th round selection of the Chiefs, Spurgeon has defied the odds and was the Chiefs best all-around defenseman this season .. forced to miss the better parts of last season with various injuries, Spurgeon set career highs in every offensive category and was third in the WHL in plus/minus this season with a plus-36 .. an extremely agile and athletic defender whose size albeit small (5-9) does not prohibit the type of game he plays .. his best ability is able to skate with the puck out of the zone .. with a defense corps that relies more on size and positional play, Spurgeon gives the backend a dimension of offence .. much like Spokane's theory of keeping things simple defensively, Spurgeon adopts the same attitude when handling the puck .. he does not look for the highlight reel play, rather he looks for the smart one .. he has speed and the hands to get involved in an attack and will oblige if he can .. his elusiveness down low is also very impressive and lends to his ability to skate out of the zone uncontested .. he is confident when he joins the rush and has a nice soft touch with the puck in terms of stickhandling .. he prefers to log the puck up ice, as his passes can be slightly off but that is largely because he thinks and reacts to the game quicker than his linemates .. he is durable and strong on his skates and will get his body in the way .. question marks about his size were squashed against teams such as Vancouver and Tri-City when he brought his game to another level .. his consistent efforts coupled with his impressive offensive totals make him an ideal mid-range draft pick.

Stefan Ulmer (2009), D, Spokane

A member of multiple International teams while representing his home land of Austria including various Under-18 teams and most recently capturing a silver medal on Team Austria's Under-20 team in the IIHF 1A Division .. a slick skating defenseman who handles the puck at high speeds and sees his man with pinpoint accuracy .. at times, he was overwhelmed by the size of the players in the WHL .. more of a finesse player than a physical one, Ulmer learned to make quicker decisions and as a result, was much more involved in the play, as his speed allowed him to dart into holes with the passes he created .. has a decent shot from the point but is better used as a set-up man .. Ulmer was partnered with Falk, the tallest player on the backend to help with his size deficiencies .. slight in stature and lacking the requisite strength to compete and muscle the puck off players down low, Ulmer fortunately has time on his side and could make an interesting project for next year's NHL draft.

Tyler Johnston (2008), C, Spokane

Johnston exploded in the WHL finals where he was named MVP of the series (against Lethbridge) after scoring three goals in the series, two of which were GWG .. a highly offensive player who plays with enough gumption to create scoring chances despite his underdeveloped frame .. the native of Spokane led the Chiefs in rookie scoring this season with 35 points in 69 games .. despite being held pointless in the Memorial Cup, he was instrumental in shutting down the top units of Belleville and Kitchener, as he skated on a third line shutdown unit .. a slick and strong skater, he accelerates quickly .. he stays involved with plays and always follows his man deep into the defensive zone .. he works well along the boards, as he relies more on his intelligence to strong arm a forward off the puck .. easily knocked around, he is well balanced and does not fall and being so determined, he always tries to slow his opponent down in some form or another .. he moves around on the ice swiftly and is alert in terms of when he is being marked or lined up for a hit .. he plays with a heightened awareness on the ice and needs too, for self-preservation .. unable to work his magic with many highly skilled forwards, Johnson has an underrated skill set and is very crafty with the puck .. he should be given more icetime to blossom in more of an offensive role and be able to double his point production next season .. lack of size will hurt his chances at the NHL level.

Chris Bruton (FA), RW, Spokane

The sum of his parts, Bruton, a member of the Chiefs for the past four seasons and with the team through thick and thin .. a coachable player whose character cannot be measured on a scouting report .. he does whatever is asked of him and plays an unselfish game .. he makes his teammates better and while he does not excel in any area in terms of offence, he is a good enough player to skate and contribute on the top line .. he had a career year like many of his peers, as he more than tripled his goal production while still bringing a physical dimension to his game .. an average player in terms of speed, he is well balanced and can make plays in traffic .. he has deceptive hand quickness and flashes it on occasion, paralyzing defenseman with healthy passes .. his willingness to pay the price also rewards Bruton with goals .. he does not need to be told to go to the net and or look for rebounds and deflections in front .. his physical play is consistent and he rarely takes a shift off .. his mature approach to defending also helps to round out his game .. he blocks shots and shooting lanes and has the strength to play a good down-low game to wrestle a forward off the puck .. where he struggles and not just in the defensive zone but all three zones is his first step and lack of foot speed .. he can compete at this level but it will undoubtedly be exposed at higher levels of competition.

Mitch Wahl (2008), C, Spokane

The native of Seal Beach, California Wahl is a product of the Wayne Gretzky LA Kings generation, where his interest in the sport was in direct coloration to the 'Great One's' arrival in LA .. Wahl established himself as the most dangerous offensive player for the Chiefs and the most sought after prospect for the draft amongst his peers .. the Chiefs had so much success drafting Americans in the first round (Bowman in 2005) that they followed it up with Wahl the next season .. a unique combination of scoring and passing skills compliment Wahl's game .. a natural centre, he likes to vary up his play and gravitates towards the right side when setting up, as he generates the majority of his chances in that area of the ice .. although the circles are his office, he is not a perimeter player, as he takes the puck into traffic and holds onto it in the slot to make a play .. his hands are very soft and even though he is a great playmaker able to dish off the puck in many ways, should he get in close he has great hands to bury his chances .. he has great lateral ability and an extra gear to separate himself from the pack .. he does not have breakaway speed but his anticipation helps him get the best of most defensemen .. he does not always shoot the puck and can back off when there is a scramble in front for it .. he does not always sacrifice his body in that way and at times, it appears that he is soft .. his wristshot is very good but he shoots a tad prematurely, mainly because he hears footsteps when he could wait a split second to get the goalie down.. takes good draws and is used to kill penalties .. physically, he turns his back on plays and almost has to brace or psych himself up to take a hit .. Wahl has many tools to make him a good defensive scoring forward in the NHL at some point in his hockey career but needs to become stronger.

Justin McCrae (Car), RW, Spokane

A former first round selection for the Saskatoon Blades in 2003, McCrae has enjoyed a productive WHL career, as he is playing in his fifth year of junior .. acquired by the Chiefs in a midseason move, McCrae immediately adjusted to the Chiefs system and accepted his spot on a third line checking unit .. McCrae plays the body first and foremost .. he relishes in the physical game and his toughness is his calling .. he is not malicious in his approach and plays an honest game ..he is a mucker in every sense of the word and provides little in terms of offensive ability .. he gets additional time and space but is rarely able to execute or take advantage of this .. however, he has good offensive instincts and is always near the puck .. powerful skater, he boasts a nice glide but has limited speed and is not very agile .. he does the dirty work in front and battles hard down low .. he takes a beating but keeps coming back .. a defensive forward who has established a niche for himself and should continue to get better in that role.

Ondrej Roman (Dal), LW, Spokane

Roman had a productive regular season but also a successful playoff as he scored at a point-a-game clip .. the former fifth overall selection of the Import draft (2006), Roman is more of a passer than a scorer but appears to only play when he wants too .. his game lacks consistency, as he has the game-breaking ability and skill set to be the best player on the ice but too often, he reverts into his shell .. he does not play with fear, rather disinterest .. he would benefit from shooting more but always takes himself out of good scoring positions by making an extra move .. he holds onto to the puck too long and tries to be too cute with it as opposed to making the smart play .. can be a tad selfish and deviate from the game plan .. developed good chemistry with Rutherford and Blackwater, as they were more grinders and worked down low .. when he dumped the puck in early and allowed the cycle game to take affect, he and the line were much more productive .. Roman needs to curb the amount of penalties he takes away from the play .. they are usually lazy in nature and rarely does he exhibit himself physically .. Roman needs to mature more as an all-around player but the skill level is there.

Levko Koper (2009), LW, Spokane

Koper appears much bigger on the ice than he actually is .. he has an ample stride that chews away at the ice and a firm reach to play a defensive role despite his maturing offensive game .. relegated like many young players to the third line, Koper had to manufacture his chances in most cases against the opposition's best offensive line, which was difficult to do .. he quietly scored two goals, albeit one was an empty net goal .. Koper, at times, does not realize how good he could be and does not always play with confidence .. his efforts were lukewarm and when he decides to use his size, he is a much more effective player .. too often, he would take the long route to the net, as opposed to the most direct route .. he needs to constantly have his stick on the ice for deflections and to his credit, he made adjustments almost instantly when he failed to capitalize on his chances .. quite choppy when handling the puck, he is more of a scorer, muscling his way in tight and banging away loose pucks .. he has produced handsomely on the Midget level and given some time, his game should mature to the point where he can become a productive second-line player.

Drayson Bowman (Car), LW, Spokane

The leading goal scorer of the tournament with six, Bowman was a threat to score every time he set up in the slot .. a second WHL Team all-star, as he racked up many accolades this season, including Player-of-the-Month honors and several long scoring streaks throughout the season .. Bowman darts in and out of scoring areas and has an uncanny release .. he can score from many different angles due to the power and accuracy of his shots .. he possesses great finishing skills, as his wrist, snap, and slapshot are all up to par in terms of power and speed .. he has great anticipation skills in the offensive zone and seems to understand where to be at all times .. blessed with a healthy change of direction, Bowman is agile enough in the offensive zone to make things happen .. he can stickhandle by players but much like Bossy was so adept at doing, he is clever in terms of escaping coverage and getting into positions to score .. when the play is in the offensive zone, he is always involved, however the same type of intensity does not translate away from the puck in the defensive zone .. he appears too lost without the puck and almost seems to be going through the motions, as his defensive game has little purpose to it .. he does not see his outlets very well and is easy to defend against in the neutral zone, as he does not pick up on positioning quick enough and almost like a hot potato, is looking to get rid of the puck .. like most finishers at this level, he is a tad one-dimensional and has not learned how to effectively play away from the puck .. all his defensive shortcomings aside, he is a blessing for an NHL organization that lacks depth in terms of prospects.