Eli Zummack named 33rd captain in franchise history
Spokane, Wash. — The Spokane Chiefs announced on Monday that forward Eli Zummack has been named the 33rd captain in franchise history. He is joined in the team’s leadership group by F Adam Beckman, F Jack Finley, F Cordel Larson and D Matt Leduc.
“Eli exemplifies the values and character we look for in a Chiefs player,” said head coach Adam Maglio. “His dedication to the game, daily consistency and professionalism are the leadership qualities that will make him an outstanding captain for our hockey club.”
Zummack, a 2000-born forward from Kelowna, B.C., enters his overage season with the Chiefs having already compiled one of the most prolific offensive careers in recent memory. He posted 86 points during the 2019-20 season, good for 5th among all WHL skaters, thanks in large part to a league-leading 64 assists. It marked the most assists by a Chief in one season since Mitch Wahl put up 66 during the 2009-10 campaign, and second-most since Tim Smith’s 70 in 1999-00. He was a model of consistency, posting three point streaks of ten or more games, highlighted by a 17-gamer from Nov. 29 to Jan. 11. He was honored as a Western Conference Second Team All-Star.
Acquired by the Chiefs in a trade with the Red Deer Rebels in January 2016, Zummack has appeared in 233 regular season games for Spokane; 46th in franchise history. He enters the season ranked 25th with 217 points including 156 assists (11th). He also wore the ‘C’ while 2019-20 captain Ty Smith was away at the World Junior Championship with Team Canada.
Beckman leads the alternate captain group statistically after racking up a spectacular 107 points (48G-59A) last year, earning him WHL Player of the Year honors. The Minnesota Wild prospect (2019 3rd round) set a franchise record with a 10-game goal streak and became the first Chief to lead the team in goals for two consecutive seasons since Drayson Bowman did so during the 2007-08 (42) and 2008-09 (47) campaigns. Beckman recently returned from a short stint with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, scoring his first two career professional goals.
Finley was selected in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by Tampa Bay after a standout sophomore campaign during which he scored 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points. The towering 6-foot-5 pivot finished the year with a plus-32 rating, centering a line with Beckman and Larson. He recently made his professional debut with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
Leduc joins Zummack as one of the club’s three overage players. The imposing 6-foot-5, 222-point defenseman from Richmond, B.C. has played 153 career games, scoring four goals and 21 assists with a plus-12 rating. His 2019-20 season was cut short with a shoulder injury after a strong start with eight points (2G-6A) in 27 contests.
Larson, a 5-foot-9 winger from Weyburn, Sask., earns an ‘A’ after a breakout season last year during which he set career highs in all offensive categories, including goals (15), assists (28), points (48) plus/minus (+19) and shots on goal (130). He was originally a ninth-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2016 WHL draft.
“Adam, Jack, Matt, and Cordel have all grown and developed in their years with the Chiefs,” Maglio added. “Each of these young men have high standards for themselves and the team. They will drive our team’s culture and we are confident they will serve as excellent alternate captains.
“We feel this group is very deserving and will be an integral part of our team.”
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The Chiefs begin their 2020-21 regular season on Friday, March 19 at Seattle.
Due to ongoing health restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans will not be permitted to games this season. All games are available on the radio via the Chiefs’ radio broadcast partners, 103.5 FM The Game or (if there is a time conflict) 94.1 FM The Bear. Sixteen of 24 games will be broadcast live on TV via SWX. Fans can also watch every game online via WHL Live on CHL TV. Learn more at watch.chl.ca.
For the latest information on the 2020-21 season and more, visit spokanechiefs.com.
