[{"id":65607,"date":"2026-07-24T10:17:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T17:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65607"},"modified":"2026-07-24T10:51:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T17:51:53","slug":"spokane-chiefs-forward-chase-harrington-named-to-2026-world-juniors-summer-showcase-roster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/spokane-chiefs-forward-chase-harrington-named-to-2026-world-juniors-summer-showcase-roster","title":{"rendered":"Spokane Chiefs forward Chase Harrington named to 2026 World Juniors Summer Showcase roster"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Spokane Chief forward Chase Harrington has been named to Hockey Canada\u2019s 2026 World Juniors Summer Showcase roster in preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. The showcase will be at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario from July 26 – August 1.<\/p>\n

Harrington is a second-round selection by the Calgary Flames, 36th<\/sup> overall, in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The 6\u20191\u201d Prince George, BC native recorded a career high 28 goals and 57 points in 61 games in the 2025-26 season as a Chief. He also led the club with 105 career penalty minutes. Those numbers led to Harrington being named Spokane\u2019s Co-Player of the Year last season. In his career, he has played 194 regular season games, recording 130 points, and 173 PIMs. Harrington has previously played for Hockey Canada\u2019s Team Red at the 2024 World Hockey Challenge scoring three goals in seven games.<\/p>\n

The camp roster features four goaltenders, 10 defensemen, and 18 forwards who will take part in practices, scrimmages, and a trio of exhibition games against Finland, Sweden, and the United States.<\/p>\n

“We’re excited to announce the 32 players who will attend the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor as we begin our preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship,\u201d said Alan Millar, the general manager of the National Junior Team. \u201cThis is an important opportunity for our staff to evaluate a talented group of players against top international competition while continuing to build our identity as a team. We’re looking forward to seeing this group compete and bringing this showcase to Windsor in front of passionate Canadian hockey fans.”<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Chief Head Coach Brad Lauer was announced as an Assistant Coach for Hockey Canada\u2019s entry into the World Junior Hockey Championship.<\/p>\n

The team will practice July 27 and 28 before taking on Sweden on July 29, Finland on July 30 and the United States on August 1.<\/p>\n

Every game at the World Junior Summer Showcase will be livestreamed at HNLive.ca<\/a>. A subscription is required to watch the games.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Spokane Chief forward Chase Harrington has been named to Hockey Canada\u2019s 2026 World Juniors Summer Showcase roster in preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. The showcase will be at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario from July 26 – August 1. Harrington is a second-round selection by the Calgary Flames, 36th overall,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":640,"featured_media":65608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/07\/24101712\/Harrington-16x9-wj-summer-showcase-scaled.png",2560,1440,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65607"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65610,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65607\/revisions\/65610"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65583,"date":"2026-07-24T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65583"},"modified":"2026-07-24T09:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:38:14","slug":"spokane-chiefs-donate-7500-to-washington-state-fallen-heroes-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/spokane-chiefs-donate-7500-to-washington-state-fallen-heroes-project","title":{"rendered":"Spokane Chiefs donate $7,500 to Washington State Fallen Heroes Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Each year, the Spokane Chiefs and Pizza Factory partner to support our local heroes through the annual Military Appreciation Night presented by Pizza Factory. The Chiefs wear custom military-themed jerseys for the game, which are then auctioned off to fans. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the Washington State Fallen Heroes Project, as they honor services members from the Pacific Northwest who gave their lives in service to the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Spokane Chiefs continue to be steadfast supporters of Gold Star\/surviving families. Their generosity, compassion, and commitment to honoring our fallen service members and supporting the families they left behind has made such a lasting impact,\u201d said Keirston Lyons from Washington State Fallen Heroes Project. \u201cThe loss never goes away, but the Chiefs help us carry it, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership and the difference they continue to make in our community.”<\/p>\n

Banners depicting these fallen heroes were displayed throughout the Numerica Veterans Arena during the game, the team recognized several Veterans in a special pre-game ceremony, and numerous local veteran and military groups were invited to host informational booths on the concourse to engage with Chiefs fans throughout the event.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Pizza Factory, $7,500 was donated to the WAFHP<\/a> following the January 31 4-0 shutout win over the Brandon Wheat Kings, continuing a long legacy of supporting military families in the Greater Spokane community.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Each year, the Spokane Chiefs and Pizza Factory partner to support our local heroes through the annual Military Appreciation Night presented by Pizza Factory. The Chiefs wear custom military-themed jerseys for the game, which are then auctioned off to fans. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the Washington State Fallen Heroes Project,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":65584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/07\/17111239\/Charity-Donations16x9-military.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65583"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65603,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65583\/revisions\/65603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65599,"date":"2026-07-21T12:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T19:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65599"},"modified":"2026-07-21T12:59:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T19:59:57","slug":"chiefs-sign-2007-born-forward-jan-brabenec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/chiefs-sign-2007-born-forward-jan-brabenec","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs sign 2007 born forward Jan Brabenec"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The Spokane Chiefs have announced that 2007 born forward Jan Brabenec has signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the team. The 6\u20194\u201d forward was selected in the third round, 158th<\/sup> overall in the 2026 CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cA point per game player in the Czech U20 league as an 18-year-old last year, Jan displayed excellent hockey sense combined with puck skills that enabled him to be effective in the offensive zone,\u201d said Spokane Chiefs General Manager Matt Bardsley. \u201cAt 6\u20194, he uses his body to win battles as well as use his long reach to maintain puck possession along with disrupting plays defensively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brabenec spent the 2025-26 season playing for HC Kometa BRNO U20 team in the Czechia U20 league, tallying 47 points, including 13 goals, and 34 assists in 44 games. He finished second on his team in scoring and was ranked 17th overall in league scoring.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to welcome Jan and his family to the Spokane Chiefs organization,\u201d Bardsley said.<\/p>\n

The Spokane Chiefs will open the season on the road, playing against the Tri-City Americans on September 19. The season home opener will take place the following weekend on September 26 where the Chiefs will face off against the Tri-City Americans once again on home ice. Puck drop will be at 6:05 p.m.<\/p>\n

Make sure you have priority seating for the whole season by purchasing a Spokane Chiefs ticket package! Ticket package holders get access to exclusive events, guaranteed promotional items on all giveaway nights, 15% of savings at the Chiefs Team Store all year, and more.<\/p>\n

Spokane Chiefs ticket packages are on sale and available for purchase by calling (509) 535-PUCK or by emailing a Spokane Chiefs Account Executive.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The Spokane Chiefs have announced that 2007 born forward Jan Brabenec has signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the team. The 6\u20194\u201d forward was selected in the third round, 158th overall in the 2026 CHL Import Draft. \u201cA point per game player in the Czech U20 league as an 18-year-old last year,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":640,"featured_media":65604,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/07\/21125423\/16x9-jan-signing.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65599"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65602,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65599\/revisions\/65602"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65586,"date":"2026-07-20T10:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T17:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65586"},"modified":"2026-07-20T12:46:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:46:44","slug":"chiefs-head-coach-brad-lauer-named-to-canadas-2027-iihf-world-juniors-coaching-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/chiefs-head-coach-brad-lauer-named-to-canadas-2027-iihf-world-juniors-coaching-staff","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs Head Coach Brad Lauer named to Canada’s 2027 IIHF World Juniors coaching staff"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Spokane Chiefs Head Coach Brad Lauer will join Team Canada’s coaching staff for the second straight year as an assistant coach at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The team will be led by Head Coach Misha Donskov.<\/p>\n

Joining Lauer and Donskov behind the bench will be Assistant Coaches Drew Bannister (Belleville, ON\/Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), Jim Hulton (Wolfe Island, ON\/Saint John, QMJHL), and Ryan Getzlaf (Regina, SK). Goaltending Coach Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC\/Kamloops, WHL), Video Coach Adam Filmon (Winnipeg, MB) and James Emery (Calgary, AB), Hockey Canada’s director of performance analysis, will also be on the Hockey Canada staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cMisha, Drew, Ryan, Jim, Brad, and Dan each bring a unique set of skills and perspectives, along with extensive experience at the professional, Major Junior and international levels,” Alan Miller, National Team General Manager, said.
\n“We are confident this staff will create an environment that allows our players to succeed and proudly represent Canada as we prepare for the World Juniors,” he finished.<\/p>\n

The coaches and support staff were selected by Millar (Tottenham, ON) and Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.<\/p>\n

Lauer returns to Canada\u2019s National Junior Team for the second-consecutive year after winning bronze as an assistant in Minnesota. He recently completed his second season as head coach of the Chiefs, reaching the WHL championship series in 2025. He also served as head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings for four seasons (2018-22), winning the WHL championship (2022) and Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL coach of the year (2019-20), and previously was an assistant with the Kootenay Ice for five seasons (2002-07). Lauer was also an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets (2022-24), Tampa Bay Lightning (2015-18), Anaheim Ducks (2012-15) and Ottawa Senators (2009-11), as well as with the AHL\u2019s Syracuse Crunch (2011-12), and Milwaukee Admirals (2007-09).<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s National Junior Team will begin preparations for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship at the World Junior Summer Showcase, July 26-Aug. 1 in Windsor, Ontario, where it will be joined by Finland, Sweden and the United States.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Spokane Chiefs Head Coach Brad Lauer will join Team Canada’s coaching staff for the second straight year as an assistant coach at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The team will be led by Head Coach Misha Donskov. Joining Lauer and Donskov behind the bench will be Assistant Coaches Drew Bannister (Belleville, ON\/Sault Ste. Marie,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":640,"featured_media":65590,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/07\/20124634\/brad-lauer-16x9-world-juniors-scaled.png",2560,1440,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65586"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65588,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65586\/revisions\/65588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65498,"date":"2026-07-19T10:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T17:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65498"},"modified":"2026-07-20T13:54:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T20:54:29","slug":"christmas-in-july-bonus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spokanechiefsgroups.com\/2026-27-Spokane-Chiefs-Christmas-In-July-Flex-Pack-Special_p_2025.html","title":{"rendered":"Christmas In July – Bonus!"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
New week – new Christmas In July Bonus offer!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Congrats to our winners from last week, Shaymyn Goodwin and Zachary Babino!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Purchase a Spokane Chiefs Flex Pack THIS WEEK for your chance to win a Game-Worn Spokane Chiefs Jersey or a Prize Pack featuring Autographed Memorabilia.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Any package holder who has already renewed this offseason will be entered as well.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Only available this week – Plus you still get 12 tickets for the price of 10 and 2 free tickets to a Spokane Indians baseball game!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] New week – new Christmas In July Bonus offer! Congrats to our winners from last week, Shaymyn Goodwin and Zachary Babino! Purchase a Spokane Chiefs Flex Pack THIS WEEK for your chance to win a Game-Worn Spokane Chiefs Jersey or a Prize Pack featuring Autographed Memorabilia. Any package holder who has already renewed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":65591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[369],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-link","category-369","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/07\/20135421\/Christmas-In-July-bonus-316x9-1.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65498"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65592,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65498\/revisions\/65592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65565,"date":"2026-07-15T12:35:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65565"},"modified":"2026-07-17T09:33:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T16:33:50","slug":"spokane-chiefs-donate-2500-to-christmas-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/spokane-chiefs-donate-2500-to-christmas-fund","title":{"rendered":"Spokane Chiefs donate $2,500 to Christmas Bureau"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Each December, the Chiefs host one of the most popular games of the season, the Teddy Bear Toss! On Saturday, December 6, 2025, more than 10,100 fans packed Numerica Veterans Arena to cheer on the Chiefs to a 4-2 win over the Tri-City Americans, but the Teddy Bear Toss is no regular hockey game.<\/p>\n

For just the second year in a row, the Chiefs wore specialty Teddy Bear Toss jerseys depicting mascot Boomer the Bear in a holiday hat as the main crest. When Chiefs forward Chase Harrington scored at the 3:04 mark of the second period, fans threw a Spokane Chiefs record 9.087 stuffed animals directly onto the ice. After the avalanche of toys, dozens of players, volunteers, and personnel teamed up to collect the toys, organize them and deliver them to the Christmas Bureau, to be distributed to families in need.<\/p>\n

“All of us at the Christmas Bureau are so grateful to the Spokane Chiefs and their amazing supporters! The stuffed toys donated through the Teddy Bear Toss are an incredible gift to the thousands of families who attend our annual holiday assistance distribution,” said Christmas Bureau Community Relations Manager Heidi Meany. “The Christmas Bureau strives to bring hope to families who are struggling to make ends meet and need help to make Christmas joyful by providing toys and books for children, along with a grocery voucher to help with the cost of the holiday meal. We are blessed to be celebrating 80 years of making spirits bright in 2026, and thankful to have community partners like the Spokane Chiefs!”<\/p>\n

With special thanks to game night sponsor Jubilant HollisterStier, the Chiefs auctioned off the one-of-a-kind game worn jerseys with a portion of proceeds also benefiting the Christmas Bureau. This annual collaborative holiday assistance program serves families throughout the greater Spokane area, providing cheer, toys, books, and grocery vouchers to those in need. Between the auction proceeds and a $500 contribution on behalf of partner KREM2, $2,500 of direct financial support was raised, in addition to the truckload of over 9,000 toys.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Each December, the Chiefs host one of the most popular games of the season, the Teddy Bear Toss! On Saturday, December 6, 2025, more than 10,100 fans packed Numerica Veterans Arena to cheer on the Chiefs to a 4-2 win over the Tri-City Americans, but the Teddy Bear Toss is no regular hockey game.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":65578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/07\/16092542\/Charity-Donations16x9-teddy-1.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65565"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65574,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65565\/revisions\/65574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65557,"date":"2026-07-14T13:24:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T20:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65557"},"modified":"2026-07-14T13:24:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T20:24:26","slug":"spokanes-gavin-burcar-among-five-current-and-incoming-whlers-to-participate-in-usa-hockeys-2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup-selection-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/spokanes-gavin-burcar-among-five-current-and-incoming-whlers-to-participate-in-usa-hockeys-2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup-selection-camp","title":{"rendered":"Spokane’s Gavin Burcar among five current and incoming WHLers to participate in USA Hockey’s 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Selection Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Three current WHLers and one incoming skater will battle for a roster spot on Team USA for next month’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup.<\/p>\n

Gavin Burcar (Spokane Chiefs)<\/strong>, Brooks DeMars (Penticton Vees), Kaeden Tate (Kamloops Blazers), future Brandon Wheat King Colin Grubb and soon-to-be Penticton Vee Whitaker Rewertz are among the 36 players invited to USA Hockey’s Selection Camp in Saint Paul, Minn., starting on July 23.<\/p>\n

The 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup runs from August 3-8 in Edmonton, Alta.<\/p>\n

Burcar netted 17 points (7G-10A) in his rookie spin with the Spokane Chiefs and even netted his first WHL Playoff goal in the spring.<\/p>\n

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup will see eight teams (Canada, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United States) go head-to-head at Edmonton’s Downtown Community Arena and Rogers Place- the\u00a0home of the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Oil Kings.<\/p>\n

The United States will open their title defence against Czechia on Monday, August 3, 2026.<\/p>\n

Last year’s tournament saw the United States capture gold for the second time in program history and the first time since 2003, with six WHLers – including NHL prospects Will McLaughlin (Portland Winterhawks \/ Vegas Golden Knights) and Noa Ta’amu (Edmonton Oil Kings \/ Winnipeg Jets)- helping to cap off the championship win.<\/p>\n

USA Hockey- 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup camp roster<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Last Name<\/strong><\/td>\nFirst Name<\/strong><\/td>\nWHL Team<\/strong><\/td>\nHometown<\/strong><\/td>\nHt<\/strong><\/td>\nWt<\/strong><\/td>\nPos<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Burcar<\/strong><\/td>\nGavin<\/strong><\/td>\nSpokane Chiefs<\/strong><\/td>\nCota De Caza, Calif.<\/strong><\/td>\n6’2<\/strong><\/td>\n180<\/strong><\/td>\nF<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DeMars<\/td>\nBrooks<\/td>\nPenticton Vees<\/td>\nHugo, Minn.<\/td>\n6’2<\/td>\n188<\/td>\nF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grubb<\/td>\nColin<\/td>\nBrandon Wheat Kings<\/td>\nBurlington, N.D.<\/td>\n6’0<\/td>\n185<\/td>\nF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rewertz<\/td>\nWhitaker<\/td>\nPencticton<\/td>\nHibbing, Minn.<\/td>\n5’11<\/td>\n170<\/td>\nD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tate<\/td>\nKaeden<\/td>\nKamloops Blazers<\/td>\nHuntington Beach, Calif.<\/td>\n6’4<\/td>\n185<\/td>\nG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Three current WHLers and one incoming skater will battle for a roster spot on Team USA for next month’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Gavin Burcar (Spokane Chiefs), Brooks DeMars (Penticton Vees), Kaeden Tate (Kamloops Blazers), future Brandon Wheat King Colin Grubb and soon-to-be Penticton Vee Whitaker Rewertz are among the 36 players invited to USA…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":65558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/07\/14092957\/HGC_USA-Selection-Roster-1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65557"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65559,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65557\/revisions\/65559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65527,"date":"2026-07-13T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T21:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65527"},"modified":"2026-07-13T13:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T20:54:18","slug":"spokane-chiefs-announce-parker-burgess-as-new-associate-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/spokane-chiefs-announce-parker-burgess-as-new-associate-coach","title":{"rendered":"Spokane Chiefs announce Parker Burgess as new Associate Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The Spokane Chiefs have named Parker Burgess as Associate Coach ahead of the 2026-27 season. Burgess has signed a multi-year contract.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring in a coach like Parker,\u201d Spokane Chiefs Head Coach Brad Lauer said. \u201cWith the experience he brings and the championship pedigree he has, I believe he’s a tremendous fit for both me and our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burgess spent last season as the head coach of the Vancouver Giants. Prior to his time in Vancouver, the Calgary native was the head coach for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 2022-25. Under his leadership, Muskegon won their first ever USHL Clark Cup title in 2025 leading the team to a 38-16-0-8 record. In two-and-a-half seasons as head coach, he finished with 91 wins, 62 losses, and 12 losses in overtime for a .587 points percentage.<\/p>\n

Burgess also spent two seasons as the head coach of the Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) where he was named the league\u2019s coach of the year in 2021. Prior to his two-year stint in Janesville, Burgess was the head coach at Nichols College (NCAA DIII) for five years. The start to his coaching career began in 2011 when he became an assistant coach at the University of St. Thomas.<\/p>\n

Prior to his coaching career, Burgess played collegiately at the University of St. Thomas from 2008-10 winning the NCAA III MIAC Championship in 2010, where he served as captain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to add Parker to our coaching staff.\u00a0His experience of coaching in the NCAA, winning a Clark Cup Championship in the USHL with Muskegon, along with his year in Vancouver with the Giants will be a great addition to our staff and for our players,\u201d said Chiefs General Manager Matt Bardsley. \u201cHe is an excellent communicator, strong at building relationships, and a very detailed coach while doing so with great energy and enthusiasm. We would like to welcome Parker along with his wife Jessie and their two children Bo and Oliver to the Spokane Chiefs organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the past four seasons, Burgess has coached and developed 13 players selected in the NHL Draft. Including five in the first round.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the Spokane Chiefs organization. I want to thank my family for their support and love. From my first conversations with the leadership group, it was clear this is a first-class organization with a progressive vision, great people, and a genuine commitment to developing both players and staff,\u201d Burgess said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to work alongside such an outstanding group and help build on the success that\u2019s already been established. My family and I can\u2019t wait to become part of the Spokane community, and I\u2019m looking forward to getting to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chief\u2019s will start the 2026-27 season on the road against the Tri-City Americans on September 19. The home opener will be the following weekend, September 26, against Tri-City. Puck drop will be at 6:05 p.m.<\/p>\n

Want priority seating? Ensure you have the best seats for every game by purchasing a Spokane Chiefs ticket package! Ticket package holders get access to exclusive events, guaranteed promotional items on all giveaway nights, 15% of savings at the Chiefs Team Store all year, and more.<\/p>\n

Ticket packages are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling (509) 535-PUCK or by emailing a Spokane Chiefs Account Executive.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The Spokane Chiefs have named Parker Burgess as Associate Coach ahead of the 2026-27 season. Burgess has signed a multi-year contract. \u201cI’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring in a coach like Parker,\u201d Spokane Chiefs Head Coach Brad Lauer said. \u201cWith the experience he brings and the championship pedigree he has, I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":640,"featured_media":65528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/07\/13135328\/Burgess-16x9-associate-coach-scaled.png",2560,1440,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65527"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65529,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65527\/revisions\/65529"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65422,"date":"2026-07-01T10:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T17:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65422"},"modified":"2026-06-12T09:21:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:21:39","slug":"spokane-chiefs-dash-into-summer-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fans.winwithdash.com\/auction\/6a1758d31c32ae0008db3ceb","title":{"rendered":"Spokane Chiefs DASH Into Summer Sale"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":65423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[369],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-link","category-369","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/06\/12091953\/Dash-Into-Summer-sale-graphics-03.png",8000,4500,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65422"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65487,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65422\/revisions\/65487"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":65480,"date":"2026-06-30T11:36:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T18:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/?p=65480"},"modified":"2026-06-30T11:51:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T18:51:44","slug":"spokane-chiefs-select-three-players-in-2026-chl-import-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/article\/spokane-chiefs-select-three-players-in-2026-chl-import-draft","title":{"rendered":"Spokane Chiefs select three players in 2026 CHL Import Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The Spokane Chiefs made three selections in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, choosing forward Mat\u011bj Tom\u00e1nek from Czechia in the first round, German Jonas Schwarz in the second, and Jan Brabenec, also from Czechia, in the third.<\/p>\n

Tom\u00e1nek, a 5\u20198\u201d left winger, was one of two players under the age of 18 to finish in the Top 30 in scoring in the Czechia U20 league. He scored 70 points, including 30 goals and 40 assists, on the HC Plzen U17 team in 2024-25 and 43 points in 40 games for the HC Plzen U20 team in 2025-26. He also played for Team Czechia at the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzkly Cup and tallied three goals and three assists in seven games at the 2026 U18 Men’s World Championships. Tom\u00e1nek was taken 36th<\/sup> overall. \u00a0Born on September 20, 2008, he will be eligible for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cTom\u00e1nek is an exciting forward who was a point-per-game producer in the Czech U20 league and filled a big role with the U18 national team all year,\u201d said Spokane Chiefs European Scout Janik Beichler. \u201cHe\u2019s a dual threat winger who plays with relentless energy every shift. A quick skater who can both set up his teammates and bury the puck himself with a quick release. With his high energy and compete level, he can play up and down the lineup and contribute in all situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schwarz, a 5\u201911\u201d center, has played for the Lukko U16, U18, and U20 clubs in Finland the past three seasons. Last year he recorded 47 points with 19 goals and 28 assists in 38 games. He represented his home country of Germany at the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Spokane used the 97th<\/sup> overall selection in the 2026 CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchwarz is a dynamic, highly skilled forward whose explosive skating, high-end puck-handling ability, and confidence with the puck make him a constant threat,\u201d Beichler said. \u201cHis creativity, deception, and ability to generate scoring chances off the rush gives him exciting upside.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchwarz will start the season in Finland playing with his club team, but we are hoping to add him at some point during the upcoming season,\u201d Beichler finished.<\/p>\n

Schwarz, a 2009 birth year, will also be eligible for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft.<\/p>\n

Brabenec, a 6\u20194\u201d center born in 2007, spent the 2025-26 season playing for HC Kometa BRNO U20 team in the Czechia U20 league, tallying 47 points, including 13 goals, and 34 assists in 44 games. Brabenec was the 158th<\/sup> overall selection in the 2026 CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrabenec brings an intriguing blend of size and hockey sense. He has some physical runway to develop into a strong presence in our league, but he also has good playmaking vision and is smart around the net,\u201d said Beichler. \u201cComing in as a 19-year-old who put up a point per game in the Czech U20 league last season, he should be able to step right in and contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

The Spokane Chiefs are a member of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, the world\u2019s finest development league for junior hockey players. Since 1985 the Chiefs have been a pillar in the Spokane community, offering family-friendly entertainment and a winning tradition, which includes: Two Memorial Cup Championships in 1991 & 2008, two WHL Championships in 1991 & 2008, and five Western Conference Championships in 1991, 1996, 2000, 2008, and 2025. Over 60 alumni have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The Spokane Chiefs made three selections in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, choosing forward Mat\u011bj Tom\u00e1nek from Czechia in the first round, German Jonas Schwarz in the second, and Jan Brabenec, also from Czechia, in the third. Tom\u00e1nek, a 5\u20198\u201d left winger, was one of two players under the age of 18 to finish…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":640,"featured_media":65481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-65480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-336","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2026\/06\/30113535\/2026-IMPORT-DRAFT-RECAP.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65480"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65483,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65480\/revisions\/65483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-chiefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]