The Western Hockey League that the Spokane Chiefs call home is all about developing young players. The junior hockey league is designed to give 16- to 20-year-olds a place to develop their skills while thrilling fans in their local market with their on-ice prowess. It's about nurturing the next generation of hockey stars and helping these boys become men.
But it's certainly more entertaining when they're actually winning, too. And that's been the issue for the Chiefs in recent seasons. Considering eight of the 11 teams in each WHL conference make the playoffs, the Chiefs' lack of postseason success has been rough for fans. The team hasn't won a single playoff game since 2019 and have only advanced past the first round in the playoffs once since 2013.
But with new leadership, the Chiefs are in prime position to put that playoff drought in the past this year. Under first-year head coach Brad Lauer, Spokane's hockey club currently boasts the third-best record in the WHL at 37-16-1-1, and the Chiefs are in excellent position to, at the very least, get a top-four seed in the Western Conference playoffs, which start in April.
To say Coach Lauer knows how to win might be an understatement. Before being hired last July, Lauer boasted the highest coaching winning percentage in WHL history (.742), having previously won the league's ultimate prize — the Ed Chynoweth Cup — as the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings during the 2022 season. After spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the NHL's Winnipeg Jets, Lauer knew he wanted to return to the junior hockey ranks.
"I enjoy being a head coach. I enjoyed running my own team, having my own say and doing things my way with the help of my other coaches," Lauer says. "But I enjoy the age group. I had fun in Edmonton being the head coach. It's just great to see these kids grow. And then the biggest thing I get is that I get to keep in touch with the kids I had in the past."
• Fri, Feb. 21 vs. Tri-City
• Wed, Feb. 26 vs. Vancouver
• Fri, Feb. 28 vs. Wenatchee
• Sat, March 1 vs. Seattle
• Wed, March 12 vs. Everett
• Sat, March 15 vs. Tri-City
• Sun, March 16 vs. Everett
• Fri, March 21 vs. Seattle
Having coached in the WHL before, Lauer brought with him a clear plan for success both in terms of results on the ice and helping nurture these young hockey talents.
"I think one [key] is understanding the kids and making an environment enjoyable for them but making it challenging for them," he says. "I think there's a fine line between fun and structure. We want them to come to the rink and enjoy being around each other, hanging out with each other, but we wanted a pro type of concept of how we conduct ourselves on the ice and off the ice to the group."
One of the challenges coaching in the WHL is that most of its athletes grew up as the best players in their hometowns. For Lauer it's about teaching these players how to fill roles and play the full ice — the "200-foot game" as he puts it — because that's what scouts are looking for more than just tallying goals and assists.
"I think the biggest thing that we needed our kids to understand — which is still a work in progress — is to play a team game. Play the game as a five-man unit on the ice and not as an individual," Lauer says.
A coach can only do so much — his players still need to deliver on the ice. And this season, the stars are shining bright in Spokane.
The offensive firepower for the Chiefs this year is undeniable. Right winger Andrew Cristall leads the 22-team WHL in points (103), ranking second in goals (39) and assists (64). On his opposite side, left winger Shea Van Olm leads the league in goals with 44. Center Berkly Catton ranks third in points (90) and fourth in assists (59). Even the backline is getting in on the action with defenseman Brayden Crampton notching the third-most power play assists in the league (28).
But all that offensive firepower doesn't mean a thing if a team can't stop the opposing offense. That's where Dawson Cowan comes in. In his third year with the Chiefs, the team's starting goaltender has been routinely shutting down opposing offenses. The 19-year-old from Warren, Manitoba, leads the WHL in wins (28) and shutouts (4), ranking second in goals against average (2.66). And while Cowan grew up watching modern legends between the pipes like Jonathan Quick, his top goalie has actually become a part of his life.
Spokane Chiefs fans take notice: Friday's game against Tri-City will feature a special celebration of the team's 40th anniversary. Five new Chiefs Legends will be named to join the 35 already in that exclusive club; they'll be honored during a pre-game ceremony. For tickets, visit spokanechiefstickets.evenue.net.
"Growing up in rural Manitoba, my favorite goalie was James Reimer [now with the Buffalo Sabres], because he was from the same area that I'm from in Manitoba," Cowan says. "I was fortunate to meet him and to train with him the past two summers. He's a terrific guy, terrific human being."
For Cowan, his personal growth this year and the growth of the Chiefs as a whole has come down to being open to the lessons Coach Lauer imparts.
"You just learn. Every year you learn, every moment you learn. So it's just continuing to learn. We're still a young group, but we're mature for a young group. We play with structure," Cowan says. "Brad is a professional, and he rubs off on the group. Everything he does is pro. So it's pretty fortunate to be around him."
There's still a lot of hockey left to be played, but the new chief of the Chiefs has his young skaters in a position to become perennial winners once again. ♦
