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Spokane Chiefs
Spokane Chiefs logo.svg
City Spokane, Washington
League Western Hockey League
Conference Western
Division U.S.
Founded 1982
Home arena Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Colors Red, white and blue
              
General manager Matt Bardsley
Head coach Brad Lauer
Championships Ed Chynoweth Cup
2 (1991, 2008)
Memorial Cup
2 (1991, 2008)
conference championships
2 (2008, 2025)

Website
chl.ca/whl-chiefs
Franchise history
1982–1985 Kelowna Wings
1985–present Spokane Chiefs

The Spokane Chiefs are a junior ice hockey team from Spokane, Washington, USA. They play in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and their home games are at Spokane Arena. The Chiefs have won the Memorial Cup twice, in 1991 and 2008. They were only the second American team to win this big championship! Spokane also hosted the very first outdoor game in WHL history on January 15, 2011, at Avista Stadium.

Team History

How the Chiefs Started

The Spokane Chiefs team we know today began in 1985. Before that, there was another team called the Kelowna Wings in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Wings played for three seasons, from 1982 to 1985. Then, the team moved to Spokane and became the Chiefs.

The Chiefs were not the first junior hockey team in Spokane. There was a team called the Flyers from 1980 to 1982. The Chiefs started playing their games at the Spokane Coliseum, which had been a hockey home since the 1950s.

Winning Their First Big Titles

The Chiefs quickly became a strong team in Spokane. For their first thirteen seasons, they only missed the playoffs once. In 1990, new owners bought the team and brought in Bryan Maxwell as coach and Tim Speltz as general manager.

The 1990–91 season was amazing! Players like Ray Whitney and Pat Falloon led the team. Whitney scored 67 goals and had 185 points, while Falloon had 64 goals and 138 points. The arena started selling out for games. Goaltender Trevor Kidd joined the team and was a huge help.

In the playoffs, the Chiefs beat the defending champions, the Kamloops Blazers. Then, they won the league final against the Lethbridge Hurricanes in four straight games. This made them WHL champions! They went on to win the 1991 Memorial Cup, beating the Drummondville Voltigeurs 5–1 in the final game. They were only the second American team to win the Memorial Cup.

In 1995, the Chiefs moved to the new Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. In 2016, Ray Whitney became the first player to have his jersey number retired by the team. This means no other player will wear his number 14.

Second Championship Win

After a few tough seasons, the Chiefs had a record-breaking year in 2007–08. They won 50 games and earned 107 points! Key players included goaltender Dustin Tokarski, Jared Cowan, and rookie Tyler Johnson.

Just like in 1991, they beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL championship in four games. Tyler Johnson was named the playoff's most valuable player. This win sent them to their second Memorial Cup tournament. They won the final game 4–1 against the Kitchener Rangers. Tokarski made 53 saves and was named the tournament's most valuable player. During their celebration, the Memorial Cup famously broke into two pieces!

Tyler Johnson, who is from Spokane, had a great career with the Chiefs. In 2022, his jersey number 9 was also retired, making him the second player to receive this honor.

The Chiefs stayed strong for several years after their second Memorial Cup win. In 2010, they played a playoff series against Portland where the home team didn't win any games. This was a first in league history!

Outdoor Game and Fan Support

SpokaneChiefsOutdoorGame
The Chiefs hosted the Kootenay Ice in the WHL's first outdoor game at Avista Stadium in Spokane. The Chiefs won the game 11–2.

Spokane hosted the very first outdoor game in the Western Hockey League on January 15, 2011. It was called the "Outdoor Hockey Classic" and was played at Avista Stadium. A huge crowd of 7,075 fans watched the Chiefs beat the Kootenay Ice 11–2.

Spokane is known for its strong support for the Chiefs. Fans often clap together to celebrate goals. After their first championship in 1991, attendance jumped by 30 percent! This helped the team plan for a new, bigger arena. The Chiefs consistently rank among the top WHL teams for attendance. For example, in the 2022–23 season, they were second in the league for average attendance, even though they didn't make the playoffs.

Season Records

Regular Season Performance

Chiefs line up
The Chiefs line up for a game with the Tri-City Americans.

Here's a look at how the Chiefs have done in their regular seasons:

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1985–86 72 30 41 1 - - 373 413 61 3rd West Lost West Division semifinal
1986–87 72 37 33 2 - - 374 350 76 3rd West Lost West Division semifinal
1987–88 72 37 32 3 - - 330 296 77 2nd West Lost West Division final
1988–89 72 25 45 2 - - 326 419 56 6th West Did not qualify
1989–90 72 30 37 5 - - 334 344 65 4th West Lost West Division semifinal
1990–91 72 48 23 1 - - 435 275 97 2nd West Won Championship and Memorial Cup
1991–92 72 37 29 6 - - 267 270 80 2nd West Lost West Division semifinal
1992–93 72 28 40 4 - - 311 319 60 5th West Lost West Division semifinal
1993–94 72 31 37 4 - - 324 320 66 5th West Lost West Division quarterfinal
1994–95 72 32 36 4 - - 244 261 68 5th West Lost West Division semifinal
1995–96 72 50 18 4 - - 322 221 104 1st West Lost final
1996–97 72 35 33 4 - - 260 235 74 3rd West Lost West Division semifinal
1997–98 72 45 23 4 - - 288 235 94 2nd West Lost West Division final
1998–99 72 19 44 9 - - 193 268 47 7th West Did not qualify
1999–2000 72 47 19 4 2 - 272 191 100 1st West Lost final
2000–01 72 35 28 7 2 - 242 219 79 4th West Lost West Division final
2001–02 72 33 25 11 3 - 223 206 80 2nd U.S. Lost Western Conference semifinal
2002–03 72 26 36 6 4 - 216 261 62 2nd U.S. Lost Western Conference semifinal
2003–04 72 32 29 4 7 - 200 215 75 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2004–05 72 24 38 8 2 - 192 230 58 5th U.S. Did not qualify
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 25 39 5 3 193 254 58 5th U.S. Did not qualify
2006–07 72 36 28 4 4 232 217 80 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2007–08 72 50 15 1 6 251 160 107 2nd U.S. Won Championship and Memorial Cup
2008–09 72 46 23 0 3 246 145 95 2nd U.S. Lost Western Conference semifinal
2009–10 72 45 22 3 2 240 179 95 3rd U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2010–11 72 48 18 4 2 310 193 102 2nd U.S. Lost Western Conference final
2011–12 72 38 25 5 4 257 225 85 3rd U.S. Lost Western Conference semifinal
2012–13 72 44 26 2 0 269 230 90 2nd U.S. Lost Western Conference semifinal
2013–14 72 40 26 3 3 244 213 86 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2014–15 72 34 34 3 1 219 229 72 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2015–16 72 33 30 5 4 223 245 75 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2016–17 72 27 33 8 4 235 272 66 5th U.S. Did not qualify
2017–18 72 41 25 3 3 282 240 88 3rd U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2018–19 68 40 21 2 5 267 222 87 2nd U.S. Lost Western Conference final
2019–20 64 41 18 4 1 258 179 87 3rd U.S. Season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 21 6 10 4 1 55 79 17 4th U.S. No playoffs held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 68 24 39 4 1 188 289 53 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2022–23 68 15 43 4 6 195 314 40 5th U.S. Did not qualify
2023–24 68 30 32 5 1 268 263 66 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2024–25 68 45 20 1 2 292 202 93 2nd U.S. Lost Final

Playoff Journey

Westernconferencetrophy
The Chiefs have won the Western Conference Championship five times, in 1991, 1996, 2000, 2008, and 2025.

The Chiefs have had many exciting playoff runs. Here are some of their key playoff results:

  • 1990–91: Won the WHL Championship and the Memorial Cup!
  • 1995–96: Reached the WHL Finals, but lost.
  • 1999–2000: Reached the WHL Finals again, but lost.
  • 2007–08: Won the WHL Championship and the Memorial Cup!
  • 2010–11: Made it to the Western Conference final.
  • 2018–19: Made it to the Western Conference final.
  • 2024–25: Reached the WHL Finals, but lost.

Overall, the Chiefs have a playoff record of 164 wins and 152 losses. In Memorial Cup tournaments, they have a record of 9 wins and 3 losses.

Championship Wins

Banner drop memorial cup
On September 27, 2008, the Chiefs unveiled their WHL and Memorial Cup Championship banners.

The Spokane Chiefs have won several major championships:

  • Memorial Cup: 1991, 2008
  • Ed Chynoweth Cup (WHL Championship): 1990–91, 2007–08
  • Conference Championship: 2007–08, 2024–25
  • Regular Season Division Titles: 1995–96, 1999–00

WHL Championship Series

Memorial Cup Finals

Memorial cup drop
The Memorial Cup is lowered via rope from the roof of Spokane Arena on opening night, 2008. Four months earlier, the Cup broke in the Chiefs' hands during their on-ice celebration.

Team Players

Players Who Played in the NHL

Many players who started with the Spokane Chiefs later played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Some of these players include:

Retired Jersey Numbers

The Chiefs have honored special players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again.

# Player Ref.
9 Tyler Johnson
14 Ray Whitney

Team Leaders

Head Coaches

The head coach guides the team during games and practices. Here are some of the Chiefs' head coaches:

  • 1989–1994: Bryan Maxwell
  • 1994–2000: Mike Babcock
  • 2005–2008: Bill Peters
  • 2010–2017: Don Nachbaur
  • 2024–present: Brad Lauer

General Managers

The general manager (GM) is in charge of building the team, including signing players and making trades.

  • 1990–2016: Tim Speltz
  • 2022–present: Matt Bardsley

Where the Chiefs Play

SpokaneArenaSECorner
The Chiefs play home games at Spokane Arena.

The Chiefs play their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Before 1995, they played at the Spokane Coliseum.

Chiefs Fan Attendance

The Chiefs have a strong fan base. Here's how many people have come to their games over the years:

Season Average Attendance WHL Rank
1996–97 7,826 2nd
1997–98 8,048 2nd
1998–99 7,482 2nd
1999–2000 7,200 1st
2000–01 6,669 2nd
2001–02 6,370 3rd
2002–03 6,100 3rd
2003–04 6,293 3rd
2004–05 6,250 4th
2005–06 6,092 5th
2006–07 6,028 4th
2007–08 6,557 3rd
2008–09 6,656 3rd
2009–10 6,453 3rd
2010–11 6,439 3rd
2011–12 6,443 2nd
2012–13 6,368 3rd
2013–14 6,102 4th
2014–15 5,829 5th
2015–16 5,765 4th
2016–17 5,812 5th
2017–18 5,741 3rd
2018–19 5,959 2nd
2019–20 5,709 3rd
2020–21 4th
2021–22 4,419 4th
2022–23 5,842 5th
2023–24 6,044 3rd

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