Spokane tops Pre-Season WHL Poll (Ams 5th)
Posted: Updated:MEDICINE HAT, AB -- The defending champion Spokane Chiefs are again the team to beat in the Western Hockey League, according to the annual pre-season rankings released Wednesday by the newspaper writers from around the WHL.
The Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association voters gave the 2007-08 champions 14 of 17 first-place votes prior to tonight's WHL regular season opener in which the Chiefs visit the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook.
The team Spokane defeated in last year's WHL title series, the Lethbridge Hurricanes, check in at No. 3 in the poll, while two teams that showed tremendous promise with inexperienced rosters last season - the Kelowna Rockets and Brandon Wheat Kings - checked in at numbers two and four, respectively.
Defending regular season champion Tri-City Americans round out the top-five.
Results of the poll:
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Spokane Chiefs (14) 371
2. Kelowna Rockets (1) 343
3. Lethbridge Hurricanes (1) 335
4. Brandon Wheat Kings 325
5. Tri-City Americans (1) 316
6. Vancouver Giants 278
7. Medicine Hat Tigers 266
8. Seattle Thunderbirds 251
9. Calgary Hitmen 233
10. Regina Pats 223
11. Swift Current Broncos 221
12. Saskatoon Blades 150
13. Kamloops Blazers 149
14. Moose Jaw Warriors 143
15. Prince George Cougars 129
16. Kootenay Ice 125
17. Prince Albert Raiders 114
18. Everett Silvertips 91
19. Chilliwack Bruins 88
20. Edmonton Oil Kings 77
21. Red Deer Rebels 54
22. Portland Winter Hawks 19
Members of the WMJHWA award votes in weighted order (22 points for first-place, 21 for second, etc.). A total of 17 ballots were cast by the Everett Herald, Seattle Times, Spokesman-Review (Spokane), Tri-City Herald, Kelowna Capital News, Kelowna Daily Courier, Red Deer Advocate, Swift Current Prairie Post, Prince George Citizen, Lethbridge Herald, Medicine Hat News, Chilliwack Progress, The Kootenay NewsAdvertiser, Moose Jaw Times-Herald, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post and the Brandon Sun.
The Ams start the season at home Saturday Sept. 20th against Kelowna.
