(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Alessia Proietti

CHL Game of the Week

Rebels welcome Chiefs back to Centrium with a 3-1 home win

Jan 10, 2024 | 10:54 PM

It wasn’t the warmest welcome for the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday night, as the Red Deer Rebels won 3-1 in the U.S. team’s first game back at the Peavey Mart Centrium in almost four years.

In the Rebels’ second of five consecutive home games, it was also the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) first Game of the Week in 2024, televised for free on the CHL website and TSN+.

While third-season Rebels player and Captain Kai Uchacz didn’t score any goals this game, he was announced this week as one of the top ten leading goal scorers in Rebels franchise history.

Early in the first period, just before the five-minute mark, Red Deer’s Frantisek Formanek scored with a backhand from the low slot on Spokane’s goaltender Dawson Cowan. His ninth goal this season was assisted by Ollie Josephson and Jhett Larson, putting the team in a 1-0 lead.

After 20 minutes of play, the Rebels outshot the Chiefs by double (18-9).

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A slow second period, the Chiefs took advantage of a power play opportunity with just two minutes left in regulation as Red Deer’s Jace Weir sat in the box for holding. Mathis Preston scored on Rebels netminder Chase Wutzke to tie the game 1-1.

Both teams had even shots on goal in the middle frame (8-8).

The Rebels solidified their win within the first 90 seconds of the third period.

At 2:06, Samuel Drancak scored his seventh goal of the season, with Dwayne Jean Jr. and Carson Birnie getting the helpers. With the goal up for debate as Chiefs goalie Cowan had the puck right at his pad, a review showed it passed the goal line just enough to count the point. The Rebels were back in the lead 2-1.

And 47 seconds later, Jeremiah Roberts scored his second season goal in a wraparound on his knees. The unassisted goal pushed the team ahead 3-1.

Although the Chiefs pulled out their goaltender for the final two minutes, it was to no avail against the Rebels.

Both teams went once again 8-8 for shots on goal in the final period.

Shots on goal

RD: 34

SPO: 25

Power play

RD: 0/4

SPO: 1/5

Three stars

1^st: Ollie Josephson (RD) – 1A

2^nd: Hunter Mayo (RD)

3^rd: Layton Feist (SPO) – 1A

Rebels Head Coach Derrick Walser said the key thing for the Rebels was to not give power play opportunities, which ended up costing the team a goal.

“It took us out of our little ‘sync-ness’; then we get into their game. Second period was just atrocious; that was the message to the guys. We weren’t physical, we weren’t skating; we were just puck-watching, trying to do it easy. I thought the third, they did a much better job taking care of pucks, putting it deep, and you know what, they’re ugly goals but you don’t know if you don’t put the puck at the net,” he said, using Roberts’ goal as an example of a player who didn’t quit.

He also put the spotlight on goaltenders Wutzke and Rhett Stoesser.

“Both our goalies have been doing a real good job giving us an opportunity to win. Tonight, he saw the puck very well; you could see that he was in the zone,” he said.

Josephson, given first star of the game, said the team brought the win home in the third period after Walser spoke to them in the second intermission.

“We started off good, first 15 minutes, but we kind of got away from our game, started to be a little too cute, took some penalties,” he said.

The Rebels have moved to third place in the Central Division with a record of 19-13-1-4 while the Chiefs sit in fifth place of the U.S. Division at 14-18-4-0.

The Rebels play against another U.S. team, the Tri-City Americans, this Friday at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. with the broadcast live on 106.7 REWIND radio at 6:30 p.m.