Four Spokane players

to attend NHL camps

Four Spokane Chiefs will depart this week to attend camps with NHL franchises, including three that were selected in the Entry Draft this summer.

Brenden Kichton, a fifth-round selection of the New York Islanders, will take part in their rookie camp with the first practice set for Saturday. Rookies will play exhibition games against the Boston Bruins rookies on Monday and Tuesday.

In a preseason tournament, Dominik Uher (Pittsburgh Penguins) will face Spokane teammates Darren Kramer and Jared Cowan, who are with the Ottawa Senators, in a four-team tournament starting on Saturday and also featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Blake Gal will participate with Calgary prospects in the Young Stars tournament in Penticton, British Columbia. Vancouver, Edmonton, San Jose and Winnipeg will also play in the tournament starting on Sunday.

Spokane reassigns four

to Midget League camps

The Spokane Chiefs reassigned four players, leaving themselves with 27 on the current roster.

Fifteen-year-old Markson Bechtold, the Chiefs' third-round selection in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft and Kyle Clayton, a fifth-round pick, were sent to Abbotsford of the BC Midget Hockey League and the UFA Bisons of the Alberta Midget Hockey League, respectively. Betchold played one preseason game and had one goal over the weekend.

Spokane also sent Bo Pellah, 16, to Abbotsford and Riley Whittingham to the Calgary Northstars of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. Whittingham played two games and had one goal.

The moves leave the Chiefs with three goaltenders, 10 defensemen and 14 forwards as they travel to the Red Lion Hotels preseason tournament in Kennewick, Wash., to face Seattle on Friday and Tri-City on Saturday.

Avista Stadium, Lee

earn top honors in NWL

SPOKANE - Avista Stadium was named the Northwest League Field of the Year, winning the award for the seventh-straight year and 13th of the last 15 seasons.

The award is given every year to the team that has the best playing surface and maintains the highest quality field throughout the 76-game season as voted on by league managers and coaches.

Head groundskeeper Tony Lee was also named the Sports Turf Manager of the Year for the league and will have the opportunity to be selected as the short season 'A' manager of the year during the Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas on Dec. 5-8.