SPOKANE - On a night that he was named one of the Top 25 Chiefs in 25 Years, Tyler Johnson led theSpokane Chiefs to a 5-1 win over the Prince George Cougars with a hat trick, giving him a career-high 31 goals this season. The 19-year-old Spokane native was joined on the list of 25 by fellow teammates Jared Spurgeon, Jared Cowen and Mitch Wahl.
In a special pre-game ceremony where the 25 players were revealed, 16 current and former players took the ice. The list included Pat Falloon, Valeri Bure, Trevor Kidd and Brent Gilchrist. Joining the former players on the ice were two former coaches, Bryan Maxwell, the head coach of the 1991 Memorial Cup Champions and Parry Shockey, an assistant on the 50 win team in 1995-96.
Brenden Kichton scored just 1:16 into the game to stake the Chiefs to a 1-0 lead. Less than three minutes later, Johnson would connect on his first of the night at 4:05.
A three goal second period started when Levko Koper used a toe drag through the slot and
went top shelf 40-seconds into the frame. The goal came while the Chiefs were shorthanded. Prince George scored their lone goal while they were killing a penalty at 6:34.
Johnson's second was originally credited to Kyle Beach who snapped it from the left circle at 10:44. It came on the power play as Spokane finished the night 1-4. His final goal came at the 19:34 mark of the second for the final 5-1 score.
8,517 watched the Chiefs win for the eighth time in nine games and for the 10th time this month.
Spokane will host division-leading Tri-City Saturday.
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