'Shoes to be filled': Returning Spokane Chiefs players adjust to new roles, leadership responsibilities

Aug.

28By design, the Western Hockey League is a developmental league players enter as wide-eyed and fresh-faced teenagers and leave several years later as young men grizzled veterans of a system designed to prepare them for the college or professional ranks.There's a lot of growing to do during those years physically, socially and mentally.And when one group of players take the next step whether that's the NHL, minor league hockey, the college ranks or back to their hometowns another steps in to take their place, ready or not.So it is with the 2025-26 Spokane Chiefs.Gone are four of the five leading scorers from last year's team Andrew Cristall, Shea Van Olm, Brayden Crampton and Rasmus Ekstrom along with workhorse goalie Dawson Cowan.

The fifth, captain Berkly Catton, is at Seattle Kraken's training camp and could very well make the opening night NHL roster.That can't help but leave a void on and off the ice."I think everyone knows that there's shoes to be filled here," defenseman Will McIsaac said.

"I think that just makes everyone want to compete a little harder and lead a little bit more, because those spots are open.

And I think that'll build a little bit of internal competition in the team.

I think it's only gonna be good for us.""We've got some pretty good pieces coming back to us, which could be the next Catton, the next Cristall, the next Shea Van Olm," Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said from training camp at the Arena on Wednesday.

"We have some good players that could take those next steps and be those type of guys in our league.

It's just a matter if they're ready to do it."Some of the candidates to take those next steps on the scoresheet and dressing room are forwards Mathis Preston, Chase Harrington and Brody Gillespie, along with MacIsaac and goalie Carter Esler.Preston, Gillespie and Esler spent their summers representing their home countries in the Hlinska-Gretzky Cup in Brno, Czechia, with Gillespie's Team USA winning the gold medal over Sweden in the championship game, while Preston and Esler took home bronze with Canada."It was such a unique experience," Gillespie said.

"Super special, putting that USA jersey on and representing my country was very important to me and we represented it well this year.

I'm super proud.""It was awesome," Preston said.

"Not the result we wanted, obviously, but it was awesome time.

Being over there, new coaches and just playing for your country is such an honor, always."Esler had a good showing at the Cup, allowing one goal in 60 minutes over five games.

The 2008-born goalie was an understudy to Cowan, with a 3.23 goals against average in just 18 games.

He's expected to split time between the pipes with Linus Viellard, who was selected 57th overall in the 2025 CHL Import Draft."I'm excited for a different role, hopefully.

And you know, I'm ready to embrace it," Esler said."I think we have two good goalies," Lauer said.

"(Esler) played well last year for us when he got in the net.

He showed a maturity level last year handling those 'bad' games for us, the back-to-back, third game in four nights (type of games).

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It's going to be different than last year, but the maturity part he learned from last year will help him through this year."Preston showed the promise in his rookie year last season that many believe will result in his name being called early in next year's NHL draft.

He scored 23 goals with 22 assists in the regular season playing mostly on the third line with an additional nine goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games.His minutes, and linemates, should change significantly this year along with the expectations of his draft year."I haven't thought about (the draft) too much," Preston said.

"I'm kind of just taking it day by day.

Obviously, being a 17-year-old, you move up the lineup with a bunch of guys leaving, so I'm taking a bigger role this year.

I'm gonna just try to enjoy it as much as I can."He thinks the carryover from the playoff run will be more mental than physical."It's a lot of confidence knowing that you can play against the best competition," he said.

"Everyone knows what it takes to go for a big playoff run like that now."McIsaac said every returning player remembers the feeling of watching Medicine Hat celebrating its Game 5 win in the WHL finals at the Arena."You never want that in front of your home crowd, especially after how great of a season they gave us," he said.

"But I think it just motivates everyone.

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Everyone here coming back, and everyone joining our goal is winning it all this year.".

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