Spurgeon resumes role as top blue-liner
Journal Staff, edmontonjournal.com
Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009
EDMONTON - Spokane Chiefs defenceman Jared Spurgeon had one of those games on Friday night.
Look on the scoresheet and the only time his name appears is for the two minor penalties he took. Perhaps it was nerves, playing in front of family and friends in Edmonton for only the second time in his Western Hockey League career.
What doesn't show is the number of nifty little plays he made, defensively and offensively that contributed to the Chiefs' 3-1 win over the struggling Edmonton Oil Kings. And what mistakes he did make will be forgiven and forgotten since he was playing only his third game of the year, following off-season shoulder surgery.
"He's only played two games this year, but as we go he'll be not only on our power play, but a big, big part of everything we do," Chiefs head coach Hardy Sauter said before the game. "His hockey sense is unbelievable. His competitiveness is probably second to none. And his skill level is extremely high. You mix those three, you get a very, very talented player."
Drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL entry draft by the New York Islanders, Spurgeon missed the Chiefs' first 18 games and said Friday his shoulder is "not 100 per cent, but it feels good.
"It doesn't get too sore after a game, so I might as well play."
He and the Spokane defence were under siege much of the game Friday as the Oil Kings, home after a lengthy, unsuccessful road trip, dominated the majority of the play. They didn't allow the visitors a shot on goal in the first six minutes of any period. Unfortunately, for Edmonton, Spokane scored on its second shot of the first period and first shot of the third.
Blake Gal opened the scoring on a short-handed breakaway and another Edmonton native, Levko Koper, scored on the Chiefs' first shot of the third. Gal made it 3-0 on their next shot in the third, banging in Koper's rebound.
Although they outshot Spokane in every period and 41-28 overall, and outplayed them most of the night, the Oil Kings could get the puck pass Chiefs goaltender James Reid only once and that was on a lucky bounce with 67 seconds left in the game. Brent Raedeke got credit for the goal when an attempted clearing shot behind the net bounced off his leg and then a Spokane skate and into the net.
While Koper was making the most of his homecoming with two points, Spurgeon continued to show defensively that he's set to resume his role as the team's No. 1 blue-liner.
It didn't take the 20-year-old two-time Spokane defenceman of the year long to show he was in game shape and ready to go. In his first game back against the Kamloops Blazers on Nov. 14, he picked up three assists.
"A lot of it was mental, convincing myself I was ready," he said of his preparedness. "It also helped I was able to practise a month and a half with the team. Although I wasn't doing contact, I was able to be out there and keep my timing."
That he was so ready to go didn't surprise Sauter at all.
"For me, it was not surprising at all because I know him and I know the kind of attitude he has. You have to admire him, you really do. He showed up every day, never complained, he worked hard and when it was his time to play he made sure he was more than ready to step in and be a factor.
"You wouldn't know he hasn't played the first 2-½ months. His timing is outstanding, his physical fitness level is extremely high. For anyone on our team who has watched him rehab and work, they have a very good understanding of the right way to do it."
And although he has already been drafted, the five-foot-nine, 185-pound native of Edmonton isn't taking anything for granted, when he was rehabbing or now that he's back playing.
"His attitude's been really, really impressive," said Sauter. "It's hard for a young guy to get injured, have surgery and then have to sit out the first 2-½ months of the season. You come to the rink every day, you're working hard, but it doesn't feel like you're accomplishing anything as far as the team goes."
The Oil Kings are home against Prince Albert on Sunday and Moose Jaw on Nov. 28 before heading out on the road again.
![[]](http://www.globaltv.com/globaltv/images/footerdots2.gif){kind=small}
