Chiefs Update: It was right there

Sorry for the delay. The Spokane Chiefs actually fell last night in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals 1-0 in overtime, but I needed a day to recover (well, drink). In fact, I don't even think I'm ready to talk about it yet, but the sooner I accept what happened, the sooner I can move on.

But man. I don't want to move on yet.

Over the span of six regulation periods and three overtimes between Games 6 and 7, the Chiefs had a date with the Kelowna Rockets all but clinched. In Spokane, the Chiefs entered the final stanza up a goal, but couldn't hold the lead. Then they were given a second chance after allowing two goals, by tying the game with under 1:30 left. Even when they lost it on a sick 2-on-1 play by the Giants, there was always Game 7.

On Tuesday, Dustin Tokarski and company shut out Vancouver in regulation, but Tyson Sexsmith did the same to Spokane's offense. Overtime wouldn't last two minutes, as a shot from the blue line was redirected off a Vancouver player's stick, off of Tokarski's left pad, nothing but net. The exact thing you would see in an early-90s hockey version of the Jordan-Bird McDonalds commercial HORSE game. One team had to lose and as well as the teams were playing, it was most likely to end how it did. Unfortunately, the Chiefs were on the sullen end of the handshakes.

It was an amazing season for the boys nonetheless. They battled through losing their star defenseman, Jared Cowen, fought through several stretches of the regular season without their best players thanks to World Juniors and NHL camps and ultimately forced Game 7, before bowing out to the Western Conference's best team and possibly the WHL's representative in Rimouski a few weeks from now.

It's also tough to realize that Trevor Glass, Brady Calla and captain Justin McCrae have played their final games in a Chiefs sweater. Add that to the overwhelming likelihood of Drayson Bowman, Dustin Tokarski and Ondrej Roman encountering the same fate, moving on to bigger and better things and what was, just 11 months ago, the first squad in 17 seasons to bring a Memorial Cup back to the Lilac city, is now reduced to a few veterans. It's also possible that Cowen and fellow defenseman Jared Spurgeon play at higher levels next season, meaning that only nine of 23 players would be back from the championship team. Unless you're the Florida Marlins, that type of drop-off doesn't happen in the span of 15 months.

So I guess it's not just the end of the season I'm upset about. It's the impending end of an era. But it was a fun ride, boys. Thanks for another memorable season.