Spokane Chiefs The Spokane Chiefs are a major junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League based out of Spokane , Washington . The team plays its home games at the Spokane Arena . Their uniforms are similar to those of the NHL ' s Montreal Canadiens . Spokane consistently ranks in the top 10 in the Canadian Hockey League in attendance . The Chiefs won the Memorial Cup in 1991 and 2008 . History . The current franchise was granted in 1982 to Kelowna , British Columbia as the Kelowna Wings . In 1985 , the team relocated to Spokane , Washington and became the Chiefs . Before the Spokane Chiefs , there was another WHL franchise in Spokane , the Spokane Flyers , which played between 1980 – 1982 . The Chiefs won the WHL and CHL Memorial Cup championships in 1991 and 2008 . In addition , they have won two division titles and four Western Conference championships . The Chiefs and Portland Winter Hawks are the only United States based teams to win the Memorial Cup . The Chiefs are also the only team in the history of the Western Hockey League to come back from an 0 – 3 deficit to win a best - of - seven series , which they did against the Portland Winter Hawks in 1996 . The 1991 Memorial Cup team included future NHL players : Ray Whitney , Pat Falloon , Trevor Kidd , Jon Klemm , and Scott Bailey . This team of future NHL ' ers blew through the Memorial Cup Tournament , scoring a goal in the first couple of minutes of virtually every game . The Chiefs ' move to the new Spokane Arena in 1995 proved to be good luck . Along with being called the gem of the Western Hockey League , the Arena hosted many memorable events in the first year and saw the Chiefs win 50 games and advance to the WHL finals , only to lose in five games to the Brandon Wheat Kings . Just two years later , the Chiefs hosted the 1998 Memorial Cup , setting an attendance record . In the 1999 – 00 season head coach Mike Babcock led the team from a last place finish the previous year to a first place , 47 win season . The Chiefs advanced to play the Kootenay Ice in the WHL finals , but lost in six games . Between 2001 and 2005 , the Chiefs struggled to find an identity . The organization went through three head coaches in five years : Perry Ganchar ( resigned ) , Al Conroy ( fired ) and Bill Peters . Still Spokane fans , known for their robust support , continued to turn out . The Chiefs consistently average 6 , 000 – 7 , 000 fans per game , one of the top figures in the Western and Canadian Hockey Leagues . The Chiefs are also known for a goal celebration often called the ' best in junior hockey . ' In 1999 , the fans were named the best in the WHL . On Saturday nights , often referred to as ' Hockey Night in Spokane ' , the Spokane Arena is generally sold out , and sellouts are expected when the Tri - City Americans come to town . The 2007 – 08 season produced the most wins by a Spokane Chiefs team since the 1999 – 00 season , a season which saw the Chiefs go to the WHL Finals . The team , backed by a solid goaltending tandem and an offensive attack led by Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Drayson Bowman , ranked in the top ten of the CHL for most of the season , and reached the # 1 spot in late February . In one of the greatest series in WHL history the Chiefs beat their arch - rival , the Tri - City Americans , 4 games to 3 in the Western Conference finals to earn a spot in the 2008 WHL Finals . Five of the 7 games went into overtime , including 3 games decided in double overtime . In the Finals , the Chiefs outscored the Lethbridge Hurricanes 15 – 5 and swept the series 4 – 0 , just as they did in the 1991 WHL playoffs , to earn a trip to the Memorial Cup in Kitchener , Ontario . The Chiefs skated to a perfect 3 – 0 round robin record en route to their 2nd Memorial Cup , defeating the host Kitchener Rangers 4 – 1 in the championship game . The Chiefs remain the only U . S . team ever to win the Memorial Cup on Canadian soil . In the 2008 offseason , head coach Bill Peters announced he was leaving the Chiefs for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL . Assistant Coach Hardy Sauter was named the Chiefs 10th head coach a week later . He is the only former Chiefs player to become head coach . In the 2009 offseason , former Chiefs defensemen and captain Jon Klemm was named assistant coach . Klemm lead the Chiefs to their first Memorial Cup championship in 1991 , and won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche . On May 4 , 2010 the Chiefs announced they declined to exercise the option on Hardy Sauter ' s contract , thereby ending his two - year stint as the team ' s head coach . Weeks later , speculation begin swirling when former Tri - City coach Don Nachbaur unexpectedly resigned from a coaching position in the AHL . Just hours later , Nachbaur was named the new head coach of the Chiefs , further sparking the heated rivalry between Tri - City and Spokane . Nachbaur ' s first season as head coach would be one filled with low expectations . Most picked Spokane to finish at or near the bottom of the Western Conference . But Nachbaur ' s Chiefs finished the season with 102 points - the third highest total in team history , and only one point away from the regular season Western Conference crown . Led by sniper and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Tyler Johnson , the Chiefs led the league in goals scored and power play goals . The surprising Chiefs would also allow the second fewest goals in the league , led by Ottawa Senators prospect Jared Cowen . Spokane would advance to the Western Conference finals , only to lose to Portland four games to two . Nachbaur was named WHL Coach of the Year for 2011 - becoming the only coach in WHL history to win the honor with three different teams ( Spokane , Seattle and Tri - City ) . Outdoor hockey game . During the 2010 offseason , the Chiefs and the Western Hockey League announced the WHL ' s first - ever outdoor hockey game would be played in Spokane on January 15 , 2011 between the Chiefs and the Kootenay Ice . While the game was welcomed with great excitement in Spokane , many fans questioned the location of the 7 , 000 - seat Avista Stadium - the home of the Spokane Indians baseball club . Joe Albi Stadium , a 28 , 000 - seat facility that usually hosts high school and college football , was thought to be a much - better choice . Chiefs owner Bobby Brett , who also owns the Indians baseball team , said the Chiefs could not reach an argeement with the city on using Joe Albi . Brett also had liability concerns regarding the astroturf installed at Albi . In the end , the game was played at Avista Stadium in front of a sell - out crowd of 7 , 075 - though ticket prices did make a sell - out uncertain until the last minute . While they enjoyed the experience , many fans complained about the view from their seats at Avista Stadium . Fans who bought front - row tickets discovered they were eye - level with the side boards , making only the upper - part of the players ' bodies visible and making it impossible to see the puck . Construction crews begin their work at Avista Stadium the week after New Year ' s . A platform was constructed between first and third base on the baseball field , and then the ice refrigeration unit was placed on top of the platform . It took crews about one week to have the ice rink ready to go . Weather played a critical role in the lead up to the game and on game day itself . Initial forecasts called for arctic temperatures and more than a foot of snow falling on January 15 . That changed the week of the game , when a warm pacific storm barrled through the northwest and melted nearly a foot of snow already on the ground in Spokane . To the disappointment of many fans , the temperatures on game - day reached 50 - degrees and there was no snow . As if on cue , moments before the puck dropped , the sun tucked behind the clouds and didn ' t show for the rest of the day , providing near - perfect viewing conditions . The Chiefs ended up winning the game 11 - 2 over Kootenay , as nine different players scored for Spokane . Brett and the Chiefs organization have said it is very unlikely an outdoor game would ever be played in Spokane again , although the following day general manager Tim Speltz did leave open the possibility of hosting a game at Joe Albi Stadium . Club records . Most goals : 68 - Valeri Bure ( 1992 – 93 ) Most career goals : 147 - Mitch Holmberg ( 2009 - 10 , 2010 - 11 , 2011 - 12 , 2012 - 13 , 2013 - 14 ) Most assists : 118 - Ray Whitney ( 1990 – 91 ) Most points : 185 - Ray Whitney ( 1990 – 91 ) Most points , rookie : 78 - Pat Falloon ( 1988 – 89 ) Most points , defenceman : 85 - Brenden Kichton ( 2012 – 13 ) Most penalty minutes : 505 - Kerry Toporowski ( 1990 – 91 ) Best goals against average , goaltender : 1 . 97 - Dustin Tokarski ( 2008 – 09 ) Most shutouts , goaltender : 15 - Dustin Tokarski ( 2006 – 07 , 2007 – 08 , 2008 – 09 ) Most saves , goaltender : 2 , 007 - Troy Gamble ( 1987 – 88 ) Most regular season wins , goaltender : 85 - James Reid ( 2008 – 09 , 2009 – 10 , 2010 – 11 ) Most single - season games played , goaltender : 67 - Troy Gamble ( 1987 – 88 ) Most points in standings , team : 107 ( 2007 – 08 ) Most wins , team : 50 ( 1995 – 96 ) , ( 2007 – 08 ) Longest game : 2 : 26 : 05 - 4 OT ' s ( vs . Vancouver - April 10 , 2009 ) ( 2nd longest game in WHL history ) Season - by - season record . Regular season . " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points , GF = Goals for , GA = Goals against "