Chudley eager to battle against Wheat Kings

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This article was published 22/10/2019 (2331 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jordan Chudley doesn’t even pretend that playing against the Brandon Wheat Kings is just another night at the office.

The 18-year-old Spokane Chiefs defenceman from Souris faces the visitors from his home province tonight at 9:05 CDT. He played against Wheat Kings Chad Nychuk, Jonny Lambos, Ben McCartney, Ty Thorpe and Nolan Ritchie growing up and knows them a bit.

“I’m pretty excited to play them,” Chudley said. “I know a couple of guys on the team and just from growing up watching you always see yourself out there playing against them or playing with them. When you get the chance to play them it’s pretty exciting because you realize your dream has come true.”

Last night, the Wheat Kings were in action against the Tri-City Americans in a game that ended after deadline.

Chudley has played the Wheat Kings once before, in a 7-5 Wheat Kings victory at Westoba Place on Jan. 19, 2019 when he was a member of the Kootenay Ice.

Much has changed since that day. The Ice have moved to Winnipeg, but Chudley didn’t.

On July 26, the Chiefs acquired Chudley and a fifth-round pick in the 2020 bantam draft from the Winnipeg Ice for defenceman Mike Ladyman and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft.

“It’s something new,” Chudley said. “I didn’t really know what it was going to be like coming in here but as soon as I got here the organization was really good. They’ve treated me super good so far and I’m really enjoying it.”

Part of the fun is playing in the boisterous American arenas. His home rink, the 24-year-old Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, can accommodate 12,638 fans.

“Spokane obviously has one of the nicest rinks in the WHL and their fans are something else,” Chudley said. “They’re always electric night in and night out. It’s a big change and really exciting.”

Another new experience is moving from Souris to a city of 217,000 located south of Nelson, B.C., in the eastern corner of Washington state. Chudley said it proved to be an easy transition.

“It is pretty different, especially being in America here,” Chudley said. “It’s been a pretty easy change actually. The team helps you out with it a lot, and so do the guys. It’s not that hard of a city to get around in. It’s been a pretty cool experience so far.”

What’s never as easy is adapting to the game itself. The six-foot-three, 170-pound defenceman, who spent two seasons in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League with the Southwest Cougars, said it isn’t an easy league to play in.

“It was a huge learning experience,” Chudley said. “It was a big step up from midget. The game is a lot faster and you’re playing with better players out there. It’s a great learning experience, and I’m glad I got my first year in there. I’m ready to go here for my second one.”

He actually made his WHL debut in March 2018 when he was called up to join the Ice for a road trip through Alberta. Chudley made the team for the 2018-19 season, but promptly lost a month to a bad concussion early in his rookie season, and was a healthy scratch some nights when he got back.

He said he tries to thrive as a physical defensive defenceman.

“I just want to help out the team and try to get a win, but just play a solid defensive game and be on the right side of the puck,” Chudley said. “That’s for sure.”

He just has to watch the ice for inspiration when the Chiefs play. One of his fellow blue-liners is 19-year-old Ty Smith, the highly touted New Jersey Devils prospect who is one of the top defenders in the league.

“Ty is a great guy, really nice,” Chudley said. “He has a great work ethic so you get to see what he does in practice and how hard he goes. He brings his experience from New Jersey ands it rubs off on us young guys, and really shows what it’s like to be a top-end player in the league.”

He also has the benefit of some friendly faces in the ultra-competitive U.S. Division. He played with Tyson Kozak of the Portland Winterhawks and Landon Roberts of the Tri-City Americans in his last year of bantam and second year in U18.

“It is pretty cool since they’re both in the American division,” Chudley said. “I’ve played them a couple of times and you always give them a smile but when you’re playing it gets pretty competitive. It’s always nice to see lots of guys from a small town make it to the WHL.”

He’s certainly thankful for the coaching he received and teammates he shared the ice with in Southwest, and how the chance to play at the U18 AAA level in his hometown benefited his career.

“I think it was just two good age groups from Souris growing up with some good hockey players,” Chudley said. “Just playing with those guys through bantam and midget really helped me. The coaching really helped too with (U18 head coach) Dennis McNish and (bantam head coach) Tony Franklin. They really helped me out in bantam and midget to strive as a player.”

He’s also thankful for his Spokane teammates. When he looks around, he sees a team that could enjoy some post-season success.

“We have a lot of depth in our lineup, from our first line to our fourth line,” Chudley said. “Everyone can play, and that really helps. I think we can make a good run this year.”

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