Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Cougars are meeting for the 10th and final time this season. The Rockets are 5-4-0-0 against the Cougars in the seasonal series. The Rockets have out-scored the Cougars 30-29 in the first 9 games, with the Cougars earning a 7-4 win the last time these two teams met back on March 3rd in Prince George. The Rockets have seven wins in their last 19 games overall (7-11-0-1), and have points in nine of their last twenty games. This is the Rockets final game of the season with the team’s award banquet on Monday.
Ray of Sunshine: Veteran forward Chris Ray’s Western Hockey League career comes to an end tonight. Ray broke in with the Rockets in the fall of 2003 against the Seattle Thunderbirds, and would score his first career goal against the Kamloops Blazers, just 11 games into that season. Ray would have just one hat-trick over his time with the Rockets, scoring three times against the Tri City Americans December 7/05. Ray will be playing his 257th game tonight, all in a Rockets uniform. Ray has 64 career goals and 125 points over four seasons with the Rockets.
Barthel says Goodbye: Tonight marks the end of the junior career for Rockets d-man Clayton Barthel. Barthel played a full five seasons in the league, breaking in with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2002-2003 playing in 62 games that season. Barthel’s first goal in the league was against the Portland Winter Hawks January 17/03. Barthel is playing in his 327th game tonight. Barthel has 81 career points.
Schulz says Farewell: The overage d-man plays in career game #304 tonight as he says goodbye to a long W.H.L career which began with the Swift Current Broncos back in 2001-2002. Schulz played with four teams, the Broncos, Saskatoon, Spokane and the Rockets. Schulz was originally drafted by the Broncos in the first round of the 2001 draft, one pick after the Rockets selected Tyler Spurgeon. Schulz made his W.H.L debut as a 15 year-old with the Broncos against the Moose Jaw Warriors January 25/02.
First time for Everything: For the first time in the Rockets 16 year history the team failed to advance to post season play. The team even made the playoffs as an expansion franchise in the spring of 1991 as the Tacoma Rockets. Only one team in the W.H.L has never missed the playoffs. Can you name the team? The answer is the Everett Silvertips. Every other team in the league has missed the post season at least once.
Rockets set Road Record: The Rockets finished the season with just 6 road wins, which is tied with Portland for the league low this season, yet the Hawks still have one road game to complete this season. The Rocket scored just 65 road goals this season, an average of 1.8 goals per game. The previous franchise record for the fewest road losses was 7, set back in the 1998-1999 season, when the team scored 91 goals on opposition ice. It could be worse. Moose Jaw had just 4 road wins in the 2004-2005 campaign.
Rocket Tidbits: After three shoot-out losses, Rockets goaltender Torrie Jung must have been wondering what the outcome would be when he was forced into the same situation last night. Jung stopped all three shooters he faced to earn his first win under the shoot-out format….Last night’s shoot-out win was only the Rockets second of the season. The only other victory under the new format came against Prince George October 18th….Name the only Kelowna Rocket to play in all 72 games this season? The answer is Luke Schenn….Cody Almond will try to do something tonight no Rocket has ever accomplished. Almond will try to be the first 17 year-old to lead the team in scoring. While Almond is now technically 18, he began the season at the tender age of just 17…The Rockets have 15 home ice wins this season, the lowest total since the Rockets relocated to Kelowna in time for the 1995-96 season. The team’s previous home ice win total was 16, set back in the 1999-2000 season…Torrie Jung will make his 19th straight start tonight for the Rockets…The Rockets are 15-18-2-0 in 35 games against BC division opponents this season…The Rockets have been involved in 24 – one goal games this season. In those games the Rockets are 9-6-5-4…The Rockets have been held to a single goal 18 times this season, 9 times at home, 9 times on the road….The Rockets have lost 41 times this season. The team’s highest loss total is 43 set back in the 1999-2000 campaign. That team still managed to win 25 times.
Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Chris Ray has 5+3=8 in his last 11 games. Cody Almond has points in five of his last seven games and has 3+5=8 over that period. The Rockets power play is 12 for 67 in the last 14 games or 18%. Justin Bernhardt has 4+7=11 in his last 21 games. David Schulz has 4+8=12 in his last 18 games. Colin Long has 3+6=9 in his last 15 games.
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