Schenn Shining for Canada

• Three Kelowna Rockets, two alumni and a current member of the team are attending the rookie training camp of the Edmonton Oilers. Tyler Spurgeon and Troy Bodie along with Rockets European forward Milan Kytnar are taking part in the camp, which begins today in of all places - the Northwest Territories. Maybe the Oilers picked a cooler climate than Edmonton to hold rookie camp to convince the Oilers new faces that indeed the 'City of Champions' is a warm winter climate?
• Rockets goaltender Torrie Jung has landed in Tampa Bay. Now he's off to Brandon! Brandon, Florida that is. The Lightning have physical testing planned for Thursday in Brandon before on-ice sessions start Saturday. The Lighting rookies are then off to Traverse City for a 9 team tournament which features other NHL prospects.
• Rockets forward Cody Almond is attending the Minnesota Wilds camp. Almond will also be in Traverse City for the NHL Center Ice Prospects tournament. Other teams participating include Tampa Bay, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Columbus, St. Louis, the Rangers and Atlanta. Almond's Minnesota Wild will not play Torrie Jung's Tampa Bay Lightning in the tournament.
• Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn has had a couple of special days now that the Canada-Russia Super Series has shifted to North America. Tuesday night Schenn had his brother Brayden in attendance in Winnipeg as Canada hammered the Russians 8-1. Brayden is a sure bet to make the Brandon Wheat Kings this season, and GM Kelly McCrimmon took the entire team up to Winnipeg to experience the game. Wednesday night in Saskatoon Schenn must have had a huge cheering section as he played in his hometown. Luke's Dad picked up a reported 60 tickets for that hockey game.
• In what city did Luke Schenn score his first WHL goal? You bet, his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
• TSN's Bob McKenzie says Schenn is a lock to be a member of the Canadian World Junior team at Christmas. This guy often isn't wrong. If that indeed happens, Luke and his younger brother Brayden may not play against each other in December when the Rockets are in Brandon to face the Wheat Kings. The elder Schenn will be competing for a spot on the World Junior blueline.
• Rockets fans don't complain about the price of single game tickets at Prospera Place this season. The expansion Edmonton Oil Kings are selling single game tickets for 25 and 29 bucks. The Oil Kings have sold about 25 hundred season tickets. Is that not low?
• The Rockets coaching staff told me rookie 16 year-old goaltender Dylan Tait will be going back to Lethbridge after this weekend's exhibition games against Vancouver. Could we see Tait returning later this season? Admittedly, it would be pretty tough to pull him from his midget team in Alberta half way through the season if the Rockets did move a goaltender.