Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and T-Birds are meeting for the first of just four times this season. The two teams tangle tomorrow night in Seattle, before not meeting again until late February. The T-Birds are in Kelowna February 22nd before concluding the seasonal series in Seattle March 1st. Last season the Rockets were 0-3-0-1 against the Birds, losing 4-3 in overtime and 4-1 in Kelowna, and falling 3-0 and 2-1 in Seattle. The Rockets have a busy long weekend ahead of them playing three games in four nights. The Rockets host Seattle tonight, face the T-Birds on the road tomorrow night before concluding the weekend with a matinee affair in Vancouver holiday Monday. The Rockets are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Giants Saturday night, after earning an impressive 6-4 win in Everett the night prior. Following tonight’s game the Rockets next home tilt is Wednesday October 10th against the visiting Calgary Hitmen.
Let’s Make a Deal: The Kelowna Rockets have two new faces making their Rockets debut tonight. Eight- teen year-old Jamie Benn joined the team Sunday, after leaving the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. Benn was named the league’s coastal conference rookie of the year last season, scoring 42 goals. Benn is a 5th round draft pick of the Dallas Stars. The Rockets also acquired 20 year-old forward Brady Leavold from the Swift Current Broncos for a conditional draft pick. Leavold led the Broncos in fighting majors last season with 12, while chipping in with 14 goals and 35 points in just 55 games. Leavold has played in 133 WHL games, making his WHL debut December 30, 2003 against the Saskatoon Blades. Leavoid is one of four 20 year-olds on the Rockets roster. The other three are James McEwan, Kristofer Westblom and Lyon Messier.
Being Shutout Sucks: The Rockets were shutout 5-0 by the Vancouver Giants Saturday night. The Rockets set a team record, with only 9 shots on goal. The Rockets were shutout 10 times on the road last season to go along with 3 times on home ice. 13 shutout losses last season was tough to take.
Quick Facts: Ryan Huska earned his first career WHL coaching win in last Friday’s 6-4 victory over the Everett Silvertips….In two of the Rockets three losses this season, the team has suffered a setback by just a single goal…The Rockets have scored 12 goals so far this season after four games, after scoring just five goals in their first four games a year ago…Kristofer Westblom has played in three of the Rockets first four games of the season…Former Rocket forward Craig Cuthbert is playing with the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs this season. Cuthbert has 1+2=3 in two games…The Rockets have scored four of their 12 goals this season on the power play…Colin Joe returns to the lineup tonight after sitting out the first four games of the season with a wrist injury…Kristofer Westblom was replaced by Torrie Jung in last Saturday’s 5-0 loss in Vancouver. The last time Jung replaced Westblom in goal was in a game against the Giants last season, when Westblom suffered a season ending knee injury February 3rd…Rockets rookie defenseman Collin Bowman is the younger brother of Spokane Chief veteran forward Drayson Bowman…Rockets forward Brady Leavold’s dad Brian is a scout with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos…Leavold was the Swift Current Broncos rookie of the year in 2004-2005…The Rockets have eight players on their roster never drafted in the WHL bantam draft…Rockets rookie defenseman Kyle Verdino is still just 15 years old. Verdino doesn’t turn 16 until October 27th. Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton’s son Curtis can do one better. Curtis Hamilton of the Saskatoon Blades doesn’t see his sweet 16th birthday until December 4th…the Rockets have been out-shot in all four games this season…Jamie Benn’s mother is a cousin of Kelowna curler Rick Folk.
Tonight’s Notables: Tysen Dowzak played in his 100th WHL game last Wednesday. Cody Almond is 6 games shy of 100 for his career. Colin Joe has the most games under his belt of anyone in the Rockets lineup. Joe has played in 180 games. James McEwan is a close second with 173 games in the WHL, and enters tonight’s game with 454 career penalty minutes. Justin Bernhardt is playing in career game 174 tonight. Bernhardt has 94 career points.
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