Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Blazers are meeting for the first of 9 times this season. The two teams hook up again tomorrow night at Prospera Place. Of those 9 games against one another this season, five will be played in Kamloops with just four in Kelowna. Those games on home ice are tomorrow night, December 27th, Feb 7th and March 14th. After tonight’s game the Rockets don’t return to Kamloops until November 15th. Last season these two teams met eight times, with the Rockets sporting a record of 3-3-0-2. Those two shootout losses came in Kamloops. The Rockets were 3-1 in Kelowna and 0-2-0-2 in Kamloops. The Rockets are riding a 6 game winless streak at the Interior Savings Centre. The teams last regulation win in Kamloops came November 14, 2006 in a 5-4 win. The Rockets enter tonight’s game riding a two game losing streak after back-to-back 5-2 (Tri City) and 2-1 (Portland) losses. The Rockets host the Blazers tomorrow night before welcoming the Everett Silvertips on Wednesday. The Rockets then return to the road for three games in three nights starting Friday in Medicine Hat, Saturday in Lethbridge and Sunday in Kootenay.
The Long and Short of It: The Rockets welcomed back last years leading point getter Colin Long this week from the NHL training camp of the Phoenix Coyotes. Long led the team last season with 31+69=100, which was good for 2nd in league scoring. Long was drafted by the Desert Dog’s this summer. Last season Long’s name failed to hit the score sheet just 15 times, including twice against the Blazers. Long was 6+6=12 in 8 games against the Blazers last season. Cody Almond also returned this week from the training camp of the Minnesota Wild.
Incase Your Wondering: The Rockets are celebrating their 14th season in Kelowna this year. The Rockets moved from Tacoma to Kelowna for the start of the 1995-96 season. Since moving to the Okanagan the Rockets have played 948 regular season games. Tonight’s game is #949. What’s interesting is the team will play its 1 thousandth regular season game February 7th in Kamloops. The Rockets will play their 500th home game in Kelowna February 18th against the Chilliwack Bruins. The franchise has 470 regulation victories to its credit. In the 13 years the team has been in Kelowna, they’ve won 30+ games ten times.
Dare to Compare: The Rockets 0 and 2 start is somewhat reminiscent of last season. The Rockets were 0-1-1-0 after two games last season before winning their third game of the regular season. When was the last time the Rockets opened the season with three consecutive losses? It was in 2006-2007 when the team lost four straight before beating Kamloops 5-4 in overtime in game five of the season.
Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets solidified their goaltending by acquiring veteran 20 year-old goaltender Kris Lazaruk from the Kootenay Ice for a 4th round bantam pick. The Edmonton Alberta produce has played 109 games over his four year career in the WHL. Last season Lazaruk played in 51 games.
Milestones:
Colin Long is playing in his 161st game tonight. Long has 132 career points.
Evan Bloodoff is playing in his 131st game tonight.
Brandon McMillan is playing in his 128th career game tonight.
Tyson Barrie has 47 career points and is playing in his 74th career game tonight.
Kyle St. Denis played his 70th career game Sunday against Portland.
Jesse Paradis is playing in his 46th career game tonight.
Who’s Back: The Rockets return 17 veterans from last years team. Leading that list is last years leading scorer Colin Long. Long led the team in points (101) and assists (64). Second year forward Jamie Benn is also back. Benn led the Rockets in goals scored last season with 33 in just 51 games. Both Long and Benn combined for 64 goals last season. The Rockets return 6 of their top 7 scorers from a year ago.
Gone But Not Forgotten: Six players from last year’s team are no longer around. Brady Leavold, James McEwan and Kristofer Westblom have graduated. Leavold and McEwan are playing pro hockey while Westblom is playing Canadian college hockey this year. Colin Joe and Milan Kytnar were traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the off-season while Myles MacRae elected to leave the team and play his twenty-year old season in the BCHL.
Nine is Devine: Nine members of the Rockets attended NHL training camps this year. Luke Schenn was in Toronto, Tyler Myers in Buffalo and Brandon McMillan with Anaheim. Colin Long attended Phoenix Coyotes camp, while goaltender Torrie Jung was in Tampa Bay. Cody Almond was with Minnesota while Tysen Dowzak received a tryout with the New York Rangers. Lucas Bloodoff also received a tryout with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jamie Benn is the only signed player, and attended the camp of the Dallas Stars. The nine players attending pro camps was a team record.
Exhibition Exploits: The Rockets were 2-1-1-0 in exhibition with wins over Vancouver and Spokane. The Rockets suffered a regulation loss to the Giants and an overtime loss to the Chiefs. The Rockets scored 11 goals in the four games they played, while allowing 11 goals against. Rookie forward Stepan Novotny led the Rockets in exhibition scoring with 2+2=4.
Rockets Review: Last season the Rockets won 38 games and finished with 84 points. Those 84 points were good for 5th place in the Western Conference and a date with the Seattle Thunderbirds in round one. The Rockets would lose out to the T-Birds in seven games. The Rockets had 21 home ice and 17 road wins last season.
By The Numbers: The Rockets scored 248 goals last season, 4th best in the Western Conference. The Rockets allowed 215 goals against, 5th worst in the West. The Rockets had the 7th best power play in the WHL last season at 19.9%. The Rockets would score 82 goals with the extra man, which were the second most power play goals in the league behind the Vancouver Giants 85.
Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Sept 27 vs. Kamloops Rockets 2 Tri City 5 L
Oct 1 vs. Everett Rockets 1 Portland 2 L
Oct 3 @ Medicine Hat
Oct 4 @ Lethbridge
Oct 5 @ Kootenay
Rockets Players by Province: BC=10 US=6 ALB=5 SASK=1 MAN=1 EURO=2 Total=25
Rockets Season Highs and Lows:
Most Goals Scored: 2 @ Tri Sept 21
Most Goals Allowed: 5 @ Tri Sept 21
Most Power Play Chances: 6 @ Portland Sept 22/08 – Rockets were 1 for 6
Most Power Play Goals Scored: 1 @ Tri Sept 21
Most Power Play Goals Allowed: 1 @ Tri Sept 21
Most Shots Taken: 27 @ Tri Sept 21
Fewest Shots Taken: 27 @ Tri Sept 21
Most Shot Allowed: 33 @ Tri Sept 21
Fewest Shots Allowed: 17 @ Portland Sept 22/08
Last Shutout: NA
Last Time Shutout: NA
Penalty Shots: NA
Shootout Game Winning Goals: NA
vs. BC: vs. US: 0-2-0-0
vs. Central: vs. East:
Roster Stats:
Player total: 25
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s – 2 Dowzak, Lazaruk
19’s – 6 Long, Benn, Jung, Almond, L. Bloodoff, Schenn
18’s – 7 E. Bloodoff, McMillan, McIntosh, Myers, Novotny, St. Denis, Hood
17’s – 9 Barrie, Brown, Verdino, Gogol, Borejko, Bowman, Callahan, Matejka, Paradis
16’s – 1 Main
Average Age: 17.2
Rookies – 7
Record by Month:
Month Games Record Home Road
September: 4 0-2-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-2-0-0
October: 13 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
November: 10 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
December: 10 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
January: 14 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
February: 14 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
March: 7 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
NHL Draft Picks-Training Camp Attendees: Luke Schenn (Leafs 08), Tyler Myers (Sabres 08), Colin Long (Coyotes 08), Brandon McMillan (Ducks 08), Jamie Benn (Dallas 07), Torrie Jung (Tampa Bay 07), Cody Almond (Minnesota 07), Lucas Bloodoff (Tryout Lightning 08), Tysen Dowzak (Tryout Rangers 08).
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel (AM 1150)
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