Things that make me go hmm....

• It's sad but true. Ask a Kelowna Rockets season ticket holder if they could name two current players on the Brandon Wheat Kings roster. I bet you they would be hard pressed to name one. "I think Luke Schenn's brother plays on that team, doesn't he?" That may be as close as some would get, and no, Brayden Schenn is still with the LA Kings. That response shows you how big the WHL truly is and the lack of attention the Western Conference fan pays to the Eastern Conference teams that make a visit here. I am sure the same could be said if things were reversed.
• I feel for the Wheat Kings, I really do. It's brutal sitting idly by watching and hoping that a player returns to junior from the NHL. The LA Kings are giving Brayden Schenn every opportunity to make that team and the Wheat Kings would like nothing more than to have him return for his 19 year-old season. What would Schenn mean to the Wheat Kings? Is he not a two point a game guy if he returns to Brandon? That would make a world of a difference. How much better would the Rockets have been last season if Tyler Myers would have been sent back? Would an additional ten to fifteen wins be out of the question?
• This is what Kings head coach Terry Murray said about Schenn earlier today.“He’s a young guy, 19 years old, who is going to be a real good hockey player. We just need to continually pull him aside and talk to him about his shifts, reviewing the video and putting an emphasis on the checking part of the game. Whenever I talked to him, at the start of the year, we’re talking about point production all the time, and that’s where he’s coming from as a player. To me, it’s not that. Points will come. It’s good to see your name on the score sheet when the game is over, but for Schenn right now, the important thing is understanding the checking part of it. The part of the game that we value greatly is play without the puck, and there are some issues, some areas of the game that he’s breaking down, in our own D-zone coverage, so we’ll go back and talk and do some practice and get him back in again.”

• This one from colour analyst Gord McGarva. McGarva points out that the 2009 WHL champion Kelowna Rockets were 4 and 7 after 11 regular season games. McGarva goes on to say the 2010 champion Calgary Hitmen were also 4 and 7 in their first 11 games last season. In case you are wondering why I bring up that point, or McGarva does, the Rockets are also 4 and 7.
• Do I think they (Rockets) will win a WHL title and follow a similar path of the 2009 and 2010 winners? For that to happen several members of this team will have to come out of an early season slumber.
  
• Does Mitchell Callahan's impressive start have the coaching staff re-thinking the exclusion of the 19 year-old as an assistant captain? Points aside, Callahan has been the teams inspirational leader and on most nights sets the tone with a tenacious fore check or big hit. I can't see the coaching staff stripping one of the current veterans of an 'A', but Callahan's play should inspire those with leadership qualities to step up their game and 'bring it' like the California resident does.
  
• It was nice to essentially have the weekend off to do whatever I pleased. The schedule maker had the Rockets playing just one game...Friday against the Everett Silvertips. I was told to enjoy it because it won't last. Following back-to-back games in Portland this weekend, the Rockets begin a stretch of playing six games in 9 nights. If things go well and winning becomes the norm, the schedule doesn't look as daunting. Go on an extended losing streak and the nine days feels like it will never end.
• The Rockets players used Sunday off to hit the ice for their annual Halloween skate. This is a private function where the players dress up and laugh at each others costume. Most of them are quite creative. I've been told 20 year-old Evan Bloodoff had the best costume. Any photo's taken will be kept behind closed doors.
• Speaking of Bloodoff, Evan's older brother Lucas is playing Canadian college hockey this fall. Here is picture of him taken from the St. Mary's Huskies website.
• I marveled the other night at the length of the game between the Everett Silvertips and Vancouver Giants. The game was played in one hour and 43 minutes. Is that the quickest game since the fast face-off was implemented? The Everett bus driver must have just turned off his diesel engine at Pacific Coliseum only to restart it quickly after being notified the game was already over.