Rockets game notes vs. Broncos

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets face the Swift Current Broncos in the one and only meeting of the season between the two teams. Last season the Rockets earned a 3-2 win in Swift Current on December 8/09. Shane McColgan, Cody Chikie and Max Adolph scored goals in the win while Adam Brown made 33 saves. The Broncos last paid a visit to Prospera Place on December 12/08 in a 3-1 win. Geordie Wudrick, now with the Rockets, had a goal in the win while Stepan Novotny, now with the Broncos, had an assist in a losing cause for the Rockets. Overall, the Rockets enter tonight’s game having won six of their last seven games and twelve of their last fourteen (12-2-0-0). Following tonight’s game the Rockets open a five game Alberta road trip this Friday in Red Deer.

Rockets recent game: The Rockets scored three goals in a span of 2:19 of the second period to erase a 2-1 deficit in a 6-3 win Wednesday night over the Saskatoon Blades. Shane McColgan, Colton Sissons, Geordie Wudrick, Evan Bloodoff, Damon Severson and Mitchell Callahan scored in the Rockets 16^th win of the season. Adam Brown made 27 saves as the Rockets went 2 for 5 on the power play.

Who’s Hot: Shane McColgan’s goal Wednesday was his first in eight games. McColgan has 1+5=6 in his last five games…Mitchell Callahan has 3+2=5 in his last five games…Brett Bulmer has 2+2=4 in his last three games. Tyson Barrie has gone nine games without a goal yet has points in five of his last six games (0+9=9)…Geordie Wudrick has 6 goals in his last five games. Zach Franko has goals in two of his last four.

Who’s Not: Cody Chikie has one goal in his last 14 games.

Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets acquired 20 year-old defenceman Zak Stebner from the Tri City Americans Tuesday along with a 7^th rounder this summer for a 4^th round pick in 2011 and an 8^th rounder in 2012. Stebner joins his 6^th WHL team after previous stops in Red Deer, Prince Albert, Kamloops, Calgary and Tri City. Stebner was a part of the Calgary Hitmen’s WHL championship team last season. The 20 year-old was originally a second round pick of the Rebels in 2005 WHL Bantam Draft.

This and That: Forward Mitchell Callahan was one of just two WHL players to be named to the training camp roster for the USA world junior team. Callahan is joined by Medicine Hat’s Emerson Etem as WHL invitees. Callahan was born in California to Canadian born parent’s Mike and Kelly Callahan. His father, Mike, was born near Toronto and moved down to California to play hockey….The Rockets are playing game two of seven straight against teams outside of the Western Conference….Tyson Barrie has been named to the 39 man training camp roster for the Canadian World Junior team. Barrie is attempting to become the 11^th player in Rockets history to represent the Rockets at the WJHC… Adam Brown was the WHL goaltender of the month for November. Brown went 9-1-0-0 with a goals against average of 1.96 and a save percentage of .934….In the eleven games in the month of Novembe, the Rockets scored four or more goals in seven of those games….European’s Gal Koren and Andreas Stene will be playing for their countries at the World Junior Hockey Championships at Christmas….Two members of the Rockets will participate in the Under 17 Hockey Challenge next month in Manitoba. Rookies Damon Severson and Colton Heffley have been named to Team West….The Rockets have opened up the scoring in eight of their last nine home games…The Rockets have failed to score a power play goal in just eight of their first 28 games this season….The Rockets have scored 91 goals after twenty-eight games this season. Last season after twenty-eight games the club had 90 goals….The Rockets have allowed 86 goals against this season. Last season after twenty-eight games the team had allowed 86 goals against….Last season the Rockets were 12-15-1-0 after twenty-eight games….The Rockets have been involved in thirteen-one goal games this season. The Rockets are 9-4-0-0 in those thirteen-one goal games…Adam Brown has started sixteen of the last 18 games…The Rockets were involved in 11 shootout games last season. The Rockets were 7 and 4 in those games…The Rockets franchise is playing its 1397^th regular season game tonight. The team has 714 regular season wins….Rockets 17 year-old forward Shane McColgan is rated as the 15^th best prospect in the WHL for the upcoming NHL draft. Central Scouting released its first of three rankings last month… The Rockets have been held to two or fewer goals in eleven of their 28 games this season. ...Tyson Barrie is now the Kelowna Rockets franchise leader for points by a defenceman. Barrie has 195 career points. Barrie passes Burt Henderson (1993-1996 - 186 pts )… Shane McColgan has been held off the score sheet just seven times this season. The same holds true for Tyson Barrie….Last season the Rockets were 5-7-0-0 in 12 games in December. ..Ryan Huska was signed to a three year contract extension last Thursday. Huska is signed through the 2013-2014 season.