Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Victoria Royals tonight in the fifth meeting of the season between the two teams. The Rockets are 1-2-0-1 against their BC Division rivals, having been out-scored 19-16 in the first four games. These two teams met last Saturday with the Rockets earning a 6-5 win. The Royals make one more visit to Prospera Place on March 9th. The Rockets are in Victoria for back-to-back games January 6th and 7th. This is game five of seven straight on home ice. The Rockets are 3-1-0-0 during the home stand after wins over Prince George (7-3), Victoria (6-5) and Tri City (6-2). In the last four games the Rockets have scored 19 goals. In the big picture the Rockets have points in seven of their last eight games (5-1-1-1). The Rockets host Prince George tomorrow night before closing out the pre-Christmas portion of their home schedule next Wednesday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Following that game, the Rockets will play 13 of the next 16 games on the road.
Slow Start Trend: Over the last four seasons, this year included, the Rockets are a combined 53-49-2-1 in the month of September-October and November. The Rockets were 14-11-0-0 during that period last season and were 12-15-0-0 in 2009-2010. Even when the Rockets won the WHL title in 2008-2009, the team was 16-11-0-0 in September, October and November.Brown’s Record Breaker: Twenty year-old Adam Brown set a new Kelowna/Tacoma franchise record Saturday night for games played by a goalie. Brown played in his 168th career game, setting the franchise record held by Kevin Swanson (1998-2001). Brown set a new franchise record in Prince George earlier this month for minutes played by a Rockets goalie. Brown now has played 9,510 minutes, 201 minutes more than Swanson (9309). Brown already is the franchise leader in wins with 94.
Who’s Hot: Brett Bulmer has seventeen points in eleven games (8+9=17) and registered his first career hat trick last Saturday against Victoria…Shane McColgan has nine assists in his last six games but has not scored a goal in eight games. Last season the Rockets leading scorer went without a goal for 10 games (twice). Carter Rigby has four goals in his last six games…Adam Brown has started in goal in twenty of the first twenty-six games…Colton Sissons has seven goals in his last nine games and is three shy of the 17 he scored in 63 games last season. Zach Franko has five points (1+4=5) in his last six games.
This and That: Brett Bulmer was named to the training camp roster by Hockey Canada for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Champions. Bulmer will attend training camp in early December. Ryan Huska is an assistant coach on Team Canada while Jeff Thorburn is an athletic therapist….The Rockets have sent 11 players to represent Canada at the WJHC…The Rockets are 1-6-0-1 when giving up five or more goals…The Rockets have given up five or more goals in eight games this season. Last season they gave up five or more goals in ten games…NHL Central Scouting has rated captain Colton Sissons as the 6th top skater available from the WHL for the 2012 draft….Jesse Lees and Tyson Baillie have been named to Team Pacific for the Under 17 World Hockey Challenge next month in Windsor, Ontario…Madison Bowey has been named to the roster for Team West for the Under 17 World Hockey Challenge…The Rockets have been involved in twelve-one goal games this season. The Rockets are 6-3-1-2 in those twelve games… The Rockets have been out-shot in nine of their last fourteen games….The Rockets are playing their 1467th regular season game tonight and will hit the 15 hundred mark when they host Red Deer on February 18th…Ryan Huska has 169 wins behind the Rockets bench…The Rockets have scored a power play goal in fourteen of their last eighteen games….Mitchell Chapman has one more point (7) than the six he collected all of last season…Damon Severson has two more points (19) than the 17 he registered in his rookie campaign….The Rockets have beaten just two American based teams this year (Everett 5-4 SOW) and Tri City (4-3 W)…Filip Vasko has received an invite to Slovakia’s came for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships..
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