Things that make me go hmm...

• This (picture on right) is Rourke Chartier. Chartier is the Rockets first round pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. The 15 year-old had a pretty good year with the Saskatoon Contacts. Chartier was 8th in scoring in the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League with 23+34=57 in 42 games with the Saskatoon Contacts. The hope is Chartier can join the Rockets next season.
  
• The Rockets earned a playoff spot Friday night with a 6-4 win in Kamloops. If you don't think it's a big deal, just ask teams like Lethbridge, Regina and Seattle what it is like to shut things down on March 17th when the regular season ends. The Pats have missed the playoffs three straight seasons while the Hurricanes will also fall into that category. Seattle is also on the verge of missing the playoffs for a third straight year. The Rockets have missed the playoffs just once.
  
• The Prince Albert Raiders made the playoffs last season, but will miss the playoffs for the eighth time in the last 12 seasons.
  
• I mentioned this on Twitter, but if you don't follow me I will repeat it here. When Brett Bulmer scores the Rockets are 13-3-1-3 in 20 games. In other words, when Bulmer scores, the Rockets have lost just three times in regulation.
  
• With Bulmer's recent strong play, does he not get consideration for team MVP? He now leads the club in goals (32) and could just catch Shane McColgan for the team scoring lead. On top of that he also has the best plus/minus on the team. Right now his play is scary good.
  
• Shane McColgan has averaged about 70 points per season in three years in a Rockets uniform. So if he indeed plays as a 20 year-old, which gives him two more seasons in Kelowna, he would end his career with about 340 points.
• To be totally honest with you, I am hoping for a Kelowna-Portland first round match up. I think the entire media core would agree a trip down the I-5 would put a smile on our faces. Great city, solid night life, one of the best hotels on the circuit and just a great set up for the visiting team (exclude that comment if we play at Memorial Coliseum) are a few reasons why I am looking forward to a trip to Oregon. Regardless of who the Rockets play in round one, they are severe underdogs.
  
• If I'm not mistaken, the Hawks played all of their playoff games at the Rose Garden last season.
  
• The death of the blog. I see signs of it everywhere. Even a team based Kamloops Blazers blog bit the dust back in November and they have nothing but glorious things to write about these days. Why does the frequency of these blogs being updated drop? It's a time consuming exercise and frankly Twitter is so much easier way to express your thoughts. Will I turf this blog after four years? When I have as few as 300 people visiting it per day, you can't help but consider it.
  
• For the record, Kelowna Rockets Ryan Huska has 183 regular season victories as head coach.
• This surprised me the other day. Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane has 26 goals. Amazing, considering the former Vancouver Giants forward could be playing as a 20 year-old in the WHL this season.
• Congratulations to Medicine Hat Tigers radio voice Bob Ridley, who will call his 3,000 game Wednesday night. That is an amazing total. With all of the banners up in the rafters at the Medicine Hat Arena, it is a guarantee to see one with Ridley's name on it when he decides to call it a career.
  
• If you are wondering, Mitchell Callahan has 13 fighting majors with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League.
• We are off to Spokane today where the Rockets play their second to last regular season road game Wednesday night against the Chiefs. After tomorrow night's tilt, the Rockets play four of their final five regular season games on home ice.