Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets
play game two of three straight in the Central Division with a stop in Edmonton
to face the Oil Kings. These two teams met twice last season, with the Rockets
winning 5-3 on October 2/15 in Edmonton before skating to a 6-1 win in Kelowna
on November 20/15. The Rockets are 4-1-0-2 in his last 7 games between the two
teams. The Rockets visit the Red Deer Rebels tomorrow night. The Rockets are
coming off a 6-3 win in Lethbridge Wednesday night. Calvin Thurkauf scored
twice and added an assist and was named the 1st star. Tomas Soustal,
Jordan Borstmayer, Gordie Ballhorn and Kole Lind added singles in the team’s
first road win of the season. Michael Herringer made 24 saves while the power
play struck twice on four opportunities. The win also snapped a three game
losing streak. The Rockets are technically playing their fifth of six straight
games on the road. The next home action for the Rockets is Friday October 14th
against the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
Smith’s Homecoming: Kelowna Rockets Head
Coach Jason Smith returns to Edmonton, a place he made home for 7 seasons with
the Oilers. Smith was the captain of the Oilers for five of those seven seasons
and helped the team to Stanley Cup birth in 2006. Smith was traded to the
Oilers by the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 3, 1999. Smith is tied with Wayne
Gretzky for the longest serving captain (5 seasons) in Oilers history.
Broadcasters Bits: The Rockets have
acquired 17 year-old forward Leif Mattson from the Brandon Wheat Kings for a 9th
round bantam pick. Mattson, from Thompson, Manitoba, was the Wheat Kings 8th
round selection in 2014…Nick Merkley
returned to the line-up Wednesday night after attending the training camp of
the Arizona Coyotes….Merkley is
three points shy of 200 for his career…Calvin
Thurkauf has three-two goals games his career. The 18 year-old had two goals
last season against Everett and Vancouver…The
Rockets are 2-4-0-0 this season after 6 games. Last season the team was 4-2-0-0
after 6 games….The Rockets lead the WHL in penalty minutes with 127….The
Rockets have been shorthanded a league high 44 times….Rookie Kyle Topping has three assists in six games…Calvin
Thurkauf and Lucas Johansen returned to the lineup last Friday in Prince George
after attending NHL training camps in Columbus and Washington respectively…The Rockets were 3 and 2 in five
pre-season games. Jake Kryski and Kole Lind led the team in pre-season points
with 8 each….Nine members of the Rockets participated in NHL training camps.
Tomas Soustal and Gordie Ballhorn earned tryouts with Edmonton and Dallas
respectively. Nick Merkley (Arizona), Lucas Johansen (Washington), Dillon Dube
(Calgary), Devante Stephens (Buffalo), Calvin Thurkauf (Columbus), Braydyn
Chizen (Minnesota) and Justin Kirkland (Nashville) are all drafted players.
Three Identified by
NHLCS: Three
members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s
‘Player’s to Watch List’. Defenceman Cal Foote is an ‘A’ prospect. Kole Lind is
a ‘B’ prospect while defenceman Jonathan Smart is a ‘C’ prospect. The NHL draft
is this June in Chicago. Foote’s father, Adam, was a second round pick of the
Quebec Nordiques (22nd overall) in 1989. Adam Foote played his
junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Smith Guides Team: The Kelowna Rockets
made a head coaching change at seasons end. After just one year on the job,
Brad Ralph parted ways with the team on May 9th. Then on July 6th,
Jason Smith was hired as Brad Ralph’s replacement. Smith is the Rockets fourth
coach in the last four years. Smith, who retired September 2, 2009, played 16
seasons in the NHL before joining the coaching staff of the NHL’s Ottawa
Senators, a role Smith has held for the last four seasons’.
Roster
Stats:
Player
total:
24
Year by
Year Breakdown:
20’s – 3 Stadel, Herringer, Southam
19’s – 7 Johansen, Merkley, Soustal, Stephens,
Wishnowski, Coughlin, Ballhorn
18’s – 7
Dube, Kryski, Lind, Borstmayer, Chizen, Salmond, Thurkauf
17’s - 5 C.
Foote, Topping, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell, Smart
16’s – 2
N. Foote, Belcourt
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
No comments:
Post a Comment