Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets
play game three of a four game home stand tonight when they welcome the Everett
Silvertips to Prospera Place. This is one of four meetings between these two
teams this season. The Tips make a return visit on March 15th. The
Rockets stop in Everett on January 16th and March 3rd.
Last season, the Rockets lost twice to Everett at Prospera Place in overtime.
The scores were 3-2 and 2-1. The teams split games in Everett with the Rockets
winning 6-5 and losing 3-1. In the last 6 regular season games in Kelowna, the
Rockets are 4-0-2-0 against the Tips. In the last 12 regular season meetings,
the Rockets have lost in regulation time only twice. The Rockets enter
tonight’s game riding a three game losing streak at home and three straight
losses overall. The team is coming off a 5-1 loss to the visiting Swift Current
Broncos Saturday night. Tomas Soustal scored the lone goal in the teams 7th
loss in 10 games. This is the start of a stretch of games where the Rockets
play a U.S based team in five of their next six games. The Rockets welcome Tri
City Friday before visiting the Seattle Thunderbirds Saturday night. The team
travels for two games to Portland, Oregon on October 29th and 30th.
Let’s make a Deal: A rare trade between
the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs was consummated on Monday. The Rockets
traded 19 year-old Tanner Wishnowski to the Chiefs for 16 year-old prospect Colum
McGauley. McGauley, a 4th round pick of the Chiefs, is playing this
season with the Nelson Leafs. It is the first trade between the two
organizations in 12 years. The last one was in 2004.
Milestone Makers: Forward Riley Stadel played
in his 250th career game Friday vs. the Blades…Nick Merkley has
played 187 WHL regular season games….Jake Kryski is 6 games shy of 150 games in
his career…16 year-old Nolan Foote earned his first career point with an assist
Friday against the Saskatoon Blades....Riley Stadel has 40 career WHL fights (1
at Memorial Cup). Rodney Southam has 29.
Broadcasters Bits: The Rockets have
failed to score a power play goal in four games (0/14)…The Rockets have
surrendered 6 power play goals against in four games (6/19)….The team reduced
its roster last Tuesday by releasing 19 year-old forward Tate Coughlin.
Originally listed by the team, Coughlin played 107 games with the Rockets …Kole
Lind turned 18 on Sunday…The Rockets were 6-4-0-0 after 10 games last season…Sixteen year-old Nolan Foote is one of
66 players participating in the 2016 Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario October 27th to November 5th ....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 is three points shy of 200 for his career…The Rockets
lead the WHL in penalty minutes with 212….The Rockets have been shorthanded a
league high 63 times….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.
Roster
Stats:
Player
total:
23
Year by
Year Breakdown:
20’s – 3 Stadel, Herringer, Southam
19’s – 6 Johansen, Merkley, Soustal, Stephens, Ballhorn
18’s – 7
Dube, Kryski, Lind, Borstmayer, Chizen, Salmond, Thurkauf
17’s - 6 C.
Foote, Topping, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell, Smart, Mattson
16’s – 2
N. Foote, Belcourt
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
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