Former Rockets d-man calls it a career

Last November, Clayton Barthel knew his hockey career was in jeopardy.
Playing in the Central Hockey League with the Arizona Sundogs, the now 25 year-old, was limited to just eight regular season games after suffering his third concussion.
Most players are able to bounce back after suffering a knock to the head, but few manage to return to the ice with any normalcy after a series of concussions.
Barthel falls into that category.
A third round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in 2004, Barthel told me at the Rockets alumni golf tournament earlier this month that he is weighing his options.
A firefighting career or dabbling in coaching are two paths the soft spoken d-man is considering.
Barthel spent one season with the Rockets in 2006-2007 after being acquired in a trade with Seattle for 20 year-old goaltender Derek Yeomans.

Rockets acquire high profile event

The CHL Top Prospects game is coming back to the west. Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton made it official this morning. The top 40 eligible players for the 2012 NHL draft will compete over two days at Kelowna's Prospera Place in the 17th annual showcase. A skills competition is planned for January 31st with the game itself on February 1st. It marks the first time the game has been played in BC since 2005, when the Vancouver Giants hosted it. The game was hosted by Edmonton in 2008. Here are a few notes from today's press conference.

• Prospera Place is the smallest venue to ever host the Top Prospects game. Prospera Place, which has a seating capacity of (6007), is only slightly smaller than Windsor (6500), who hosted in 2010.
• No word on if Don Cherry will be back to coach one of the two teams. Cherry last made a stop in Kelowna in 2004 at the Memorial Cup. We all know what happened then!
• Who will coach Team Orr? Doug Gilmore took over the reins last season at the 2011 Top Prospects game in Toronto. A player with connections to the West would be a nice added touch behind the bench.
• Close to 300 NHL personnel are expected to watch the two day showcase.
• Former Rockets who have participated in the Top Prospects game include Shane McColgan, Tyson Barrie, Brandon McMillan, Tyler Myers and Luke Schenn.
• Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton says despite earning the event, by no-means has this stalled their attempt at making a competitive bid for the 2013 Memorial Cup.
• The last major event that Prospera Place hosted was the Canada-Russia Super Series in 2009.
• Tickets will range from 40 to 50 dollars for the two day showcase. They are available to Rockets season ticket holders on September 10th before they are released to the general public.

Final Alumni Weekend Thoughts

• Still no word on how much was raised from the Kelowna Rockets alumni weekend, but it again was another huge success. Anne-Marie Hamilton is the key in making this event run flawlessly from Thursday's golf game at the Harvest to Sunday's alumni hockey game at the Capital News Centre. The players, like Shea Weber below with a fan, deserve a tip of the cap for playing in both events and spending time signing autographs.
  


• It's not often that you sit and enjoy a buffet dinner and talk with an NHL player, but I had that opportunity when crossing paths with Brett McLean. The former Rockets alumnus is a class act and is willing to spend time with any one, even me, to talk hockey. Making his off season home in Kelowna, McLean was genuinely pleased to sign a new deal with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks in early July. After a few years in Europe, McLean is ecstatic to be back playing hockey on North American soil. "I made the decision mid-season in Switzerland to come back here and get the contract done with the Hawks. Now I am looking forward to September." McLean played with the Hawks during the 2003-2004 season. "They know what I can bring to the team. It's my responsibility now to show them that right from the start of training camp so hopefully I can make their decision easy to keep me right from the start of the season." I asked McLean if he felt he would get lost in the shuffle when he left the NHL two years ago to try his hand in Europe. "Ya, definitely. I was conscious of that decision when I decided to go to Switzerland. When I did decide to come back their was definitely a fear that I was off the radar so-to-speak, so I was pleased that teams were still interested and things were able to work themselves out".



• Speaking of heading overseas, Carson Germyn is off to Germany after spending last season in Switzerland. "Over there everything is paid for and tax free...but hopefully I have a good year and I can come back and play here (North America). I feel fortunate to still be playing at my age. I makes it tougher as you get older and their are so many hockey players out there that are good so I feel fortunate I think".



• New York Islanders forward Blake Comeau had a smile on his face after I ran into him at the golf range. Comeau got married earlier this month. And yes, the wedding was in Kelowna, his off season home.



• A familar face from the 2009 WHL Championship team took in the alumni activities. I was pleased to run into Tysen Dowzak, who has cut ties with the New York Rangers and is now looking for a new contract. "It feels like I never left. It feels like I have been gone for a week. It's a true testament to know that you have made a lot of good friends with so many people. It is so good to be back in the Okanagan. I love this place...its a second home to me".



• And a former Rockets defenceman has elected to retire. I will tell you who he is later this week.

Rockets alumni tournament never gets old

The Kelowna Rockets alumni weekend swung into high gear Thursday afternoon with the teams 11th annual golf tournament. Players like Josh Gorges and Carson Germyn (above) joined the likes of Shea Weber and Luke Schenn along with close to 30 former and current players for a Texas Scramble golf tournament at the Harvest Golf and Country Club.

I had the pleasure of golfing with current Rockets assistant coach Dan Lambert and public relations coordinator Kevin Parnell. Astral sales guru Peter Angle completed our foursome.

The part I enjoy most about the alumni golf tournament is rubbing shoulders with former Rockets players. In this case, Toronto Maple Leafs d-man Luke Schenn and his younger brother Brayden pose with me for a pic.

One of my personal highlites was watching former Rockets d-man Nolan Yonkman provide some comic relief while playing the role of auctioneer at the banquet afterwards.

More thoughts from the tournament later.

Things that make me go hmm...

• No word yet on how well Adam Brown preformed at the LA Kings development camp this week, but the fact that the 19 year-old goaltender was given a chance to show his stuff at the pro level was well deserved. Brown may have established himself this season as an elite goaltender at the WHL level, but his size will leave doubt in the minds of many scouts in the pro ranks. Those doubts may have been extinguished with a solid camp with the Kings.


• You would think Rockets goaltending coach Kim Dillabaugh played a role in getting Brown a free agent invite to Kings camp. Dillabaugh knows Brown's game inside-out and it doesn't hurt that 'Dilly' is a goaltending coach with the Kings either.


• Has a goaltender ever been named a captain of a WHL team? The Roberto Luongo experiment didn't go over so well with the Vancouver Canucks, but Brown would be as good a candidate as any to wear the 'C' on his jersey if the organization ever went in that bold direction. It won't happen, but Brown is a tremendous leader with solid communication skills. He isn't the quirky type that most goaltenders exhibit in their personalities as they stand in front of pucks whistling at their head at 100 miles an hour. Not easily rattled, the soon to be 20 year-old will be a tremendous influence in that Rockets dressing room this season regardless of whether he has a letter on his jersey.


• Ok, enough about Brown. Teammate Geordie Wudrick is getting a final crack at playing pro. A prospects camp with the Buffalo Sabres allowed him one last chance to show that he belongs. If not, Wudrick has already committed to a Canadian university this fall if his pro aspirations fall through.


• I found it interesting to read that Buffalo Sabres pbp man Rick Jeanerette will be calling 57 of the Sabres 82 games this NHL season. Jeanerette is entering his 40th season at the helm. That my friends is an amazing run with one team.


• It is a busy couple of weeks for Rockets' related golf tournaments in Kelowna. The Rockets alumni tourney is coming up July 21st followed by the Rockets-Astral-Prospera Place golf tourney on July 28th. Both events are fun to attend. It is great getting together with former players and finding out what they are up too. The most interesting stories are often times the players that have found different career paths outside of hockey. Don't get me wrong, it is still pretty cool to be body checked in the buffet line by Shea Weber or Luke Schenn, but seeing players venturing successfully in different directions in their life is as impressive as the fortunate few that are earning an NHL paycheck.


• If their are two arena's I am looking forward to traveling to this season it is Victoria and Moose Jaw. Moose Jaw? When has that ever slipped out of my mouth? Never! But now that the new arena is complete in the 'Jaw', the Rockets will have a chance to skate on the new ice in early December. The trek to Victoria for the first time is in early October.


• The loss of the Chilliwack Bruins to Victoria puts a wrench into our broadcast travel plans this season. Colour Analyst Gord McGarva would often join me for the quick trip to Chilliwack for mid-week and weekend games, but not any more. Now that Victoria is back in the league, my trusty side kick won't be in the booth for games there, nor as many games in Vancouver either. The Rockets schedule often has the team playing on back-to-back night's in Victoria (often Friday and Saturday) and then playing a game against the Giants on the way home. Leaving a day earlier for a game in Victoria to catch a ferry means I will be doing more road games solo this season.

Go...Go..Girgensons!

The Kelowna Rockets went to the United States Hockey League to grab a forward in today's Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
The Rockets selected Latvia born Zemgus Girgensons with the 54th pick in the opening round.
Girgensons played with Dubuque of the USHL last season, scoring 21 goals and collecting 49 points in 51 regular season games.

He also participated in the USHL All-Star game.
The 1994 born player was a +7 and scored 9 power play goals.
Girgensons is 6'1 and 187 pounds.

He has committed to the U of Vermont, but the Rockets will obviously attempt to persuade him to change his mind.

A WHL broadcaster says goodbye

Change is inevitable.
Change in hockey is common place.
Coaches get fired, get promoted or simply don't have their contracts renewed.
The front office shuffle in hockey is common place but changes in the broadcast booth don't happen often.
The most recent change came with the news that Everett Silvertips play-by-play caller Jon Rosen was pulling his microphone out of the wall after four seasons at the helm.
I admit it took me by surprise.
Rosen loved the Tips and never had a bad thing to say about them. Not one. He was a faithful guy who wanted to win as badly as the players and coaches within the organization.
Personally, I am sad to see him leave but know full well he will land on his feet in better shape then when he left.
Rosen is a pro, personable and well liked by his peers.
One thing is for certain.
The next broadcaster who lands in Everett is in for a treat. A great organization that plays in front of one of the best crowds in arguably one of the top three buildings in the WHL.
Let the resumes destined for Everett begin. The lucky candidate is in for a treat.

We all make mistakes

I had to chuckle at this picture that was found on various websites today after Clint Malarchuk was named the goaltending coach for the Calgary Flames.
The picture above is not Clint Malarchuk but it is Garth Malarchuk who accepted the head coaching duties with the Kelowna Rockets in 1998.
Oops!

Rockets in final three

The Kelowna Rockets organization will tangle with two other teams to see who will be awarded the 2013 Memorial Cup.

The Rockets will compete against bids from Red Deer and Saskatoon.

All three teams will make presentations to league governors in October.

Lethbridge and Prince George failed to make the top three.

The Cougars say lagging attendance was a factor is why they didn't make the short list.

Finley likes Winnipeg back in NHL

I spoke to Jeff Finley, a retired NHL player who makes his home in Kelowna, about the NHL coming back to Winnipeg.
Finley is a former assistant coach with the Kelowna Rockets and is now a scout with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. Finley is a former Winnipeg Jets defenceman, suiting up for just one season during the 1995-96 campaign.
Finley had these thoughts about the NHL returning to the Manitoba capital.
"I was there for just one season but I enjoyed my time there. The people there are fantastic. They are die hard hockey fans. It is great for Canada to have another NHL team. It's called friendly Manitoba for a reason and their are truly great people there."

Finley remembers the sad faces in the Winnipeg Arena as the team said goodbye in their final home game.
"It was a story that carried on all year. The fans knew the team was going to move. It was inevitable at the end of the season. You definitely felt their pain. You knew how upset they were that they were losing their team. You really felt it in the playoffs. They had the famous white out there and we had a great six game series with the Detroit Red Wings and the fans were outstanding. I have, never to this day, been in a building that was that loud in Winnipeg."

Why will the NHL work in Winnipeg this time?
"I compare it to the situation in Minnesota. When I played in the league years ago, Minnesota had a team and their were often night's where we went in there and they couldn't have had more than four or five thousand people in the building. The team ended up moving to Dallas but years later they got an expansion franchise back in Minnesota, with a brand new building, and now you can't get a ticket."

Will players been enthused in playing in Winnipeg?

"It doesn't sound great. It was tough. I enjoyed it there but the winter's there are miserable. It's freezing cold like everybody knows. Players won't be overly excited about the weather but the opportunity to play back in Canada where its hockey everyday will get them excited. They are making lots of money..they will be fine going back to Winnipeg."

As for a new name for the team, Finley doesn't have a problem with them keeping it as is by calling them the 'Winnipeg Jets'.

Ice captain knew it was coming

Dustin Sylvester isn't surprised.

The 22 year-old knew the Ice had the potential of winning a Western Hockey League title.

Unfortunately for him, they did it a season after he graduated as one of three overage players.

The Kelowna resident was part of the process, but would have liked nothing more than enjoying the fruits of Kootenay's labour in winning the league crown this season. The Kelowna residents birth certificate proved to be the stumbling block as he watched the teams magic ride through the post season from afar.

Sylvester spent five seasons with the Kootenay Ice and captained the team in his 20 year-old season. Outside of just four players currently on the Ice' roster, Sylvester went to battle with all of them.

"Pretty much everyone was coming back from last year, so it is the luck of the draw that I was there for five years and this was their year to do it. I kinda missed out, but I have a lot of good friends on that team and am glad to see them go that far".

Sylvester led the Ice in scoring (35+58=93) in 2009-2010, but admits the organizations always preached work ethic over individual results.

"I think it shows how good of a team they were when you look at the stats. When you have four guys with 27 points in the playoffs, you can't complain with that".

Sylvester is one alumnus that would encourage other players concerned about playing in the CHL's second smallest centre to put those fears behind them.

"Kootenay hasn't missed the playoffs in what, ten or 11 years or something? I enjoyed playing there. It is a small team....it isn't a big city so the guys are really close. The furthest guy from you is about a five minute drive. That is one of the reasons alone why they have been so successful".

Sylvester played this past season in Europe but is contemplating whether to return or play North American hockey this fall.

Rockets look at hosting MC for second time

The Kelowna Rockets will bid to host the 2013 Memorial Cup.
The Rockets will join Red Deer, Prince George, Lethbridge and Saskatoon as teams that have confirmed they will make bid presentations to WHL governors in October.
The Rockets hosted the Memorial Cup in 2004 while Saskatoon previously hosted the event in 1989.
Lethbridge and Red Deer have never hosted the ten day tournament.

Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton (pictured), is in Mississauga representing the WHL as the Chairman of the Board.

Rockets part ways with imports

The Kelowna Rockets will make two selections in next months Canadian Hockey League import draft.
The Rockets have parted ways with 19 year-old Andreas Stene and 18 year-old Gal Koren.
Stene (pictured far right) scored just two goals in 55 regular season games despite captaining Norway at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Stene participated in just four playoff games.
Koren saw limited ice time, playing in 33 regular season games where he scored just one goal.
Koren also played for Slovenia in Division 1 at the WJC.
Koren saw action is just three games in the post season.