Game notes vs. Cougars

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play their 4^th home game of the season tonight when they welcome the Prince George Cougars to Prospera Place. The Rockets lone win in three home games came against the Vancouver Giants in a 7-0 victory back on October 3^rd. The Rockets have lost 3-2 to Kamloops and 6-4 to Spokane on home ice. This is the third meeting of the season between the Rockets and Cougars. These two teams met October 5^th and 6^th in Prince George, with the Cougars winning 6-3 before the Rockets rebounded with a 7-5 win. Following tonight’s game, these two teams won’t play one another until November 3rd when the Cougars make a return visit. Last season the Rockets were 2-2-0-0 in four home games and out-scored their BC Division rivals 12-10 in those four home dates. Overall, the Rockets have won three of their last six games.

This and That: Myles Bell leads the WHL in scoring by defenceman. Bell has 6+11=17 in ten games this season…Bell leads the Rockets in both goals (6) and assists (11)….Amazingly, only one of Bell’s six goals have come on the power play…Ryan Olsen leads the team in power play goals with three. Last season Colton Sissons led the team in power play goals with 13…Dylen McKinlay has a four game point streak. McKinlay has 2+5=7 in his last four games…Myles Bell has 5+15=15 in his last seven games….Colton Sissons had his season high six game point streak snapped Saturday in a 3-2 loss in Victoria. Sissons had 5+7=12 over that period…The Rockets are 4-5-0-1 after ten games this season. They were 3-6-0-1 after ten games last season…Five of the Rockets first ten games have been decided by a single goal….The Rockets were involved in a whopping 37-one goal games last season…In November the team plays eight of 11 games on home ice…Dylen McKinlay has four multiple point games this season and has eleven points in his last seven games (3+8=11)…Zach Franko didn’t play Saturday in Victoria, snapping his consecutive game streak at 153 straight regular season games…Jackson Whistle earned his first win in a Rockets uniform Friday in a 4-1 victory over the Royals…Rookie Cole Linaker earned his first career WHL point Saturday with an assist.  Tyrell Goulbourne, J.T Barnett and rookie Austin Glover are the only three skaters that have failed to find the score sheet this season.       

Let’s Make a Deal: The Kelowna Rockets traded 17 year-old Austin Ferguson to the Red Deer Rebels last Wednesday for a condition WHL bantam pick. Ferguson was a 10^th round pick in the 2010 draft. Ferguson was second in pre-season scoring but dressed in only two of seven games this season.

Rockets Prospects Recognized: Two prospects with the Kelowna Rockets will participate in the upcoming Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup. Nick Merkley will play for Team Alberta while Joe Gatenby will suit up for Team BC. Merkley was the Rockets 1^st round pick in the 2012 WHL bantam draft while Gatenby was taken in the second round. The U-16 Challenge Cup takes place Nov 1^st to 4^th in Calgary.   

Milestone Makers:

Zach Franko played in his 150^th career game October 5/12 in Prince George.

Dylen McKinlay played in his 250^th career WHL regular season game September 22/2012

Ryan Olsen is five games shy of 150 for his career. This is game #146 tonight.

Myles Bell has played 199 career WHL games. This is game #200 tonight.

J.T Barnett has scored 46 career WHL goals.

Colton Sissons has 95 career points.

Three Stars       1^st      2^nd        3^rd    

Jordon Cooke:   2                     1    

Colton Sissons: 1         1

Madison Bowey:                       1

Zach Franko:               1            1           

Myles Bell:         1        1           1

Rourke Chartier:                        1       

Dylen McKinlay            1

Damon Severson                      1