Game notes vs. Broncos

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets look for their 11^th straight home ice win tonight against the visiting Swift Current Broncos. The Rockets have out-scored the opposition 46-12 over that stretch. This is the only meeting of the season between the Rockets and Broncos. They met December 9/2011 in a 4-3 shootout loss in Swift Current. Zach Franko, MacKenzie Johnston and Brett Bulmer scored in the loss. The Broncos last appearance at Prospera Place was December 8/2010 in a 4-1 win. The Broncos erupted for three-third period goals in the win. Cody Chikie scored in a losing cause. Overall, the Rockets have four regulation losses in their last eighteen games (13-4-0-1) with setbacks to Tri City (3-2) twice by the same score, a 5-3 loss in Edmonton October 27^th and a 4-2 setback in Seattle Saturday night. The Rockets have won ten of their last thirteen games overall. The Rockets host Prince George Saturday night before heading out on an Alberta road trip before Christmas.    

Team Canada Calls Kelowna: Captain Colton Sissons has been named to the training camp roster for the Canadian World Junior team. Main camp is next week in Calgary. Sissons is trying to become the 12^th player in the organization to play for Canada at the WJHC. The Rockets have been well represented on Team Canada, with 17 players, coaches and medical staff. Current assistant coach Dan Lambert played for Canada at the 1989 tournament in Alaska.   

This and That: The Rockets won 18 straight home games during the 2002-2003 season…Myles Bell is four points shy of 150 for his WHL career…Bell and line-mate Dylen McKinlay are the only two Rockets to play in every game this season…The Rockets have led going into the third period in 16 of their last 20 games with one game being tied heading into the final frame.…The Rockets have allowed seven power play goals against in their last thirteen games….The Rockets have six power play goal in their last fourteen games (6 for 45 over that span)….The Rockets have seventeen wins in 28 games this season….In the Rockets 17 wins, Myles Bell has earned 31 points (13+18=31). Of the 83 goals scored by the team in those seventeen wins, Bell has been in on 31 of them….Bell has 18+23=41 after 28 games, the same total number of points he had all of last season…The Rockets have scored 87 goals in their last twenty games....Jordon Cooke was named the CHL/Vaughn Goaltender of the Week for October 22-28th. Cooke had two wins last week which included a shutout and a save percentage of .967…Ryan Olsen played in his 150^th career WHL game Nov 3^rd against visiting Prince George…Ryan Huska recorded his 200^th WHL regular season victory last Saturday against the visiting Saskatoon Blades…The Rockets are 11 and 2 after 13 home games this season…Madison Bowey (10), Mitch Wheaton (22) are rated among the top skaters in the WHL by NHL Central Scouting for June’s draft. Jackson Whistle is ranked 7^th among WHL goalies…Austin Glover (Team Western), Rourke Chartier (Team Western) and Riley Stadel (Team Pacific) will all play at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in late December in Quebec. The Rockets have out-scored the opposition 59-21 on home ice this season…The Rockets are one of six teams in the WHL with over 100 goals scored this season (111). Last season the team scored 217 times....Zach Franko had 3+4=7 after 26 games last season. This season the Winnipeg resident has 11+16=27 after 26 games.

Who’s Hot: Myles Bell had 16 points in November (8+8=16). Bell has 17 points in his last nine games. Colton Sissons is riding a seven game point streak (1+7=8). Ryan Olsen has (7+3=10) in his last nine games. Zach Franko has 2+8=10 in last seven games. Tyson Baillie has 2+5=7 in last ten games. 

Man Games Lost to Injury = 78 games lost

J.T Barnett: 21 games lost     Mitchell Chapman: 28 games lost

Carter Rigby: 12 games lost   Zach Franko: 2 games lost

MacKenzie Johnston: 13 games lost   Jordon Cooke: 2 games lost

Three Stars:

Myles Bell leads the Rockets in three star-balloting with 9. Bell has been named the second star a team leading six times…Jordon Cooke has been named a star 7 times, with a team leading three – first star appearances. Zach Franko has also been named a star 7 times.       

Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets traded 18 year-old Filip Vasko to the Red Deer Rebels last Wednesday for a 6^th round bantam pick. It marks the 8^th player move the team has made this season. Four players have been acquired since September (McKinlay, Whistle, Barnett, Fowlie) and four have been sent elsewhere (Vasko, Ferguson, Moar, Coyle.)