Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets
open a three game road trip tonight in Victoria. This is the 5th
meeting of the season between these two teams. The seasonal series is tied at
two wins apiece with the Rockets winning 6-4 and 5-1 but the Royals have won
the last two games by scores of 6-2 and 2-1. Overall, the Rockets have
out-scored their BC Division rivals 14-13. The Rockets are coming off a 3-2
shootout win Saturday night over the Kamloops Blazers. Reid Gardiner and Nick
Merkley scored in regulation time while Kole Lind scored the game winner in the
shootout as the team snapped a four game winless streak. Brodan Salmond earned
the win in goal and was 5 for 6 in the shootout. In the big picture the Rockets
have won 5 of its last 9 games (5-3-1-0) and have points in 7 of its last 10
games (5-3-2-0). These two teams meet again Friday before the Rockets travel to
Everett to face the Silvertips in a Monday (Martin Luther King Day) afternoon
affair on January 16th.
That’s a Fact Jack: Carsen Twarynski is a
third round NHL pick of the Philadelphia Flyers and had a career season with
20+25+45 in 2015-2016. Twarynski had a three goal game last season against the
Red Deer Rebels…Did you know that Rockets assistant coach Kris Mallette was a 3rd
round pick also of the Flyers back in 1997?...Reid Gardiner won a Saskatchewan
Midget Hockey League title with ex-Kelowna Rockets forward Rourke Chartier when
they both played with the Saskatoon Contacts in 2011-2012…Gardiner was acquired
on the exact same day, two years removed, from the Rockets obtaining Leon
Draisaitl’s rights from the PA Raiders…Reid and Erik Gardiner are the 6th
set of Rockets brothers to play with one another. They join Kiel and Gavin
McLeod, Lucas and Evan Bloodoff, Josh and Jake Morrissey, Joe and Danny Gatenby
and Cal and Nolan Foote...Tomas Soustal
and Calvin Thurkauf both missed 8 games with the Kelowna Rockets while
attending the World Junior’s. The Rockets were 4-2-2-0 without two of their top
forwards…Dillon Dube missed 10 games after playing for Team Canada at the WJHC…The
Rockets are 13-5-3-0 in their last 21 games and have points in 14 of their last
18 (11-4-3-0)….Defenceman Cal Foote and forward Kole Lind have been named to
the roster for the CHL Top Prospects game. Foote is one of only two players on
the Rockets roster to play in every game this season. The other is Rodney
Southam. Lind leads the team in scoring. The Top Prospects game will be played
in Quebec City.
Gardiner X2: The Kelowna Rockets
pulled off a significant deal last Friday by acquiring 20 year-old forward Reid
Gardiner from the Prince Albert Raiders. Gardiner is the older brother of
rookie forward Erik Gardiner. Reid Gardiner was playing this season in the
American Hockey League for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Last season,
Gardiner scored 43 goals and collected 92 assists and was named a WHL All-Star.
To make room for Gardiner, the team sent 20 year-old Riley Stadel to the
Edmonton Oil Kings for a 5th round bantam pick.
Trade Winds Blow: The Kelowna Rockets
made two other deals in advance of the WHL trade deadline on Tuesday. The
Rockets acquired 19 year-old forward Carsen Twarynski and a conditional third
round bantam pick for 18 year-old Jake Kryski. The team shipped 18 year-old
Jordan Borstmayer to the Vancouver Giants for a 5th round bantam
pick.
Broadcasters Bits: Kole Lind has 3+4=7
vs Victoria this season. Rodney Southam (4+0) and Tomas Soustal (1+3=4) have
also contributed on the scoresheet against their BC Division cousins…Michael
Herringer has played in all four games against the Royals, posting a record of
2 and 2 with a goals against average of 3.27…GM Bruce Hamilton has traded/released
six players from the teams opening day roster..
Kole
Lind had his 13 game point streak snapped December 18th against the Edmonton
Oil Kings. It is the longest point streak by a Rockets player this season …Calvin
Thurkauf was named the WHL Player of the Week December 7th to 11th …The
Rockets were 8-3-2-0 in December...The Rockets were 6-4-0-0 in 10 games in
November after going 8-4-0-0 in 12 games in October…The Rockets are the only
team in the WHL that has failed to surrender a shorthanded goal against this
season…The Rockets are 7-9-0-0 against BC based teams this season…Michael Herringer has started in 25 of
the last 33 games…The Rockets are 8-0-2-0 against U.S Division teams this
season…January Birthdays: Devante Stephens turned 19 on Monday. Reid Gardiner
turns 21 on January 19th along with assistant coach Kris Mallette while
Michael Herringer (Jan 26th) also has a birthday in January.
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
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