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| Shoot the Breeze Photography |
Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets
are in their 27th year of existence since coming into the Western
Hockey League as an expansion franchise in 1991. After four seasons in Tacoma,
the team relocated to Kelowna in 1995-96, where the team has spent the last 22
years in the Okanagan. The team has four WHL championships (2003, 2005, 2009,
2015) and have missed the playoffs only once in their existence. The hockey
club has made four straight appearances in the Western Conference final and has
registered 40 or more wins in five consecutive seasons.
Rockets/Royals
Preview: This
is the second of eight meetings between these two teams this season. The
Rockets are 0-1-0-0 after a 8-3 home ice loss back October 4th. Regan Nagy had
three goals in the win. The Rockets were 6-2-0-0 against the Royals last season
and are 14-10-1-0 in the last 25 regular season appearances between the two
teams.
Rockets face
Russians: Three
members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to Team WHL for the CIBC
Canada-Russia series. Dillon Dube, Kole Lind and Cal Foote will play in two
games against the touring Russian team on November 6th in Moose Jaw
and again November 7th in Swift Current. Dube is the WHL captain. Sixteen
year-old defenceman Kaedan Korczak and Rockets goalie prospect Roman Basran are
competing at Hockey Canada’s World Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson
Creek/Fort St. John November 5-11th. Rockets assistant coach Travis Crickard will
be a member of the coaching staff of one of three Canadian teams
participating.
Broadcasters Notebook:
This
is somewhat of a homecoming for three members of the Kelowna Rockets. Kyle
Topping is from Salt Spring Island while rookies Ted Brennan is from Victoria
and Kyle Pow is from Nanaimo…Carsen Twarynski has 6 goals in his last four games…Head
Coach Jason Smith turned 44 yesterday….James Porter has started in 8 of the
last 10 games…Kyle Topping has goals in five of his last 9 games … The Rockets
boast one first round NHL draft pick and two second rounders. Cal Foote was
chosen 14th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in June while Kole
Lind (2nd round (33rd) Canucks - 2017) and Dillon Dube (2nd
round (56th) Flames - 2016) were picked in the second round….Nolan
Foote, last season’s rookie of the year, is not eligible to be drafted until
June 2019…The Rockets are 3 and 2 in overtime with game winners coming from
Kole Lind, Dillon Dube and Carsen Twarynski. The only loss in OT came against
the Tri City Americans and Portland Winterhawks…The Rockets are 4-1-1-0 in the
second of back-to-back games….November birthdays include Kyle Topping (Nov 18th),
Carsen Twarynski (Nov 24th) and Nolan Foote (Nov 29th)…The
Rockets make a return visit to Victoria February 9th and 10th.
Who’s Hot? Leif Mattson has
goals in three of his last four games.…Carsen Twarynski has goals in three of
his last four games and has 6 goals over that stretch…Kyle Topping has points
in four of his last five games (2+4=6) and has points in 7 of his last 9 games…Cal
Foote has two goals in four games.
Milestones: Dillon Dube is 5
assists shy of 100 in his career…Kole Lind hit the 100 assist mark Saturday
against Prince George…Carsen Twarynski played in his 200th career
game last Saturday against the Cougars…James Hilsendager is 5 games shy of 200
for his career.
Roster
Stats:
Player
total:
25
Year by
Year Breakdown:
20’s (1997) – 3 Ballhorn, Twarynski, Hilsendager
19’s (1998) - 4 Salmond, Lind, Dube, Cal Foote,
Chizen
18’s (1999) - 6 Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell, Skvrne
17’s (2000) - 10
Porter, Nolan Foote, Belcourt,
Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, McGauley, Kushniryk, Pow, Hair
16’s (2001) - 2 Korczak, Basran
NHL
Drafted Players: Cal
Foote (Tampa Bay 2017), Kole Lind (Vancouver 2017), Dillon Dube (Calgary 2016),
Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia 2016), Brayden Chizen (Minnesota 2016).
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
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