Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets
open a six game road trip tonight in Seattle against the T-Birds. This is the
third meetings of the season between the two teams. The Rockets suffered a 4-1
loss at ShoWare Center back on October 6th. The Rockets trailed 2-1
after 40 minutes and fired 45 shots on net but only Kyle Topping was able to
score. On October 10th, the T-Birds earned a 9-6 win. Leif Mattson
had 2+2=4 in the setback. Following tonight’s game, the two teams close out the
seasonal series in Kelowna January 30th. The Rockets enter the game
riding a season high three game winning streak. All three wins have been
decided by a single goal including a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings
Saturday at Prospera Place. Kyle Topping scored the game winner. This is game
one of six straight on the road. The team is in Portland for back-to-back games
tomorrow and Sunday before traveling to Prince George for a game Wednesday and
then two games in Alberta, with stops in Red Deer and Edmonton.
Broadcasters Notebook:
Kyle
Topping is riding an 11 game point streak. Topping has 6+10=16 over that
period….Forward Nolan Foote played for Team WHL in the 2018 CIBC Canada/Russia
series earlier this week in Kamloops and Vancouver….Nolan Foote has 8 goals in
his last 7 games…The Rockets have 931 wins as a franchise since relocating from
Tacoma to Kelowna for the 1995-96 season …Five members of the Kelowna Rockets
have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to watch’ list. Forward
Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first round candidate. Kaedan Korczak
is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is projected to be selected in the second or
third round. Roman Basran, Kyle Topping and Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospect,
which means they could be taken in the third to the seventh round…. The Rockets
have failed to open the scoring in 12 of the 17 games this season….The Rockets
have trailed going onto the third period in 10 of the games 17 games….Connor
Bruggen-Cate has points in 5 of his last 9 games (2+5=7)…Kaedan Korczak has points
in 6 of his last 8 games (2+6=8)…Liam Kindree has points in 5 of his last 6
games (2+9=11)….Adam Foote was officially named the new head coach of the
Kelowna Rockets on October 23, 2018 replacing Jason Smith. Foote earned his
first WHL coaching victory that night in the Rockets 3-2 win over the Swift
Current Broncos. Foote played 1,154 games in the NHL with the Colorado
Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Quebec Nordiques. Foote is also a two
time Stanley Cup champion.
Trade Winds: The Rockets traded 18
year-old Wil Kushniryk to the Tri City Americans on October 22, 2018 for a 5th
round bantam pick. Kushniryk was pointless in four games this season. The
Rockets acquired 20 year-old defenceman Dalton Galley October 10, 2018 from the
Medicine Hat Tigers for a 10th round bantam pick. The hockey club
acquired 18 year-old forward Michael Farren October 11th from the
Saskatoon Blades for a third round WHL bantam pick. The Rockets also made a
trade with the Victoria Royals Saturday September 29th. The team
acquired 20 year-old Lane Zablocki for a conditional 7th round and
conditional 4th round bantam draft pick.
Season Highs/Lows:
Most goals scored: 8 @ Victoria October
19/18 (8-2 W)
Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October
10th, 2018 (9-6 L)
Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October
6th, 2018 (4-1 L).
Fewest shots on net: 21 vs. Vancouver
October 3rd, 2018 (5-0 L)
Most shots allowed: 39 @ Prince George
September 29th, 2018 (5-2 W)
Fewest shots allowed:
20 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)
Last time shut out: October 3rd, 2018 vs.
Vancouver (5-0 L)
Most power play goals
allowed: 4
vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L). T-Birds were 4/5 on power
play.
Most power play goals
scored:
4 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)
Roster
Stats:
Player
total:
24
Year by
Year Breakdown:
20’s (1998) – 3 Gally, Zablocki, Chizen
19’s (1999) - 5 Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate,
Cowell
18’s (2000) - 9 Farren, Thomson,
Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Pow, Steffler,
17’s (2001) - 6
Korczak, Crosbie, Basran, Liwiski,
Wilton, Augustine
16’s (2002) - 1 Ernst
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
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