Rockets look to snap streak vs. Blazers

Shoot the Breeze Photography

•    Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets will try to snap a season high three game losing streak this afternoon against the Kamloops Blazers. This is the fourth meeting of the season between the two teams with the Rockets sporting a record of 0-2-1-0 in the opening three games, having been out-scored 10-5 in the process. After this matinee affair, the two teams meet again this Saturday at Prospera Place. Over the last five seasons, the home team has dominated the seasonal series. The Rockets are 10-5-0-0 at Prospera Place yet are 6-8-2-1 at Sandman Centre. Kyle Topping, Liam Kindree, Nolan Foote and Leif Mattson lead the team in scoring in the seasonal series against the Blazers with two points each. Foote has yet to score a goal in the three games. The Rockets are coming off a 6-1 loss in Spokane Saturday night. Mark Liwiski scored the lone goal in the loss. The Rockets surrendered a season high 55 shot on goal in that game.

·       Player Move: The Rockets solidified the goaltending situation, sending 19 year-old James Porter to the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. Porter was beat out for the backup job by 18 year-old Cole Schwebius. Porter played in 72 regular season games with the Rockets but was a healthy scratch for all 15 games this season. 

·      Sign here please: Dillon Hamaliuk signed an entry level contract with the San Jose Sharks October 25^th. Hamaliuk was chosen in the 2^nd round by the Sharks in June’s NHL Draft. The 19 year-old joins Nolan Foote, who was signed by Tampa Bay back on June 25^th.     

·       Nolan Named Captain: Nolan Foote was named the 25^th captain in franchise history (Tacoma+Kelowna) October 18th. Foote joins brother Cal, who captained the Rockets during the 2017-2018 season. Both are first round selections of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning too. The Rockets selected Foote in the second round, 42^nd overall in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. This is Foote’s fourth and likely final season in the WHL.    

·      Who’s Hot: The Rockets own the second best power play unit in the WHL with 20 goals this season. Only Medicine Hat and Kamloops (21) have scored more times…Alex Swetlikoff has goals in three of his last four games…Nolan Foote is riding a four game point streak (2+5=7)…Pavel Novak has points in 5 of his last 6 games (4+3=7). Novak leads the WHL in rookie scoring with 10+11=21…Leif Mattson has three goals in his last four games.

·      Broadcasters Notebook: Kobe Mohr plays his first game against his old team this afternoon. The 20 year-old played 73 regular season games with the Blazers and was in the lineup against Kelowna back on September 27^th….Leif Mattson is four games shy of 200 for his career….Equipment Manager Chaydyn Johnson has returned from the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Medicine Hat/Swift Current. Johnson was behind the bench of Team Red which placed 5^th…Nolan Foote, Dillon Hamaliuk and Kaedan Korczak will play for Team WHL this week in the Canada-Russia Series. The games are Wednesday and Thursday in Prince Albert and Saskatoon…Pavel Novak is a ‘C’ prospect for next June’s NHL Draft. Those rankings released by NHL Central Scouting. A ‘C’ prospect is regarded as a player selected between the 5^th and 7th round. The 2020 NHL Entry Draft will be held in Montreal.