The Kelowna Rockets selected only one goaltender in Western Hockey League Bantam Draft in May.
The Rockets took Moose Jaw resident Thomas Spence with one of three 5th round picks.
Spence admits he too was surprised that the Rockets drafted him.
"I had no idea I was going to get drafted," Spence told me this morning before an on ice session.
"I said to myself, now that I am going to Kelowna I guess I have to cheer a little less for the Warriors now", Spence added with a chuckle.
The 6 foot 2 goaltender will play midget hockey this season in Moose Jaw before hoping to make a strong bid with the Rockets next season.
"I try to use my size to my advantage. I think I am fundamentally strong and my stick handling and passing is pretty good. I just need to work on my down low movement".
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Future on display
The Kelowna Rockets made ten selections at the Western Hockey League bantam draft in May and eight of those ten players will show their stuff for the first time when on-ice sessions at rookie camp open Thursday at Prospera Place.
The Rockets first round pick, Rourke Chartier from Saskatoon, will be there along with second round pick Austin Glover, who hails from Clavet Saskatchewan.
The two no-shows at rookie camp will be 15 year-old forward Gordon Wasteste and the Rockets 7th round pick from this summers draft, American born Johnny Walker. Wasteste broke his femur last season while Walker has already registered for school.
The Rockets selected only one goaltender in the 2011 draft, Thomas Spence from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan in the 5th round.
Spence, at 6 foot 2, was acquired when the Rockets obtained a 5th round bantam pick from the Swift Current Broncos for defenceman Kyle Verdino.
In total, 160 players will participate at rookie camp, which seems like a large number but not enough to confuse the watchful eye of Frey and his scouting staff.
The draft class of 2011 consists of six forwards, three defenceman and a goaltender....with four of the teams selections coming from Saskatchewan, with three from BC, and one each Alberta, Manitoba and Phoenix Arizona.
The Rockets first round pick, Rourke Chartier from Saskatoon, will be there along with second round pick Austin Glover, who hails from Clavet Saskatchewan.
The two no-shows at rookie camp will be 15 year-old forward Gordon Wasteste and the Rockets 7th round pick from this summers draft, American born Johnny Walker. Wasteste broke his femur last season while Walker has already registered for school.
The Rockets selected only one goaltender in the 2011 draft, Thomas Spence from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan in the 5th round.
Spence, at 6 foot 2, was acquired when the Rockets obtained a 5th round bantam pick from the Swift Current Broncos for defenceman Kyle Verdino.
In total, 160 players will participate at rookie camp, which seems like a large number but not enough to confuse the watchful eye of Frey and his scouting staff.
The draft class of 2011 consists of six forwards, three defenceman and a goaltender....with four of the teams selections coming from Saskatchewan, with three from BC, and one each Alberta, Manitoba and Phoenix Arizona.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Yonkman thirsting to get back in NHL full time
Nolan Yonkman wants to play in the National Hockey League full time.
The 30 year-old believes his chances are better now after signing a two way contract with the Florida Panthers this summer.
"I had a great time with Phoenix last year and I saw some games again in the National Hockey League. We are excited to go to Florida. I got a two year deal there and I am looking forward to it. I hope they have a good position for me there, get in some games and get back in the door to the NHL".
Despite being 6 foot 6 and closing in on 250 pounds, Yonkman has only seen spot duty in the NHL since he graduated from the Western Hockey League in 2001. It makes you wonder how a player that big can't find full time employment at the elite level.
"Timing. Teams want to develop their younger guys. I've turned 30 this year but as a defensive defenceman I might be playing my best hockey right now. Early in my career with Washington I kinda hit an injury bug there for a few years so it may have closed my window with them a bit. I'm feeling good and I hope I get an opportunity to play".
Yonkman played four seasons with the Kelowna Rockets from 1996 until 2000 before being traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Yonkman has the bragging rights of being the first Rockets player to score a goal at Prospera Place.
The 30 year-old believes his chances are better now after signing a two way contract with the Florida Panthers this summer.
"I had a great time with Phoenix last year and I saw some games again in the National Hockey League. We are excited to go to Florida. I got a two year deal there and I am looking forward to it. I hope they have a good position for me there, get in some games and get back in the door to the NHL".
Despite being 6 foot 6 and closing in on 250 pounds, Yonkman has only seen spot duty in the NHL since he graduated from the Western Hockey League in 2001. It makes you wonder how a player that big can't find full time employment at the elite level.
"Timing. Teams want to develop their younger guys. I've turned 30 this year but as a defensive defenceman I might be playing my best hockey right now. Early in my career with Washington I kinda hit an injury bug there for a few years so it may have closed my window with them a bit. I'm feeling good and I hope I get an opportunity to play".
Yonkman played four seasons with the Kelowna Rockets from 1996 until 2000 before being traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Yonkman has the bragging rights of being the first Rockets player to score a goal at Prospera Place.
Monday, August 22, 2011
NHL'ers in Kelowna prepare for training camp
Wade Redden was seen working out this morning at the Capital News Centre. Redden will again play in the AHL with Hartford this season.
Nashville Predators d-man Shea Weber works out as Blake Comeau (right) of the New York Islanders and Josh Gorges (left) of the Montreal Canadiens look on.
I spoke with the newest member of the Calgary Flames, Scott Hannan. Hannan signed a one year deal worth one million earlier this month.
You can't help but look up to this guy. At 6'6, Nolan Yonkman enters the season with a new two-way contract with the Florida Panthers. Thursday, August 18, 2011
Rockets ice should be better than ever
A sure sign that the hockey season is almost here.
The ice at Prospera Place officially goes in Friday and the smiles on the faces of hockey fans in anticipation of the Kelowna Rockets training camp beginning next week are evident.
Prospera Place General Manager Wayne Pansegrau is in charge of making sure the ice is one of the best in the entire WHL.
"We've given ourselves four to five days this year, so we have given ourselves a little more time. Normally we would do it in a three day span. We like to get it in a day before training camp so we can get a skate on it before the Rockets rookies get on it for training camp on the 25th."
"For the first two days we just use a hose. Once we have a base down and apply the white paint/water mixture, we seal that in with straight water and probably another eight floods of that. Then we add in our markings like our face-off dots, red line, blue line and then add our advertisements. We switched a couple of years ago to a textile logo which is a reusable fabric logo that we can lay into the ice. It saves us a lot of labour and it enables us to get some more detail to the actual ads."
Pansegrau says the ice at Prospera Place should be better than ever this season.
"It is tough to make good ice with bad water. We have gone to the trouble of installing a brand new reverse osmosis water system in our building this summer. The last couple of years we have been using tap water, which in Kelowna isn't the greatest. When it comes down to making ice our new system will give us a better product to use."
"At the end of the day we want to have the best quality for our main tenant. Like the Rockets who want to be the best team every year, we want to be the best ice crew every year."
Prospera staff have brought in Mike Craig, who's father is the head ice guy for the NHL to help bring in the ice this season.
The ice at Prospera Place officially goes in Friday and the smiles on the faces of hockey fans in anticipation of the Kelowna Rockets training camp beginning next week are evident.
Prospera Place General Manager Wayne Pansegrau is in charge of making sure the ice is one of the best in the entire WHL.
"We've given ourselves four to five days this year, so we have given ourselves a little more time. Normally we would do it in a three day span. We like to get it in a day before training camp so we can get a skate on it before the Rockets rookies get on it for training camp on the 25th."
"For the first two days we just use a hose. Once we have a base down and apply the white paint/water mixture, we seal that in with straight water and probably another eight floods of that. Then we add in our markings like our face-off dots, red line, blue line and then add our advertisements. We switched a couple of years ago to a textile logo which is a reusable fabric logo that we can lay into the ice. It saves us a lot of labour and it enables us to get some more detail to the actual ads."
Pansegrau says the ice at Prospera Place should be better than ever this season.
"It is tough to make good ice with bad water. We have gone to the trouble of installing a brand new reverse osmosis water system in our building this summer. The last couple of years we have been using tap water, which in Kelowna isn't the greatest. When it comes down to making ice our new system will give us a better product to use."
"At the end of the day we want to have the best quality for our main tenant. Like the Rockets who want to be the best team every year, we want to be the best ice crew every year."
Prospera staff have brought in Mike Craig, who's father is the head ice guy for the NHL to help bring in the ice this season.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Rockets import pick a no-show
Kelowna Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton says the teams first pick in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft this summer won't attend training camp next month.
Latvian Zemgus Girgensons was selected by the Rockets 54th overall.
Hamilton told me Girgensons' family has been convinced that he should remain in the USHL with Dubuque this season until the NHL draft is over.
Hamilton says the Rockets second round pick, Philip Vasko, is expected to arrive in Kelowna a week from today.
Latvian Zemgus Girgensons was selected by the Rockets 54th overall.
Hamilton told me Girgensons' family has been convinced that he should remain in the USHL with Dubuque this season until the NHL draft is over.
Hamilton says the Rockets second round pick, Philip Vasko, is expected to arrive in Kelowna a week from today.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Ten questions heading into Rockets training camp
10) How many 16 year-old's will the Rockets carry this season. Three? Four? The safe answer is two considering rookie defenceman Jesse Lees and Madison Bowey are locks to make the opening day roster. Keep your eye on sixteen year-old Austin Ferguson though. A 10th round pick in the 2010 draft, the Abbotsford resident is getting rave reviews from head scout Lorne Frey. Ya, Frey pumps the tires of all the players he drafts but Ferguson has been a pleasant surprise.
9)Will a dark horse emerge at training camp this year? Will an off the map player impress the coaching staff to the point that they have no recourse but to place him on the team? I love those stories. Mitchell Callahan is the best example of a player who walked into camp and landed a job with the team. Adam Brown followed a similiar path. Now he's the Rockets go-to-goaltender.
8) If you are a rookie goaltender at training camp, do you even show up? All kidding aside, but it has to be discouraging to see an exceptional goalie like Adam Brown and then notice that his back up is equally talented. Last year the back up spot to Brown was up for grabs. This season Jordon Cooke's objective is to show he can take over the number one duties when Brown departs.
7) Are the 20 year-old's safe on the Rockets roster? Adam Brown is! You don't trade away an elite goaltender. The Rockets learned that lesson when they dealt Derek Yeomans to Seattle a couple of years ago for Clayton Barthel. Is d-man Kevin Smith or forward Cody Chikie safe? Not so, if Mitchell Callahan returns for his final season of junior eligibility. If 'Cally' comes back, someone has to go and it won't be Brown.
6) How much playing time does Bowey and Lees receive from defensive coach Dan Lambert? A regular shift? If so, those two are going to make their fair share of mistakes in the first half but will be dynamite after Christmas.
5) Who replaces Tyson Barrie? Ok, nobody does. Lees and Bowey will be good d-men down the road, but no one is capable of dominating like Barrie did.
4) Who steps up as the leader right from the start of training camp? Who wants to be the captain? It is a wide open field. You don't demand respect if you want this position. You receive it by the way you carry yourself both on and off the ice.
3) Losing three of your top four point producers from last season means someone has to pick up the slack. Geordie Wudrick, Tyson Barrie and Mitchell Callahan are gone. Look for Brett Bulmer, Zach Franko and Colton Sissons to pull harder on the rope this season. Leading the pack will be Shane McColgan.
2) Two players I'm interested in watching is Jesse Astles and Tyrell Goulbourne. Astles should be a physical force this season while Goulbourne is a heart and soul player that will give you everything he's got. Astles came out of his shell last season and Goulbourne impressed during a late season call up. Those two are the building blocks when it comes to punishing the opposition with a big hit or a fight.
1) Is 19 year-old Max Adolph able to bounce back from a series of concussions? The Saskatoon resident had an injury riddled 2010-2011 season that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Can Adolph afford to take one more blow? He suffered three concussions last season alone. Adolph's health is a huge question mark after playing in just 36 games last season.
9)Will a dark horse emerge at training camp this year? Will an off the map player impress the coaching staff to the point that they have no recourse but to place him on the team? I love those stories. Mitchell Callahan is the best example of a player who walked into camp and landed a job with the team. Adam Brown followed a similiar path. Now he's the Rockets go-to-goaltender.
8) If you are a rookie goaltender at training camp, do you even show up? All kidding aside, but it has to be discouraging to see an exceptional goalie like Adam Brown and then notice that his back up is equally talented. Last year the back up spot to Brown was up for grabs. This season Jordon Cooke's objective is to show he can take over the number one duties when Brown departs.
7) Are the 20 year-old's safe on the Rockets roster? Adam Brown is! You don't trade away an elite goaltender. The Rockets learned that lesson when they dealt Derek Yeomans to Seattle a couple of years ago for Clayton Barthel. Is d-man Kevin Smith or forward Cody Chikie safe? Not so, if Mitchell Callahan returns for his final season of junior eligibility. If 'Cally' comes back, someone has to go and it won't be Brown.
6) How much playing time does Bowey and Lees receive from defensive coach Dan Lambert? A regular shift? If so, those two are going to make their fair share of mistakes in the first half but will be dynamite after Christmas.
5) Who replaces Tyson Barrie? Ok, nobody does. Lees and Bowey will be good d-men down the road, but no one is capable of dominating like Barrie did.
4) Who steps up as the leader right from the start of training camp? Who wants to be the captain? It is a wide open field. You don't demand respect if you want this position. You receive it by the way you carry yourself both on and off the ice.
3) Losing three of your top four point producers from last season means someone has to pick up the slack. Geordie Wudrick, Tyson Barrie and Mitchell Callahan are gone. Look for Brett Bulmer, Zach Franko and Colton Sissons to pull harder on the rope this season. Leading the pack will be Shane McColgan.
2) Two players I'm interested in watching is Jesse Astles and Tyrell Goulbourne. Astles should be a physical force this season while Goulbourne is a heart and soul player that will give you everything he's got. Astles came out of his shell last season and Goulbourne impressed during a late season call up. Those two are the building blocks when it comes to punishing the opposition with a big hit or a fight.
1) Is 19 year-old Max Adolph able to bounce back from a series of concussions? The Saskatoon resident had an injury riddled 2010-2011 season that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Can Adolph afford to take one more blow? He suffered three concussions last season alone. Adolph's health is a huge question mark after playing in just 36 games last season.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Rockets training camp dates released
The Kelowna Rockets will open their 2011 rookie camp August 24th at Prospera Place.
Close to 160 players will register before participating in on-ice sessions from the 25th to the 28th.
Main camp opens on August 29th.
The Rockets first overall pick in this years draft, Rourke Chartier from Saskatoon, will participate in rookie camp.
Close to 160 players will register before participating in on-ice sessions from the 25th to the 28th.
Main camp opens on August 29th.
The Rockets first overall pick in this years draft, Rourke Chartier from Saskatoon, will participate in rookie camp.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Bloodoff gives it one more shot with team that drafted him
Evan Bloodoff has one last chance to impress the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.
The Kelowna Rockets forward will attend the Coyotes training camp on a free agent tryout.
Bloodoff was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the 6th round of the 2009 draft, but became a free agent after the Coyotes didn't offer him a contract June 1st.
If Bloodoff fails to earn a pro contract, he will likely attending school this fall.
The Kelowna Rockets forward will attend the Coyotes training camp on a free agent tryout.
Bloodoff was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the 6th round of the 2009 draft, but became a free agent after the Coyotes didn't offer him a contract June 1st.
If Bloodoff fails to earn a pro contract, he will likely attending school this fall.
The 21 year-old played 280 regular season games over five seasons in Kelowna and is one of only nine players to play his entire five major junior seasons in a Rockets uniform.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Brown; Oiler bound
Kelowna Rockets goaltender Adam Brown is off to an NHL training camp next month.
The 20 year-old has been invited to attend the rookie camp of the Edmonton Oilers.
Undrafted, Brown will join the Oilers for the prospects tournament in Penticton next month (September 11-15) against rookies from the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks.
Brown is excited about the opportunity to show that he belongs.
Brown is expected to be one of three - 20 year-olds on the Rockets roster this season along with Cody Chikie and Kevin Smith.
Mitchell Callahan is eligible to return but will likely play pro hockey in the Detroit Red Wings organization.
Friday, August 5, 2011
All is not quiet in Rocketville
- It's a busy week in Rocketville. Head Coach Ryan Huska is in Edmonton/Fort McMurray for the Canadian World Junior Team summer evaluation camp. Huska is an assistant coach for a second straight year on Team Canada. The Rockets don't have a player participating at the camp but they do have a prospect. Dillon Simpson was selected by the Rockets in the 8th round of the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft. He never played a game with the Rockets, but practiced with the team before electing to pursue his hockey career at the University of North Dakota.
- Rockets forward Shane McColgan is in Lake Placid New York today for the start of the U.S National Junior Team summer camp. The 2012 World Juniors are December 26th to January 5th in Calgary and Edmonton.
- Brady Leavold is making a comeback. Leavold, who played one season with the Rockets in 2007-2008, is returning to hockey after sitting out all of last season to nurse a concussion. The now 23 year-old is attempting to crack the lineup of Missouri Mavericks of the Central Hockey League. Working with a martial arts trainer four days a week, Leavold tells me he is in the best shape of his life. After playing junior at 5'9 and 190 pounds, the Port Coquitlam resident now weighs a solid 216 pounds.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Memorial Cup champ watched son at Rockets camp
- He scored arguably the biggest goal in Swift Current Broncos history and now his son is attempting to catch the eye of the Kelowna Rockets scouting staff. Tim Tisdale, who scored the game winning goal in overtime leading the Broncos to a Memorial Cup victory over the Saskatoon Blades in 1989, will be watching from the stands as his 15 year-old son Logan will attend rookie camp later this month. Logan Tisdale is a goaltender with the Swift Current Bantam Kabos Raiders.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wudrick headed overseas
Geordie Wudrick is taking his hockey career overseas.
Wudrick has signed a pro contact with the Rosenheim Star Bulls of the German second division.
Wudrick will join fellow WHL alumnus Norm Maracle (Saskatoon Blades) and Mike Wilson (Swift Current Broncos).
Wudrick ended his WHL career this past season with the Kelowna Rockets, playing in a combined 400 regular season and playoff games.
Last season Wudrick scored 43 goals.
Wudrick was a third round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2008.
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