Regan's Rant

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Central Division success

Credit - Stuart Dryden Photo

The Kelowna Rockets did something only three other teams in the WHL have been able to accomplish this season. Madison Bowey’s early third period goal was the game winner leading the Rockets to a 4-2 win, handing the Hitmen only their fourth home loss of the season. The win also snapped the Hitmen’s 12 game home ice winning streak. The victory was the teams 21st on the road this season which matched the win total on the road from all of last season.
This was a terrific effort against a very good Hitmen team, who are one win short of 30 on the season. The Rockets limited the Hitmen to just four shots through 20 minutes and 11 shots through two periods. It was such a good defensive effort; Calgary generated a season low 19 shots on net.
How good was Rourke Chartier? Again a super effort by the 17 year-old who just doesn’t quit working. Knocked down by a hard hit from Brady Brassart at centre ice, Chartier got back up and on the next rush set up line-mate Carter Rigby for the team’s first lead of the game. Chartier has been one of the Rockets best players following the Christmas break.
Carter Rigby just scores. There is no denying his ability to find the back of the net. With 12 goals this season and 29 games left to play, is 25 goals a possibility for the 19 year-old forward? Rigby has 8 goals in his last 11 games. He had three goals in his first 11 games this season.
The penalty killing unit was again outstanding. It killed off all seven Hitmen power plays. In the four games on the Central Division road trip the Rockets killed off 24 of 25 opposition power plays.
The opposition opened the scoring in all four games on the trip.
Solid game by Justin Kirkland. Another battle level boost by the 17 year-old. The rookie is getting power play time and a regular shift. Are scouts watching? Without question they are taking notes.
Defenceman Jesse Lees had to play all three games this weekend as a forward because of lack of bodies up front. With Zach Franko traded on Wednesday to the Kootenay Ice and newly acquired Marek Tvrdon unable to play, Lees filled in admirably.
Madison Bowey is now tied for the league lead in goals scored by a defenceman with 14.
The Rockets managed three consecutive wins without overage forward Marek Tvrdon. The 4^th round pick of the Detroit Red Wings was unable to play until the team gets a release from the Slovakia Hockey Federation. CHL teams pay a release fee to use their players. Tvrdon will play Friday in Victoria against the Royals.
The Rockets were 9-1-0-0 in ten road games this season on swings through the Central and Eastern Division.
I spoke to Tvrdon before Friday’s game and asked him about the 31 goals he scored with the Vancouver Giants a few seasons ago. “I am going to come here and score more than 31 goals”, Tvrdon said with a smile. “I love to score goals”. You have to love that confidence. Tvrdon played on a line with Brendan Gallagher and Craig Cunningham that season.
Former Kelowna Rockets first round pick Shane McColgan has landed with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. McColgan played for the Rockets, Saskatoon Blades and Portland Winterhawks.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Back on track in windy city

Jonny Hogue. No, he is not a fashion designer. You won't see kids going out wanting to buy Jonny Hogue blue jeans any time soon. Hogue was the Lethbridge Hurricanes starting goaltender last night, and in my humble opinion, was the only reason the game at Enmax Centre wasn't a blowout after the opening twenty minutes. Hogue made several solid stops as the Kelowna Rockets swarmed the Hurricanes net. Had Hogue been average instead of great, the score could have been 5-1 at periods end, not 5-1 at the games conclusion. Am I wrong? Is the Lethbridge wind getting to me?
How many scoring chances did Carter Rigby have alone in the first period? Five, six or was it seven golden chances? The fact remains the 19 year-old is finding good shooting areas and is generating chances. Rigby is in a good place right now with his game. When he is in that place he can score goals.
At the end of the night the turning point was back-to-back goals by the Rockets in the second period to make the score 3-1. A crucial power play goal by Myles Bell was followed by a backhand shot over the shoulder of Hogue off the stick of Ryan Olsen. Olsen now has 20 goals on the season, but that may have been his prettiest of the year.
Who opens the scoring for the Rockets? Hello, Nick Merkley. Merkley received a beautiful pass from Kris Schmidli and roofed one over Hogue to tie the game at one. Merkley now has 10 goals and is one of nine players on this years team to reach that mark.
Speaking of reaching 10 goals, is Justin Kirkland next? Now with eight, Kirkland came away from last night's game with a two assist effort. Kirkland is a great young player. He has the complete package. I am not sure Kirkland realizes how good he can be. The only downfall I see in his game right now is his battle level for pucks. I would like to see him stronger on his stick. But that my friend is a minor flaw for a young player.
I don't mention him often on this blog, but am I the only one who has noticed a vast improvement in Colton Heffley's play? The 19 year-old doesn't need to score to impress me, but his quick - on the tape - passes and board work is the best its ever been.
Heffley and Rourke Chartier are two players that have really caught my eye of late. Chartier has regained his old form that we saw during his rookie season when he was named the teams 'rookie of the year.' While he isn't bringing a lot of offense to the table, he is hard to play against and is working well with Carter Rigby by getting him the puck. Chartier will play in his 100th career WHL game tonight in Medicine Hat.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes have a lot of work ahead of them before they become a real threat in the WHL. But in saying that, for a team that has undergone so many changes and so much turmoil, they worked hard last night and will beat some good teams before the season is through.
I spoke to Hurricanes head coach Drake Berehowsky before the game and frankly fired a couple of hard questions his way which he handled with ease. In summary, he basically told me he didn't want to talk about the players that walked out on his team and was proud of those that stuck around despite the hard times. I even asked him if he was surprised by the mess he had inherited when he took over the job in Lethbridge. Berehowsky didn't want to call it is a mess, but fully admitted it has been a trying year for everyone in the organization. The good news is, despite the tough times, he has a full head of hair!
Marek Tvrdon has arrived in Lethbridge. The 20 year-old joined the team after arriving late in the day. I am not sure if he will take the pre-game skate with his teammates before tonight's game in Medicine Hat. We will make sure to get an interview with him on the air during our pre-game show tonight starting at 6 pm.
One last thing about the attendance last night in Lethbridge. A last place team is drawing over 33 hundred fans? That is impressive. Plus the game was televised. That is indeed impressive considering many fans are with you win or tie. Oh ya, that expression can't be used anymore. We don't settle games with ties.

Friday, January 10, 2014

The Kelowna Rockets have acquired the rights to 19 year-old forward Mark McCoy from the Regina Pats for a 5th round bantam pick.
McCoy left the Pats after Christmas, telling the team he wanted to pursue his education.
McCoy was picked up by the Pats in a deal with Red Deer at the midway point of last season.
It was suggested at the time that McCoy, who is from Edmonton, would be the Pats second line centre at the start of the season but it never panned out. Instead he played a third line checking role until leaving the team at the Christmas break.
McCoy is a bigger body at 6'2 and a shade over 200 pounds.
McCoy is a 5th round pick of the Rebels in 2009.
A decent prospect. He was a second team all-star at the Mac's Midget tourney in 2010-2011 and was a 1st Team All-Star that same season in the Alberta Midget Hockey League.

The Pats acquired McCoy from the Red Deer Rebels midway through last season in the Dominik Volek deal. He was coveted by the Pats for his size and face-off ability, but those elements alone weren’t enough for him to find a significant role on this year’s team.
McCoy played 158 games over parts of three WHL seasons, recording 16 goals, 36 points and 171 penalty minutes. His departure could open the door for fellow 19-year-old forward Patrick D’Amico to remain with the team for the rest of the season.

- See more at: http://blogs.leaderpost.com/2013/12/31/mccoy-leaves-pats/#sthash.3Vz1bUvq.dpuf

McCoy leaves Pats for school

December 31, 2013. 6:05 pm • Section: Sports

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Posted by:
Greg Harder

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Is Tvrdon a gamble worth taking?

Tvrdon as a member of Vancouver Giants

Are the Kelowna Rockets rolling the dice with Marek Tvrdon?

Outsiders would suggest they are, but all that matters is the belief within the team that the 20 year-old is an additional piece of the puzzle for a successful second half, and more importantly a long playoff run.

To make room for Tvrdon, the Rockets sent fellow 20 year-old Zach Franko to the Kootenay Ice for a 6^th round bantam pick and a third round selection in 2016.

Franko is a good player. The Winnipeg product had 199 regular season points in 252 regular season games. Those are solid numbers. The concern may have been with his lack of production when the winning really counts - the playoffs. Franko had just two goals in 11 playoff games as a 19 year-old last season. In a second round playoff series with Kamloops last spring, Franko had just 1 point, an assist on a Tyson Baillie goal in game four. As an older player, when the checking gets tighter, the battles for pucks become greater, the belief is Marek Tvrdon will have more success.

And seriously, doesn't every trade carry a certain amount of risk?

Tvrdon has his warts. How motivated is the 4th round - signed - prospect of the Detroit Red Wings? Does he consider coming back to the WHL after starting the season in the East Coast Hockey League a demotion? The Wings organization want Tvrdon to regain the offensive success he had in 2011-2012, when he scored 31 goals and collected 74 points with the Vancouver Giants. The Red Wings, the team he eventually wants to play for, believes Kelowna is the best place right now for their budding prospect.

Tvrdon has all the tools. The Slovakian born centreman has a high end shot. His quick release only falls short of Rockets sharp shooter Myles Bell. He is big (6’2 and 217 pounds) and is strong. When he wants to play, he can be dominant.

This is what Hockey Futures said about Tvrdon:

'Tvrdon has all the tools and ability to be a top six NHL power forward. He has size that he uses well and he isn’t afraid of physical play or getting his hands dirty. He boasts excellent speed, soft hands, great instincts and a scorer’s touch. The fact that his effort level can be inconsistent is a concern, but he could be something special if he develops'.

When Tvrdon wants to play, he can be dominate.

So, to answer the question whether bringing in Tvrdon is a risk, you can quickly look at past deals that the Rockets made that appeared on paper to be a risk but worked out marvelously.

Was Brady Leavold a risk? Was acquiring Mark Guggenberger a gamble? Fans in Swift Current couldn't get rid of Geordie Wudrick quick enough. Two seasons later, as a 20 year-old in Kelowna, Wudrick would fall 7 goals shy of the 50 goal plateau. Leavold had a career high 69 points in 2007-2008. Guggenberger won a WHL title and as mentioned, Wudrick scored 43 times in 2010-2011.

Do you want another example? Remember Jesse Schultz? Best known as a bad teammate in Prince Albert, Schultz was shipped to Kelowna in 2001 and promptly scored 53 times and collecting 104 points in the 2002-2003 season. Schultz would help the franchise win its first WHL title and was promptly named the playoff MVP.

If Marek Tvrdon follows in the footsteps of others that were considered a 'high risk player', the Kelowna Rockets and their fans will undoubtedly agree that giving up a second round bantam pick was a small price to pay for the skilled forward.

Hot goalie hands Rockets 5th loss

You don’t often fire 45 shots on the opposition net and come away empty handed. If you do, the likely culprit is a hot goaltender. Edmonton Oil Kings starter Tristan Jarry was stellar Wednesday night in a 4-2 win over the Kelowna Rockets. Jarry stopped two breakaways and made several point blank stops in the two goal win. You knew goaltending would play a prominent role in the game considering it featured two of the best ‘masked men’ in the WHL in Jarry and Rockets netminder Jordon Cooke.
It will go down in the books as a two goal loss but this was essentially a one goal game until an empty netter made it a 4-2 final. Ryan Olsen was the closest to tying the game when his shot from the right side of the net hit Oil Kings defenceman Cody Corbett in the skate while he was spinning awkwardly in front of Jarry. If that shot had gone two inches in either direction and missed Corbett, the Rockets would have at least earned a point.
While the Oil Kings opened the scoring just over two minutes into the game, the Rockets bounced back with two breakaway chances that were denied by Jarry. First, Myles Bell was sent in on a breakaway that Jarry stopped and then Cole Linaker had a chance to tie the game but he too was denied by Jarry`s pad. Carter Rigby must have been taking notes on the bench. The 19 year-old took a long bomb pass at the Oil Kings blue line and he too went in all alone on the 18 year-old, but instead of deeking, fired the puck through the legs of Jarry to tie the game at one goal apiece.
I thought the Rockets were the better team in the second period but as fate would have it the Oil Kings would score on a wrist shot from a player who doesn’t score often - Luke Bertolucci. As a member of the best name in the WHL club, which Carter Rigby is a card carrying member, the 5’8 speedster looked like a 50 goal scorer with a wrist shot that beat Jordon Cooke to the glove hand side. The third period saw the Oil Kings make their best push of the game as they tried to find the two goal cushion.

One area the Rockets were dominated at was the face-off circle. If Henrik Sammuelsson didn’t win 90 percent of his draws I’d be shocked. He didn’t just win face-offs, he owned the face-off circle.
One other thing I noticed about the Oil Kings is their big players, play big. Mitch Moroz, Brandon Baddock and Brett Pollock all have a presence on the ice. Frankly, while Pollock is 6’2, he only weighs 183 pounds but yet is noticeably physical.
It was a rare loss for Jordon Cooke. It was only his second regulation loss this season.
Don’t look now but Myles Bell has more goals than he did after 38 games last season. Bell has found the back of the net 24 times. At this same point last season he had 23 goals.What I liked about his play against the Oil Kings was his willingness to skate to the outside on defenceman before cutting back inside for a quality chance on goal.
A soft crowd of just over 49 hundred fans took in the game. Among those in attendance was the entire Pittsburgh Penguin management and coaching staff.
A tough interview, yet one I won’t forget. Zach Franko spoke eloquently about his time in Kelowna during an interview I conducted with him prior to the game. It likely wasn’t easy for him after learning earlier in the day he had been shipped to the Kootenay Ice. Franko thanked his billets and coaches for the time they spent on making him a better player and person. He also singled out Pastor Tim Schroeder for the work he does with the team. I thought it was a nice touch. Call it right or wrong, after the interview I gave Franko a handshake and a hug. Sorry hockey fans, I am a father of two young boys and my compassion for someone, even if he isn’t mine, is great and my heart goes out to Franko who was nothing short of a great kid.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Rockets acquire Tvrdon/Trade Franko.

BREAKING *** The Kelowna Rockets have made a three way deal with the Kootenay Ice and Vancouver Giants. The Rockets have acquired 20 year-old European forward Marek Tvrdon from the Giants for a second round bantam pick. To make room for Tvrdon, the Rockets have sent overage forward Zach Franko to the Kootenay Ice for a 6th round pick this year and a third round pick in 2016. That is a significant return for a 20 year-old. Tyrdon is playing in the ECHL this season. In the doghouse with Giants head coach Don Hay, the Giants and the Detroit Red Wings, the NHL team that drafted Tvrdon, agreed it be best to move the Slovakian into pro hockey for the entire season, or until he could be traded to a WHL team. Tvrdon could be in the Rockets line up as early as Friday in Lethbridge.