Slowest start in franchise history

• It's official. The 2018-2019 campaign will go down as the worst start to the season in Kelowna Rockets franchise history. A 4-1 loss in Seattle last night dropped the teams record to 1-7-0-0 after 8 games. That mark is worse than the 2006-2007 start, when the team had a win and a shootout loss (1-6-0-1) in their opening eight games. That season the team missed the playoffs for the only time in franchise history. While this years squad is close to breaking out of an early season slide, several areas continue to plague the hockey club as they sit dead last in the Western Conference with only two points of an available 16. It could be worse though. Last season, the rival Kamloops Blazers lost 9 in a row to start the season before finally feeling the thrill of victory after experiencing the agony of defeat. That slow start was costly though, as the Blazers missed the playoffs in 2017-2018 despite playing better hockey and managing 30 victories. 
• The real concern for the Rockets is the inability to score. With just 15 goals after 8 games, you just can't win when you are averaging a measly 1.9 goals per game. Sure, the team is also surrendering 3.63 goals per game against, but even being down two goals seems like a massive mountain to climb. 
• If you throw out Leif Mattson's offensive production (6 goals in 8 games), the 20 and 19 year-old age group has just three goals in the opening eight games. Kyle Topping has two goals while Connor Bruggen-Cate has one. Overagers Ryan Bowen and Braydyn Chizen haven't found the back of the net yet and Erik Gardiner and Jack Cowell haven't scored among the 19 year-old's. Gardiner and Cowell have a single assist between them. 
• When you aren't scoring, the power play takes a big hit. The team has three power play goals this season with Lassi Thomsom, Leif Mattson and Kyle Topping finding pay dirt. 
• Looking like a bright spot early in the season, the penalty killing unit has taken a real hit the last three games. The team has surrendered a whopping 8 goals in its last 16 kills. The Vancouver Giants scored twice on five chances Wednesday, before Victoria fired home three goals with the extra man in a 4-3 loss Friday. In Saturday's loss in Seattle, the T-Birds scored three man advantage markers in only four chances. 
• By comparison, the team was 4-2-1-1 after 8 games last season. In those opening 8 games, the team scored 35 goals, which is 20 more than this season. Those 20 goals would go a long way in improving the teams current record, considering four of the 7 losses this season have been by two goals or less.  
• Positives? In Saturday's 4-1 loss to the T-Birds, the Rockets showed grit and determination. In a game that featured emotion and animosity, the visitors did not cower when the game got chippy. Several times the Rockets pushed back as much as the T-Birds did. In one altercation in the third period after forward Nolan Foote crashed the T-Birds net and made contract with goaltender Liam Hughes, several players got involved in a semi line brawl, which at the end of the day only turned into one real fight when Mark Liwiski tangled with T-Birds defenceman Jake Lee. Hey, it could have gotten worse when Hughes started roughing up Nolan Foote as tempers started to flare. Rockets goaltender Roman Basran skated the distance of the ice to engage with Hughes before the linesman stepped in before a donniebrook between the goalies would break out.     
• The last goalie fight I witnessed was Jake Morrissey tangling with Nik Amundrud in 2014 when the Kelowna Rockets played host to the Saskatoon Blades.
• The Rockets are playing better hockey than what we witnessed in the opening five games. I would say the work ethic has increased significantly and the desire to battle to loose pucks for secondary chances on net is also greater. Sadly, despite the increase in overall effort, it isn’t translating into wins right now. It seems to come with the territory.  
• When it rains it pours. In the last three games, the team has surrendered a goal in the opening minutes. Against Vancouver (5-0 loss), the Giants scored 3:32 into the game. In a loss to the Victoria Royals (4-3 loss), the Royals scored 1:26 into the opening face-off. Last night in Seattle, the T-Birds struck just :46 seconds into the game. For a team that struggles scoring and likely has a thin layer of confidence, surrendering early goals is a back breaker. It would honestly be nice to see the team skate to a scoreless tie after the opening period, or heck open the scoring like they did against Prince George for their only win of the young season. 
• Liam Kindree impressed me on the weekend. Returning to the lineup after missing the opening 6 games, the 18 year-old had a goal and an assist. In on two of the four goals the team scored, Kindree clearly has above average offensive instincts and his play making and ability to distribute the puck makes the power play significantly better. With the addition of 20 year-old Lane Zablocki, I can't see how the team can't be at least one goal better than they are right now.
• The Rockets schedule has the team playing four straight games against US Division opponents, including dates with Seattle (Wednesday) and a home and home series with the Tri City Americans (Friday/Saturday).      
• While the team is off to its slowest start ever, how impressive would it be to still make the playoffs regardless? That my friends would make it a memorable season, but for all the right reasons. 

Rockets and Royals battle

Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Victoria Royals for the first time this season. The Rockets enter the game with a record of 1 and 5, which is one of the slowest starts in franchise history. The 2006-2007 team had a win and a shootout loss in its first 8 games. The Rockets are coming off a 5-0 shutout loss Wednesday to the Vancouver Giants, which marks the first time since October 9, 2015 when they were held off the scoresheet, at home, to the visiting Victoria Royals. Last season, the Rockets were 4-3-1-0 in the seasonal series against the Royals, with five of the eight being decided by two goals or less. Over the years, no one team has shown dominance over the other. The Rockets are 18-12-2-0 in the last 32 meetings against their BC Division cousins. After tonight’s game the Rockets are in Seattle (Kent) tomorrow night for an early 6 pm start before welcoming the T-Birds to Prospera Place next Wednesday.

Digg’n Deeper: Kole Lind was the team’s leading point producer last season vs. the Royals with 5+8=13 while Dillon Dube had 6+6=12. Leif Mattson had 4 goals in seven games. James Porter played in five games, sporting a record of 2-0-1-0 with a goals against average of 4.11

Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets made a trade with the Victoria Royals Saturday September 29^th. The team acquired 20 year-old Lane Zablocki for a conditional 7^th round and conditional 4^th round bantam draft pick. Zablocki is a third round NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings (2017 – unsigned). In the 2016-2017 campaign, Zablocki scored 28 goals split between the Regina Pats and Red Deer Rebels. Zablocki has played with the Pats, Rebels, Hurricanes and the Royals.  Zablocki never played a game with the WHL team that drafted him in 2013 – the Prince George Cougars. 

Broadcasters Notebook: We’ve got the Cup! The Rockets were awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup on Wednesday. The ten day tournament will take place May 22^nd to 31st. It marks the second time in franchise history the team has hosted (2004) and will mark its 6^th appearance at the prestigious event. The team has made previous appearances in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2015….Happy Birthday to rookie d-man Cayde Augustine who turns 17 today…The Royals and Rockets meet up in Victoria October 19^th and 20^th….Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scoutings “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 not opened the scoring in 5 of the 6 games this season….The Rockets have trailed going onto the third period in 5 of the 6 games…Rookie Ethan Ernst earned his first career WHL point last Friday in Prince George with an assist, on Connor Bruggen-Cate’s third period goal….Head Coach Jason Smith returns for his third season at the helm. Both assistant Kris Mallette and Travis Crickard enter their 5^th seasons in the WHL….The Rockets are in their 24^th season in the Okanagan after relocating from Tacoma for the start of the 1995-1996 season…The Rockets have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons…The team has averaged 104 points in the last 6 seasons including a franchise high 118 in the 2013-2014 campaign when the hockey club lost only 11 times.

New Faces: The team welcomes three rookies back on the defensive core. Listed player Devin Steffler is joined by Finnish born blueliner Lassi Thomson. Joining those two is 17 year-old Cayde Augustine (turns 17 October 5^th). Up front, the team has added 16 year-old Ethan Ernst (3^rd round pick in 2017), 17 year-old Kyle Crosbie (8^th round pick in 2016),and acquired 20 year-old Ryan Bowen via trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season. The team also obtained the playing rights to Mark Liwiski, a third round bantam pick of the Silvertips from 2016….Lane Zablocki was acquired in a trade with Victoria in late September.  

Roster Stats:

Player total: 24

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1998) – 2   Zablocki, Chizen, Bowen           

19’s (1999) - 5   Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell

18’s (2000) - 10 Tomson, Brennan, Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Kushniryk, 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

In the winners circle - off the ice

Shea Weber holds 2004 Memorial Cup

A long track record of success and a long-time owner who champions for the Western Hockey League are some of the reasons why the Kelowna Rockets were in the winners circle Wednesday when it was announced the 2020 Memorial Cup is coming to the Okanagan. The 10 day tournament was lasted hosted here in 2004. The Rockets beat out bids from Lethbridge and Kamloops to host the prestigious event, with chairman Tom Dyas all smiles once WHL Commissioner Ron Robison made it official at an afternoon news conference. 

Details are few and far between on what financial guarantee was proposed by all three parties had they hosted, but the talk heading into the voting was money wasn’t the deciding factor on governors choosing one bid over the other. 

When the tournament is held in 2020, it will mark 25 seasons in which the team has been in Kelowna. It relocated from Tacoma, Washington for the start of the 1995-1996 season.  

The Rockets are now guaranteed a sixth birth at the Memorial Cup, with previous appearances in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009 and again in 2015.  

Previous to Kelowna, both Saskatoon and Regina have hosted the tournament twice when the major junior hockey showcase has been held in Western Canada .

Rockets/G-Men game notes

Nolan Foote- Shoot the Breeze Photography

Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Vancouver Giants for the first time this season. These two teams get reacquainted when the two teams collide in Langley on Sunday October 21^st. Last season the Rockets were 5-2-1-0 in eight games against the G-Men. Carsen Twarynski led the team with 7 goals in 7 games. The Rockets have won 26 of the last 27 regular season games at Prospera Place against the G-Men. The Rockets are coming off a 5-2 win in Prince George Saturday night. Leif Mattson (2+1=3) and Nolan Foote (1+2=3) led the way in the first win of the season. Following tonight’s game, the Rockets host Victoria Friday before visiting the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday night.   

Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets made a trade with the Victoria Royals Saturday September 29^th. The team acquired 20 year-old Lane Zablocki for a conditional 7^th round and conditional 4^th round bantam draft pick. Zablocki is a third round NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings (2017 – unsigned). In the 2016-2017 campaign, Zablocki scored 28 goals split between the Regina Pats and Red Deer Rebels. Zablocki has played with the Pats, Rebels, Hurricanes and the Royals.  Zablocki never played a game with the WHL team that drafted him in 2013 – the Prince George Cougars. 

Broadcasters Notebook: Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scoutings “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…..Dillon Dube has made the opening day roster of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Dube scored 38 goals with the Kelowna Rockets last season….Shea Weber was named the 30^th captain of the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. Weber won a Memorial Cup with the Kelowna Rockets in 2004 and was the WHL playoff MVP in 2005… The Rockets have not opened the scoring in four of the five games this season….The Rockets have trailed going onto the third period in four of the five games…Rookie Ethan Ernst earned his first career WHL point last Friday in Prince George with an assist, on Connor Bruggen-Cate’s third period goal….Head Coach Jason Smith returns for his third season at the helm. Both assistant Kris Mallette and Travis Crickard enter their 5^th seasons in the WHL….The Rockets are in their 24^th season in the Okanagan after relocating from Tacoma for the start of the 1995-1996 season…The Rockets have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons…The team has averaged 104 points in the last 6 seasons including a franchise high 118 in the 2013-2014 campaign when the hockey club lost only 11 times…

Who’s Gone: The Rockets lose their top four point producers in Kole Lind, Dillon Dube, Carsen Twarynski and Cal Foote. That is over 300 points missing from the 2018-2019 roster. Also graduating was 20 year-old’s James Hilsendager and Gordie Ballhorn. Goaltender Brodan Salmond was claimed off waivers in the summer by Moose Jaw while Czech born forward Marek Skrvne was released. In total, 8 players from last year’s team are not with the hockey club.  Kole Lind was the leading scorer while Cal Foote was named the defenceman of the year.

New Faces: The team welcomes three rookies back on the defensive core. Listed player Devin Steffler is joined by Finnish born blueliner Lassi Thomson. Joining those two is 17 year-old Cayde Augustine (turns 17 October 5^th). Up front, the team has added 16 year-old Ethan Ernst (3^rd round pick in 2017), 17 year-old Kyle Crosbie (8^th round pick in 2016),and acquired 20 year-old Ryan Bowen via trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season. The team also obtained the playing rights to Mark Liwiski, a third round bantam pick of the Silvertips from 2016.  

Roster Stats:

Player total: 24

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1998) – 2   Zablocki, Chizen, Bowen          

19’s (1999) - 5   Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell

18’s (2000) - 10 Tomson, Brennan, Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Kushniryk, 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

Thankfully, Rockets won't enter record books

Lane Zablocki as a Victoria Royal

• Losing sucks. It isn't fun. The vibe around the team is never good when you lose. Four straight games without a victory zaps the life out of you and I feel it only as the radio broadcaster. Can you imagine what the coaches and the players were going through? Will we ever win? Will we ever score? Are we really that bad? I am not sure if it entered the players collective minds, but it entered mine! Doubt is never good for a high performance athlete and like winning, losing is often contagious. But as Rockets assistant coach Kris Mallette told the team after Friday's 3-2 loss to the Prince George Cougars, 'losing is not acceptable - not now, not ever'. I wasn't in the dressing room to hear the firm and direct speech, but if it went down that way, the players were listening. A night later, the team played with more determination and executed to a significantly higher standard in a 5-2 win. Leif Mattson scored twice and added an assist while Nolan Foote, the first star, had a goal and two helpers. The win snapped a four game losing streak to start the season, which ties the longest losing streak in franchise history. The 2018-2019 edition of the Kelowna Rockets avoided the franchise record books for all the wrong reasons as the first team ever to lose five in a row to start the season. 
• While he didn't receive a star in Saturday's win, I really liked the play of goaltender James Porter Junior. In facing 39 shots, I thought he was dialed in and was one of the reason why the team was able to win for the first time this season. While the goaltenders have flipped flopped, game-to-game this season, it will be interesting to see if the 18 year-old is rewarded for the victory by getting the start Wednesday against visiting Vancouver.     
• I'm sorry to say this Nolan Foote, but the teams success this season in the offensive zone will greatly depend on your individual success. If you are a threat to score, the team will win many hockey games this season. No, you are not a one man band, but you are the lead vocalist. You make others around you better and allow Leif Mattson and Kyle Toppjng to be more effective if you are a burden that the opposition must focus in on. I know, I know, the responsibility of carrying the offensive load is great, but when you can shoot the puck with a Jamie Benn type of release, it comes with the territory. 
• Leif Mattson continues to produce. Another two goals Saturday night gives him a whopping 5 to start the season. Mattson is one of three players to score 5 goals in the WHL this season. Brandon's Luka Burzan leads the WHL with 6. Let's remember, of Mattson's 5 goals, four have been even strength. The power play has been dysfunctional to start the season with only one goal in 22 opportunities. Owning the second worst power play unit doesn't look good on anybody and is one of the reasons why the team has one win in its opening five games. The good news is assistant coach Travis Crickard, who may be one of the most underrated coaches in the CHL, is the architect and will get that unit going sooner rather than later. Crickard knows their is plenty of time to right the ship. If the power play becomes a threat, which I believe it will, what then will Mattson's goal totals look like?
• It's early, but let's give the penalty killing unit a high five. Last year it was among the worst in the WHL. This season, it's top 10 with only three goals allowed in 21 kills. Kris Mallette doesn't lose hair when they are scored upon, but I am sure some sleepless nights exist. So far, Mallette can sleep like a baby knowing from the goaltender on out, the unit is doing an awfully good job of defending.
• The Rockets made a trade Saturday and the timing of the announcement couldn't have been better. A news release came out at 4 pm, and every player was aware of the move when we boarded the bus for the arena at 4:30 pm. My take is it gave everyone a mental boost. For a team playing one short of the league limit of three 20 year-old's, at least now the team can go into battle with a full complement of overage players. Lane Zablocki can't - but - provide the team with additional scoring and will also add some grit and sandpaper to the forward unit. Once healthy, how can the Wetaskawin, Alberta resident not help in the effort to win hockey games? 
• With any 20 year-old who plays in the WHL, they are not without their fair share of warts. If they had little in the way of discrepancies in their game, they would be playing in the AHL, not the WHL. Without a contract after being a third round pick of the Detroit Red Wings a few years ago, like Carsen Twarynski, Zablocki has much to prove as he attempts to earn a deal. The Rockets are the fifth team he has played for in the WHL, but he did score 28 goals two seasons ago split between the Red Deer Rebels and the Regina Pats. If he can come in and resurrect his career and do what Carsen Twarynski did (45 goals in his 20 year-old season after a scoring 17 the year prior) then the Red Wings will have no choice but to ink him to an NHL contract. I'm not saying he will get 40+. What I am saying is he can easily be among the teams leading scorers. The carrot is out there. Now Zablocki has to grab it and take a big chomp out of it.
• Following the bouncing ball. Zablocki was a 5th round bantam pick of the Prince George Cougars in 2013. He was traded to Regina in the Jesse Gabrielle deal before being sent to Red Deer at the trade deadline in 2017 in the Josh Muhura acquisition. Then in December 2017, the Rebels traded Zablocki to Lethbridge for Josh Tarzwell. Then at the 2018 trade deadline, again he was moved to Victoria for a 2nd and 6th round pick. Zablocki is now Rockets property after the Royals moved him for conditional 2nd and 7th round picks. That is 5 teams in essentially three seasons.
• A few random thoughts on my time in Prince George. While the on-ice product needs some much needed work, the organization is in good hands starting with its general manager. I had a good talk with Mark Lamb before Wednesday's game and the interview was equally as solid. Lamb has the same mindset that brought him success in Swift Current. 'Slow but steady wins the race' is his mantra. Lamb isn't about to make knee jerk reactions in an effort to push his team to be better. Building a champion takes time, where developing from within and making the most by drafting good players at the WHL draft table is the building blocks of any successful franchise.While Manny Viveiros had a significant impact on the Swift Current Broncos championship run, let's not forget that Lamb set the team up wonderfully with several solid first round bantam picks (Glenn Gawdin/Tyler Steenbergen) which paved the way for the Broncos to win it's first league title since 1993.  
• Andy Beesley is the vice president/business for the Cougars and does a tremendous job. Often in the middle of everything that goes on, off the ice, Beesley makes it look effortless and is a valuable asset to the inner workings of the organization. I hope the Cougars ownership realize his value. Beesley is seen buzzing around the building, making sure things go off as planned and look as professional as he and his staff envisioned. 
• Tip of the cap to Cougars director of ticket sales, Mark Goodwin, for his efforts on opening night. Having worked with the NHL's Nashville Predators in the past, Goodwin thought the players deserved the royal treatment. With the help of 18 vintage cars, the players were escorted to the front of the CN Centre prior to Friday's game, where they were given the red carpet treatment. Fans stood behind barriers as the players were introduced and then they received high 5's as they walked down the red carpet and through the front doors. What would make it only better is if the home opener was on a Saturday where more fans could come out to the arena and greet the players when they were dropped off at the front entrance at around 4:30 pm. Many were obviously working, so couldn't attend the spectacle. That said, it was still a terrific touch.  
• Up next, the Rockets host the Vancouver Giants in their toughest test of the season. The G-Men are projected to be the best team in the BC Division under new head coach Mike Dyck. We see the Giants at Prospera Place Wednesday night. 

Rockets rough start continues

• Wins are never easy in the Western Hockey League. Just ask the 2018-2019 edition of the Kelowna Rockets. Four games into the season, they have yet to experience what it feels like to look up at the scoreboard when the buzzer sounds and celebrate a hard fought victory. The latest setback came Friday night in a 3-2 loss at the CN Centre to the Prince George Cougars. A sleepy start followed by a second period where they generated only three shots on goal was likely their undoing. In arguably their best period of the season, in the third, they rallied back from a two goal deficit and scored two quick goals to tie the game. But in a season where goals have been hard to come by and favorable bounces have been few and far between, the game was lost when Cougars rookie forward Matej Toman scored by banking a puck off the skate of Rockets d-man Braydyn Chizen during a goal mouth scramble. The loss, the teams fourth in four attempts, matches a losing streak to start the season that was equaled in the non-playoff season of 2006-2007 and matched to start the 2010-2011 campaign. In both of those instances, the Rockets would earn a much needed win in the fifth game of the season. Game five goes tonight at the CN Centre in the rematch of these two BC Division rivals. 
• Looking back at the 2006-2007 season, the team got out of the blocks slowly with only one win in their first eight games. The record was 1-6-0-1 to open that season. I remember it for all the wrong reasons. They were able to win only 4 of their first 17 games and managed a franchise low 22 victories that season. 
• When you are struggling, the thing you don't want to do is chase the game. Well, the Rockets were chasing the game early when the Cougars scored two minutes into the opening face-off and made it 2-0 just :45 seconds later. As poorly as the Rockets played to that point, the Cougars had chances but couldn't make it a 3-0 game despite out-shooting the visitors 20-11 after two periods. That allowed for a possible comeback, something the Rockets almost pulled off with third period goals from Connor Bruggen-Cate and Nolan Foote.
• Bruggen-Cate's goal was assisted by rookie forward Ethan Ernst. It was the 16 year-old's first career WHL point. The encouraging sign for Ernst is he has gotten progressively better in the four games he has played at the major junior level. The coaches are rewarding him with power play time thanks to his strong play five on five.   
• The Rockets are 0 for 14 in their last three games on the power play. The only goal the team has generated was opening night against the Kamloops Blazers. 
• The coaching staff have been flip flopping the goaltenders in the opening four games. James Porter played in games 1 and 3 while Roman Basran started in games 2 and 4. Neither of them are getting much run support, so it appears a win is in the cards if they can give up two goals or less. That is a big ask for a tandem that doesn't have as much support in front of them as a season ago. The Rockets haven't been able to score that elusive third goal. 
• Nolan Foote's first goal of the season came on his only shot on goal. It seems odd doesn't it that the about to turn 18 year-old had 12 shots in the opening two games of the season yet came away empty handed. 
• Leif Mattson had his three game goal scoring streak snapped last night. Mattson must be thanking his lucky stars for not being injured in the game when Cougars d-man Austin Crossley threw a mean knee at the 19 year-old, knocking the teams leading scorer to the ice.
• The player that showed the most grit and determination was 19 year-old Erik Gardiner. Gardiner received a double minor for roughing in a flare up behind the Cougars net late in the second period and then was involved in a fight with defenceman Rhett Reinhart seven minutes into the third period. Hey, if you aren't scoring, at least Gardiner was doing something in the way of getting involved for the greater good of the team. 
• The Rockets played Friday's game without 20 year-old Ryan Bowen. Bowen was ill. That meant the team dressed only one overager; defenceman Braydyn Chizen. Speaking of 20 year-old's, that third and final spot needs to be filled and will be shortly with all team's forced to be down to three of them by October 10th.
• Wil Kushniryk, after being a healthy scratch in the opening three games of the season, made his 2018-2019 debut. The only players yet to dress for a game is 18 year-old Kyle Pow and injured forward Liam Kindree. 
• As one observer point out after last night's game, the Rockets have essentially lost 12 straight games if you include a four game playoff sweep at the hands of the Tri City Americans last season, a winless pre-season (4 games) and now four consecutive losses during the regular season.
• The Cougars organization pulled out all the stops on opening night to celebrate 25 seasons. The team had 18 vintage cars escort players to the front of CN Centre, where they were met by a red carpet and adoring fans as they made their way inside the building. The rock-star treatment was a nice touch and the weather couldn't have been much better for the event. 
• We are on the air tonight at 6 pm with the Kelowna Rockets This Week. WHL Director of Hockey Richard Doerksen is among the guests. Also joining us will be former Kelowna Rockets captain Josh Gorges, who has been essentially forced into retirement.

Opening weekend provides winless results

Mark Liwiski is no shrinking violet - Shoot the Breeze Photo

• Well....that didn't go so well did it? Back-to-back losses to the Kamloops Blazers has the Kelowna Rockets winless after two games to start the 2018-2019 regular season. But heck, it was the opening weekend with several new faces getting their feet wet at the WHL level, so don't push the panic button just yet. Lose three more to the Prince George Cougars later this week (they are winless too by the way) and then the heat can be turned up a notch. Don't panic. For now, as Faith Hill sang on her 1999 album of the same name - Breathe.  
• When you lose 4-1 and 3-1 you are obviously not blown out, but you clearly have holes in your game. The one area that any player can control is effort. I don't care if you aren't the fastest skater on the ice or have problems executing a 10 foot pass, if you can bring effort, energy and enthusiasm to the rink, more times than not, that will mask many deficiencies in your game. Sadly, without naming names, I think several veteran players didn't exactly 'bring it' on the weekend. That's the most concerning part considering many of the older players are not slam dunks to be on this team in the first place. Just because you are 19 or older doesn't mean you are in the untouchable category. Honestly, the untouchables are 18 and under to be frank. But again, I am not going to go overboard here in the opening weekend of the season over what I witnessed, but working harder is clearly an area that can improve. 
• None of these players will remember Tyler Mosienko. Tyler who? Tyler Mosienko was a small forward in 2001 who came close to eventually breaking the Kelowna Rockets record for games played. He was small. He was a little fart to be frank and played in an era where bigger players, even in major junior, prevailed. 'Mossy' is regarded as one of the most popular players ever. Why? At 5'8, Mosienko, who was never taken in the WHL bantam draft, worked his tail off. Mosienko could skate, but his hustle and determination were his greatest asset. You have the puck, Mosienko was determined to hunt you down and get it. The Winnipeg resident scored a career high 30 goals, yet it wasn't goal scoring that made him stand out. Work ethic did. Mosienko wasn't a game changer but a difference maker. His effort was infectious and it led the team to WHL championships and ultimately a Memorial Cup. If the Rockets had a wall of fame where hard work was the number one criteria, a mural resembling Mosienko's likeness would surely be there. Tyson Baillie's too. Hello Colton Sissons. I could go on naming players that wouldn't be considered elite, yet made the most of the talents they were given and turned into real, real good junior players. Hard work was a staple like chicken and pasta in a junior hockey players diet. 
• So, instead of suggesting some players who didn't 'bring it' on the opening weekend, let me point to one player, in particular, who did. His name is Mark Liwiski. I know he isn't familiar to many Rockets fans yet, but if he keeps it up, the 17 year-old will be a fan favourite. Not blessed with a large frame nor the ability to make an end to end rush, Liwiski is bound and determined to get noticed. Acquired from the Everett Silvertips in the summer for a third round pick, I specifically noticed Liwiski in the second half of the opening game in Kamloops when he was stirring the pot by finishing checks and going out of his way to make life miserable. A night later, Liwiski was again in the face of the opposition and even found himself in a fight with Blazers forward Kobe Mohr. Liwiski isn't a fighter, but he clearly will step out of his comfort zone to make an impact on the game. If two games tells me one thing, Liwiski has much to prove that he belongs here and will do whatever it takes to remain a member of the Kelowna Rockets. The dude has only 12 WHL games under his belt and is fully aware that he is skating on thin ice of being a healthy scratch or being returning to the OCN Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Taking nothing for granted, the Dauphin , Manitoba resident is making everyone notice that he is here to stay and contribute.
• Does Liwiski know he is wearing sweater #9, the same number worn by legendary captain Ryan Cuthbert? 'Cutter' had below average size, below average skating ability and a below average skill level. Cuthbert had above average heart and above average leadership qualities and wouldn't take ____ from anyone. Two games in, Liwiski, wearing that same number, is taking a similar mindset.
• I think it is safe to say that Lassi Thomson is indeed the real deal. Thank goodness, considering the blue line took a massive hit with the graduation of Cal Foote, Gordie Ballhorn and James Hilsendager. Thomson looked good in his WHL debut Friday in Kamloops and looked equally as solid a night later in the Rockets home opener. I like the fact he had 5 shots on net in Friday's loss and was willing to shoot the puck and skate with it up ice in Saturday's rematch. Turning 18 today, Thomson doesn't play timid which is a really good sign. NHL scouts detest players who play scared. You know what that looks like. Its the defenceman who is never first to the puck in the corner, or its the forward who just can't pick up that pass because his arms aren't long enough to retrieve the puck. The pass isn't necessarily out of his reach, but his desperation level to get it is low. You can't hide scared. It is so noticeable by those watching. Thomson plays with confidence and he will only get better as the season goes along.
• Two goals. Two goals in two games. I'd like to give Blazers goaltender Dylan Ferguson some credit for that, but he isn't the soul reason why the red light went on only twice behind him. The Rockets were far too perimeter. Everything was from the outside, with little activity from 'the paint'. The forwards need to get greaser. In a season where goals will be at a premium, much of what happens in front of the opposition net must come as the result of relentless pressure. Taking a pack mentality, the forwards must fight for rebounds and continue to poke away until: 1) The puck enters the net or 2) The puck is covered and the whistle blows. A more determined effort is needed. The pretty goals will come, but the greasy ones are also rewarding.        
• Leif Mattson scored both goals in the two losses to Kamloops. Should that come as a surprise? Well, Mattson had three goals in his first five games last season and had 6 goals in his opening 9 games in 2017-2018. If you look at his last four games from last season and combine them with his opening two games of 2018-2019, the 19 year-old has 6 goals in 6 regular season games. Mattson won't make opposition goalies sweat when the puck is on his stick, but the likable forward is awfully effective. 
• Neither Roman Basran nor James Porter Junior were a problem on the weekend. Absolutely zero concern after Porter started Friday and Basran was given the start on Saturday. I don't know who is going to be the official starter this season, but does that really matter? How much fresher, both mentally and physically, will they both be if they share the duties? I don't see a problem if they split the games down the middle. As long as they challenge each other to get better, let the good times roll. 
• John Crickard was at Prospera Place when the Rockets opened the  2018-2019 home portion of their schedule. The father of Rockets assistant coach Travis Crickard, John won the 50/50, which meant he took home over 6 grand. That flight back to St. John's Newfoundland must have felt soooooooo good. 
• Could Rourke Chartier make the San Jose Sharks opening day roster? The 22 year-old is knocking on the door. How cool would that be? Dealing with concussions, if the Saskatoon resident can stay healthy, he has a legitimate shot of making his NHL debut this fall. Many forget he scored 48 goals with the Rockets in 2014-2015 and had an incredible 13 goals in 16 playoff games on the way to a WHL championship. 
• Nick Merkley is still hampered by a knee injury, so that has delayed his progression of making the Arizona Coyotes full time. Tyrell Goulbourne remains up with the Philadephia Flyers. Justin Kirkland was recently sent down to the AHL by the Nashville Predators.
• It was great talking with and congratulating new Kamloops Blazers GM Matt Bardsley on his new gig. I had a chance to sit down with him Saturday night to chat, both off the record and on it, about his new position. Bardsley is a class act and his story of how he was able to achieve his goal of becoming a GM in major junior hockey is inspiring. If he made one thing perfectly clear in our conversations, Winterhawks GM/Coach Mike Johnstone is everything you thought he was. Johnston didn't want to get in the way of Bardsley seeking opportunities elsewhere and by all indications he was a real mentor for Bardsley. How odd will that be when the Winterhawks pay a visit to Kamloops for two games in early October? Don Hay behind the Portland bench and Bardsley watching from the Blazers GM chair high above the ice. "It will be different. When we are down in Portland, I will go down there early to spend some time with family. In 19 years, I had so many good memories. I loved it in Portland but I want to create some great memories here in Kamloops", Bardsley told me in a pre-game interview.
• Enjoy the week of great weather. Summer is back....sort of. See you at the rink on Wednesday as the Rockets play three consecutive games against the PG Cougars. 

Things that make me go hmm....

• It only seems fitting that the Kelowna Rockets open the season against the Kamloops Blazers in a battle of BC Division rivals. The two organizations will fight it out on the ice this weekend before attempting to out duel one another in the boardroom in an effort to win the bid to host the 2020 Mastercard Memorial Cup. The Rockets haven't hosted since 2004. The Blazers haven't since 1995. It is been a long time for both franchises. Heck, Lethbridge, the third competing bid has never hosted. But will the Memorial Cup be again hosted by an Eastern Conference team after similar stops in Saskatoon, Red Deer and Regina? My hope is one of Kelowna or Kamloops wins the bid. Selfishly, I'd love see Kelowna host it again. Wouldn't you?  
• When I first heard that Kamloops was bidding for the 2020 Memorial Cup, I thought they were a shoe-in to host the 10 day tournament. If they were granted the games, it would mark 25 years since they last hosted and won major junior hockey's ultimate prize. Do the Blazers have a leg up on the other two bids with that silver anniversary looming large? Pump the brakes for a second. If you haven't been paying attention, the Kelowna Rockets will be celebrating 25 seasons in Kelowna in 2019-2020. The team re-located from Tacoma to the Okanagan for the start of the 1995-96 season. Next season is an extremely special anniversary for this team. Wouldn't hosting the Memorial Cup be a tremendous way to celebrate?
• One more thought about the Memorial Cup bids. If Kamloops wanted to outbid the other two on the revenue generated from the tournament, they could do it in a heartbeat. Let's remember the majority owner of the team is Tom Gaglardi. Gaglardi has deep pockets (family net worth is pegged at 3.92 billion) and could easily throw in a couple of million bucks if he really wanted too. How could that not persuade the other WHL governors that the event, if hosted in Kamloops, would indeed turn not just a profit, but a significant one that would be shared with the other 21 teams. Will he do it? That is uncertain, but when you own the Dallas Stars, run the Moxie Restaurant empire among other things, it is hard to ignore when significant cash is thrown on the table. 
• Again I am biased here, but I see Kelowna being the right choice for one reason and one reason only. Bruce Hamilton. A foot soldier for years in the Western Hockey League as Chairman of the Board, Hamilton has stood up and represented the league for years. My understanding is his colleagues vote him in as chairman, this is not a power hungry position that he thirst for. Like Ed Chynoweth before him, Hamilton has helped make tough decisions over the years in a quest to build the league into what we see today. Would it not be a form of payback, or a thank you if the governors put a check mark by Kelowna's bid on October 3rd? And let's be honest, we are all getting older, including Hamilton, who turned 61 in June. This will be Bruce's final time EVER in hosting the Memorial Cup as a league owner. It won't come back to Kelowna in his lifetime. It's the truth. So when you see a faithful owner, who has looked after the affairs of the WHL for so many years, is the Kelowna Rockets bid not the obvious choice in 2020?  
• I am very intrigued to see what type of season 20 year-old Ryan Bowen has in 2018-2019.  Never a producer of points at the WHL level, I have talked to many hockey people about him and everyone says, "He can skate". Many observers say there must be more there. My hope is Bowen will show his true colours this season. I've seen 20 year-old castoffs from other teams flourish here. Brady Leavold, Mark Guggenberger, Kelly Guard, Dylan McKinley, Cody Fowlie and Geordie Wudrick to name a few. Marek Tvrdon....not so much. I am intrigued to see what Ryan Bowen brings to the table. 
• What can we expect from Ethan Ernst this season? At 16, he will take his lumps. The WHL is a hard league. You are playing against older competition and its a significantly upgrade from what he witnessed in midget. It will be up to the coaches to make sure Ernst finds the rest he needs so when he is injected into the line-up, he can succeed and has the energy to compete. Sometimes being a healthy scratch is an ok move. The player should look at it that way too. While he must dress for a minimum of 40 games (WHL requirements) as a 16 year-old, the grind of the season takes its toll and off ice rest is crucial.  
• Again, the goaltending situation in Kelowna is more than sufficient to compete this season. I am not saying that Roman Basran and James Porter Junior won't have nights that will be forgettable, but I'd go to war with that duo. For the first time in forever, it appears the goaltending situation is not a question mark with an 18 and 17 year-old providing the last line of defense. Knowing that those two can return next season and no changes need to be made at that crucial position is comforting.
• Can Nolan Foote score 30 goals? If healthy, and a year older, while playing on last year's team, I'd say without a shadow of a doubt he can hit that mark. I am wondering if the supporting cast around him with this year's roster will give him the best chance to achieve that milestone? Foote needs to find a passer, but who has the ability to get the puck on Foote's blade? Liam Kindree? Kyle Crosbie? Kyle Topping is a shooter not a passer. It will be interesting to watch to see who the coaches put with the draft eligible prospect. 
• I had an interesting conversation the other day with a hockey dad who works for an NHL team. I asked why he decided that the WHL was the right place for his son, who will cut his teeth this season at the major junior level at 16. The thought process was his son was physically mature enough to handle the rigors of the WHL. Looking into the crystal ball, the hope is the 16 year-old, in four years' time, will be able to compete for a spot on an NHL roster when he is 20. That is a four year window of development. This player, now 16, can play in the WHL, against elite competition in his 16, 17, 18 and 19 year-old seasons. Plus, this 16 year-old can play a prominent role on his team right now, not when he has two years of junior eligibility left when he is 18 or 19. I won't reveal who this hockey dad is right now, but if you listen to 'The Kelowna Rockets This Week' (Saturday's from 6 pm until 6:30 pm on AM 1150) you will figure it out awfully quick.    
• I have been so impressed with my conversations with parents I've chosen to interview about their sons experience in the game of hockey. Last week I called Shaun Gardiner, the father of Erik Gardiner. Shaun was so well spoken and explained in great detail about how he and his family dealt with the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. I also called Darby Melville, the mother of forward Liam Kindree. She explains with great excitement in her voice when recalling WHL bantam draft day and how thrilled the family was that Liam was chosen by the Rockets in the fourth round. It makes for terrific radio. We will feature those interviews this season. 
• The Rockets raise another BC Division banner high to the rafters Saturday night. It will be the teams 19th banner in its 23 seasons in Kelowna. 
• Colour analyst Gord McGarva will join me in Kamloops for Friday's opening game. We are on the air on AM 1150 at 6:30 pm with the puck drop a touch after 7:05 pm Pacific Standard time.   

Rockets preparing for season opener

Shoot the Breeze Photography

Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Kamloops Blazers to open the 2018-2019 Western Hockey League regular season. This is the 7^th straight season the Rockets have met the Blazers in the opening game. The Rockets are 4-1-1-0 in those six previous meetings. The last time the Rockets opened against another opponent was in 2011-2012 when they visited the Everett Silvertips to begin what was then a 72 game schedule. This season we play 68 games falling in line with the OHL and the QMJHL. These two teams face each other at Prospera Place tomorrow night before meeting again December 28^th and 29^th in another home-and-home series. The Rockets were 8-0-0-0 against the Blazers last season and is an impressive 26-9-1-0 in the last 36 meetings between these two teams.   

Rockets Review: The Kelowna Rockets are defending BC Division champions. The team won 43 games last season (6^th consecutive season of 40+ wins) and earned 93 points, 9 more than second place Victoria. The team scored 280 goals, the 5^th most in the WHL and third most in the Western Conference behind Victoria and Spokane. The team tied for 8^th in fewest goals allowed and earned a Western Conference high 26 home ice wins. Only Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Brandon won more times at home. With 79 power play goals, the Rockets had the third most with the extra man behind only Victoria and Swift Current. The Rockets also scored 17 shorthanded goals, tied with Moose Jaw and Brandon for the league lead.

Who’s Gone: The Rockets lose their top four point producers in Kole Lind, Dillon Dube, Carsen Twarynski and Cal Foote. That is over 300 points missing from the 2018-2019 roster. Also graduating was 20 year-old’s James Hilsendager and Gordie Ballhorn. Goaltender Brodan Salmond was claimed off waivers in the summer by Moose Jaw while Czech born forward Marek Skrvne was released. In total, 8 player from last year’s team are not with the hockey club.  Kole Lind was the leading scorer while Cal Foote was named the Defenceman of the Year.

New Faces: The team welcomes three rookies back on the defensive core. Listed player Devin Steffler is joined by Finnish born blueliner Lassi Thomson (Turns 18 on Monday). Both are 18 year-old defenders. Joining those two is 17 year-old Cayde Augustine (turns 17 October 5^th). Up front, the team has added 16 year-old Ethan Ernst (3^rd round pick in 2017), 17 year-old Kyle Crosbie (8^th round pick in 2016),and acquired 20 year-old Ryan Bowen via trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season. The team also obtained the playing rights to Mark Liwiski, a third round bantam pick of the Tips from 2016.  

Broadcasters Notebook: The team failed to have a player drafted in the 2018 NHL draft. Forward Kyle Topping attended San Jose Sharks rookie camp on a free agent tryout….Second year defenceman Kaedan Korczak won a gold medal for Canada at the first ever Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Edmonton in August…Head Coach Jason Smith returns for his third season at the helm. Both assistant Kris Mallette and Travis Crickard enter their 5^th seasons in the WHL….The Rockets play seven straight games to start the season against teams in the BC Division….The team is in Prince George for back to back games next weekend and host them this Wednesday at Prospera Place….The Rockets are in their 24^th season in the Okanagan after relocating from Tacoma for the start of the 1995-1996 season…The Rockets have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons…The team has averaged 104 points in the last 6 seasons including a franchise high 118 in the 2013-2014 campaign when the hockey club lost only 11 times…The Rockets currently have 14 alumni playing in the NHL. That list includes Colton Sissons (Nashville), Josh Morrissey and Tyler Myers (Winnipeg), Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton), Damon Severson (New Jersey), Alex Edler (Vancouver), Shea Weber (Montreal), Mikael Backlund ( Calgary), Tyson Barrie (Colorado), Jamie Benn and Blake Comeau (Dallas), Madison Bowey (Washington), Luke Schenn (Anaheim) and Duncan Keith (Chicago)…Crickard spent the summer as an assistant coach and interm GM for the Botany Swarm of the New Zealand Ice Hockey League. The Swarm play from late April to early August.   

Roster Stats:

Player total: 24

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1998) – 2   Chizen, Bowen 

19’s (1999) - 5   Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell

18’s (2000) - 10 Brennan, Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Kushniryk, Pow, Hair, 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

Winless in pre-season

Allen Douglas photo credit

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I had a chance to watch the Kelowna Rockets pre-season game against the Kamloops Blazers last night. To be honest, it was my first look at any new players attempting to crack the roster with family commitments not allowing me to take in the opening weekend of exhibition action. Here is a quick summary of what I saw in the teams final tune up game, a 5-3 home ice loss to Kamloops.
• There were three new players that stood out. Rookie Kyle Crosbie had a great game. The smallish size forward was dynamic with the puck and showed great offensive instincts. He stood out like a sore thumb on the power play. Sure, he is allowed more time and space in that situation, but you can clearly tell his puck skills are above average. I am no sure what his interest was like in the defensive zone, but when you have a player with that skill set, which you can't teach, you have to take the good with the bad and run with it. If you are an offensive dynamo, I give you more grace in the d-zone. The coaches won't, but on a team that may have problems scoring goals, I will. Crosbie, an 8th round bantam pick, makes my team in a heartbeat. My comparison for Crosbie? Kyle St. Denis with the way he pivots and works away from pressure while carrying the puck. . 
• I was hoping to see Lassi Thomson show his value. The about to turn 18 year-old did not disappoint. I really like him. You can see he reads and reacts well and his ability to rush with the puck is impressive. I also like his shot, or his ability to get the puck on net through traffic. Thomson is in my top four. How does he defend? He has an active stick, makes contact when needed but he won't blow anyone up. Again, it is a one time viewing of a player who probably looked considerably better in his second pre-season games than he did in his first up in Kamloops on Friday.
• Ryan Bowen. An overage player who has a real nice opportunity to flourish in a Rockets uniform this season, my expectations in my first evaluation of him was low. Why? Any player that is on his third WHL team and has a career high 9 goals with Moose Jaw in 2015-2016 doesn't exactly have you expecting great things offensively. That said, it appears the player has underachieved in the past and is a better player than he has showed. I liked his battle level, skating ability and at 6'2, he clearly is involved in initiating body contact. I hope he has a career year. He needs too for the team to have success. 
• I will always remember Dylan McKinley. Plucked off waivers as a 20 year-old, McKinley came into Kelowna as a spare part. He  really did. Expectations were low. McKinley would go on to score 24 goals and collect a career high 68 points in 72 games in 2012-2013. Given opportunity and renewed confidence, McKinley proved he was a better player than his previous track record showed. How about Cody Fowlie? Released by Everett as a 20 year-old, Fowlie scored a career high 17 goals and generated 40 points that same season and was not considered an offensive dynamo when the Tips made him expendable. In Kelowna, Fowlie flourished. 
• Kaedan Korczak really impressed me last night. Korczak looks so much older than a season ago. The composure with the puck is off the charts. The ability to quarterback the power play is impressive. As small of a skill set as it may sound, if you as a d-man can make a hard, crisp on the tape pass to an awaiting forward, you are making me very, very happy. Sounds elementary right? Then why do some defencemen at the junjor level, when pressured, fire a puck knee high to a teammate or deliver a pass that bounces and turns on end as it comes off his stick? Korzcak delivers hard passes which are easy to accept. 
• My only fear for Korczak, in his draft year, is he will be forced into doing too much. It's called 'Cal Foote syndrome'. Cal was forced to cover up for others mistakes, which at times made him look out of position. My hope is Korczak doesn't try to do too much on a d-core that is as thin as the hair on my head. As a competitor, the temptation will be to mask others mistakes, which he will be able to do to a point, but will it make him look worse because of it? As much as I would like to see him paired with Lassi Thomson, the coaches may be forced to play them apart.  
• I am here to suggest we are seeing a better Libor Zabransky. A year wiser after getting his feet wet as a rookie in the WHL last season. the undrafted d-man needs a solid season to show scouts that the hype around him was warranted. A captain for the Czech Republic on the International stage, Zabransky will play a more determined game this season with some added muscle and a better knowledge of the game on North American ice. I am a big fan of Libor off the ice. The 18 year-old had the misfortune of sitting behind me in the Rockets bus last season. I often talked to Libor, who while quiet, has a great personality. 
• This may sound like an odd statement, but I have no concern with the goalie situation. I really don't. You would think I would with an 18 year-old and a 17 year-old carrying the mail. Roman Basran, who I project to be the starter, is an above average goalie and his backup, James Porter Junior, is more than adequate. The worst feeling is having that 'oh, no' moment when the starter is pulled in favour of the backup. In my opinion, that won't happen when either goalie comes into the game. Let's remember though, Basran will have some nights where the puck looks like a BB, so let's be patient with the player who has the hardest position on the ice.  
• I won't name names, but clearly some of the rookies and new faces have outplayed some of the second year veterans on this team. I like Crosbie, Thomson, Bowen, Wilton and Steffler to name a few. Will the second year players on the bubble be given more time to prove themselves on the first weekend of the regular season? We will have to wait and see. 
• The Rockets finish the pre-season 0-2-1-1 in four games. Without a win to show for it, I don't think it is a big deal. As one observer said to me last night, "If you win the games its a big deal. If you lose them, the losses mean little". 

Roster spots a plenty

• Roster spots are a plenty as the Kelowna Rockets open main camp at Prospera Place. We haven't seen a huge turnover in talent in these parts for years, where significant high end players have moved on to play pro allowing new blood to emerge and cut their teeth at the WHL level. To refresh ones memory, the team loses its top four point producers in Kole Lind, Dillon Dube, Carsen Twarynski and Cal Foote. Lind was the leading scorer. Dube was the teams most dynamic player and Foote was the captain and top defenceman. That is 321 points combined from those four that have now exited the building. That leaves fourth leading point producer Kyle Topping (22+43=65) and Leif Mattson (25+35=60) tasked with doing the heavy lifting. But honestly, it is 19 and 20 year-old's that traditionally carry the mail. If you are a rookie forward or you played a limited role one season ago, now is the chance to prove that you are worthy of taking the next step.
• The last time the Rockets lost their top four point producers was after the 2008-2009 season when Colin Long, Jamie Benn, Cody Almond and Ian Duval all graduated after winning the WHL championship and just came up short in the title game at the 2009 Memorial Cup in Rimouski.  
• The blue line has also taken a significant hit. While Cal Foote moves on to play either in the NHL or with the Tampa Bay Lightning's AHL affiliate, 20 year-old's Gordie Ballhorn and James Hilsendager are also off to play Canadian college hockey. That leaves the team thin on defence, with veterans Brayden Chizen, Libor Zabransky and Kaedan Korzak returning. We can probably throw Kelvin Hair's name into the mix too, who played both as a defenceman and forward last season. Lassi Thomson, obtained at the CHL Import Draft in July, is expected to be the real deal and the hope is he can squeeze into a top four role.
• Before we put massive pressure on Thomson, let's remember it was a significant learning curve last season for Libor Zabransky, who never found his game despite dressing in all 72 in his rookie campaign. The belief is the Czech resident will be much better in his second season while  playing with more motivation after failing to hear his name called at the NHL draft. Like Zabransky, Thomson will have to adapt to the smaller North American ice surface.  
• Realistically, of the returning d-men, Kaedan Korczak is the big horse back there. The second year defender will log huge minutes which include power play time, possibly with Thomson, who has the most offensive upside of any of the returning d-men. The team has brought in 18 year-old rookie defenceman Devin Steffler, who was born in Colorado, but played in Europe last season.Can he make the team? Is he Gordie Ballhorn 2.0? Ballhorn was also undrafted yet made the team and made a significant impact. 
• Leadership? The team is in the need of a new captain with the graduation of defenceman Cal Foote. Who wears the 'C' this season? Honestly, I don't have one candidate that really stands out. I think Leif Mattson has really matured over the last few seasons. Entering his third in the WHL, the 25 goal man is one of a handful of  19 year-old's, which also includes Erik Gardner, Connor Bruggen-Cate, Jack Cowell and Kyle Topping. Gardiner plays with the most passion and heart as he sacrifices his body at every turn. Someone in that group must emerge as a leader. Or do you go completely off the charts and look at 18 year-old Nolan Foote or 17 year-old Kaedan Korczak? Quiet yet respected by teammates, could those two players grow into that leadership spot? Sure, laugh at me now but remember a young player by the name of Colton Sissons was named captain in his 18 year-old season. Sissons was reserved, quiet but played hard and turned into a terrific player. Sissons would end up captaining the team in both his 18 and 19 year-old seasons. And with all honesty, I don't think the captain is as crucial as many believe at the major junior level.  
• Looking quickly back to last season, while the team won 40+ games, it's record would have been significantly better had it not been for all the injuries. It was stupid at times. Nolan Foote may be the best example. After 19 goals in his rookie season, the second year forward had just 13 goals in 50 games. A broken knuckle in Everett didn't help his cause. I think Nolan can score 30 goals this season if he stays healthy. Erik Gardiner had a rough season after being hit in the head with a puck. Playing in only 31 games, the hardworking Gardiner found the back of the net only 7 times. The biggest disappointment was likely Jack Cowell, only because he was so good in pre-season. Cowell came into camp in awesome shape and it translated into a confident player, but something happened. I think missed offensive opportunities early in the season derailed his confidence and he was never able to get it back. That is why games in the first month of the season are so crucial, both as a team and as an individual. It is the building blocks for success. When self doubt enters the mind, it is extremely hard to get it back. Cowell scored just 10 goals in 71 games and was a team worst -19. 
• Goaltending. It was a circus in 2017-2018. Essentially four goalies were used when Brodan Salmond (MCL), Roman Basran (Lower Body) and James Porter Junior (Upper Body) all went down at various points of the season with injuries. It was nuts. It was such a mess that the team had to recruit the services of 15 year-old affiliated player Cole Tisdale to fill the crease. Tisdale did remarkably well. In my evaluation of the three returning goalies (Brodan Salmond has been released), my belief, despite a small sample size is Basran is the best of the bunch. He is also the largest where size in goaltending does matter, especially if you are quick like the Delta, BC resident appears to be. The now 17 year-old had a sparkling 6-2-0-0 record last season and a goals against average of 2.28. The save percentage was also solid at .926. That said, Porter Junior and Tisdale need to make Basran sweat and make it hard for him to earn the #1 duties. Internal competition at that position is crucial.
• What I would really like to see this season is a better 'team concept' game plan. I guess the dumb downed way of saying it is those on the ice need to play better as a unit of five.Last season the team was able to escape with victories thanks to great individual skill by several marquee players. This season it would be satisfying to witness more 'team wins' than individuals stepping up in an effort to win. The coaching staff, who are now together for a third consecutive season, have the know how to get it done. Let's see the players follow their lead.  

Wong weighing options with eyes wide open

Trevor Wong

There is much to like about Trevor Wong. The same can be said about his father Ed. The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree. I had a chance to meet both of them prior to Tuesday's Kelowna Rockets rookie camp workout at Prospera Place.
Trevor is a well-spoken 15 year-old, who is still undecided on whether his path to what he hopes will be a long career in the NHL includes the Kelowna Rockets, or if the lure of the NCAA is a better way of getting there.
Wong says whatever direction he takes, it's a win-win for him.
"Making a decision like this is hard. I am going to have to eventually make it, and hopefully it is the right one".
Wong was selected 18th overall in May's WHL bantam draft, a day he won't soon forget. "I was in Philadelphia and got off the ice and I heard I was taken by Kelowna. It was unbelievable. I had heard nothing but good things about the organization. I was excited to be a Rocket. Now that I am here at camp.....its surreal."
Wong made a verbal commitment to Denver in November, but by no means is it a signed and sealed deal that he will choose the NCAA. If it was, Wong wouldn't be in Kelowna this week.
"When I committed to Denver, that kind of cleared out some (WHL) teams that I didn't want to go too, but their were a couple I would consider and Kelowna was definitely one of them".
The Wong's are well versed in what both programs offer. Wong's agent/adviser is well respected Gerry Johannson and the family is friends with Kamloops Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi. Johannson played in the WHL with the New Westminster Bruins in the mid 80's, so knows the benefits of major junior hockey. Heck, the 51 year-old also was an assistant coach/director of player personnel and assistant GM with the Tri City Americans for five seasons. Gaglardi's son played minor hockey with Trevor and has spoken glowingly about the Kelowna Rockets organization and the tremendous options available should they consider the Canadian Hockey League.
What will be the tipping point on which direction Trevor Wong chooses?
"Obviously, Kelowna and Denver both send guys to the NHL and that's what I want to do. At the end of the day it will probably come down to what suits me the best and my family. I am just trying to concentrate on Kelowna right now."
Mimicking his game after Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, the 5'8, 140 pound slick skating forward knows this season will be his greatest challenge when he joins the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the BC Major Midget League where he will face older, stiffer competition. 
"I try to make players around me better by playing at a higher pace. I like to push the pace. I want to be a 200 foot player which is what will make me the next level player".
If Wong goes to Denver, it comes with a full ride American scholarship. If he elects to play with the Kelowna Rockets, the chance exists of playing in the 2020 Memorial Cup.
"The Mem Cup is huge and super exciting. Like I said, my decision will come down to what fits me best and my family, but the Mem Cup in Kelowna would be super cool and maybe that would be what pushes it one way or the other".

Let the games begin

• A sure sign that summer is almost over. Smokey skies. No that's not it. I should say Kelowna Rockets rookie camp is about to start at Prospera Place. The Rockets are getting the quickest start of any team in the WHL when it opens camp on Monday with close to 100 - fourteen and fifteen year-old's lining up for registration before officially taking to the ice on Tuesday. The Kamloops Blazers, by comparison, don't start camp until Thursday. The Victoria Royals open rookie camp on Tuesday. Heck, with the grayish skies outside, why not focus on hockey. It sure isn't beach weather.
• Is rookie camp intriguing or a bit of a yawnfest? For the average fan it may be a little dull, but it is often my first chance to see the crop of players that Director of Player Personnel Lorne Frey and his scouting staff selected in May's WHL bantam draft. My eyes are on those players specifically. That doesn't mean the 80 or so other hopeful's don't have a chance to impress, but it is often hard for me to weed out the real players from the pretenders. That said, I was able to identify Ethan Ernst out of the huge pack of players at last years rookie camp as a standout. Ernst will now attend main camp this season and is a sure bet to make the roster in 2018-2019 unless something horribly goes wrong. 
• I attended last years rookie camp with only one intention. I wanted to see Ethan Bowen up close. I had never seen him play. Bowen was the Rockets first pick in 2017, but they had to wait to take the Chilliwack resident in the second round as they had no first round pick after dealing it away in the Reid Gardiner trade. The question remains. Will Ethan Bowen attend main camp despite making a verbal commitment to the University of North Dakota? 
• Who am I really watching at rookie camp? The honest answer is Trevor Wong. Wong was the Rockets first pick, 18th overall, in the 2018 WHL bantam draft. Highly skilled, Wong is an elite player and his offensive  numbers are no fluke. I won't come on this blog and lie to you by suggesting I know much about him. I don't. I've seen video clips. I have looked at 'Elite Prospects' to get a better idea of his success over the years, but I need to see him first hand. I spoke to both Trevor his father Ed after the draft and both seemed excited about the Rockets selected him despite his verbal commitment to play NCAA hockey down the road. It will be interesting to chat with them both, face to face.
• For the record, I have already made the mistake of calling Trevor Wong, Tyler Wong. Tyler Wong, for all of you WHL followers, was a marquee player for the Lethbridge Hurricanes who scored 51 goals in his 20 year-old season as the team captain. If Trevor Wong indeed chooses the WHL, let's hope he generates the type of numbers Tyler did in his time in major junior hockey.
• The Rockets selected 11 players in the 2018 WHL bantam draft, including one goalie by the name of Justin Dueck. Dueck is intriguing for me for one reason only. The 10th round pick grew up where I did, in southwest Saskatchewan. While I am originally from Swift Current, Dueck is from Waldeck, Saskatchewan and played bantam hockey in Swift Current. Dueck is still too young to make the team, but if he does down the road, he would be the first Saskatchewan born goalie since Kristofer Westblom to wear Kelowna Rockets colours. Westblom was taken in the 4th round back in 2002 and was born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan.  
• As always, on-ice sessions are open to the public. Rookie camp starts with registration Monday and on-ice scheduled from Tuesday through Thursday. Main camp begins Friday with the veterans arriving for the start of physical testing under the watchful eye of athletic therapist Scott Hoyer. I will dive into main camp and what I hope to see in a blog post later this week.