Rockets/Broncos preview

Game Day Preview: A rare Tuesday night game at Prospera Place against the defending WHL champion Swift Current Broncos. Two of the top teams in the WHL last season, they have combined for just 5 wins in 26 games in 2018-2019. The Rockets are 4-10-0-0 while the Broncos are dead last in the 22 team circuit at 1-11-0-0. This is the lone meeting of the season between these two teams. The Rockets are coming off a highly successful weekend where they won two of three games with back-to-back wins over Victoria (8-2 and 5-1) before losing Sunday in Vancouver by a score of 3-1. Kyle Topping scored the lone goal in the setback, snapping a modest two game winning streak. This is game one of a three game home stand, which has the team hosting Prince George Saturday and Brandon November 3^rd.  For those not keeping count, the Rockets have lost all 6 home games this season.

Gator Gone: The Kelowna Rockets announced on Monday that they have relieved head coach Jason Smith of his duties. Smith was hired in the summer of 2016 to replace Brad Ralph, who mutually parted ways with the team. Smith led the Rockets to back-to-back 40+ wins seasons, but was unable to earn a playoff victory in a four game sweep against the Tri City Americans in last season’s playoffs. No successor was named at the time of Smith’s departure, but the team was scheduled to have that new face behind the bench for tonight’s game against the Broncos. The new coach will be the teams 4^th in the last 5 seasons.

Broadcasters Notebook: Kyle Topping is riding an 8 game point streak. Topping has 3+10=13 over that period….Forward Nolan Foote has been named to Team WHL, who will host two games when the Russian Selects face the WHL in the 2018 CIBC Canada/Russia series. Games will be played in Kamloops November 5^th and in Vancouver November 6^th ….Nolan Foote has 6 goals in 6 games….Rookie Dillon Wilton has goals in three of his last five games……The Rockets have 928 wins as a franchise since relocating from Tacoma to Kelowna for the 1995-96 season ….Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to watch’ list. Forward Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first round candidate. Kaedan Korczak is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is projected to be selected in the second or third round. Roman Basran, Kyle Topping and Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospect, which means they could be taken in the third to the seventh round…. The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in 10 of the 14 games this season….The Rockets have trailed going onto the third period in 10 of the 14 games….Erik Gardiner has 12 career goals. Of those 12, ten have come against teams in the BC Division.

Trade Winds: The Rockets traded 18 year-old Wil Kushniryk to the Tri City Americans on Monday for a 5^th round bantam pick. Kushniryk was pointless in four games this season. The Rockets acquired 20 year-old defenceman Dalton Galley October 10, 2018 from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 10^th round bantam pick. The hockey club acquired 18 year-old forward Michael Farrin October 11^th from the Saskatoon Blades for a third round WHL bantam pick. The Rockets also 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.

Season Highs/Lows:

Most goals scored: 8 @ Victoria October 19/18 (8-2 W)

Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October 10^th, 2018 (9-6 L)

Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L), 40 vs. Kamloops September 22^nd, 2018 (3-1 L)

Fewest shots on net: 21 vs. Vancouver October 3rd, 2018 (5-0 L)

Most shots allowed: 39 @ Prince George September 29th, 2018 (5-2 W)

Fewest shots allowed: 20 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)

Last time shut out: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)  

Most power play goals allowed: 4 vs. Seattle October 10^th, 2018 (9-6 L). T-Birds were 4/5 on power play.

Most power play goals scored: 4 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)

Roster Stats:

Player total: 24

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1998) – 4   Gally, Zablocki, Chizen

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

18’s (2000) - 10 Farrin, Thomson, Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Pow, Steffler,

17’s (2001) - 6   Korczak, Crosbie, Basran, Liwiski, Wilton, Augustine

16’s (2002) - 1   Ernst

Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150

Smith relieved of duties

Jason Smith

Kelowna Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton has announced that the Rockets have released head coach Jason Smith of his duties as of Monday Oct. 22, 2018.

“Any time you let someone go that is the quality of Jason Smith it’s very tough, however the success of our hockey club ultimately falls with myself and I feel at this time we need to go in a different direction. Jason is just a wonderful person and we want to thank him for his time here,” said Hamilton.

Smith was hired by the Rockets in the summer of 2016 and completed two full years as head coach. In 2016-17 the team had a 45-22-5-0 record while last season saw the Rockets go 43-22-5-2.

This year the club is off to a 4-10-0-0 start. 

The next hire will be the fourth head coach in the last six seasons.

Rockets roll'n on the road

• Excuses. Every Western Hockey League team has them. Travel. Injuries. No club is exempt from using an excuse when they fail to win a game. It is those that are able to deal with adversity, no matter in what form it comes, that are often destined for greatness. The Victoria Royals could have used the excuse last night that marquee goaltender Griffin Outhouse wasn't available and it was the main reason why they suffered a 8-2 loss at the hands of the visiting Kelowna Rockets. The Royals, who are off to a tremendous start this season with 8 wins in 10 games, were forced to send 16 year-old Brock Gould between the pipes against one of the lowest scoring teams in the Western Conference. Liam Kindree and Lassi Thomson each had four point games while the power play, which has resurrected from the dead, was a lethal force scoring on 4 of 6 chances. It was only the third win of the season for the Rockets, who also received goals from Nolan Foote (2), Erik Gardiner and Kaedan Korczak. All three wins this season have been on the road with victories in Prince George and Tri City.
• Let's call a spade a spade. Had Outhouse played, the season high 8 goal outburst likely wouldn't have been attained. But truthfully, the Rockets were the better team in several facets Friday night including a penalty killing unit which went 6 for 6. Heading into the weekend, the Royals owned the fourth best power play unit in the WHL. The Rockets had the second worst penalty killing unit. In Friday's game, it looked like the roles were reversed. 
• While the Royals weren't using the excuse that their top  player, Griffen Outhouse, wasn't in the lineup, the Rockets haven't played the excuse card either in the opening 11 games of the season. For those not paying attention, last night's win in Victoria was the first time this season the Rockets were able to dress three 20 year-old's. Lane Zablocki made his debut and made an immediate impact. Playing in a game for the first time since suiting up for the Royals against the Tri City Americans in the second round of last years playoffs, the overage forward was clearly noticeable. While sucking wind and pacing himself at times, Zablocki looked like the real deal. The Wetaskawin resident was involved physically, was being a thorn in the side of anyone wearing blue and talking the talk and walking the walk . I loved it. Zablocki earned an assist on a power play goal from Lassi Thomson and then picked up a helper on Kaedan Korczak's shot from the blue-line. A two point effort is all fine and good but his presence alone on the bench and on the ice can not be understated. 
• I thought Kaedan Korczak was very good last night. Take away his goal if you want, his play in the defensive own zone was the best I've seen from him wearing Kelowna Rockets colours. Korczak was smart in his ability to defend by angling off opposing forwards and looking every bit a first round pick in next June's NHL draft. For Korczak to be considered a top 31 selection, he must bring that solid play to the ice more consistently. 
• It may have been Nolan Foote's best game of the season. The about to turn 18 year-old made a wonderful play for his second goal of the game and showed off his quick release which would have been a handful even had Outhouse been in net. Foote now has 4 goals in 4 games. Foote is tied with Lassi Thomson with 6 goals, only two shy of team leader Leif Mattson who has 8.
• Kyle Topping isn't scoring many goals this season despite being third on the team in shots on goal. Failing to generate a shot on goal last night, the 19 year-old was able to collect two assists and is now riding a season high 6 game point streak. Often overlooked, Topping has been solid at the face-off circle winning 17 of 24 draws in last nights win.   
• Leif Mattson deserves much credit for getting into a tilt with Royals forward Dino Kambeitz. The Rockets leading scorer does not fight. Ok, now he does. The 19 year-old did quite well. With 91 career points, the 100 point milestone isn't that far away. Had Mattson scored on a first period penalty shot, the Gordie Howe Hat trick would have been a reality.
• Roman Basran appears to have solidified the number one goaltending duties. The 17 year-old has started five straight games and six of the last seven. 
• I had a chance to watch the post game video of Royals head coach Dan Price answering questions from what appears to be local reporters. The questioning is odd at best. Asking the coach about a rumour of veteran players been traded? Is that even a question for a coach after an 8-2 loss? Bad, bad timing and that is clearly not his department. That is clearly a question for GM Cam Hope. Suggesting that the Royals took the Rockets lightly? Was the reporter even watching the game? Price handled himself well considering the line of questioning. 
• The two teams are back at it tonight in the rematch. The Rockets have failed to win back-to-back games since winning five in a row to close out the 2017-2018 season. We are on the air at 6 pm with 'The Kelowna Rockets This Week' where we hook up with former captain Tyler Spurgeon, who is playing hockey in Austria. I should also mention that we will have election coverage for you on AM 1150 during both intermissions and on our post game show. It is big day as Mayors and Councillors will be elected into office.                         

Rockets/Royals ready to rumble

Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Victoria Royals for the second time this season. These two teams met October 5^th in Kelowna with the Royals earning a 4-3 win. The Royals built up a 4-1 lead only to see the Rockets rally with two-third period goals. The Rockets were 1-2-0-1 in four games in Victoria last season. The Rockets make a return visit February 18^th and 19^th. The Rockets are coming off a 5-4 home ice loss Saturday night to the visiting Tri City Americans. That is now 6 straight losses at Prospera Place this season. This weekend the team plays in Victoria tonight and tomorrow before facing the Vancouver Giants on Sunday. The Rockets return home to face the Swift Current Broncos on Tuesday.

Broadcasters Notebook: Head Coach Jason Smith has joined the WHL coaching staff for two games when the Russian Selects face the WHL in the 2018 CIBC Canada/Russia series. Games will be played in Kamloops November 5^th and in Vancouver November 6^th….The Rockets have parted way with 20 year-old forward Ryan Bowen. Bowen was pointless in 7 games this season….Jack Cowell’s goal Saturday night was his first in 37 games….Rookie Dillon Wilton has goals in back-to-back games…The Rockets have 926 wins as a franchise since relocating from Tacoma to Kelowna for the 1995-96 season…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….Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to watch’ list. Forward Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first round candidate. Kaedan Korczak is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is projected to be selected in the second or third round. Roman Basran, Kyle Topping and Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospect, which means they could be taken in the third to the seventh round…. The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in 9 of the 11 games this season….The Rockets have trailed going onto the third period in 9 of the 11 games.

Let’s Make a Deal: The Rockets have been busy. The team acquired 20 year-old defenceman Dalton Galley October 10, 2018 from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 10^th round bantam pick. Gally has played two full seasons with the Tigers and hails from Eagle River, Alaska. In a separate deal, the hockey club acquired 18 year-old forward Michael Farrin October 11^th from the Saskatoon Blades for a third round WHL bantam pick. The Rockets also 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).

Season Highs/Lows:

Most goals scored: 6 vs. Seattle October 10/18 (9-6 L)

Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October 10^th, 2018 (9-6 L)

Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L), 40 vs. Kamloops September 22^nd, 2018 (3-1 L)

Fewest shots on net: 21 vs. Vancouver October 3rd, 2018 (5-0 L)

Most shots allowed: 39 @ Prince George September 29th, 2018 (5-2 W)

Fewest shots allowed: 23 vs. Victoria October 5, 2018 (4-3 L)

Last time shut out: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)  

Most power play goals allowed: 4 vs. Seattle October 10^th, 2018 (9-6 L). T-Birds were 4/5 on power play.

Most power play goals scored: 2 vs. Seattle October 10, 2018 (9-6 L)

Roster Stats:

Player total: 25

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1998) – 4   Gally, Zablocki, Chizen

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

18’s (2000) - 10 Farrin, Thomson, 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

Improvements made despite ugly record

Rookie Dallon Wilton celebrates - Shoot the Breeze Photography

• Wins are going to be extremely hard to come by for the Kelowna Rockets this season. Using the baseball analogy, no opponent is an easy out. Late game rallies will be few and far between and maximum effort will be needed for a hard earned 'W'. That is perfectly clear after splitting a pair of games against the Tri City Americans on the weekend. The line between winning and losing is very, very thin. The team earned a 3-2 victory Friday night before losing again on home ice less than 24 hours later in a 5-4 setback. Now with a 2-9-0-0 record after 11 games, the team will go up a weight class when they embark on a three game road trip against two teams in the BC Division that have a combined record of 15-2-1-0. The Victoria Royals welcome the Rockets Friday and Saturday before the team rolls into Vancouver Sunday afternoon for a 4 pm start.
• Friday's win was a big one for the hockey club, who were facing the pressure riding a four game losing streak. The anxiety level was alleviated somewhat with the knowledge the team had made two trades with the acquisition of 20 year-old d-man Dalton Gally and 18 year-old forward Michael Farron. But that also puts stress on bubble players who are having a hard time getting into the line up...or at least it should. With the roster now at 26 players, someone is heading home.
• A quick thought on Dalton Gally's play on the weekend. While expendable by the Medicine Hat Tigers, the big bodied d-man is an upgrade following his move to the Okanagan. Gally has a certain aura about him. I can't pinpoint it yet, but he sure came into the dressing room with positive energy. You can see it in his eyes. Gally loves the game and during my first interview with him, you could sense he is excited to be playing at the WHL level and will not take it for granted. Again, I know nothing of the dressing room dynamics, but he screams of leadership qualities that you want in a captain. Again, I am blind of how his teammates are accepting him, and it may be wrong to give a player the captaincy when he is claimed in a trade, but I see something there. I could be dead wrong here. Let's move on.
• Michael Farron made his debut Saturday night and it is too early to judge what the 18 year-old brings to the table. I hear a skilled forward who can create scoring chances for himself and his line mates, but it was really hard to get a good read in his debut. Check back with me after these next three games and I will have a better understanding if he can indeed make an impact.Truthfully, the Rockets needed an upgrade in the 18 year-old age group, so acquiring Farren can't but be a good thing.   
• Rookie Dallon Wilton had a nice weekend. The big bodied forward scored his first career WHL goal Friday in Kennewick and then from almost the exact same scoring area, did it again, but this time in front of the home town crowd. Just like that, Wilton is tied for 4th in team goal scoring, behind Kyle Topping's three goals, Lassi Thomson and Nolan Foote's four goals and team leader Leif Mattson who has eight. 
• With the team losing 9 of its opening 11 games, negative energy, if their is such a thing, is everywhere. It is tough to take positives out of losses, especially if its happening over and over and over. But the team is making progress in several areas despite sitting dead last in the Western Conference. In the last five games the team has scored 17 goals. In the opening 6 games, by comparison, the team found the back of the net 11 times. That equates to 3.4 goals per game compared to 1.8. That's a big difference. It should come as no surprise that the power play has improved too. In the opening 6 games it was running at a measly 4%. Yes, 4%. It was best to decline the penalty at that point. Now though, after the last five games, the five man unit is clicking along at 29%, which is clearly a game changer and a threat to score every time its out on the ice. The negative? The team is still surrendered too many goals against and the penalty killing unit, while essentially winning the game Friday in Tri City by coming up huge, is taking it on the chin with a league leading 18 goals against.
• It was nice to see Kaedan Korczak find the back of the net Saturday night. With 8 points in 11 games, the defenceman is now halfway to the 16 points he put up in his rookie season. Sadly, while Korczak was generating offense, rookie blue liner Lassi Thomson was very quiet on the weekend with only 4 shots on goal over the two games against the Americans and no points to show for it. Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr was in the building Saturday for a look at the Rockets draft eligible players, and despite a one game viewing, Marr likely didn't come away overly impressed with any of them. It's not the end of the world, but it would have been nice to see all of them make a significant impact on the game. Sure, Nolan Foote scored a goal while Korczak chipped in with his first of the season, but I've seen the entire group play significantly better that what Marr witnessed in the 5-4 Rockets loss.  
• The Ethan Ernst, Dallon Wilton and Kyle Crosby line is starting to grow on me. Having essentially played together for no less than the last three games, they are providing some valuable minutes for the hockey club. I would like to see Ernst score just to give him a boost of confidence. Not like it appears to be getting to him, it would just be nice to see a player who generates points at the midget level be rewarded at this level. Ernst does have three assists this season in limited minutes, so I hope he understands that he is contributing to the good of the team and isn't a liability on the ice. 
• I hate to say the Americans are a one line team, but clearly three forwards on its roster are making a dramatic difference. When Nolan Yaremnko, Isaac Johnson and Kyle Olson were on the ice, specifically in the rematch Saturday night at Prospera Place, they totally dominated. Those three owned the puck and the Rockets were often hemmed inside their own zone for a significant amount of time. Unfortunately, the Rockets just don't have that type of unit that can dictate the play.      
• It is hard to come to grips with the team losing its opening six home games of the season. Prospera Place used to be a grave yard for visiting teams. The team has never lost 6 straight at home to start the season. NEVER. The only time where the Rockets went 6 straight games without a win on home ice was in the 1999-2000 season when it was 0-5 with one tie (Yes, games ended in ties back then). Several times the team has lost 5 in a row, but losing six straight is now a new, ugly, benchmark for futility on home ice. 
• To put the home ice losses into context, the team suffered only 7 home ice losses last season.
• Congratulations to former Kelowna Rockets d-man Duncan Keith for hitting the 1,000 games played milestone in the NHL Saturday night. Keith played parts of one season with the Rockets in 2002-2003, leading the hockey club to its first WHL championship. The only other Rockets alumni to reach a thousand games at the NHL level is? The answer - Scott Hannan (1,055).  Shea Weber is closing in on the milestone with 867 games played.   

Rockets d-man makes debut down south.

Dalton Galley makes debut 

Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Tri City Americans for the first time this season and for the first time since the 2018 playoffs. The Americans beat the Rockets in the opening round in four games. These two teams meet tomorrow night in the rematch at Prospera Place. The Rockets are coming off a 9-6 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds Wednesday night. Leif Mattson had 2+2=4 and Kyle Topping had 0+4=4 in the teams’ fourth straight loss. The Rockets enter the game with a record of 1 and 8, which is the slowest start in franchise history. Next weekend the Rockets are in Victoria for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday before playing their third game in three nights Sunday October 21^st in Vancouver. 

Let’s Make a Deal: The Rockets made two trades this week. The team acquired 20 year-old defenceman Dalton Galley (October 10, 2018) from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 10^th round bantam pick. Gally has played two full seasons with the Tigers and hails from Eagle River, Alaska. In a separate deal, the hockey club acquired 18 year-old forward Michael Farrin (October 11^th) from the Saskatoon Blades for a third round WHL bantam pick. Farrin, from Richmond, BC, has played 133 WHL regular season games and had five points in 8 games this season before requesting a trade. 

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….Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to watch’ list. Forward Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first round candidate. Kaedan Korczak is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is projected to be selected in the second or third round. Roman Basran, Kyle Topping and Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospect, which means they could be taken in the third to the seventh round…. The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in 8 of the 9 games this season….The Rockets have trailed going onto the third period in 8 of the 9 games.

Season Highs/Lows:

Most goals scored: 6 vs. Seattle October 10/18 (9-6 L)

Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October 10^th, 2018 (9-6 L)

Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L), 40 vs. Kamloops September 22^nd, 2018 (3-1 L)

Fewest shots on net: 21 vs. Vancouver October 3rd, 2018 (5-0 L)

Most shots allowed: 39 @ Prince George September 29th, 2018 (5-2 W)

Fewest shots allowed: 23 vs. Victoria October 5, 2018 (4-3 L)

Last time shut out: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)  

Most power play goals allowed: 4 vs. Seattle October 10^th, 2018 (9-6 L). T-Birds were 4/5 on power play.

Most power play goals scored: 2 vs. Seattle October 10, 2018 (9-6 L)

Roster Stats:

Player total: 26

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1998) – 4   Gally, Zablocki, Chizen, Bowen

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

18’s (2000) - 10 Farrin, Thomson, 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

Rockets vs.T-Birds

Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Seattle Thunderbirds for the second time in the last five days. These two teams squared off Saturday in Kent with the T-Birds earning a 4-1 win. Kyle Topping scored the lone goal in the Rockets third straight loss. Seattle scored three of its four goals on the power play. Liam Hughes was solid in goal with 44 saves. The Rockets enter the game with a record of 1 and 7, which is the slowest start in franchise history. The 2006-2007 team had a win and a shootout loss in its opening 8 games. The Rockets are in Kennewick, Washington to face the Americans Friday before hosting them Saturday night at Prospera Place. Next weekend the Rockets are in Victoria for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday before playing their third game in three nights Sunday October 21^st in Vancouver. 

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: Ryan Bowen plays in his 150^th career WHL game tonight against Seattle….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….Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to watch’ list. Forward Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first round candidate. Kaedan Korczak is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is projected to be selected in the second or third round. Roman Basran, Kyle Topping and Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospect, which means they could be taken in the third to the seventh round…. The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in 7 of the 8 games this season….The Rockets have trailed going onto the third period in 7 of the 8 games….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.

Season Highs/Lows:

Most goals scored: 5 @ Prince George September 29th, 2018 (5-2 W)

Most goals allowed: 5 vs. Giants October 3^rd, 2018 (5-0 L)

Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L), 40 vs. Kamloops September 22^nd, 2018 (3-1 L)

Fewest shots on net: 21 vs. Vancouver October 3rd, 2018 (5-0 L)

Most shots allowed: 39 @ Prince George September 29th, 2018 (5-2 W)

Fewest shots allowed: 23 vs. Victoria October 5, 2018 (4-3 L)

Last time shut out: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)  

Most power play goals allowed: 3 @ Seattle October 6, 2018 (4-1 L), 3 vs. Vancouver October 3, 2018 (5-0 L).

Roster Stats:

Player total: 24

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1998) – 3   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

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.