Blazers hand Rockets 1st home ice loss

Shoot the Breeze Photography

• Kelowna Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton told freelance writer Larry Fisher during training camp that the 20 year-old's, the overagers on every WHL team are the difference makers, specifically early in the season. It's too much to ask for the younger players to do the heavy lifting in the first few months, so the veteran players must lead the charge. Hamilton wasn't blowing smoke when he made that comment to Fisher and was right on the money Saturday night in his teams 5-2 home ice loss to Kamloops. Blazers GM Matt Bardsley has been busy retooling his 20 year-old's over the last few weeks and it paid off in a big way. Acquired less than a week ago from the Prince Albert Raiders, d-man Max Martin scored twice in the third period as the road team handed the Rockets their first loss at Prospera Place this season. It was fellow overager Ryan Hughes who jump started the Blazers offense with the primary assist on Martin Lang's opening goal to make it 1-0. Those areas of improvement by Bardsley have been enough to help the Blazers earn two wins in two meetings against the Rockets this season. Hughes scored the game winner in overtime in the opening meeting of the season on September 27th.
• This game should be an eye opener for the Rockets. Are they indeed as good as they believe they are? Was it just an off night in all areas where they surrendered a season high 47 shots on net? The Blazers looked fresher, sharper and hungrier as they moved a single point back of Kelowna for second place in the BC Division.  
• For me, puck retrieval was a huge story in this game. The Blazers were dominant in getting pucks back once the original shot was taken. In the third period specifically, where the game essentially was won or lost, the visitors were hungrier to get the puck back after a thwarted attempt on net. They looked quicker, but to me it likely came down to more desperate to win loose pucks and keep plays alive in the offensive zone.    
• My belief is the Blazers have a greater hunger to beat the Rockets than the other way around. I am not saying the Rockets don't want to win! That would be foolish to suggest that. Considered by some as the ugly stepchild or the inferior team situated in the BC Interior, the Blazers look like they have a greater desire to come out on top at the end of the night and play with a certain chip on their shoulder. Face it, some team's simply get up more to play against one specific opponent than another. The Blazers do that against the Rockets. It was evident even last season. While not wanting to admit it, do the Blazers have a bur in their saddle every time they face the Rockets after losing out in the bidding process for the 2020 Kia Memorial Cup? If it provides added motivation, heck I'd use it.
• Rebound control. It is the goaltenders greatest weapon. I would suggest on this night that Blazers netminder Dylan Garand was like a vacuum. The yet to be drafted 'keeper of the cage' contained pucks to his body and never gave up any secondary chances for the Rockets forwards to pounce on. Give the d-men credit for boxing out the Rockets forwards while getting into shooting lanes to block shots.
• A few positives for you? It was nice to see rookie Jake Poole score his first career WHL goal. Rewarded with power play time, Poole's wrister found pay dirt in the second period to tie the game at 2. A bit of an awkward skater, you can't deny Poole's ability to put himself in good spots on the ice and works his tail off on the forecheck. Sure he made an ill-advised blind backhand pass that turned into a goal, but let's remember, Poole has played a handful of games at the WHL level and the way to learn is by making mistakes and then correcting them.
• 16 year-old forward Trevor Wong was again sharp Saturday night and had three decent chances to score, with all three going high and wide of the net. The scariest point of his evening  came in the third period when he was pushed into the side boards, in front of the Blazers bench by forward Ryley Appelt. Wong did make it back to his feet while Appelt was given a 5 minute major and game misconduct. Look for Appelt to serve at least a game for that hit. Unfortunately, the Rockets were unable to score on the extended power play.
• After three impressive wins over Spokane, Everett and Tri City, what will be a real indicator is how the two team's match up again this Saturday in Kamloops. That game will tell us how evenly matched they are or if indeed a significant gap exists. You can't look ahead and not focus on Wednesday's home game against visiting Swift Current, but I am intrigued on the Rockets response Saturday night at Sandman Centre.               

A reunion on the road

Jake Lee in a T-Birds uniform

·      Tonight’s Preview: It is a reunion of sorts for three members of the Kelowna Rockets. Dillon Hamaliuk, Jake Lee and Cole Schwebius return to where their WHL careers started when they face their old team, the Seattle Thunderbirds this evening. All three were involved in a block buster trade in May that saw the trio arrive in Kelowna for two-first round WHL bantam picks and 20 year-old Connor Bruggen-Cate. The Rockets make a return visit to Kent, Washington November 22^nd. The T-Birds make two visits to Prospera Place this season on January 24^th and March 6^th. Last season the Rockets were 9-6 and 3-2 overtime losers to the T-Birds on home ice and were a 4-1 loser before scoring a 3-1 victory at Accesso ShoWare Centre in two appearances. Tonight’s game is the conclusion of three straight games on the road, after the Rockets split a pair of games in Prince George on the weekend. The Rockets were a 2-1 winner Friday when Pavel Novak scored twice in the victory. A night later, the Rockets received their lone goal from Nolan Foote in a 4-1 loss. The Cougars held a slim 2-1 lead after 40 minutes before scoring two empty net goals for their first win of the season. Following tonight’s game, the Rockets return home to face the Kamloops Blazers tomorrow night before hosting Swift Current Wednesday.

·         Broadcasters Notebook: Pavel Novak is a ‘C’ prospect for next June’s NHL Draft. Those rankings released by NHL Central Scouting. A ‘C’ prospect is regarded as a player selected between the 5^th and 7th round. The 2020 NHL Entry Draft will be held in Montreal….Novak has 3+3=6 in his last three games and has been named the first star in two of his last three contests…The Rockets organization has the bragging rights of having 14 former players start the season on an NHL roster. That is the most of any team in the WHL, with Brandon next at 10 and Portland with 9 alumni….The Rockets have the second most games played by alumni in the NHL of any team in the Canadian Hockey League. Only the London Knights of the OHL have more….The Rockets are 4-2-1-0 after seven games this season. It took the team 13 games last season to reach four wins.….Last season, the Rockets were 1-6-0-0 after seven games …Kyle Topping has goals in four of seven games this season…Topping played in his 200^th career WHL game last Friday in Prince George….Roman Basran has started in six of seven games this season…. Newly acquired forward Dillon Hamaliuk was selected in the second round by the San Jose Sharks. Hamaliuk was acquired in a trade with Seattle back in May….Jake Lee received a free-agent tryout with the Sharks, attending the teams rookie camp…Back on October 3^rd, the Rockets were awarded the host site for the 2020 Kia Memorial Cup, beating out bids from Kamloops and Lethbridge.

·         That’s a fact - Jack! The team essentially welcomes back 17 of the 22 players that wore a Rockets jersey last season. That includes 5 of the teams’ top 6 scorers in Kyle Topping, Leif Mattson, Nolan Foote, Liam Kindree and Kaedan Korczak. Topping led the team with 69 points while Mattson and Foote collected 63 points apiece. Foote led the team in goals with 36. The team said farewell to 20 year-old’s Schael Higson, Dalton Gally and Matt Barberis. The team also parted ways with Lassi Thomson, Conner Bruggen-Cate and Ted Brennan. Adam Foote returns as head coach for his first full season behind the bench with Kris Mallette and Vernon Fiddler as his assistants. Fiddler was added to the staff on July 3^rd.

Rockets can't take full advantage of short staffed Cougars

Pavel Novak - Shoot the Breeze Photo

• Newcomer Pavel Novak continues to impress. Prospering on the power play, the 17 year-old rookie is showing he was indeed worthy of being selected in the first round of the CHL Import Draft. With only a handful of games under his belt, Novak had a week to remember, scoring three times and collecting three assists for six points in three games. Showing off his skills when the opposition is down by a man, the Czech forward clearly has a high hockey IQ. You can't take him off that first power play unit with his terrific passing, propensity to shoot and tremendous decision making. The good news is Novak is young and will only get better in time. His adjustment to the smaller North American ice surface is impressive. But again, let's temper expectations. The schedule is a long one for any junior player and mental and physical fatigue will play for a factor in his consistency. Throw in home sickness, that seems to plague anyone playing hockey a long way from home, it will be a hurdle the likable Novak will have to overcome.
• A bright spot heading into week four of the WHL season is the play of Roman Basran. I think the 18 year-old goaltender has been solid. Arguably the best dresser on the team, Basran's numbers don't lie. The workhorse with six games already played this season, the goals against average is an impressive 1.80 and the save percentage is a eye popping .933. That is a great stat line. You wins games with those numbers if the team in front of you has the ability to score. More on that later.
• You are winless in five games and everyone outside of the hockey club is telling fans that the Prince George Cougars are in a rebuild. Despite those PR struggles,which are factual, the game Saturday night was better attended than the opener when the Rockets escaped with a 2-1 road victory. You won't get large crowds in Prince George after years of losing (missed playoffs 6 of last 10 years) but you have to appreciate the teams work ethic. The biggest turnoff for fans, in my opinion, is watching a skilled team with no work ethic. What is exciting is watching a team play with determination despite a lack of high end talent in the lineup. Mark Lamb has them playing hard, which was a staple on why he was able to carve out a 400 game NHL career.
• Three texts this season is not enough for this broadcaster to jump up and down with glee, but those three all stated how informative head coach Adam Foote is on our AM 1150 pre-game coaches show. I have to agree. While he doesn't share any trade secrets to tip off the opposition, Foote is able to bring some insight for the fans to munch on. It isn't all coaches speak with no substance. Foote has been terrific in likely a portion of his day he least looks forward to doing.....talking to this media guy! That said, I do appreciate the time he takes to share his knowledge on how he wants his team to play. Selfishly, it makes my radio show better, but it is also a giveback to the fans that follow the team closely.
• The Rockets should have earned back to back wins in Prince George. Sorry, but it should have happened. The Cougars had several veteran players out with injury, yet the Rockets couldn't take advantage. Cole Moberg, Ethan Browne, Jackson Leppard and IIijah Colina are four big pieces that the Rockets didn't have to contend with, yet won only one of two games after narrowly escaping with a 2-1 victory Friday night.  To clarify, Browne played Friday but did not return for the rematch.         
• The Rockets are struggling to score goals on the road. The team has found the back of the net 5 times in four road games. In all four games, the Rockets have managed to score two or fewer goals. (3-2 OTL vs. Kamloops - 4-0 loss vs. Vancouver, 2-1 win vs. Prince George, 4-1 loss vs. Prince George). I can't pin point why, but the team is struggling manufacturing shots on net in those games and have been slow out of the gates in three of the four. The first period against Prince George Saturday night, where they hit two goal posts, was arguably the best period they've played on the road this season. Again small sample size, but they need to manufacture more goals when away from Prospera Place. 
• The visitors broadcast booth at the CN Centre gets some love on this blog entry. I don't take it for granted, but the setup is pretty much perfect. The hardwire internet is solid, the wifi seems to be significantly improved and the ability to tap into the PA feed is awesome. For years....years....the PA feed was unavailable for the visiting broadcaster. Why? No clue. 

Rockets roll'n

• Roman Basran was stellar and rookie Pavel Novak held the hot stick as the Kelowna Rockets continue to impress three weeks into the start of the regular season. The 18 year-old undrafted goaltender sparkled, specifically in the second period, in last night's 2-1 win over the hard charging Prince George Cougars. While Basran was holding court at one end, Novak, a rookie Czech born player, opened the scoring and closed it with a power play goal as his team won for the first time on the road this season. Novak now has 2+3=5 in his last two games and is gaining confidence at an alarming rate. 
• Should we be surprised at Novak's emergence this quickly in his WHL career? I think the answer is yes. The smaller, North American ice surface can't help him. Yet he is adapting wonderfully. Two encouraging signs stand out for me with his early season play. The 17 year-old is not scared to shoot the puck. I love his passing ability, but his season high 6 shots on net last night was a sign that he doesn't want to be solely a setup man. What I also liked was his lack of hesitation in a goal mouth scramble in front of the Cougars net in the second period. The puck remained loose outside the crease and Novak continued to jam away until goaltender Taylor Gauthier finally reeled the puck in. Most new Euros would be content with the puck just sitting outside the crease and protected by a front line of defenders that corralling it would be futile. Nope. Novak keep poking away, determined to jar it loose. It created a scrum with Novak eventually on the bottom of the pile, but I love the determination. 
• Give the Cougars credit for giving the Rockets all they could handle. If I was a patron last night, I walked away from that game satisfied. Why?  Even if your team has a deficiency in skill, you can overcome many obstacles with good old fashioned work. I thought the Cougars were a determined bunch and work ethic was not an issue.     
• I still marvel at Kyle Topping's play as an 11th round bantam pick. Last night was his 200th career WHL game and he has been a productive player in his time with the hockey club. It is also neat to see how he has matured over the years. You know he wants to play pro so his heart and soul is into making this season his best ever.
• It was nice to run into former Kelowna Rockets head coach Jason Smith during the pre-game skate. Now as associate coach with the Cougars, I asked Smith how he would handle the cold winters up north. "The sun comes up here like it does everywhere else." You have to remember, Smith is a hearty Albertan who played several years in Edmonton where bone chilling temperatures and snow is the norm in the winter.  
• During the Cougars morning skate, I saw what appeared to be a familiar face on the ice putting players through the paces. It was indeed Peter Soberlak, who holds a masters degree in sports and exercise psychology. Soberlak, one of the nice guys on the circuit, is the Cougars mental coach. I knew him as a terrific junior player with the Swift Current Broncos where he eventually become a first round NHL pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 1987. Soberlak also spent time as the Rockets mental coach a few years back.
• It was only fluke that I had a conversation Friday morning with Cougars d-man Cole Moberg while waiting to interview Jason Smith. In my short chat with him on the bench, one can only get a greater appreciation for a player who I only knew, up until Friday, by name. You sure get a better appreciation for the individual once you have dialogue with them. Personable, the 7th round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks is missed on the Cougars blueline as he recovers from injury.       
• We are back on the radio a little earlier tonight with the Kelowna Rockets This Week. We spend the entire half hour with New Jersey Devils defencman Damon Severson, one of 14 Kelowna Rockets alumni on an NHL roster this season. Join me at 6 pm tonight!!

Rockets open three game roady

 Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets open a three game road trip tonight when they travel to Prince George to face the Cougars. The Rockets meet the Cougars again tomorrow night before traveling to Seattle (Kent) next Friday to face the T-Birds. The Rockets next home game is Saturday October 12^th against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. The Rockets make three stops in Prince George this season, with a single stop on October 23^rd and back-to-back games February 25^th and 26th. The Rockets had their struggles against the Cougars last season, specifically at CN Centre. The Rockets were 1-3-1-0 in five games and were out-scored 20-12. The Rockets are coming off a 6-1 win over the Tri City Americans last night. Nolan Foote had 1+3=4 and rookie Pavel Novak had 1+2=3 in the victory, the teams’ third straight at home this season. The Rockets have out-scored the opposition at home 14-4.

      Broadcasters Notebook: The Rockets organization has the bragging rights of having 14 former players start the season on an NHL roster. That is the most of any team in the WHL, with Brandon next at 10 and Portland with 9 alumni….The Rockets have the second most games played by alumni in the NHL of any team in the Canadian Hockey League. Only the London Knights of the OHL have more….The Rockets are 3-1-1-0 after five games this season. It took the team 12 games last season to reach three wins.….Last season, the Rockets were 1-4-0-0 after five games….Tonight’s game is the first time the team faces former head coach Jason Smith. Smith was the head coach of the Rockets for two seasons and is now an assistant with the Cougars…Kyle Topping has goals in four of five games this season…Topping will play in his 200^th career WHL game tonight in Prince George….Roman Basran has started in four of five games this season….The Rockets acquired 20 year-old d-man Carson Sass from the Tri City Americans on September 11^th for a 10^th round bantam pick. Sass never played a game with the Americans though, after he was claimed off waivers by the Americans after suiting up for the Red Deer Rebels for over 200 games. Sass was the Rebels third round pick in the 2014 WHL bantam draft…Newly acquired forward Dillon Hamaliuk was selected in the second round by the San Jose Sharks. Hamaliuk was acquired in a trade with Seattle back in May….Jake Lee received a free-agent tryout with the Sharks, attending the teams rookie camp….Leif Mattson and Kyle Topping attended the rookie camp of the Carolina Hurricanes…19 year-old d-man Sean Comrie received an invite to Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp which led to an invite to main camp...Back on October 3^rd, the Rockets were awarded the host site for the 2020 Kia Memorial Cup, beating out bids from Kamloops and Lethbridge. 

      Welcome back! The team essentially welcomes back 17 of the 22 players that wore a Rockets jersey last season. That includes 5 of the teams’ top 6 scorers in Kyle Topping, Leif Mattson, Nolan Foote, Liam Kindree and Kaedan Korczak. Topping led the team with 69 points while Mattson and Foote collected 63 points apiece. Foote led the team in goals with 36. The team said farewell to 20 year-old’s Schael Higson, Dalton Gally and Matt Barberis. The team also parted ways with Lassi Thomson, Conner Bruggen-Cate and Ted Brennan. Adam Foote returns as head coach for his first full season behind the bench with Kris Mallette and Vernon Fiddler as his assistants. Fiddler was added to the staff on July 3^rd.

World beaters but early struggles on the road.

Nolan Foote - Shoot the Breeze Photo

• What we've witnessed in the opening four games of the 2019-2020 regular season is the Kelowna Rockets are very much a difference team at home as opposed to the road. At Prospera Place, the Rockets look like a well-oiled machine poised to challenge for first place in the BC Division like many pundits have suggested. After two stops on the road, it looks much like a team that struggled to win 28 games a season ago. Why the drastic change in urgency and the ability to execute on home ice as opposed to playing away from the warm confines of Prospera Place? It is a small sample size (four games), but you know head coach Adam Foote will investigate why his team losses the spit and polish they've earned in solid wins over Spokane and Everett.
• In the two home ice wins, the Rockets have opened the scoring with Kyle Topping and Jake Lee finding pay dirt. On the road, the team has chased the game with the opposition scoring first.
• The Rockets have scored 9 goals on home ice and just two on the road. Again, small sample size, but even the shot totals tell a bit of the story. In the two road games, the team has generated just 34 shots on the opposition goaltender, or an average of 17 per game. That shot total won't win you many games. On home ice, 56 shots have been directed at the net, which translates into an average of 28 shots per game. That total gives you a fighting chance to win, which they have - twice. A 5 for 11 power play (46%) on home ice is also a big reason why the Rockets look like a contender.
• After an impressive 5-1 win over Everett Saturday night at home, I anticipated a much better effort from the team Sunday against the Vancouver Giants. Both teams were playing three games in three nights, but the G-Men looked fresher. They had more jump, even though the Rockets were in an Ok position after a scoreless first period. I thought a late scrum when time expired to end the first period would ignite the Rockets. Sadly, the fuse went off for the Giants, who seemed to mirror their play after last year's BC Division title team with a dominant effort. The home team struck for three goals while out-shooting the visitors 16-4.
• It was nice to see Nolan Foote stand up for himself in a rare fight with Giants d-man Seth Bafaro. The only problem with the tilt was Foote sat in the penalty box for 17 straight minutes after being accessed a two minute minor for instigating, a five minute major for fighting and a 10 minute misconduct. The Rockets need Foote on the ice where he can be used as a threat both even strength and on the power play. 
• Foote had a massive hit on rookie d-man Tanner Brown, who calls Kelowna home. It was nice to see him use his size. I hope he plays that power game this season on a consistent basis. 
• I also liked Mark Liwiski coming to the aid of Dillon Hamaliuk after he was rocked in the first period with a massive hit as he stepped out of the penalty box. Liwiski wanted a piece of anyone wearing Giants colours and got tangled up with Milos Roman before punching the Calgary Flames draft pick to the ice. Roman would have the last laugh with a two goal effort. 
• Cole Schwebius made his Rockets debut Sunday and didn't disappoint. I thought he was fine in net and was in no way a weak link in the loss. The 18 year-old had to be nervous playing with his new team and frankly has only 17 games of experience at the WHL level after being a backup a year ago in Seattle. I thought Schwebius made several solid stops. Roman's opening goal is one where the puck goes wide of the net and out the other side where the 19 year-old fired it home. The second goal was from in-tight while the third, the most stoppable of the three, came off a shot from Justin Sourdif who beat the Kelowna keeper high to the blocker side. The fourth goal was an empty netter. 
• It was interesting to see the Giants spend the night in Kamloops after losing to the Blazers 6-2 Saturday night. The team thought they would be better served staying the night in a hotel and then busing in for the game. You have to hand it to ownership for fitting the bill to give the team a better chance of winning, rather than busing back and arriving in the wee hours of the morning. It probably worked considering the turnaround time was quick with a 4 pm start at the Langley Events Centre. 
• The Rockets still have two wins in four games. That is a lot better than the 10 games it took them to reach that mark last season.
• The Tri City Americans provide the opposition Wednesday. While it is being showcased as Rockets 20 year-old Carson Sass' triumphant return against his old team, Sass never played a game with them after being claimed off waivers from the Red Deer Rebels.     

Hammer Time!!

• Dillon Hamaliuk was the key piece in a blockbuster deal involving the Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds in May. The 19 year-old proved it Saturday in his debut with his new team. The San Jose Sharks second rounder scored the game winning goal with .1 second left on the clock in a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory against the Spokane Chiefs. Hamaliuk ended the night with two goals and two assists and was named the first star. Not bad for a player who hadn't participated in a WHL regular season game since December 27th when he suffered a season ending knee injury that required surgery. Looking none the worse for wear, the Leduc, Alberta  product could have had three goals had he not been called for goaltender interference in the second period. With Hamaliuk scoring the game winner and newly acquired Jake Lee picking up the primary assist, the 53 hundred fans that left Prospera Place had a huge smile on their face believing, at least after one game, it was worth paying a high price to obtain Hamaliuk, Lee and goaltender Cole Schwebius from the T-Birds.
• Four point night's for a player making his debut with the Kelowna Rockets organization are very rare. Chuck Kobasew had a three goal night in his first game after leaving Boston College in the fall of 2001. Kobasew, a then 19 year-old, recorded the hattrick against the Portland Winterhawks in a season where he would find the back of the net 41 times.
• The Rockets power play was the real story in this one. The unit, under the guidance of new assistant coach Vernon Fiddler, erupted for three goals, including its opening power play of the game which saw a nice three way passing play executed between Leif Mattson, Hamaliuk and Kyle Topping. The unit also came alive when it was needed most, when down by a goal late in the third period, Kaedan Korczak's point shot seemed to change directions and found pay dirt to tie the score at 3. Just to think, the power play struck for three goals on only four chances without Nolan Foote, who led the team last season with 17 goals with the extra man.
• Korczak led all Rockets with 6 shots on goal. That is an impressive total for a defender who is regarded as a defensive defenceman. The 19 year-old had a career high 10 shots on goal against Swift Current last season, but firing six times on net in a shot happy, block at all costs league is impressive. Speaking of shot blocking, Korczak may have saves a third period goal when Bazran was out of position after making the original stop, but the Golden Knights draft pick was able to get his right shin pad on a secondary chance that kept the Rockets from going down by two.     
• Nolan Foote has returned from the training camp of the Tampa Bay Lightning and will be in the lineup for three games in three nights next weekend. Foote missed the opener Saturday night as he suited up for the Lightning in a 5-4 overtime setback to the Nashville Predators. 
• When you have a roster that is still top heavy, the scratches are of significant  interest at this time of the year. Second year forward Ethan Erst was a health scratch, allowing rookies Jake Poole and Pavel Novak to make their WHL debuts. Poole earned his first career point, an assist on Dillon Hamaliuk's third period goal. 
• One has to remember that the team the Rockets iced Saturday night had yet to play a game together. With seven players attending NHL training camps, the entire pre-season was null and void of many top end players, allowing the rookies to get their feet wet at the WHL level.  
• Last season the Rockets started with 4 consecutive losses before finally beating Prince George in game 5. To get into the win column as quickly as they did, it likely erased any memory of what went down last season where wins in the opening 10 games were few and far between.
• What a great way to start the season. In a well executed tailgate party across the street beside the Rotary Centre of the Arts prior to puck drop, fans gathered on a picture perfect day on the green space where they were treated to cold $5.25 beer, food trucks and two live bands. Also featured was the re-play of the 2004 Memorial Cup on a massive screen.   

Here we go!!

Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets open their 25^th season in the Okanagan tonight against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. The Rockets are celebrating their silver anniversary after re-locating from Tacoma, Washington to Kelowna for the start of the 1995-1996 season. This is the first time in 8 seasons that the Rockets haven’t opened the regular season against division rival Kamloops. The last time the Rockets opened the season against a team other than Kamloops was September 24, 2011 vs. the Everett Silvertips. The Rockets won the game 5-4 in a shootout. The last time the Rockets opened the season at home to the Spokane Chiefs was way back on September 20, 1996 in a 4-3 overtime loss. Current Rockets assistant coach Kris Mallette played in that game and wore sweater #5. The game was played at Memorial Arena in front of a crowd of 18 hundred and 49 people. The game took 3 hours and 3 minutes to play. The Rockets were 1-2-1-0 against the Chiefs last season, with a 4-3 shootout victory, a 6-5 overtime loss and a 5-4 and 4-0 regulation time loss. After tonight, the Rockets are in Kamloops next Friday to face the Blazers. 

Welcome back! The team essentially welcomes back 17 of the 22 players that wore a Rockets jersey last season. That includes 5 of the teams’ top 6 scorers in Kyle Topping, Leif Mattson, Nolan Foote, Liam Kindree and Kaedan Korczak. Topping led the team with 69 points while Mattson and Foote collected 63 points apiece. Foote led the team in goals with 36. The team said farewell to 20 year-old’s Schael Higson, Dalton Gally and Matt Barberis. The team also parted ways with Lassi Thomson, Conner Bruggen-Cate and Ted Brennan. Adam Foote returns as head coach for his first full season behind the bench with Kris Mallette and Vernon Fiddler as his assistants. Fiddler was added to the staff on July 3^rd.

Broadcasters Notebook: The Rockets play 4 of their opening 8 games against teams based in the U.S Division….Nolan Foote was selected in the opening round (27^th overall) of the NHL Draft in June by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Foote joins his older brother Cal, who was chosen 17^th overall by the Lightning in 2017….Foote attended Hockey Canada’s Summer Development Camp, collecting 2+4=6 in four exhibition games....Kaedan Korczak was chosen in the second round of the NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights….Newly acquired forward Dillon Hamaliuk was selected in the second round by the San Jose Sharks. Hamaliuk was acquired in a trade with Seattle back in May….Jake Lee received a free-agent tryout with the Sharks, attending the teams rookie camp….Leif Mattson and Kyle Topping attended the rookie camp of the Carolina Hurricanes…19 year-old d-man Sean Comrie received an invite to Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp which led to an invite to main camp…On May 2, 2019 the team acquired Dillon Hamaliuk, Jake Lee and goaltender Cole Schwebius from Seattle for the Rockets 10^th overall pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, a 2^nd round pick in 2021, a first round selection 2022 and Conner Bruggen-Cate. Hamaliuk and Lee were members of the 2017 WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds…The team will start the season with three-20 year-old’s after obtaining d-man Carson Sass from the Tri City Americans September 11^th for a 10^th round WHL bantam pick. Sass has played the majority of his career with the Red Deer Rebels…The team will have two-16 year-old’s on its roster this season. Trevor Wong, the Rockets 1^st round bantam pick from (18^th overall) 2018 is joined by 16 year-old blueliner Elias Carmichael. Carmichael was the teams 2^nd round pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft…The Rockets welcome Czech Republic forward Pavel Novak to the team this season. Novak was chosen 13^th overall in the opening round of June’s CHL Import Draft. Novak played recently for his country at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, helping the Czech Republic to a 5^th place finish...Back on October 3^rd, the Rockets were awarded the host site for the 2020 Kia Memorial Cup, beating out bids from Kamloops and Lethbridge. The Memorial Cup will be held at Prospera Place May 22^nd to 31^st and will represent the 102^nd edition of the Canadian Hockey League national championship.

Did you know? Vernon Fiddler played 203 games with the Rockets between 1997 and 2000 before being traded to Medicine Hat in his 20 year-old season….Fiddler played close to 800 NHL games with Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas and New Jersey…..Prospera Place celebrated its 20^th birthday on August 28th. It was August 28, 1999 that the facility opened its doors to its first official event, a rock concert with Canadian alternative band – Moist....The team had a record of 2-3-0-1 in six pre-season games. Kyle Crosbie led the team in scoring with 4+1=5 in 6 games. Liam Kindree (2=2+4), Alex Swetlikoff (2+2=4) and rookie Jake Poole (0+4=4) each collected four points in the exhibition seasn….Last season the Rockets were 28-32-6-2 and were just edged out by the Kamloops Blazers for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.  

Crosbie focused heading into sophomore season

Shoot the Breeze Photo

Kyle Crosbie is no dummy.

The second year forward with the Kelowna Rockes realizes what's in front of him. If he is willing to truly put in the work, the 18 year-old may defy the odds by being selected as an undersized forward in next June's NHL draft. An appearance in the 2020 Kia Memorial Cup this May would only enhance those chances.

Crosbie gained 17 pounds this off season. That's a significant amount of girth for a player who tipped the scales at a feather weight of 150 pounds in his rookie season. The Didsbury, Alberta resident knows that extra bulk on the ice will only help his chances of playing with the puck more often than chasing it.

"I burn calories so fast. That is big for me to put on that much weight. I feel stronger and bigger on the ice. It will be tough to maintain this season as I was taking in between 5 and 6 thousand calories a day."

Last season, Crosbie found the back of the net seven times in 63 games as he made his mark in the WHL with a team that struggled scoring. The Rockets had the third fewest in the league (169), with playoff-less Swift Current (135) and Prince George (152) scoring fewer times. 

"I think we have a lot of talent this year. We have Hamaliuk and Lee. From what I've seen so far, they are great players and Comrie from Denver, he is a solid d-man. Between those guys and the returnees, I think we will have a fast team this year."

An even 30 for Frey

Lorne Frey has seen it all.

The long-time head scout for the Kelowna Rockets will be watching with interest when rookie camp opens at Prospera Place.

"You are always excited to see the new kids. You are always looking for the late developers and we've found them in the past and we are hoping to do it this year".   

This is Frey's 30th training camp, including year one when the team was based in Tacoma, Washington in 1992.

"Is that what it is? I can't count that high," Frey says with a chuckle.   

Frey likes to make fun of himself, but it’s been his keen eye that has landed the likes of Jamie Benn, Damon Severson, Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Tyler Myers and Tyson Barrie.  

"This camp may be one of our best camps we have had in a while. There are a lot of good young players coming. For whatever reason, I think last year in the draft, there were a lot of players that didn't get drafted that could have got drafted," Frey added.   

Close to 160 players will be split into teams, with on-ice sessions running until Friday when main camp opens.

Schenn redefining his game at 29!

Luke Schenn with the Arizona Coyotes 

To say it was a turbulent season for Luke Schenn would be an understatement.

The former Kelowna Rockets defenceman was playing in the minors before finally being traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

It was a tough pill to swallow for the 12 year veteran, who had to redefine his game.

"Fifteen or twenty years ago there were tons of stay at home, physical defenceman chipping the puck off the glass and taking care of things in front of the net.  But now you need to find way of being more efficient moving the puck."

That included work both on the ice and in the video room with former NHL'er Adam Oates.

A large part of Schenn's summer has included celebrating a Stanley Cup victory with younger brother Brayden.

"I definitely want to get the chance hopefully. I've never had the chance of getting out of the first round of the NHL playoffs. If you would have told me in January and February when I was in the minors that the first place team in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning, would be calling me,  it would be tough to believe. I am grateful for this opportunity", Schenn added.       

Schenn's contract is a one year deal worth $700,000.

Severson itching to get back at it

It may be early July, but Damon Severson is already preparing for the start of the NHL season.

The New Jersey Devils defenceman, who makes Kelowna his off-season home, says his team should be better with the recent acquisition of PK Subban.

"I think it is exciting for us to add that flavour to our dressing room. I think, on the ice, his play speaks for itself. It is more of will he be able to mesh with us off the ice. It should be just fine".

Severson is coming off a season where he collected a career high 39 points. 

"This is the third year I have been out here (Kelowna) for summer time. I can't complain one bit. It is beautiful. Everyone is friendly. Good people. Obviously, I played here with the Rockets so I know the area well. I can't see myself livng anywhere else in the world', Severson added.    

The 24 year-old was born in Brandon, Manitoba, grew up in Melville, Saskatchewan, but trains in the Okanagan with fellow NHL colleagues Brayden and Luke Schenn. 

Fiddler comes full circle

Vernon Fiddler has come full circle.

A former player of the Kelowna Rockets in the late 90's, the 39 year-old has been hired as an assistant coach.

"I have been through the trenches. I am looking forward to getting on the ice and developing their skills".

Fiddler played close to 900 games in the NHL before retiring in 2017.

"I am going to be a guy that expects a lot and I hope the players expect a lot out of me".

Fiddler will work primarily with the forwards while assistant coach Kris Mallette will again provide wisdom to the d-core.

"I have played against Adam Foote. We have had many verbal disagreements on the ice. Our coaching staff is going to expect nothing but a full commitment from our team and I am just looking forward to working with those two guys and get this team rolling in the right direction."

Fiddler spent this past winter in Dallas working with the Stars top prospects.

The move should be an easy one for the likable Fiddler, who already owns a home in Kelowna that he and his wife, son and daughter will easily move into.