Taking the Ice to the woodshed

Chartier shows no rust, (Shoot the Breeze Photography)

• Twitch....twitch. You will have to excuse Kootenay Ice goaltender Wyatt Hoflin for involuntary muscle twitching after facing 59 shots in the Kelowna Rockets dominating 4-1 win Wednesday night at Prospera Place. Thankfully for the Ice, Hoflin was on his game because the team in front of him was off in a lopsided affair featuring the top team in the WHL against the bottom dwelling Ice. Hoflin made several three alarm saves as the Rockets top shooters burned Kootenay's porous defense. Rourke Chartier, making his return to the line up after missing 19 games with an upper body injury, scored three times in a win that flattered the road team. Without a high level effort from Hoflin this could have been a double digit embarrassment. Chartier walked away with the first star while Hoflin received an even louder ovation when he came out of the dressing room to pick up third star honours. 
• Chartier didn't look rusty in the least bit. The 19 year-old showed no ill effects when he backhanded a pass to an awaiting Nick Merkley, who was seen cutting towards the goal two minutes into the game. Hoflin slid across to make a nice pad save to avoid the inevitable. Chartier, who hadn't played since October 6th in Medicine Hat after blocking a shot, showed off his quick one-timer when he ripped two shots past Holfin's glove hand side. It was Chartier's second career three goal game after pulling off a similar performance last season against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Despite scoring the second most goals in the WHL, it was the first-three goal game by a Rockets player this season.
• Chartier played on a line with Nick Merkley and Calvin Thurkauf. It only made sense to play Chartier with Merkley after the magic they created last season. Thurkauf was added to that line with the premise being the three will leave the team when they open a Saskatchewan road trip next Wednesday as the trio attempt to play for their respective countries at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Merkley and Chartier are trying out for Team Canada while Thurkauf will play for Switzerland.  
• The 59 shots on goal was a season high. The Rockets previous high was 42 shots taken against the Edmonton Oil Kings in a 5-3 win in October.
• Jackson Whistle's shutout bid ended late in the second period when Ice forward Max Patterson took a shot on right wing on a two-on-one. The puck was stopped by Whistle, but it went off defenceman Cal Foote and into the back of the net. Despite that unfortunate bounce, Whistle earned his 15th win of the season and moved one win shy of Kelly Guard for second place all time on the franchises wins list for goalies. Whistle has 82 career wins in a Rockets uniform. Whistle's first WHL victory came as a member of the Vancouver Giants in 2012 in a shootout victory against the Prince George Cougars.

Rockets game notes vs. Ice

Shoot the Breeze Photography

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets open their final home stand before the Christmas break with three games at Prospera Place. The Kootenay Ice provides the opposition in a rare meeting between two teams that used to have a long playoff history before the Ice moved to the Central Division. These teams met once last season, January 31^st in Cranbrook, where the Rockets earned a 5-1 win. Rourke Chartier, Leon Draisaitl, Cole Martin and Gage Quinney scored first period goals in the win. Jackson Whistle made 25 saves in the victory. The Ice hasn’t made an appearance in Kelowna since the December 7, 2013. In that game, Myles Bell scored the game winner in the third period while Jackson Whistle was named the 1^st star with a 30 save effort. The Rockets are coming off a split after visiting the Victoria Royals on the weekend. The Rockets won the opening game Friday 3-1, before losing Saturday’s rematch 5-1. The Rockets have won 14 of their last 18 games overall (14-3-0-1) and are 9-2-0-0 on home ice and 10-4-1-0 on the road. Overall; the Rockets have points in 11 of 12 games (10-1-1-0). The Rockets home stand continues Friday against Medicine Hat and Saturday vs. Portland.

World Junior Bound? Nick Merkley and Rourke Chartier have been named to the selection camp roster for Hockey Canada’s World Junior team. Both players attended the summer evaluation camp with Merkley playing for the WHL in the Canada-Russia Challenge last month in Kelowna and Kamloops. Chartier was unable to play because of injury. Ex-Rockets goaltender Jordan Cooke was named to the university team that will face Hockey Canada’s junior team in two exhibition games December 12^th and 13^th. The upcoming World Juniors are in Finland at Christmas.

  

November Notables: Tyson Baillie had 7+11=18 in the month of November. Nick Merkley had 7+8=15 in the month while Justin Kirkland had 4+10=14. Kole Lind had 5+4=9. Cole Linaker had 3+7=10 in November.  

Tyson Baillie hits record books: Tyson now has 260 career points, becoming only the 5^th player in Rockets franchise history to reach the 250 point plateau. Brett McLean had 375 points before being traded to Brandon in his 20 year-old season. John Varga had 333 career points with Tacoma. Jason Deleurme had 313 career points while Kiel McLeod had 261 career points.   

This and That: The Rockets play 12 games in December with 7 of those 12 on the road. That includes a Saskatchewan/Manitoba road trip that begins next Friday in Regina and ends December 19^th in Saskatoon. The Rockets will play those six games in 9 nights… Three members of the Rockets have been rated by NHL Central Scouting. Lucas Johansen and Dillon Dube are rated as ‘B’ prospects for June’s draft in Buffalo. Tomas Soustal, who was not selected last year, is ranked as a ‘C’ prospect…Baillie has points in 14 of his last 15 games…Baillie has been held off the score sheet in just five of 25 games this season…Rookie Gordie Ballhorn leads the Rockets with a +14 rating…Rodney Southam is two goals shy from his career high 7 goals he scored last season…Cal Foote is the next player to blow out candles. Foote turns 17 on December 13^th. December birthdays are rare on the Rockets roster. The last December birthday was Cody Chikie and Filip Vasko when the two suited up for the team during the 2011-2012 campaign….The Rockets are rated as the 4^th best team in the country according to the CHL Top 10 rankings this week. The Rockets were rated 5^th at the start of the season….Seven of Justin Kirkland’s nine goals have been scored on the road this season….Jackson Whistle has started 16 of the last 20 games…Tyson Baillie has averaged 28 goals over his last three seasons…The Rockets next play three games in three nights January 29th, 30^th and 31^st with two of those three games on home ice….The Rockets had two players taken in the NHL draft. Nick Merkley was taken in the first round by Arizona. Devante Stephens was chosen in the 5^th round by Buffalo…Cole Linaker (Oilers), Tomas Soustal (Flames) and Tyson Baillie (Flames) all received free agent tryouts.

Who’s Hot: Justin Kirkland has a 5 game point streak with 1+9=10 over that period…Cole Linaker has a modest 4 game point streak with 1+4=5 over that period.….Nick Merkley has points in four of his last five games. Merkley has 3+4=7 over that stretch…Tomas Soustal has two more points (20) than he had all of last season….Tomas Soustal has points in five of his last six games. Soustal has 4+3=7 over that period…Kole Lind has 4+4=8 in his last 9 games…Tyson Baillie has 11+23=34 in his last 18 games …Dillon Dube has 8+10=18 in his last 12 games….Lucas Johansen has 5 more point this season as he did all of last year.

Notes, quotes and anecdotes

Jordan Borstmayer is a great interview

• From dirty to disciplined. That may best describe the Victoria Royals. No longer are they the bully in the playground. They are playing nicely in the sandbox and being rewarded for it. Last season the Royals were throwing sand in your face, especially if they were losing and weren't getting their way. But Royals head coach Dave Lowry has done a great job of altering the way his team plays. Now a smaller, less angry core of players, the compete level is still clearly evident but the propensity to make regular trips to the penalty box appear to be over. The Royals play a smart game and it starts and ends at the top with Lowry. In my opinion, Lowry more than any other coach in the WHL, has changed how his team plays. It is awfully impressive to watch and it shows in the team's unbelievably strong record. 
• Best player interview of the week? Rockets forward Jordan Borstmayer by a country mile. The rookie receives little in the way of media attention, but the likeable 17 year-old was solid on the mic when I asked him about his first career WHL goal last Wednesday against the Seattle Thunderbirds. "It felt pretty good. It was a big relief. Hopefully it is blue skies looking forward. Any time I get out there I try to work my hardest. I believe ice time and points come with hard work."
• Nick Merkley and Rourke Chartier have been named to Hockey Canada's selection camp. Merkley had a slow start after coming back injured from Arizona Coyotes training camp while Chartier has missed 19 games with an upper body injury. The question is, will Chartier be healthy enough to participate in the camp? One would think so, or Hockey Canada wouldn't have added him to the roster. 
• You have to hand it to Saskatoon Blades HC Bob Woods for fully disclosing why he moved goaltender Nik Amundrud to the Calgary Hitmen. The reason, Woods said bluntly, "He came to me and wasn't happy". I've never liked the notion that a player asks for a trade. In most cases, not all, it shows selfishness and doesn't make that individual accountable for his performance. It is easy for a player to blame others, but where is the logic behind looking inwardly? Oh right, that would be closer to the truth. 
• Cal Foote has big feet. He really does. The 16 year old rookie has a size 16 shoe. "When I am looking for shoes, I usually have to buy them on line", Foote told me earlier this month. 
• Speaking of Cal Foote, his younger brother Nolan spent last week skating with the team he hopes to join next season. Nolan was the Rockets first pick in May's WHL Bantam Draft. This season he is playing minor hockey in his home in Denver, Colorado where his hockey famous father is a coach. "I really, really like him as a coach on my team. He is an assistant coach with my team. He is a hockey brain. He knows everything", Nolan told me about his father Adam Foote, who played 1154 regular season NHL games as a defenceman. I wish my twin boys said the same thing about me. "He knows everything" has never been uttered out of their mouths.
• Adam Foote doesn't want to be in the spotlight as his two sons make their mark in the WHL. Foote has rejected many requests to do interviews about Cal and Nolan playing with the Kelowna Rockets, but that didn't stop me from approaching him earlier this season for a quick conversation. I will share that interview with you next week.    
• If you are wondering, Nolan Foote can't play a game with the Kelowna Rockets this season. As an underage player, 15 year-old bantam draft picks can play nine games after January 10th with the WHL team that selected them. American born players, which Foote is, can't though, because of the CHL's agreement with USA Hockey. 
• Congratulations to former Kelowna Rockets goaltender Jordan Cooke for being named to a Canadian university team that will play two exhibition games against Canada's national junior team in early December. Cooke is playing this season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. 
• Is Royals rookie forward Matthew Phillips the next coming of Nic Petan? Just 5'7 and 161 pounds, the 17 year-old is pretty dynamic offensively and has 27 points in 27 games (14+13=27).  Ok, maybe Phillips isn't a clone of Petan, but he sure is fun to watch. Petan had 46 goals in his 17 year-old season and 120 points.       
• I love to talk to opposing coaches, but I am very selective in my questioning. I want to discuss issues or subjects that are slightly off the beaten path. I had a nice chat last week with Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk. My focus was on the playoff format that could be considered flawed if you are a T-Birds fan. Seattle, a 38 win team last season, had to face high powered Portland in last years opening round. "I don't know if it is flawed", Konowalchuk told me last week. "You want to get the division match ups for the fans. Two years ago we faced Everett in the first round and they were one of the top teams in the division that season. Two years in a row we have had a tough match up. One good team was going home. I think what they are trying to do is get the division match ups for the fans, so in that sense it's a success."
• Best player I saw last week? T-Birds Ethan Bear is a solid d-man. Very gifted offensively. I was honestly surprised at how good the Edmonton Oilers draft pick is.  
• A Victoria radio station sponsors the 'Junior Sportscaster', a live segment hosted by veteran broadcaster Ed Jolly ever Friday night during the intermission at Victoria Royals home games. It is often a delight. Jolly speaks with a young child (12 or under) for about five minutes, which is seen unrehearsed for those watching on the big screen at centre ice. The answers to Ed's questions by the 'Junior Sportscaster' is often times comical and receives a good chuckle from the fans watching below in the seats. It is a unique feature that no one does elsewhere in the WHL that I am aware of. If I haven't described the segment well, just think 'Kids Say the Darnedest Things". I for one think it is a massive hit. 

Lack of discipline in lacklustre road loss

• The Kelowna Rockets should feel good about the weekend. No, not because of their sluggish play. The Victoria Royals were the better team in both games. The Rockets should be grateful to come out of the two games with no less than two points. In essence, the WHL leaders closed out the weekend in the same position they entered it. The Rockets have a slim three point lead on the Royals for top spot in the Western Conference, but the lead has diminished to just a single point on Red Deer for top spot in the Western Hockey League. While the team wasn't very good Friday in a 3-1 win, thanks primarily to goaltender Jackson Whistle, Saturday's 5-1 loss was a greater indication of how poorly the Rockets played and how determined the Royals were in handing their BC Division rivals their 6th regulation loss of the season. 
• A lack of discipline has been a factor for the Rockets this season and it rears its ugly head Saturday night in the 5-1 loss. The Rockets took eight trips to the penalty box and the Royals promptly scored four goals with the power play. The eight penalties could be expected if the Royals played the in-your-face style we have been accustomed to over the years, but Dave Lowry's crew no longer plays that way. They play smart, tactical hockey where they attempt to outwork you. If you are lazy and use your stick to check, you will find yourself in the penalty box. That was the case Saturday and was the case Friday when the Rockets were fortunate to kill off all six power play chances the Royals were granted. On Saturday night the Royals power play unit was crisp and the visitors paid mightily.     
• Speaking of the Royals, is it not amazing how head coach Dave Lowry has changed the way his team plays? It is a stark contrast to a season ago. The Royals were arguably one of the dirtiest teams in the league last season. They would try to beat you into the ground physically and when the game was over the scars on your body was a sure sign you were in a battle. But with a smaller team this season, Lowry has altered the way they play likely more than any other team I've seen this season. From year-to-year, most teams in the WHL play generally the same way. Not the Royals. Outside of outworking the opposition, which is a Dave Lowry staple, the Royals are much different in their tactical approach to beating the opposition. Frankly it's impressive. 
• The Rockets generated a season low 15 shots on net in Saturday's loss. No wonder they trailed 3-0 after 40 minutes when they fired only 9 shots on the Royals net.
• Cole Linaker scored the lone goal for the Rockets, his first in eight games. 
• I thought it was a pretty good weekend for 16 year-old Jonathan Smart. I think the rookie is outplaying fellow fresh faces Brayden Chizen and Danny Gatenby for ice time. 
• November will go down as a solid month for the Rockets. They suffered one regulation loss in 11 games (9-1-1-0). By comparison, last season in 14 November games the team was (9-2-3-0). 

'Whistle' while you work

Jackson Whistle was superb Friday night - Shoot the Breeze Photography

• We are only 25 games into the 2015-2016 Western Hockey League season and one thing is abundantly clear. Jackson Whistle is the Kelowna Rockets most valuable player. The 20 year-old proved it again Friday night with a 34 save performance in a 3-1 win over the Victoria Royals. Whistle made several solid stops in the teams 19th win of the season, including one that saw a shot go off the top of his mask with the Royals attempting to tie the game at two. Whistle looked as calm as ever as his team struggled to clear the puck in front of him. Often under siege, specifically in the final 40 minutes, Whistle looked unbeatable until Royals leading scorer Alex Forsberg fired a one timer past him with close to seven minutes gone in the third period. The win was Whistle's league leading 14th of the season and it was his 9th consecutive start that allowed his team to earn, in a worse case scenario, a point in the standings. The two points in Victoria Friday night move the Rockets five points up on the Royals for first place in the Western Conference while also staying three points up on Red Deer for first place in the overall standings.
• Tyson Baillie had a goal and an assist which gives him 44 points on the season. That allowed the 20 year-old to move into the WHL scoring lead with one point more than Moose Jaw's Brayden Point. Baillie is now three assists shy of 150 for his career.   
• While the Rockets scored twice on the power play, they were also able to go 6 for 6 on the penalty kill. The best chance the Royals had to score in the second period was when Tyler Soy hit the goal post shorthanded while cutting inside on Rockets d-man Cal Foote. Soy somehow lifted the puck past the outstretched glove of Whistle, but it hit the goal post and stayed out. 
• The Rockets haven't lost in regulation time on the road in seven consecutive games. The last outright loss on opposition ice came October 16th in a 3-0 setback in Prince George.
• It was the 4th time this season the team has surrendered only one goal against.
• A stick tap to the Victoria Royals for keeping a count on the number of shots taken by a player during the course of the game. You can see the column on the WHL website game sheet, yet often times it is never filled out by the home team. In this case, it showed Justin Kirkland had five shots on net while Calvin Thurkauf had four. The Rockets d-core had a combined three shots on net with Cal Foote having two of them and Devante Stephens having one on a second period shot from the left point.
• The two teams meet again Saturday night at Save on Foods Memorial Centre. The Rockets will have to be much improved in all facets of the game outside of goaltending. Frankly, on Friday night at least, that can't get much better.

Rockets game notes vs. T-Birds

Mathew Barzal - Shoot the Breeze Photography

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets wrap up a three game home stand tonight against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. This is the first of only four meetings between these two teams this season. The T-Birds make a return visit on February 8^th. The Rockets make two appearances in Kent on January 28^th and February 9^th. Last season the T-Birds beat the Rockets twice at Prospera Place by scores of 5-2 and 3-2 in overtime. The Rockets were a 6-2 winner in Seattle before falling 2-1 also at ShoWare Center.

The Rockets have won 12 of their last 15 games overall (12-2-0-1) and are 8-2-0-0 on home ice and 9-3-1-0 on the road. Following tonight’s game, the Rockets travel to the Island to play the Victoria Royals this weekend. Overall, the Rockets have points in 9 straight games (8-0-1-0).

Baillie POW Honours: Tyson Baillie is the WHL Player of the Week. Baillie had 3+4=7 in three wins last week and was a +5. Baillie is second in WHL scoring and leads the team in goals, assists, points, power play goals and is tied for the team lead in game winning goals with three. Baillie is only four points shy of the Rockets lead in penalty minutes.

  

November Notables: Tyson Baillie has 6+8=14 in the month of November. Nick Merkley has 6+7=13 in the month while Justin Kirkland has 3+7=10. Kole Lind has 3+4=7. Cole Linaker has 2+4=6 in November.  

Tyson Baillie hits record books: Tyson Baillie had two assists last Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime win in Kamloops. Baillie now has 256 career points, becoming only the 5^th player in Rockets franchise history to reach the 250 point plateau. Brett McLean had 375 points before being traded to Brandon in his 20 year-old season. John Varga had 333 career points with Tacoma. Jason Deleurme had 313 career points while Kiel McLeod had 261 career points.   

This and That: Three members of the Rockets have been rated by NHL Central Scouting. Lucas Johansen and Dillon Dube are rated as ‘B’ prospects for June’s draft in Buffalo. Tomas Soustal, who was not selected last year, is ranked as a ‘C’ prospect…Baillie has points in 12 of his last 13 games…Baillie has been held off the score sheet in just five of 23 games…Rookie Gordie Ballhorn leads the Rockets with a +14 rating…Rodney Southam is two goals shy from his career high 7 goals he scored last season….The Rockets have been to overtime in three of the last six games. The Rockets have won once in overtime and lost once in the extra period. One overtime game decided nothing and was reduced to the game ending in a shootout victory…. Cal Foote is the next player to blow out candles. Foote turns 17 on December 13^th. December birthdays are rare on the Rockets roster. The last December birthday was Cody Chikie and Filip Vasko when the two suited up for the team during the 2011-2012 campaign….The Rockets are rated as the 6^th best team in the country according to the CHL Top 10 rankings this week. The Rockets were rated 5^th at the start of the season….Six of Justin Kirkland’s eight goals have been scored on the road this season….Jackson Whistle has started 14 of the last 18 games…Tyson Baillie has averaged 28 goals over his last three seasons…The Rockets next play three games in three nights January 29th, 30^th and 31^st with two of those three games on home ice….The Rockets had two players taken in the NHL draft. Nick Merkley was taken in the first round by Arizona. Devante Stephens was chosen in the 5^th round by Buffalo…Cole Linaker (Oilers), Tomas Soustal (Flames) and Tyson Baillie (Flames) all received free agent tryouts.

Who’s Hot: Kole Lind had a three game point streak snapped Saturday. Lind had 1+2=3 over that period…Rodney Southam has four goals in his last 7 games and 4+3=7 in his last 7…Tanner Wishnowski has two goals in his last 5 games….Nick Merkley has 6+6=12 in 8 games in the month of November….Kole Lind has 2+4=6 in his last 6 games…Tyson Baillie has 10+20=30 in his last 15 games …Dillon Dube has 8+10=18 in his last 9 games and has collected 15 points in his last eight games….Lucas Johansen has four more point this season as he did all of last year.

Man Games Lost to Injury/Illness/Suspension: 63 games

Jackson Whistle: 3 games             Rourke Chartier: 16 games

Nick Merkley: 3 games                  Jonathan Smart: 13 games

Dillon Dube – 2 game suspension Tanner Wishnowski – 8 game

Tomas Soustal – 2 game       Riley Stadel – 8 games

Dillon Dube – 5 games UBI   Lucas Johansen 2 game

Kirkland's move to the middle looks marvellous

Justin Kirkland - Shoot the Breeze Photography

• With injuries to Rourke Chartier and Dillon Dube, 19 year-old forward Justin Kirkland is being forced to play centre. It looks good on him. Kirkland finds himself in the middle between wingers Tomas Soustal and Tyson Baillie and the unit is a scary threat to score. Kirkland has collected six assists in three games since making the move to the middle in a 4-3 overtime win Wednesday in Kamloops. The move, for whatever reason, is allowing Kirkland more puck possession and more quality shots on goal. With arguably the quickest release on the team, Kirkland's shot is handcuffing goaltenders and creating massive rebounds for his line-mates who are cashing in. A good example was Tyson Baillie's third period goal last night in a 5-2 home ice win over the Vancouver Giants.  Kirkland's hard wrister wasn't controlled by Giants goalie Ryan Kubic. Like flies on a piece of raw meat, Soustal, Baillie and Kirkland converge on the rebound before Baillie rips it in. All three pick up points on the goal that made the score 4-0. 
• A solid start for the Rockets after blowing out the Edmonton Oil Kings the night before. I was wondering if the team would come out lethargic, but surprisingly that wasn't the case. The Rockets looked to bury the Giants with first period goals from Calvin Thurkauf, who could have had three on the night, Baillie and Nick Merkley. For a team with only five wins this season, it was awfully tough for the Giants to dig themselves out of that hole. Give the visitors credit though. They appeared to get better as the home teams game became increasing fractured. The G-Men played with more desperation in an effort to bounce back and make it a two goal game before Merkley scored an empty netter for the Rockets 17th win of the season.
• The win moved the Rockets into sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with 35 points, one better than the Victoria Royals who lost in overtime against Tri City.  
• I loved the pack mentality the Rockets showed when Giants forward Tyler Benson shot the puck at the Rockets net after the whistle was blown on a second period offside. All five players skated over to Benson and let him know they didn't like the late shot on Whistle. Strength in numbers is sometime far better than one individual wanting to defended the honour of the team. The pack mentality in that situation is such an encouraging sign for this team.    
• Hats off to Giants forward Tyler Benson for fighting Rockets rookie defenceman Gordie Ballhorn. Ballhorn took exception to what appeared to be a light slash behind the net and challenged the 17 year-old to a fight. Benson, who is the Giants team captain, dropped the gloves and despite it being his first career WHL tilt, the highly touted forward came out of the scrap unscathed.   
• Trevor Cox is known as one of the most dynamic 20 year-old's in the Western Hockey League. Shouldn't Tyson Baillie be granted the same status? Both players have almost the exactly same number of points. Baillie had 2+1=3 last night and now has 256 career points, one shy of Cox's 257. Baillie will go down as one highest scoring wingers ever in franchise history. Enjoy him while he is here!  
• I want to give the Giants player's credit, specifically those on the bench, when Rockets forward Kole Lind was hit hard into the side boards in the first period after taking a shot on net. Lind was off balance when he was smoked into the side boards and stayed down for some time. When Lind got to his skates, several Giants players tapped their sticks on the boards or on the ice in a show of class and concern for Lind. A stick tap to the Giants organization as it looked good on their players.
• Have you noticed Joe Gatenby shooting the puck more and becoming increasingly involved in the offense? Love it.  
• A solid week for the Rockets if you look at the four games they played over a span of seven days. After a 4-3 overtime loss in Spokane last Saturday, the team won 4-3 in overtime Wednesday in Kamloops, beat Edmonton 6-1 on Friday and earned a 5-2 win Saturday against the Giants. The team has found the back of the net 95 times this season, the most of any one in the WHL. Not bad considering two of the teams most dynamic players, Chartier and Dube, are still out with injuries.   
• A shout out to the Kelowna Rockets Twitter feed. Check out the videos they are pumping out during games. Several of the goals scored are tweeted out quickly and even a nice hit Nick Merkley had on Giants 20 year-old Carter Popoff was quickly uploaded for all to see on social media. This is simply amazing work by Kevin Parnell. It is common place on NHL Twitter feeds, but in major junior hockey, that attention to detail is often missed. 

Thought I'd seen everything. Apparently not!

I've witnessed a lot in my days calling games at the Western Hockey League level.
I clearly remember the first brawl I was asked to describe when the Swift Current Broncos were in Lethbridge in 1995 and both benches filtered out players until mayhem was on the ice and punches were being thrown with reckless abandon. Who started it all? Broncos forward Tyler Willis.

Calling my first WHL playoff game at the old Calgary Corral in 1999 with the fans packed to the rafters was an unforgettable experience. Winning two WHL championships in three seasons with the Kelowna Rockets and upsetting the heavily favoured  Calgary Hitmen for the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2009 will never be erased from my memory. Oh ya, knocking off the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Conference final last season is also up there.

With all of those games under my belt behind a microphone, I thought I had seen everything. That all changed Friday night thanks to 18 year-old forward Tomas Soustal.

The soft spoken forward pulled off a move I've seen before, but only on video, to the delight, shock and amazement of the fans at Prospera Place.The undrafted forward had the puck behind the Edmonton Oil Kings net. Without an option to pass, Soustal quickly and deftly, slipped the puck on his stick and in one quick motion in mid air, delivered the puck - lacrosse style - behind a startled Oil Kings goaltender Payton Lee. Not many fans realized what they had witnessed until it was quickly showed on the replay screen for the 55 hundred fans to watch from several angles.

Often times over the course of the season, games in November can be dull and at times lifeless. On this night, fans were treated to something special, something that this broadcaster has never witnessed in person in my 21 seasons of calling WHL games on the radio.

Game notes vs. Oil Kings

Rockets HC Brad Ralph - Shoot the Breeze

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets open a short three game home stand tonight against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. This is the second meeting between the two teams this season. Back on October 2^nd, in Edmonton, the Rockets were a 5-3 winner. Cole Linaker, an Edmonton resident, scored twice in the win. Michael Herringer made 35 saves as the Rockets fired a season high 42 pucks at the Oil Kings net. The Oil Kings led 3-2 heading into the third period before the Rockets rallied with three unanswered goals. The Oil Kings last game at Prospera Place was February 7, 2014 in a 3-2 shootout win. Mitch Moroz scored the game winner. Myles Bell and Carter Rigby had the Kelowna goals. 

The Rockets have won 10 of their last 13 games overall (10-2-0-1) and are 9-3-1-0 on the road. Following tonight’s game, the Rockets host the Vancouver Giants tomorrow night and Seattle next Wednesday before traveling to the Island to play the Victoria Royals next weekend. Overall, the Rockets have points in 7 straight games (6-0-1-0).

What happened Wednesday? Rodney Southam does most of his solid work with his gloves off. That wasn’t the case Wednesday in Kamloops though. The gritty forward showed good hands and determination by scoring the game winning goal in overtime in the Rockets 4-3 win. Tomas Soustal, Kole Lind and Tanner Wishnowski scored in the team’s 15^th win of the season. The Rockets killed off all three of the Blazers power play chances while failing to hit the ice even once with the top power play unit in the WHL. 

Tyson Baillie hits record books: Tyson Baillie had two assists Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime win in Kamloops. Baillie now has 251 career points, becoming only the 5^th player in Rockets franchise history to reach the 250 point plateau. Brett McLean had 375 points before being traded to Brandon in his 20 year-old season. John Varga had 333 career points with Tacoma. Jason Deleurme had 313 career points while Kiel McLeod had 261 career points.   

Head to Head vs. Oil Kings: The Rockets were 6-3-0-2 against the Oil Kings in the last 11 meetings between the teams. The Rockets are 3-1-0-1 in the last five seasons against the Oil Kings at Prospera Place.

This and That: The Rockets have been to overtime in three straight games. The Rockets have won once in overtime and lost once in the extra period. One overtime game decided nothing and was reduced to the game ending in a shootout victory…. The Rockets and Oil Kings have many similarities. The teams are the last two to win the WHL title. The Rockets won it in 2015 while the Oil Kings captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2014. The two teams have first year coaches in Brad Ralph (Rockets) and Steve Hamilton (Oil Kings). The two franchises also have a distain for the Portland Winterhawks. The Rockets have met the Winterhawks in four out of the last five playoffs while the Oil Kings beat Portland in the 2012 league championships, lost to them in 2013 in the finals and beat then again for all the marbles in 2014…Cal Foote is the next player to blow out candles. Foote turns 17 on December 13^th. December birthdays are rare on the Rockets roster. The last December birthday was Cody Chikie and Filip Vasko when the two suited up for the team during the 2011-2012 campaign….The Rockets are rated as the 6^th best team in the country according to the CHL Top 10 rankings this week. The Rockets were rated 5^th at the start of the season….Six of Justin Kirkland’s eight goals have been scored on the road this season…. Nick Merkley was the WHL POW last week. Merkley had 4+4=8 in three wins….Jackson Whistle has started 12 of the last 15 games…Tyson Baillie has averaged 28 goals over his last three seasons…The Rockets next play three games in three nights January 29th, 30^th and 31^st with two of those three games on home ice….The Rockets had two players taken in the NHL draft. Nick Merkley was taken in the first round by Arizona. Devante Stephens was chosen in the 5^th round by Buffalo…Cole Linaker (Oilers), Tomas Soustal (Flames) and Tyson Baillie (Flames) all received free agent tryouts.

Who’s Hot: Rodney Southam has three goals in his last five games and 3+3=6 in his last five…Tanner Wishnowski has two goals in his last three games….Nick Merkley has 4+5=9 in 6 games in the month of November….Kole Lind has 2+3=5 in his last four games…Tyson Baillie has 7+17=24 in his last 13 games …Dillon Dube has 8+10=18 in his last 9 games and has collected 15 points in his last eight games….Lucas Johansen has four more point this season as he did all of last year.

'A' effort in overtime win

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  Rodney Southam - Shoot the Breeze Photo

  Effort all over the ice. Those five words would best describe the Kelowna Rockets performance Wednesday night in Kamloops. The forwards took an about face from Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss in Spokane and played with purpose in their own zone in a 4-3 overtime win against the Blazers. Rodney Southam was the hero with the game winner two minutes into three on three, but it was the play in their own zone, collectively, that was the most impressive aspect of the visitors game. Trust me, the attention to detail defensively did not take away from any creativity in the offensive zone. The team had ample chances to score and had it not been for the strong play of Blazers goaltender Connor Ingram, overtime would have been a pipe dream. Ingram, the games third star, was so good he denied breakaway chances from Nick Merkley, Kole Lind and Tanner Wishnowski before Tomas Soustal finally beat him with a snap shot to give the Rockets a 3-2 lead. With Ingram on the bench for the extra attacker, Collin Shirley would score his second goal of the game with 27 seconds left in regulation time to send the game into overtime. The game winner came from an unlikely source when  Southam beat a Blazers defender to the net on the back hand before beating Ingram. It was Southam's first game winning goal of the season and allowed the Rockets to move into a tie with Prince Albert and Victoria for first place in the Western Hockey League standings. All three teams have 31 points, with the Rockets holding two games in hand on the Royals and one on the Raiders.
• Soustal's goal was his first in 12 games. Soustal played on a line with Tyson Baillie and Justin Kirkland.
• Tyson Baillie collected two assists giving the 20 year-old 251 career points, becoming just the fifth player in Rockets franchise history to reach the 250 point milestone. 
• The Rockets have 9 road wins, tied with Victoria for the most in the WHL.
• The Blazers didn't take a penalty in the game which didn't allow the Rockets #2 power play unit on the ice for even a single skate.
• Gage Quinney faced his old team for the first time and the 20 year-old had no less than two great chances to score. Quinney's best chance came on a partial breakaway in the second period when goaltender Jackson Whistle got a piece of Quinney's shot with his blocker, deflecting the puck over the left side of the net. Quinney ended the night with an assist.
• If you are the Blazers, take the point and run. While the home team was badly outplayed in the first period, I thought they were better as the game went along. On a night of several turnovers that allowed for quality chances for the Rockets on Ingram, even Blazers head coach Don Hay should be satisfied with a point when his team could have come away empty handed. 
• The win snapped the Blazers five game home ice winning streak.

Notes, quotes and anecdotes

Former Kelowna Rockets goalie Jordan Cooke 

• A nice interview with veteran forward Cole Linaker last week when he reflected on playing his 200th WHL game. The 20 year-old spoke about the team-mates he has played with over the years. "We have such tight knitted teams since I have been here. All the big name guys, we have had so many, there is something about all of them. We haven't had many egotistical guys. I think that falls to Bruce's (Hamilton) credit. At the start of every year he always talks about wanting good guys and it will make us successful", Linaker told me while watching the Zamboni clean the ice at Prospera Place. "We have had a pretty humble group of guys over the years since I've been here. We have not had anyone that has held himself above the rest considering the impressive list of skilled guys we have had here. We have had skilled guys that could have but didn't. They were just part of the team and the success we have had over the last three years, it is in large credit to those skilled players for conforming to the teams beliefs and that's winning championships". Linaker added. 
• Jordan Cooke is now a starting goaltender with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Cooke is off to great start with 9 wins in 11 games. Last season, Cooke's first year of university hockey, he shared goaltending duties which allowed him to play in 14 games where he posted a record of 5 and 9. 
• Gage Quinney would like nothing more than to play well against his former team-mates. The 20 year-old has the first of six chances to show the Rockets that they shouldn't have traded him when his Kamloops Blazers face the Rockets tomorrow night at Sandman Centre. Quinney is a streaky player, who can light it up when he is on his game. A good example was Sunday night when he had 3+1=4 in the Blazers 9-1 win over visiting Prince George. You know Quinney will be motivated against his former team.     
• The Vancouver Giants find themselves in the basement of the WHL's Western Conference and head coach Lorne Molleken isn't pleased. When I spoke with the veteran coach last week, he told me it is pivotal to keep a good attitude despite getting off to a tough start. "For me, it is staying positive and remaining positive. My message to the players is stay positive and don't get down on a team-mate. We just need a way to start scoring goals. I think Scott Bonner (GM) has done a nice job of bring in guys from winning programs."
• You have to admire Molleken for the way he handled the Brendan Mennell situation. Mennell walked out on the team earlier this month and returned a short time later after reconsidering. Molleken could have made life miserable for the kid. He could have made him a healthy scratch for turning his back on the team. Instead. a more gentler Molleken has played the 18 year-old defenceman in every situation and is logging major minutes.
• Tomas Soustal was playing with a load of confidence when the puck dropped on the 2015-2016 season. The sophomore forward had 6+5=11 in his first 9 games. In his last 9 games, Soustal has just two points 0+2=2.
• If you are a draft eligible defenceman and you are trying to impress the NHL scouts watching, how can you not show them that you can hit? You don't need to crash into everyone around you like a bull in a china shop, but show even a touch of aggression. Let's face it, if you don't show it in major junior, how are you possibly going to compete playing that non-contact game at the pro level?
• Gordie Ballhorn is making an early run for the Kelowna Rockets rookie of the year. In a horse race with Cal Foote, Ballhorn really competes hard. Sure, he makes mistakes. Who doesn't? I can overlook errors if you are competing hard all the time. In my eyes, Ballhorn's compete is among the best on the team.
• The Rockets have hit the 20 game mark. At this time last year, Rourke Chartier had scored 22 goals. This season, because of injury, the San Jose Sharks draft pick has just three goals in seven games. 
• No easy night's when Jackson Whistle is in goal. So far this season, the 20 year-old has faced 442 shots in 14 games. On average, Whistle faces 32 shots per game. Playing in 50 games last season, Whistle averaged 27.8 shots per game or essentially four fewer pucks coming his way. I would also suggest the quality of the shots are much greater this season. 
• It isn't every day that a Kelowna Rockets prospect has the bragging rights of having a highly touted NHL draft pick living in his home. That was the case when defenceman Cal Foote was growing up in Denver, Colorado. Foote's family billeted Matt Duchene when he was drafted by the Avalanche and began his NHL career in 2009. "It was really cool. He had a lot of hype being the third overall pick. When Kelowna asked me to come out and play, Matt told me to go because he playing in the Ontario Hockey League.  Duchene played two seasons with the O-H-L's Brampton Battalion.  
• Loved the quote from Prince George Head Coach Mark Holick Sunday after his team was drilled 9-1 in Kamloops. He told Gregg Drinnan, "We haven't pissed a drop in this building all season". 
• I really liked watching the Canada-Russian Challenge featuring essentially the WHL All-Stars against the Russians. Sure, the game in Kelowna was a blowout, but the skill level was impressive. If we can't have an all-star game, this is about as close as we are going to get it at the WHL level. I will admit as the series moves further East, my interest in it has dropped significantly.
• Leon Draisaitl. Fantastic in an Oilers uniform. What a privilege it was to call a handful of his games at the WHL level.

Whistle unable to bail out Rockets this time

Gordie Ballhorn - Shoot the Breeze Photography

• No excuses in a 4-3 overtime loss Saturday night in Spokane. The Kelowna Rockets were well rested. The Rockets were waiting in their hotel room in Spokane Friday night while the Chiefs were four hours down the road playing the Everett Silvertips. The Rockets should have been fresher. Sadly, the Chiefs were more determined in the one goal win. Defenceman Jason Fram scored the game winner in overtime as Spokane rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit, snapping the Rockets five game winning streak. Despite the loss, the Rockets did pick up a point and moved into a tie with Victoria for first place in the Western Conference with two games in hand. 
• What has been a trend through the first month and a half of the regular season is the teams reliance on goaltender Jackson Whistle. The team gives up way too many golden scoring chances, with Whistle bailing them out more times than not. Whistle had to be on top of his game Saturday night, making two breakaway saves against 44 goal man Adam Helewka in the first period and another early in the third. Helewka would be denied on the first period scoring chance, but a weak back check allowed Dominic Zwerger to cash in with the rebound with Whistle down. Helewka was again denied by Whistle when he found himself all alone on an early third period power play. Again Whistle kept the visitors up by a goal. The easy suggestion without watching the video highlites (www.kelownarockets.com) is to suggest the young defensive core is making a boat load of mistakes, but it is far from the truth. The forwards are as guilty as any of flying the zone, not back checking hard and having little regard for play in their own zone. Often times they are not exposed because of Whistle's terrific play. 
• The game winning goal is scored when Tyson Baillie takes a major gamble by trying to strip the puck from Chiefs forward Adam Helewka while team-mate Justin Kirkland is trying to do the same thing. It allows Spokane d-man Jason Fram and team-mate Jaret Anderson-Dolan to essentially create a two on one with only defenceman Lucas Johansen back to defend. Anderson Dolan gets the puck and promptly sends it over to Fram at the right side of the net and it is game over. Under the new three on three format, man to man coverage is pivotal. If a player cheats, it often results in a scoring chance for the other team. That is exactly what we saw in Saturday's setback. 
• All was not negative. A nice offensive game for rookie Gordie Ballhorn. The 18 year-old scored once and added two assists in the overtime loss. Ballhorn is the most proactive shooter the Rockets have on the blue line. No one else on the d-core wants to shoot the puck it seems. Ballhorn is trigger happy and good on him for not only distributing the puck but making the opposition second guess themselves that he may unload it towards the net.
• Tanner Wishnowski made the biggest impact among the forwards. The 18 year-old was clearly the most physical with a real nice hit on Chiefs d-man Evan Fiala in the third period. 
• It was the first time this season the Rockets dropped two points after leading after two periods. The team is now 10-0-1-0 when leading after 40 minutes.   

Little life in home ice win

Shoot the Breeze Photography

• Emotional let down? Had to be! After two emotionally filled games in Portland on the weekend against what the Kelowna Rockets consider their best playoff rival, it was an uninspired effort Wednesday against the last place Vancouver Giants. Do we blame the music man for the lack of atmosphere in the building before puck drop? No music was heard pounding in the arena as fans began filing into Prospera Place after giving their respects to the many men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. It was a somber effort by a Rockets team that squeaked out a 2-1 shootout win. Tanner Wishnowski tied the game with 10 minutes left in regulation time before Nick Merkley scored the game winner in the shootout. The path to the team's 14th win of the season, and fifth overall, was an ugly one to say the least.
• A typical decent start for the Rockets, who were experiencing their first afternoon game of the season. The problem was a lack of jump throughout the entire line up and the slow decision making of virtually the entire team. Face it, they didn't have it. The only one with a decent excuse for sluggish play was Nick Merkley, playing his fifth game in six night's. Funny how Merkley may have created the best scoring chances in the game and was named the third star.
• Merkley was sent alone on a breakaway in the second period and made the odd decision of passing the puck off to a trailing Justin Kirkland, who was as shocked as any that Merkley gave him the puck rather than shooting. Merkley was also robbed on a wrap around chance after taking Giants defenceman Ryeley McKinstry off the puck while shorthanded. Merkely stole the puck behind the Giants net, circled out in front only to see goaltender Daniel Wapple make a diving save with his left glove to keep the puck from going over the goal line. Wapple was solid throughout the night and probably deserved a better fate. 
• Getting back to Wishnowski, the 18 year-old was making his first appearance after sitting out eight games after blocking a shot. Wishnowski opening the scoring when his weak shot hit Wapple's left pad, which was situated behind the goal line while attempting to defend against a pass from behind the net. After video review, it showed that Wishnowski's shot indeed went over the goal line, hitting Wapple's pad before quickly coming back out.  It was Wishnowski's second goal of the season and first since finding the back of the net October 6th in Medicine Hat.
• Jackson Whistle wasn't given a star in the building but I thought his strong play in the first two periods specifically allowed his team to stay close. Whistle's only mistake, and it wasn't really his fault, was when Giants forward Tyler Benson skated on left wing and took a shot that seemed to glance off a defenders stick before beating Whistle to his glove hand side. The 20 year-old now has 10 wins this season, which is slightly behind league leader Coleman Vollrath of the Victoria Royals who has 12 victories.    
• Tyson Baillie had his 8 game point streak snapped.
• Cole Linaker played in his 200th career game.
• Sixteen year-old Jonathan Smart made his debut against the Giants. Smart, who has been out with mono before finally getting healthy enough to play at the Under 17's in Dawson Creek/Fort St. John, saw limited duty but played well.  To make room for Smart, the Rockets elected to put Danny Gatenby up at forward where he too saw sporadic duty. 
• The Giants did not dress 20 year-old Trevor Cox, who remains out with a hand injury sustained in a fight against Lethbridge. Cox is expected to make his Giants debut Friday night. 
• The Rockets have now won 17 consecutive games on home ice against the Giants. 
• I find it interesting that Vancouver Giants owner Ron Toigo is often speaking to the media about his team and head coach Lorne Molleken isn't afraid to stick his head in front of a microphone when asked. But where is GM Scott Bonner? Is he not the quietest GM in the WHL? Bonner makes trades and isn't scared to pull the trigger to make his club better, but in a large market like Vancouver where media exposure should be welcomed, shouldn't Bonner be more available to the media?