2004 Rockets to be inducted into Central Okanagan Sports Hall
Story courtesy Warren Henderon – Kelowna Capital News
A decade removed from that championship Sunday afternoon in May, it remains one of the defining moments in the history of sports in the Central Okanagan.
In front of an electrified hometown crowd at Prospera Place, the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets captured their first and only Memorial Cup title with a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Gatineau Olympiques.
To officially honour the occasion 10 years later, the 2004 Rockets team will be one of four inductees to be enshrined this November into the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame.
Current Rockets’ assistant coach Dan Lambert said the club’s championship run of 2003-04 will conjure up some remarkable memories for team management, players and fans alike.
“It’s a moment that you can reflect that it’s been 10 years, and now you have a true understanding of how difficult is to win a Memorial Cup,” Lambert said. “To be inducted 10 years later, obviously you have some players who have moved on and are in the NHL, and other guys who are in every aspect of life. I’m sure they’ll get back together and it’s as if they’ll be back in the dressing room again, reliving it.
“It’s a very special moment, not only for the team and management, but for the city,” he added. “I think everybody’s going to look back an appreciate the accomplishments that team had.”
The 2014 Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame Museum induction ceremony will be held Nov. 20 at the Coast Capri Hotel beginning at 7 a.m.
Tickets for the breakfast gala will be available at Kelowna Museums.
The 2004 Rockets will also be inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame this summer. The BC Hockey Hall of Fame 2014 Induction will be held Friday, July 25 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, BC.
