Gameday: Rockets host the Blazers for the first time tonight

What’s going on at the game tonight? 

Tonight is the Hershey Candy Scramble game! Fans are invited to dress up in their costume and during the second intermission kids 12 and under will be invited onto the ice to collect candy that will be scattered across the ice surface.

Visit Tommy Gun’s Pop Up Barber Shop in the lobby for a free trim or shave.

Don’t forget to print your entry forms for all of the contests from the Bogie and Bacall Gameday Program that will be available later this afternoon. Fans will have the chance to compete in Booster Juice’s Musical Chairs game during the first intermission.

TEAM NOTES PREPARED BY REGAN BARTEL OF AM 1150

• Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets host the Kamloops Blazers tonight at Prospera Place. It is the first of five visits the Blazers will make this season. Last year, at Prospera Place, the Rockets were 3-2-0-0 with three of the five games decided by a single goal. These two teams met back on September 27^th with the Blazers earning a 3-2 overtime win in Kamloops. Dillon Hamaliuk and Kyle Topping scored in the setback as Ryan Hughes scored the game winner on the power play. Last night the Rockets wrapped up a three game road trip with an 8-3 win in Seattle. Nolan Foote scored twice in the win as the Rockets rallied from a two goal deficit. Kyle Topping chipped in with four assists. Following tonight’s game, the Rockets host the Swift Current Broncos Wednesday night before traveling to Kamloops for a rematch with the Blazers Saturday. The team closes the month of October with games in Prince George and back-to-back in Victoria.

                                                                            Tale of The Tape

• 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.

*pizza code only valid for West Kelowna and Kelowna locations

**puck can only be shipped within BC

• 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.