Game Day: Rockets host Blades for Teddy Bear Toss
Rockets vs. Blades
Saturday December 1st, 2018
Game Time – 7:05 pm
Game Day Preview: Welcome to December. The Kelowna Rockets have just three home games left before the Christmas break. The Rockets host the Saskatoon Blades tonight, the Tri-City Americans Wednesday and the Victoria Royals next Friday. The Rockets and Blades are meeting for the lone time this season. Last season, in Saskatoon, the Rockets were a 5-0 winner (December 16, 2017). James Porter earned the shutout with a 40 save performance. Kole Lind had 4 assists and was named the second star. The Rockets are coming off a 3-2 win in overtime last night against the Tri-City Americans. Leif Mattson scored the game-winner 20 seconds into extra time. Mattson also scored in the second period along with rookie Kyle Crosbie in the teams’ 12th victory of the season. The Rockets are 8-5-1-0 in 14 games under Adam Foote.
November’s Best: With the month coming to close, Nolan Foote, Kyle Topping, Liam Kindree and Leif Mattson had the most offensive success in November. Foote (8+4=12) led the way. Liam Kindree (2+8=10), Kyle Topping (5+5=10) and Leif Mattson (3+7=10) each had 10 points during the month.
Broadcasters Notebook: Michael Farren is playing against his old team tonight. Farren was acquired this season from the Saskatoon Blades for a third-round bantam pick….Did you know that Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton was a former Saskatoon Blade (1974-77) while Director of Player Personnel Lorne Frey (1980-81) was a head coach of the Blades?…The Rockets traded 19-year-old Jack Cowell to the Kootenay Ice last night for a third-round bantam pick… The Rockets are 5-8-1-0 against BC Division teams this season….Three players will celebrate 100 games played with the Kelowna Rockets this evening. Kaedan Korczak, Libor Zabransky and Erik Gardiner hit the 100 games played mark. Gardner hit the 100 games played milestone in the WHL recently, but Saturday’s game will be his 100th with the Rockets. The 19-year-old had played four previous games with the Regina Pats before being traded….Nolan Foote has scored 8 home goals and 8 road goals this season…Foote hit the 100 point mark for his career with an assist last night …7 of Kyle Topping’s 11 goals have come on the road…16 of Topping’s team-leading 31 points have come on the road…Nolan Foote turned 18 Thursday….Four members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s November “Players to Watch’ List. Forward Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first-round candidate. Kaedan Korczak is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is a second or third round candidate. Roman Basran/Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospects, which means he could be taken in the third to the seventh round…Adam Foote was officially named the new head coach of the Kelowna Rockets on October 23, 2018, replacing Jason Smith.
Trade Winds: The Rockets traded 18-year-old Wil Kushniryk to the Tri-City Americans October 22, 2018, for a 5th round bantam pick. The Rockets acquired 20-year-old defenceman Dalton Galley October 10, 2018, from Medicine Hat for a 10th round bantam pick. The hockey club acquired 18-year-old forward Michael Farren October 11th from the Saskatoon Blades for a third-round pick. The Rockets acquired 20-year-old Lane Zablocki from Victoria for a conditional 7th round and a conditional 4th round bantam draft pick on September 29th.
Season Highs/Lows:
Most goals scored: 8 @ Victoria October 19/18 (8-2 W)
Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L)
Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L).
Fewest shots on net: 13 @ Edmonton November 17, 2018 (3-1 L)
Most shots allowed: 50 @ Portland November 10, 2018 (3-0 L)
Fewest shots allowed: 20 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)
Last time shut out at home: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)
Last time shutout on road: November 10, 2018 @ Portland (3-0 L)
Most power play goals allowed: 4 vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L). T-Birds were 4/5 on the power play.
Most power play goals scored: 4 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)
Roster Stats:
Player total: 22
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s (1998) – 3 Gally, Zablocki, Chizen
19’s (1999) – 4 Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate
18’s (2000) – 8 Farren, Thomson, Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Steffler,
17’s (2001) – 6 Korczak, Crosbie, Basran, Liwiski, Wilton, Augustine
16’s (2002) – 1 Ernst
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
