Gameday: Rockets set to battle Americans

TEAM NOTES PREPARED BY REGAN BARTEL OF AM 1150

• Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets are back on home ice hosting the Tri-City Americans. These two teams meet four times this season. The Americans make a return visit February 12^th. The Rockets made two stops at Toyota Center on November 23^rd and January 5^th. The road team won three of the four games last season, with the Rockets winning 3-2 in regulation time and 3-2 in overtime. The Americans earned a 5-4 victory. The only home ice win came December 5^th at Prospera Place with a 4-3 shootout win. The Rockets are coming off a 4-0 loss Sunday night in Langley. Giants goaltender David Tendeck made 14 saves for the shutout. The Rockets were shut out four times on the road last season. The team is 2-0-0-0 on home ice with a 3-2 overtime win over Spokane and an impressive 5-1 triumph over the visiting Everett Silvertips. After tonight’s game, the Rockets are in Prince George for back-to-back games Friday and Saturday before traveling to Seattle (Kent) next Friday (October 11^th) to face the T-Birds in the first game between the two organizations since a blockbuster trade at May’s WHL Bantam Draft.

               Tale of The Tape

Click here to tweet your pick using #Rockets1stGoal at the Rockets

*pizza code only valid for West Kelowna and Kelowna locations

**puck can only be shipped within BC

• Broadcasters Notebook: The Rockets are 2-1-1-0 after four games this season. It took the team 10 games last season to reach two wins. That second win came against the team they face tonight, the Tri-City Americans….Kyle Topping has goals in three of four games this season…Topping will play in his 200^th career WHL game Friday in Prince George….Roman Basran has started in three of four 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….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…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.

• 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.

Purchase the Hat-Trick Wednesday deal from Select Your Tickets before 2:00pm on gameday, and you’ll get a pop, a hotdog and your ticket for $19.99 plus fees. Tickets are on sale at selectyourtickets.com, at the Prospera Place box office or by phone at 250-762-5050.