Courier: Rockets land 2 D
r By Doyle Potenteau – Kelowna Daily Courier
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r Tuesday proved a busy day for the Kelowna Rockets.
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r First, the Rockets announced their schedule for the 2010-11 WHL season, including their home- and season-opening game on Saturday, Sept. 25 against the Prince George Cougars. Second, the team acquired a 20-year-old defenceman from the Prince Albert Raiders. Third, Kelowna then shipped out veteran rearguard Collin Bowman in what was a straight-up defenceman swap with the Moose Jaw Warriors.
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r Heading to the Central Okanagan are Kevin Smith, a 19-year-old who played 70 games with Moose Jaw last season, and, from the Raiders, Brendon Wall, who is entering his final season of junior eligibility.
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r “Yes, it has been a busy day,” Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton said. “And our schedule is good. Overall, it‘s been a pretty good day.”
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r Schedule-wise, the Rockets will suit up for a New Year‘s Day game, and Kelowna will also play more home games in the second half than in the first (20 to 16). But more on that later. First, the trades, which saw Bowman give up black, teal and red for the black, red and white of Moose Jaw.
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r According to the Rockets, Bowman, a 19-year-old who played three full seasons with Kelowna, requested a trade at the end of last season.
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r “He asked at the exit meetings to be moved if he could, and it‘s taken all summer to find something that‘s worked for us,” said Hamilton.
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r “We couldn‘t make a deal without getting a defenceman back, and that was the problem we had (in trying to move him). With Moose Jaw, there was some interest with (former director of hockey operations) Jeff Truitt, and he and (new director of hockey operations) Alan Millar both decided it was what they wanted.
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r “They were looking for somebody who‘s been on a winning team and can bring them some leadership.”
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r With Moose Jaw last season, Smith, who hails from North Vancouver, tallied seven goals and 24 points in 70 games. The 6-foot-1 rearguard, about to enter his fourth WHL season, also had 76 penalty minutes.
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r “I‘ve watched Smith before, and he played for one of our scouts (Billy Coupland) before in North Vancouver,” said Hamilton. “(Smith) is thrilled and he‘s coming up Wednesday to meet with the coaches and the staff. When I talked to him, he was ecstatic.”
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r As for the Prince Albert trade and landing Wall, Hamilton said the deal was all about depth. Wall played five games last season with his hometown Saskatoon Blades, where he had one goal and one assist, then 62 games with Prince Albert, where he had two goals and 12 points plus 36 penalty minutes.
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r With Wall, the Rockets now have five 20-year-olds, with over-age forwards Evan Bloodoff, Geordie Wudrick, Tyler Matheson and Kyle St. Denis. However, there are question marks around Bloodoff and Wudrick, who will both be attending the Phoenix Coyotes‘ camp, and St. Denis, who has missed most of the last two seasons because of concussions.
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r “I don‘t want to scare anybody, but with what happened with Luke Schenn and Tyler Myers, we have Tyson Barrie floating around out there,” said Hamilton, referring to how Schenn made the NHL as an 18-year-old, while Myers joined the Buffalo Sabres as a 19-year-old.
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r Drafted 64th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2009, the smooth-skating Barrie is entering his 19-year-old season. Last season, the Victoria product led Kelowna in scoring with 19 goals and 72 points despite being a defenceman.
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r “We would be foolish to turn down an opportunity to add another guy,” continued Hamilton. “And over-age wise, nobody has a job in stone here. Phoenix could keep Evan, Phoenix could sign Wudrick, and St. Denis is a wild card because we have no idea whether he could play or not.
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r “As it is, we have lots of forwards and I‘d rather have more defence than not enough. With this trade, and with us moving Bowman and bringing in Smith, Smith gives us real potential for an over-age position next season. With Colton Jobke, Mitchell Chapman, Antoine Corbin and MacKenzie Johnston plus some young guys we have coming up, Smith becomes a critical part of this, because when you have that many young guys, you need some players who are older and more experienced.”
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r As for Kelowna‘s schedule, the Rockets will play six exhibition games: Friday, Sept. 3rd in Ladner against the Vancouver Giants; Saturday, Sept. 4th at home to Vancouver; Friday, Sept. 10th in Kamloops; Saturday, Sept. 11th at home to Kamloops; Friday, Sept. 17th in Chilliwack; and Saturday, Sept. 18th at home to Chilliwack.
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r Concerning the regular season, part of the schedule has Kelowna playing a double-header in Port-land, on Oct. 29 and 30, to save on travel time, much like the Rockets‘ normal double-headers in Prince George (Nov. 19-20, Feb. 4-5).
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r The Rockets‘ pre-Christmas prairie trip this season consists of five games in Alberta, with contests against Red Deer, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Calgary, Dec. 10th to 17th. And after playing host to Everett on Tuesday, Dec. 28th, then Kamloops on Thursday, Dec. 30th, Kelowna will host Spokane on New Year‘s Day at 7:05 p.m.
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r February will be a dry month, with Kelowna only playing four home games, though that‘s offset with eight home dates in January and six in the first three weeks of March.
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r “I like playing at home game after Christmas,” said Hamilton, “and we get games on Dec. 28th and the 30th plus New Year‘s Day (Saturday, Jan. 1st). I think it‘ll be an electric night in the building because people will be ready to have some fun.”
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