Game On!

r It seems that it was only yesterday when the Kelowna Rockets’ 2008 playoff run ended with a game seven loss to the Thunderbirds in Seattle.

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r But, believe it or not, it was nearly six months ago. And believe this: the 2008-09 WHL regular season is now upon us.

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r On Saturday night, the Rockets hit the ice miles from home when they face the Tri-City Americans at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Washington. On Sunday, they’ll travel to Portland to take on the Winter Hawks.

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r The Kelowna fans won’t get their first look at the club until a week from Saturday when they open their home schedule in the back end of a weekend home and home series vs. the Kamloops Blazers. Until then, the local faithful will be waiting with baited breath.

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r The major hurdle facing the Rockets in their hopes of getting what promises to be a successful season off on a positive footing is the absence of 6 regulars who are away attending NHL training camps. Fortunately, the opening night line-up is expected to be bolstered by the returns of starting goalie, Torrie Jung, and forwards Lucas Bloodoff and Brandon McMillan if they’re returned to Kelowna from NHL rookie camps in time.

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r “It is what it is,” says Rockets’ President and General Manager, Bruce Hamilton of his depleted corps. “We’re partners with the NHL and we try to work closely with them. This season, the NHL clubs changed their training camp schedules and we weren’t in the mix for that decision.”

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r “Maybe next year, we’ll have to look at better co-ordinating the timing of our camps with theirs.”

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r So, while the core players are away, the team will be looking for some youngsters to seize the reigns and capitalize on the added responsibility thrust their way. Hamilton was extremely pleased with the depth at training camp and figures the added workload will only spur many players to greater heights.

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r “With Schenn, Myers and Dowzak away, Tyson Barrie and Collin Bowman (pictured) are going to get the heavy ice time,” he says. “And, both those guys have been excellent all camp. Once they got the kinks out after the first 4 or 5 days, they’ve come on great.”

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r “As far as our returning forwards are concerned, Dylan Hood and Kyle St. Denis have looked really good and we’ll be looking for offense from them from the get go. Jesse Paradis came in and had a real strong camp as well.”

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r Meanwhile, walk-on forward Mitchell Callahan has battled his way into the line-up – from seemingly out of nowhere. Callahan was a team mate of Shane McColgan’s (Rockets’ 2008 1^st round Bantam Draft pick) with the LA Jr. Kings ‘AAA’ Midgets last season and was given a tryout at the behest of his coach, Jack Bowkus.

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r “He’s been like a bad rash, you can’t get rid of him,” says Hamilton. “We’ve really warmed up to as time went on. He’s done everything the coaches have asked of him and he’s shown that he belongs here.”

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r “In time, we feel he’ll develop into a real pest to play against and those types of guys are hard to find.”

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r Seventeen-year-old, import forward, Stepan Novotny promises to be a major piece of the 2008-09 puzzle. Novotny, originally from the Czech Republic has already spent the past 2 seasons in North America and looks on his way to a smooth transition into the WHL. He’s anxiously awaiting the expected return of Jamie Benn and Colin Long so he can join the team’s scoring aces on the top line.

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r Kelowna will start the season without a single overage player in their line-up. In fact, should Dowzak return from the New York Rangers’ camp, he’d be the only eligible 20-year-old on the roster. But, Hamilton is in no hurry to fill the remaining two posts.

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r “I think we’ll wait and see what we need,” he says. “I’m not going to go out and get two 20-year-olds just for the sake of it. I like our team now, assuming we get all the NHL guys back. So, right now, I’m looking at the overage positions as insurance.”

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r In the grand scheme of things, it seems this fall’s camp hasn’t really done all that much to iron out the kinks in the 2008-09 line-up which remains a work in progress. Ironically, the camp may define more of next year’s team instead.

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r “I’m really happy with how our training camp went,” said Hamilton. “I thought from rookie camp on that we had a much better group of players here than we did last year. It just shows that the depth of our 2007 draft was excellent. I really can’t say that any of the 2007 draft picks were a disappointment.”

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r “Spencer Main was our second round pick that year and he’s made our team. But, in addition, I thought Max Adolph and Brett Bulmer (both returned to their midget teams) were really terrific and might have made our team in other years.”

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r “Colton Jobke (10^th round, 2007) is another guy who stood out. He’ll play with the Penticton Vees this season. But, again, I was happy with all our picks and that’s a real credit to our scouting staff and Lorne Frey.”

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r Coincidentally, the Rockets will start the season with 6 players from the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft on the club. Rookie defensemen, Curt Gogol and Aaron Boreyko will join veterans Barrie, Bowman, Paradis and Kyle Verdino as fellow ’06 alumni.

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r In addition, Dylan Tait (5^th round 2006) was just edged out in the battle for the back-up goalie job by Adam Brown. Tait will play with the Beaver Valley Nighthawks of the KIJHL this season where the club hopes a heavy workload of games will expedite his development. 
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