Rockets players start heading to NHL camps
Sept. 3, 2013
As the Kelowna Rockets hit the ice for their first full week of practice since opening the WHL exhibition season on the weekend, a mass exodus of players to NHL training camps has begun.
Fully nine members of the Rockets are off to NHL camps this season as players head to various parts of North America.
Captain Colton Sissons is en route to Nashville and is not expected to return while eight others will head out this week to take part in rooke training camps or tournaments with most expected back with the Rockets.
Madison Bowey, the Rockets highest drafted player among the four that were selected at this year’s NHL draft, left on Monday heading for Washington.
“Im just really excited to get the camp started and really looking forward to playing on the same ice surface with all of the high-end talent that Washington has,” said Bowey, on a stop-over on his flight to Washington.
Bowey, Tyrell Goulbourne (Philadelphia), Mitch Wheaton (Detroit) and Myles Bell (New Jeryey) were all drafted this year and are off to camps, while 2012 picks Damon Severson (New Jersey) and Ryan Olsen (Winnipeg) will also show their stuff to their teams.
Colton Heffley (Minnesota) and Jesse Lees (Boston) received camp invites and will also be leaving the Rockets.
The return date of the players is up in the air and will be determined by the NHL clubs.
The Rockets split two WHL exhibition games last weekend, beating Kamloops at home and losing to Vancouver. This weekend the team plays Friday night in Kamloops and back home Saturday against Vancouver.
Two dollars from each ticket sold at Rockets home games during the preseason is donated to Cops for Kids.
The Rockets open the WHL regular season with a home and home series with Kamloops, meeting the Blazers Sept. 20 in Kamloops and then playing its home opener at Prospera Place Sept 21.
Tickets for Rockets September games are on sale now at www.selectyourtickets.com.
