Rockets say goodbye after good season
Kelowna Rockets players are heading home this week after losing in six games to the Portland Winterhawks in an excellent WHL playoff series that gave fans in both Kelowna and Portland the best hockey of the season to watch.
Players had one-on-one meetings with Rockets coaches and management yesterday and one last team meeting before going their own ways.
Most will start their off season but Rockets captain Tyson Barrie will continue his season with the American Hockey League’s Lake Erie Monsters, the affiliate team of the Colorado Avalanche, who drafted Barrie.
The Monsters are in the first round of the playoffs and Barrie is expected to join them this weekend.
The Rockets will lose Barrie, along with 20-year-olds Evan Bloodoff, Geordie Wudrick and Zak Stebner. Hard-nosed Mitchell Callahan may move up in the Red Wings organization next year while Adam Brown may also have a chance to make a pro team next year.
Meanwhile the Rockets look to return a very good group of young players to the organization led by leading scorer Shane McColgan and fellow 17-year-old players Zach Franko, Colton Sissons and Jessey Astles. Sixteen-year-old Tyrell Goulbourne was impressive this year and Colton Heffley and Jason Siebert will be in their second season as 17-year-olds next year.
Also expected back next year is 19 year old Brett Bulmer, Colton Jobke, Mitchell Chapman, Spencer Main, Max Adolph, Kevin Smith, Cody Chikie as well as back-up goalie Jordan Cooke.
The Rockets also have a young core of impressive defencemen like 16-year-old Damon Severson, who was plus 11 in his rookie campaign and 17-year-old MacKenzie Johnston, who played his best hockey, when needed, in the playoffs. Two young defensive prospects also got their feet wet this season and both Madison Bowey and Jesse Lees will be given a chance as 16-year-olds to make the team.
It’s unknown at this time what will happen with the Rockets two Europeans as Gal Koren (Slovenia) and Andreas Stene (Norway) didn’t dress against Portland.
The Rockets won the WHL BC division banner this year and with those returning players, appear to be on track for another good season next year.
Stay tuned to the web site and check us out on Facebook or follow us on Twitter@Kelowna_Rockets for all of the off season news.
