Two summers ago, when the Kelowna Rockets snared rookie Nick Merkley in the annual Western Hockey League bantam draft, the Rockets hoped they were getting a talented centre who would be able to make an impact in the WHL.

 

And just two weeks into his rookie WHL season, Merkley is doing just that after a week that saw the Calgary native win both the WHL and the CHL Player of the Week honours after posting six points in three games. 

 

Eight picks before the Rockets selected Merkley with the ninth overall pick in the 2012 WHL bantam draft the Seattle Thunderbirds had chosen a top prospect of their own, picking highly rated Mathew Barzal with the first overall pick.

 

Tonight the two 16-year-olds will go head-to-head in the WHL for the first time as Merkley and the Rockets are set to host Barzal and the Thunderbirds in the Rockets lone game of the weekend. 

 

Merkley and Barzal have both been as-advertised early in their WHL careers as the rookies have both been among their team’s top producers and Rockets’ head coach Ryan Huska said it will be exciting to see them on the same ice Friday night. 

 

“We’ve only watched Barzal on tape but the talk that has been around him is he is a very dynamic player and I think he has shown that he can step in as a 16-year-old and have an impact,” said Huska. “We are seeing the same with Nick, where he is gaining confidence daily and we’re seeing it in his offensive ability. But he’s ben very good away from the puck as well. The one thing with Nick is his skating. When he is moving his feet he’s involved and around the puck. He’s an intelligent player.”

 

While Merkley has five goals and three assists in the Rockets first seven games, Barzal has three goals and nine helpers in his first eight games to lead Seattle in scoring with 12 points.

 

Both clubs are also off to good starts as the Rockets (5-1-0-1) and Seattle (6-2-0-0) are within a point of each other.

 

It’s the first game of a four game homestand for the Rockets who will also play home games Oct. 16, 19 and 22. 

 

Game time on Friday is 7:05 p.m. from Prospera Place.