Game Day: Rockets Road Trip Continues in Red Deer
October 3, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release
Rockets @ Rebels  Â
Saturday October 3, 2015
Game Time - 7:00 pm
Tonight's Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play game two of an Alberta road trip tonight with a stop in Red Deer to face the Rebels. The team plays Lethbridge on Sunday and Medicine Hat on Tuesday to close out the trip. This is the fourth of six straight games on the road for the Rockets. Last night in Edmonton, Cole Linaker scored the game winning goal with under two minutes left in the third period in a come from behind 5-3 win. The Rockets trailed 3-2 heading into the third period before scoring three unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes. Linaker also scored into an empty net as the defending champions improved to 3-1-0-0 on the season. Rourke Chartier, Calvin Thurkauf and Kole Lind also scored in the victory. For Thurkauf and Lind, it was their first career WHL goals. Tomas Soustal and Justin Kirkland each chipped in with two assists while Michael Herringer made 35 saves for his first win of the season. The Rockets were 2 for 7 on the power play and surrendered a shorthanded goal while allowing two power play goals against. The Rockets play eight of their first 11 games on the road.
Rockets vs. Rebels: This is the first of only two meetings between the Rockets and Rebels this season. The Rockets host the Rebels on February 16/2016. Last season the Rockets made two stops in Red Deer, winning 6-3 December 17th before recording a 4-3 victory January 27th. The Rockets have won six straight games in Red Deer. The last loss by the visitors - in Red Deer - was February 27/2009 in a 3-2 setback. Ian Duval and Stepan Novotny scored goals in a losing cause while goalie Adam Brown was tagged with the loss.
This and That: Backing up Kelowna Rockets starting goaltender Michael Herringer tonight against the Rebels is 15 year-old James Porter JR. Porter JR plays in Calgary with the Edge School Prep Team. Porter, who hails from Bonners Ferry, Idaho was the Rockets 7th round pick from the 2015 WHL bantam draft...Veteran goalie Jackson Whistle, who was injured last Saturday when he was hit in the throat with a stick against Kamloops, is expected to join the team on this trip....Nick Merkley made his 2015-2016 regular season debut last night in Edmonton after missing the first three games with an upper body injury...Dillon Dube won't play tonight as he serves game two of a two game suspension for a kneeing incident last Sunday in Vancouver....Tyson Baillie has 7 points in four games. The19 year-old (doesn't turn 20 until November 16) has 4+3=7 over that period....Baillie opened last season with goals in six straight games....Baillie has 99 career goals....If Baillie stays healthy and plays in every game this season, the 20 year-old will end his career with 331 games under his belt... The Rockets were kicked out of the CHL Top 10 rankings this week after being rated fourth heading into the season. The Rockets are an 'honourable mention' in this week's rankings...The Rockets had two players taken in the NHL draft. Nick Merkley was taken in the first round by Arizona. Devante Stephens was chosen in the 5th round by Buffalo...Cole Linaker (Oilers), Tomas Soustal (Flames) and Tyson Baillie (Flames) all received free agent tryouts...Dillon Dube (3+3=6) and Kole Lind (1+5=6) led the team in pre-season scoring...The Rockets were 3-2-0-0 in five games during the pre-season...The team plays three games in three nights four times this season but twice in the first two weekends.
New Kids on the Block: The Kelowna Rockets named 34 year-old Brad Ralph as the head coach on August fourth. Ralph took over from Dan Lambert, who resigned at seasons end to take an assistant coaching position with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. Ralph is the ninth head coach in Rockets franchise history after leaving the Idaho Steelheads after three seasons in the ECHL. On defense, the team welcomes 16 year-old Cal Foote, the son of former NHL'er Adam Foote. Foote was the team's second round bantam pick in 2013 and his younger brother Nolan was the Rockets second round pick in this past May's draft. The Rockets selected 18 year-old Swiss forward Calvin Thurkauf in this summer's CHL Import draft. Other new faces include rookies Danny Gatenby (Joe's younger brother) and 18 year-old Gordie Ballhorn, who played last season with the AJHL's Whitecourt Wolverines.
My memory is good, just short: For a third straight season the Rockets won 50+ games. With a record of 53-13-5-1, the team accumulated 112 points, two fewer than the regular season champion Brandon Wheat Kings. The Rockets won 26 times on home ice and a league high 27 times on the road. The Rockets were one of only two teams to score 300 or more goals (305) with Brandon leading the way with 340. Lost in the team's successes last season was allowing a league low 183 goals against.
Is a repeat in the cards? The Rockets return their top three point producers from last season. Nick Merkley (90 pts), Rourke Chartier (82 pts), and Tyson Baillie (76 pts) are all back with the team. Merkley was taken in the first round of this summer's NHL draft by the Arizona Coyotes while he and fellow teammate Chartier both attended Team Canada's summer camp for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships. Baillie received a free agent tryout with the NHL's Calgary Flames. Jackson Whistle, who played in 50 regular season games and posted a goals against average of 2.55, is back for his 20 year-old season.
Significant off-season losses: Winning a WHL title with an older team means the hockey club lost seven players and a coach following an appearance in the Memorial Cup final in Quebec City. Moving on to pro hockey are Leon Draisaitl, Josh Morrissey, Cole Martin, Chance Braid, Tyrell Goulbourne and Captain Madison Bowey. Defenceman Mitch Wheaton was traded to the Saskatoon Blades in the off season and head coach Dan Lambert resigned July 6th to take a job in the NHL.
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Western Hockey League Stories from October 3, 2015
- Blazers Royals Again Tonight - Kamloops Blazers
- Game Day: Rockets Road Trip Continues in Red Deer - Kelowna Rockets
- Training Camp Time Changed for Mallards: Flock Takes Ice at 10:00 - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Game 4: October 3 vs. Prince Albert - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Saturday, October 3 at Moose Jaw - Calgary Hitmen
- Blazers Lose 4-2 to Royals - Kamloops Blazers
- Tigers Comeback to Defeat Blades 3-2 - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Oil Kings Fall to Rockets on Late Penalty - Edmonton Oil Kings
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