WHL Kelowna Rockets

Game Day: Rockets in New Year's Day Game in Everett

Published on January 1, 2016 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Tonight's Preview: The Kelowna Rockets open the New Year with an afternoon game in Everett against the Tips. These two teams met Wednesday night in Kelowna with the Tips earning a 2-1 overtime victory. Dawson Leedahl scored the game winner at the 2:27 mark of extra time. Dillon Dube scored the lone goal for the Rockets in regulation time while Jackson Whistle was named the first star with a 34 save performance. Following tonight's game, these two teams close out the seasonal series in Kelowna on January 8th before returning to Everett on February 24th. Last season the Rockets were 3-0-1-0 in the four games, winning both times at home with 5-3 and 9-3 wins. The Rockets won in overtime in Everett (5-4 OTW) and also lost in the extra session (3-2 OTL). The Rockets have won 22 of their last 30 games overall (22-6-1-1) and are 13-2-1-0 on home ice and 14-7-1-0 on the road. Overall; the Rockets have points in 20 of 24 games (18-4-2-0). Overall, the team has won 8 of its last 12 games.

Oh Canada! Rourke Chartier is in Finland representing Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. The Rockets have been well represented at the World Juniors. Madison Bowey, Josh Morrissey and GM Bruce Hamilton came home with a gold medal last year from the prestigious tournament. Other notable players from the Rockets that have played for Canada include: Jamie Benn, Tyler Myers, Brandon McMillan, Tyson Barrie, Luke Schenn, Blake Comeau, Shea Weber, Josh Gorges, Chuck Kobasew, Brett McLean and Robb Gordon. Chartier is the 14th player from the Rockets to play for Team Canada.

Whistle Racking Up Winning Record: Twenty year-old Jackson Whistle is going after his 87th career win in a Kelowna Rockets uniform this evening. Here are the franchise leaders:

1) Adam Brown: 107 wins

2) Jordan Cooke: 92 wins

3) Jackson Whistle: 86 wins

4) Kelly Guard: 83 wins

This and That: Justin Kirkland is serving game three of a three game suspension for a hit in Kamloops Sunday...Riley Stadel is back in the line-up this afternoon after serving a one game suspension for a hit against the Blazers Monday night...The Rockets are 13-2-2-0 in their last 17 games against the Tips....The Rockets had their nine game winning streak at home snapped Wednesday night. It ties the longest home ice winning streak of the season set originally by the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Rockets have won 9 consecutive games at home in three consecutive seasons but have been unable to win 10 in a row. The last time that happened was 2011-2012, when the team won 23 straight games at Prospera Place...Tyson Baillie is playing in career game #298 today....Jackson Whistle played in five of the six games on the Eastern Division road trip. The only game he did not start was a 6-3 victory in Swift Current....Tyson Baillie's hat-trick December 15th in Swift Current was the first of his WHL career in his 291st career game...The Rockets are rated as the 5th best team in the country after being ranked 4th best for four consecutive weeks in the CHL Top 10 rankings....Tomas Soustal is playing for the Czech Republic at the World Junior Hockey Championships....Calvin Thurkauf is representing Switzerland at the World Junior's....Three members of the Rockets have been rated by NHL Central Scouting. Lucas Johansen and Dillon Dube are rated as 'B' prospects for June's draft in Buffalo. Tomas Soustal, who was not selected last year, is ranked as a 'C' prospect...Rookie Gordie Ballhorn leads the Rockets with a +18 ratings....Nine of Justin Kirkland's 12 goals have been scored on the road this season....Jackson Whistle has started 25 of the last 32 games...The Rockets receive relief from the schedule maker when they play 9 of 10 at home from January 19th to February 8th....Cole Linaker has 96 career points...Lucas Johansen played in career game #100 Wednesday night against the Tips...Tyson Baillie scored his first career goal in Everett back in the fall of 2011.

Who's Hot: Kole Lind has 4+3=7 in his last four games...Tyson Baillie had his six game point streak snapped Wednesday night. Baillie had 6+4 over that stretch....Tyson Baillie has points in 24 of his last 28 games......Justin Kirkland has points in 9 of his last 15 games. Kirkland has 4+12 over that period...Cole Linaker has points in 7 of his last 16 games. Linaker has 4+5=9 over that stretch...Dillon Dube has 13+181 in his last 24 games.

Man Games Lost to Injury/Illness/Suspension: 81 games

Jackson Whistle: 3 games   Rourke Chartier: 19 games Tanner Wishnowski - 8 game

Nick Merkley: 3 games   Jonathan Smart: 13 games Riley Stadel - 14 games

Dillon Dube - 2 game suspension Tomas Soustal - 2 games Rodney Southam - 5 games LBI

Dillon Dube - 5 games UBI   Lucas Johansen 3 games Justin Kirkland - 2 game suspension

Riley Stadel - 1 game suspension

Rockets Season Highs and Lows:

Most Goals Scored: 8 @ Portland November 7/15 (8-5 W)

Most Goals Allowed: 7 @ Rd Deer (7-4 Loss) October 3/15.

Most Power Play Chances: 9 @ Blazers September 26/15

Most Power Play Goals Scored: 3 @ Portland November 6/2015 (5-4 win 3 for 3), @ Prince George October 17/15 (6-2 W)

Most Power Play Goals Allowed: 2 @ Oil Kings October 2/15 (5-3 w)

Most Shots Taken: 59 vs. Kootenay December 2/15 (4-1 W)

Fewest Shots Taken: 15 @ Victoria November 28/15 (5-1 loss)

Most Shot Allowed: 44 @ Blazers September 26/15

Fewest Shots Allowed: 19 vs. Kootenay December 2/15 (4-1 W).

Last shutout: Jackson Whistle 27 saves in 1-0 win in Moose Jaw (Dec 16/15), Jackson Whistle 26 saves in a 3-0 win vs. Calgary Hitmen (October 24/15)

Last time shut-out: October 16/15 (3-0 Loss in Prince George), October 9/15 (3-0 L at home to Victoria Royals - Coleman Vollrath 26 saves)

Shootout Game Winning Goals: Nick Merkley vs. Giants (2-1 W November 11/15)

OT Game Winning Goal: 0

Most Points by one player: Tyson Baillie (2+3=5) @ Prince George October 17/15

Hat tricks: Kole Lind vs. Blazers December 28/15 (3-2 W), Tyson Baillie @ Swift Current December 12/15 (6-3 W), Rourke Chartier

vs. BC: 11-5-0-0 vs. US: 5-0-2-0 vs. Central: 9-1-0-0 vs. East: 3-3-0-0

Roster Stats:

Player total: 24

Year by Year Breakdown:

20's - 3 Linaker, Baillie, Whistle

19's - 5 Chartier, Stadel, Southam, Kirkland, Herringer

18's - 9 Johansen, Merkley, Gatenby, Soustal, Stephens, Wishnowski, Coughlin, Thurkauf, Ballhorn

17's - 6 Dube, Danny Gatenby, Lind, Borstmayer, Chizen, Foote,

16's - 1 Smart

Month Games Record Home Road

September: 3   2-1-0-0 1-0-0-0 1-1-0-0  

October:   12   9-4-0-0 4-2-0-0 5-2-0-0

November:   11 9-1-1-0 4-0-0-0 5-1-1-0

December: 12 8-3-1-0 4-0-1-0 4-3-0-0

January: 12   0-0-0-0   0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0

February: 13 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0  0-0-0-0

March:   9   0-0-0-0   0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0

How the Rockets were built:    

1st Rd: Merkley, Chartier, Dube   

2nd Rd: Foote, Gatenby

3rd Rd: Baillie, Stadel, Borstmayer

4th Rd: Lind

5th Rd: Kirkland

6th Rd: Linaker, Johansen

9th Rd: Chizen

Listed: Ballhorn, Coughlin, Stephens, Wishnowski, Danny Gatenby

Trade: Whistle, Herringer, Southam

CHL Import Draft: Thurkauf, Soustal 

Game notes compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2016


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