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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Preview: Vs Kamloops December 18

December 17, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Kelowna Rockets centre Colton Dach (right) faces off with the Kamloops Blazers
Kelowna Rockets centre Colton Dach (right) faces off with the Kamloops Blazers
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

The Kelowna Rockets will host the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday night for their annual Orchard Ford Teddy Bear Toss game before they head into the holiday break.

After the first Rockets goal is scored, fans will toss their bears onto the ice. The Rockets donated the bears to Kelowna General Hospital over the last number of years, distributing them in the children's ward and other patients across the growing hospital.

Interior Health protocols require stuffed animals to be new with tags and placed in bags before being tossed onto the ice. Bags will be available at the game for fans if they need one.

Past Rockets Teddy Bear Toss goal scorers: Ryan Olsen (2013), Dillon Dube (2014, 2015), Nick Merkley (2016), Conner Bruggen-Cate (2017), Mark Liwiski (2018), Nolan Foote (2019).

The Rockets last played on Tuesday night, where Pavel Novak's overtime winner snapped a four-game winless streak with a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals at Prospera Place. Noah Dorey scored a pair, while Steel Quiring and Dylan Wightman also chipped in goals for Kelowna. Talyn Boyko made 43 saves on 47 shots.

Novak, the Rockets leading scorer with 31 points, has departed for the 2022 World Junior Championship where he'll compete for the Czech Republic. They'll open the regulation portion of their schedule on boxing day against Canada in the tournament opener.

Blazers leading scorer Logan Stankoven and netminder Dylan Garand will not be in the lineup on Saturday, the pair have both cracked Canada's roster for the 2022 World Junior Championship.

The Blazers are currently ranked fifth in the KIA CHL Top-10 Rankings for week 11.

Kamloops rebounded from a 3-2 loss on Saturday to the Prince George Cougars with a 3-0 shutout win over the Victoria Royals on Wednesday.

Netminder Dylan Ernst only had to make nine saves on the night to pick up his first career WHL shutout. The Blazers peppered Tyler Palmer with 51 shots on net; Viktor Persson, Connor Levis and Josh Pillar were the goal scorers for Kamloops.

The Blazers will play the Cougars tonight at the Sandman centre before facing the Rockets tomorrow.

THE LAST TIME THESE TWO MET

The Kelowna Rockets downed the Kamloops Blazers 4-3 on December 4 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C. Both Turner McMillen and Colton Dach scored a pair of goals for the Rockets. Playing in his 100th WHL regular-season game, Colton Dach earned first star honours after posting his fifth career multi-goal game. Netminder Talyn Boyko picked up his sixth win of the season after making 33 saves.

TICKETS Single-game tickets for all Rockets regular-season home games are now available at Select Your Tickets. Fans can purchase their tickets online at selectyourtickets.com, at the Prospera Place box office or by phone at 250-762-5050. The box office is open 11:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and opens at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday home game days.

WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE RINK

* The Fireplace Den will be outside of gate one to keep fans warm as they enter the building. * After the Rockets score their first goal of the game, fans will toss their stuffed animals onto the ice.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Kelowna:

* Offensive defenceman Noah Dorey played Tuesday night's game as the seventh defenceman for the Rockets. He posted a career-high two goals in the game, his three goals on the campaign have now topped last season's lone goal. The Surrey, BC product has ten points through 21 games this season.

* Mark Liwiski is the lone Rocket on the roster to have scored a teddy bear toss goal. Will join Dillon Dube in the exclusive club of two, or will it be someone new? Kamloops:

* Dylan Ernst's name might sound familiar, that's because he's the younger brother of former Rockets forward Ethan Ernst. With Garand away at World Juniors, 17-year-old Ernst will be expected to step up. This season he has a record of 4-2-0-0, 2.91 GAA and .896 SAV%.

* Three (2g, 1A) of Minnesota Wild prospect Josh Pillar's 31 points (11G, 20A) this season have come against Kelowna. He's tied for second in team scoring with Matthew Seminoff.

B.C. DIVISION STANDINGS

# Team GP W L OTL SOL PTS

1 Kamloops Blazers 25 19 6 0 0 38

T2 Vancouver Giants 26 13 12 1 0 27

T2 Kelowna Rockets 24 12 9 0 3 27

4 Prince George Cougars 26 12 14 0 0 24

5 Victoria Royals 24 8 12 4 0 20

as of Friday afternoon

SEASON SERIES

Oct. 15 vs Kamloops 4-2 W

Nov. 10 vs Kamloops 3-2 W

Dec. 4 @ Kamloops 4-3 W

Dec. 18 vs Kamloops 7:05 PM

Dec. 28 @ Kamloops 7:00 PM

Dec. 29 vs Kamloops 7:05 PM

Feb. 25 vs Kamloops 7:05 PM

Feb. 26 @ Kamloops 7:00 PM

Mar. 11 @ Kamloops 7:00 PM

Mar. 12 vs Kamloops 7:05 PM

Mar. 18 vs Kamloops 7:05 PM

Mar. 19 @ Kamloops 7:05 PM

Mar. 25 @ Kamloops 7:00 PM

Mar. 26 vs Kamloops 7:05 PM

WATCH AND LISTEN

You can watch all Rockets games on WHL Live on CHL TV. More are details available by visiting watch.CHL.ca. You can also listen to the game on AM1150.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Kelowna Rockets centre Colton Dach (right) faces off with the Kamloops Blazers
Kelowna Rockets centre Colton Dach (right) faces off with the Kamloops Blazers
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from December 17, 2021


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