Kelowna Rockets

[JayByrd]

Rockets thank-you for 2017-18 season, maybe next season will be better for you in playoffs.

Took a quick look at the current roster, there are 2 players that will be over age (21) with 4 that will be 20 years old next season. Out of those 4 players, it will be curious who will move on to their draft team & who may stick around.
No matter a vast majority of the team will be returning for 2018-19 season

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leag ... 62018.html

Hockeydb can be misleading in cases like this because they list players by their age at the start of the season. Carsen Twarynski for example, was considered a 20 yr old this year even though he didn't turn 20 until November 24. Going back a few years, Kiel McLeod made the team as a 16 yr old...but with a Dec 31 birthdate, he didn't actually turn 16 until nearly halfway through the season. Likewise, he was 21 for the second half of his final year.

Graduating 20 yr olds for the Rockets are Ballhorn, Twarynski, and Hilsendager.

1998-born players who are eligible to return next season:

G Brodan Salmond
D Braydyn Chizen
D Cal Foote
F Dillon Dube
F Kole Lind

Lind, Dube, and Foote are all signed to NHL contracts and will almost certainly turn pro.

Chizen was drafted by the Minnesota Wild but they haven't signed him. I believe they have until June 1 to do so. I have no idea how likely that is, but I'll assume it falls on the side of unlikely. I expect if Chizen does return, he'll be welcome on a blueline that's losing Ballhorn and Foote. He's the only one of the current returnees with more than one season of WHL experience.

That leaves Brodan Salmond. The coaches seemed to lose confidence in him this season, and with the jam both Porter and Basran showed in their rookie campaigns, I can't imagine there's a place for Salmond here next year, especially as a 20 yr old. Even if management decides that Basran, who didn't play a ton of hockey this season, needs another year of midget before he's ready for primetime, I see the organization looking elsewhere for goaltending help.

The Rockets will enter next season with likely two overage spots to fill, either with players trying out or via trade. I can't remember the overage situation in Kelowna ever being this straightforward.

[Bubalouie]

Soustal was traded at least half way through the season so not sure why he is mentioned.

[JayByrd]

Soustal was traded at least half way through the season so not sure why he is mentioned.

Tomas only played three games as a Rocket this year before being traded to Edmonton. The source Gordon used showed every player who suited up for the Rockets this year, including those traded away.

[Bubalouie]

Gotcha

[GordonH]

For some crazy reason when went to make my post the Rockets site wasn't loading for me so used this other site.
My bad JayByrd

[GordonH]

5 Rockets are off to their NHL farm clubs, once there's little to no chance of being sent back to the juniors.
https://www.castanet.net/news/WHL/22291 ... t-the-pros

[GordonH]

This has my curiosity up:
https://www.castanet.net/news/WHL/22407 ... om-Rockets

[gman313]

Me too. With the timing of the announcement being right at the end of the season it's doubtful to be player related. Possibly coaching staff related but my guess is the team has been sold

[GordonH]

Me too. With the timing of the announcement being right at the end of the season it's doubtful to be player related. Possibly coaching staff related but my guess is the team has been sold

That is a possibility, Bruce Hamilton bought the former Tacoma Rockets & moved the team to Kelowna in the mid 90s.

[GordonH]

Okay, hosting the Memorial Cup in 2020
https://www.castanet.net/news/WHL/22414 ... r-2020-Cup

The rotation is screwed up with Regina hosting this years MC (because it the 100th), should have been in the QMJHL.
Rotation was:
QMJHL
OHL
WHL
QMJHL
etc.. etc

[jaz301]

Okay, hosting the Memorial Cup in 2020
https://www.castanet.net/news/WHL/22414 ... r-2020-Cup

Would be interesting to see if Kelowna can get it. If they do want it like Hamilton mentioned going to have to do a few upgrades to the building.

[GordonH]

Okay, hosting the Memorial Cup in 2020
https://www.castanet.net/news/WHL/22414 ... r-2020-Cup

Would be interesting to see if Kelowna can get it. If they do want it like Hamilton mentioned going to have to do a few upgrades to the building.

Medicine Hat Tigers have newest arena in WHL, opened in 2015 with a capacity 7,100.
Only upgrade at Prospera that would maybe help freshing things up is new centre ice display.

[GordonH]

Rockets drafted possible future players https://www.castanet.net/news/WHL/22531 ... 1-in-draft

[GordonH]

Congratulations to Gage Quinney on his entry level contract.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Sports/22 ... s-NHL-deal

[the truth]

sweet, good for him