Photo credit: Allen Douglas

By Regan Bartel

Small forward wanting to make big impact

“You can expect a 100 percent effort every night”

Jan 10, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Mike Hurley was a prolific goal scorer in the Western Hockey League.

Playing four seasons, including three with the Tri-City Americans in the late 90s, the now 45-year-old, was a three-time 30-goal scorer, putting up a career-high 50 of them shared between the Americans and Portland Winterhawks during the 1997-98 season.

Fast forward to today, Hurley’s son, Ty, is playing for the Kelowna Rockets.

Acquired in the Colton Dach trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday, Ty Hurley made his debut with his new team Saturday night in Kamloops.

“I was pretty shocked”, Hurley told RocketFAN about learning of the trade. “I was caught off guard a little bit as I just got traded to Seattle. I took it in stride and I am glad to be here.”

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Hurley began his junior career with the Swift Current Broncos, where he played 47 games, before being dealt to the T-Birds where he dressed in just 16 contests.

“You try not to overthink it”, Hurley added when discussing how it can mess with your confidence after being moved twice in the past 52 days. “Just stay in the moment, you just try not to think about it to much and take it in stride.”

Highly coveted in bantam, the Broncos chose Hurley in the fourth-round of the 2019 Prospects Draft, after scoring 25 goals and collecting 43 points in 33 games with the Sherwood Park Flyers in 2018-2019.

Hurley was chosen 26 players before the Rockets plucked d-man John Babcock off the board with the last pick in round five of that same draft.

A smaller sized forward at 5’8 and 173 pounds, Hurley would like nothing better to win a WHL title and Memorial Cup crown, like his father, Mike, did with the Winterhawks close to 25 years ago.

“Growing up, after games in the car he [father] was always giving me advice. He would dissect my game,” Hurley said with a chuckle. “Even today, he texts me after games giving me pointers and tips. It is amazing having a dad who played hockey at such a high level and is able to give me advice.”

For whatever reason, that offensive success at a lower tier hasn’t translated at the WHL level with just one goal, in a game against the Winnipeg Ice as a member of the Broncos on February 26, 2022.

“I try to use my speed as much as possible. I try to work as hard as I can and compete and battle. You can expect I will give you my 100 percent effort every night”.

Making his home debut tonight against the Prince George Cougars, Hurley and the Rockets will also get a helping hand as forward Gabriel Szturc is anticipated to be back after winning silver for Czechia at the world junior’s.

The 19-year-old impressed with 6 goals in 9 games at the tournament, and his 37 points in 26 games with the Rockets puts him second in team scoring.

104-7 – The Lizard has the broadcast, with the pre-game show at 6:35 pm and the play-by-play at 7:05 pm, with the Rockets trailing the Cougars by six points for 7th place in the Western Conference.