Tij Iginla wheeling and dealing in Prince Albert
Observations from 10 days on the road
Things that make me go hmm….
Dec 20, 2023 | 8:00 AM
- Outside of the Kelowna Rockets’ success on the ice on their most recent Eastern Division road trip, the real story over the ten days was the weather. The team was met by snow in Strathmore, Alberta as they practiced a day in advance of their opening game. Once we arrived in Saskatchewan, no snow was visible. According to Trae Johnson’s father, Dion, it was the first time Saskatchewan had been this brown since 1997. We will take his word for it, with just a skiff of snow visible in Brandon with temperatures way above seasonable norms. It will go down as the best weather we’ve experienced on the prairies in my 24 years behind the Kelowna Rockets microphone.
- Next year at this time will likely look a lot different for forward Andrew Cristall. Heading home to Vancouver for the holidays, next December’s efforts will be focusing on playing for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Ottawa. This year’s tournament is in Sweden. Cristall will be watching from the comfort of his living room when the tournament begins on Boxing Day.
- The Rockets came back from the prairie road swing with 4 wins in 5 games. That mark is only surpassed by the 2013 team that went 6-0-0-0 in December of that season when Swift Current was also a part of the Eastern Division. The last time the team finished below .500 on the Saskatchewan road trip was in 2011 when they had two wins, two losses, and two shootout losses for six points in six games.
- Busiest hockey mom on the prairie road trip? And the winner is……April Price. The mother of d-man Caden Price was a one-woman baking machine. Every time I saw her hockey-playing son Caden walking around outside the Kelowna Rockets dressing room after games, he had baked goods in his arms. “She brings down baking for what looks like the entire western league,” Price told RocketFAN with a smirk. “It is just ridiculous. The booster protein balls she makes are unbelievable. Some of the boys say she could sell them at Booster Juice for five dollars a pop”.
- Running into former alumni is always a fun part of the trip. Logan Peskett in Regina. Jackson DeSouza in Brandon and watching Trevor Wong play in Saskatoon was interesting. RocketFAN spoke to DeSouza, who was suiting up against his old team for the first time after coming off a scary injury. “I went out to dive for a block and it [the puck] hit me right above my ear,” DeSouza recalled of an injury he suffered in his Wheat Kings debut. “I fractured my skull just a bit, but luckily there was no displacement, so I am all good now.” DeSousa will spend this Christmas in Toronto with family.
- RocketFAN wanted to touch base with former Kelowna Rockets Head Coach Jeff Truitt, and that is exactly what we did. In his second season guiding the Prince Albert Raiders, we asked Truitt about coaching projected first-round NHL prospect Ryder Ritchie. “When he got here [two seasons ago] he was dynamic,” Truitt said honestly. “His skill set is second to none. You get to know the person, and Ryder is such a good kid who is smiling, loves competition, works hard in practices and he is just fun to be around.”
- Who is the best Kelowna Rockets practice player? RocketFAN’s eye test gravitates us towards Tij Iginla. The draft-eligible player always has a high compete level, whether it is in practice or games. No flamboyant personality, Iginla has a deep passion for getting better by practicing hard and then translating that into games.
- For the Eastern Division team’s believing they are contending for a WHL title, many GMs were likely watching intently at the Kelowna Rockets, pondering a possible trade. You had to know that while playing hard for their respective team, clearly some of the players wearing the road jersey caught the eye of the home team management groups as possible trade targets. The trade deadline is January 10th.
- To think, we are closing in on 12 years since the CHL Top Prospects Game was played at Prospera Place in Kelowna. It was February 1st, 2012. Two Kelowna Rockets played in that game. Damon Severson has now played 666 games in the NHL while Colton Sissons has dressed in 568 games, all with the Nashville Predators who selected him in the second round, 50th overall. Severson was chosen by New Jersey 10 picks later.
- Here is a stat for you. The Kelowna Rockets have a record of 13-8-0-0 in their last 21 seasons in the final game before the Christmas break. When playing in Saskatoon, the team is 5-2-0-0 in their last seven visits to SaskTel Centre. The team has won 5 of its last 7 games heading into Christmas.
- Total transparency. RocketFAN watched a lot of archived videos of previous games involving the teams the Rockets faced on this recent road trip. It had to be done to learn the players on the opposition, with many names and numbers unfamiliar. Rightly or wrongly, little attention in the Western Conference is paid to the teams in the Eastern Conference, and I am sure the same applies out in the prairies. For the record, I did one visiting coaches’ interview, yet met up with all of the public address announcers, inquiring on how to say the names of the players on the Rockets roster.
- The top players came to play during the Kelowna Rockets’ five-game excursion through the Eastern Division. Tij Iginla led the way with 11 points (5+6=11), Andrew Cristall had 10 points (3+7=10), and Caden Price loved the prairie air with 7 points (1+6=). Captain Gabby Szturc earned 5 points (2+3=5) on the trip. Marek Rocak, who has scored two huge goals in the last month, was a +5 on the swing.
- Gabriel Szturc, Max Graham, Jackson Gillespie, Dylan Wightman and Landon Cowper. Those five players along with the coaches and staff were the only ones on the bus in the early morning hours after dropping off most of the team at Calgary International Airport as we headed back to the Okanagan for the holidays. The furthest distance traveled belongs to Czechia-born Marek Rocak, who had more than an 11-hour flight to return home.
- Who was the best opposition player we saw over the five games over the eight night excursion? We liked Quinn Mantei from the Brandon Wheat Kings, Justice Christensen from the Prince Albert Raiders, and Lynden Lakovic from the Moose Jaw Warriors. Oh, let’s not forget 20-year-old Parker Berge from the Regina Pats. Three of those players are d-man. Mantei caught our attention for his composure. Christensen’s compete was impressive and his ability at 5’7 to show up and fight much larger Kelowna Rockets forward Max Graham. Lakovic was always around the puck in our one viewing and missed the net more times than he hit it. The fact remains, he was hugely noticeable with the puck often finding him. In Regina, Berge was the man of the hour with his three goals and playing an impactful game for a 20-year-old. In Saskatoon, not one player stood out, as they all seemed to play the same way – fast!
- Best goalie on the swing? Jari Kykkanen sure was good, but Moose Jaw’s Jackson Unger was the showstopper. Unger was the only reason the Rockets didn’t put up 8 goals, instead settling for a 2-1 win.
- It is always interesting talking to Eastern Division broadcasters during the road trip. In Moose Jaw, RocketFAN sat down with Warriors play-by-play man James Gallo and asked him about the teams to beat on the prairies. “I think Saskatoon is the more consistent team”, Gallo said astutely when he was asked to compare the Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors. “Both teams have a lot of sexy names. The Warriors have a big three-headed monster (Firkus/Matechuk/Yager) and in Saskatoon, the acquisition of Fraser Minten is big for them. It gives them more depth.” Three of those four players made the Canadian world junior team. Surprisingly, Firkus was cut despite 27 goals this season. The second-round pick of the Seattle Kraken is third in WHL scoring.
- We had to do it. Looking for Kelowna connections during the prairie road trip, RocketFAN did seek out Moose Jaw Warriors forward Max Finley. Finley, the son of Jeff Finley, is in his first season in the WHL, and we asked about using his dad, a former NHL player, as a resource. “I appreciate how much my dad helps,” the 16-year-old said. “He knows a lot about the game, and he has been through systems. He has helped my [two] brothers, so he knows a lot and I am glad to have him in my corner.” It is hard to wrap our heads around it, but when Jeff Finley was an assistant coach to Ryan Huska with the Rockets during the 2008-2009 season, Max was only two.
- Eli Wilson is the Kelowna Rockets goaltending coach. After spending a few weeks around, him, I have gained a better appreciation for the ‘goalie whisperer.’ I never questioned his credentials, but talking with him on the bus, or just chatting about things away from the game of hockey makes you gravitate to him. A great personality, and a caring heart, yet has a passion for his craft, you can’t but be thankful he is on the Kelowna Rockets’ side.
- The Rockets stayed in four different hotels during the Eastern swing, with Hotel Saskatchewan easily getting the nod for the best stop on the tour. That said, the best beds were found at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Brandon, Manitoba. I know, shocker! The hotel is perfectly situated across from the Brandon Wheat Kings home arena, and in my opinion, is far nicer than Canad Inn’s, which is attached to the arena. To be fair, the Holiday Inn and Suites are newer, while Canad Inn’s, which is perfectly fine, is just a bit outdated, having been built in 2005. If you don’t want to step outside, if the temperatures are frigidly cold, Canad Inn’s is your best option though.
- Why does a person of my age travel across Western Canada with a group of junior hockey players, and somewhat enjoy it? At its core, it is the connections I make with the players and coaches that keep me vested in what I do. The moment I stop caring about winning and losing, I can hang up my headset. The fact is, I still care about the teams’ successes or failures. I don’t wish ill upon any of them, which makes the season of calling games so rewarding. You get to know the personalities of the players. You connect with them, seeing them more as just athletes but as individuals who are uniquely different. My access to both the players and coaches is exceedingly great. I love to tell their stories on this platform.
- Happy first anniversary to Curtis Hamilton. On this date, one year ago, Hamilton was officially named the Assistant GM of the Kelowna Rockets. I had the privilege of breaking bread across the table from Curtis in Saskatoon as he was scouting a tournament along with Director of Player Personnel Terry McFaul and Regina scout Corey Curtis last weekend.
- At 1872 words, it is time to shut the barn door for another week. A reminder, be kind to one another. Merry Christmas.
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