Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor
Will Rockets be quiet at trade deadline?
Things that make me go hmm…
Jan 4, 2024 | 8:00 AM
- Will the Kelowna Rockets make a trade at the WHL deadline, slated for next Wednesday? RocketFAN would be surprised to see yet another deal considering how proactive the front office has been in the last seven months. The big splash was picking up Tij Iginla in a trade with Seattle in June. The most astute move, which looked like a band-aid solution at the time, was acquiring goaltender Jake Pilon from the Edmonton Oil Kings on September 11th for a 7th-round draft pick. The trade has been a good one. Pilon has improved significantly under the tutelage of goalie coach Eli Wilson while allowing 16-year-old prospect Nathan Kam to marinate at a lower level before jumping full-time to the WHL next season. The team has made seven deals since the trade ball started rolling with the acquisition of Michael Cicek from the Spokane Chiefs way back on May 26th.
- Tij Iginla has 26 goals. It is an impressive mark for the 17-year-old Kelowna Rockets forward. By comparison, Tij’s father, Jarome, had 33 goals in his 17-year-old season in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers. That summer, in the NHL draft, the Dallas Stars selected Jarome Iginla 11th overall. Returning to junior for his 18-year-old season, the elder Iginla would score 63 times.
- A familiar face is working out with the team this week. Sixteen-year-old Kalder Varga was at practice at Prospera Place on Tuesday. Varga, chosen 7th overall in the 2023 U.S Priority Draft, is unable to play with the team until the start of the 2024-2025 season. As an American-born player, due to insurance hurdles, the slick-skating forward isn’t afforded the same luxury as Canadian-born underage players, who are permitted to play in five WHL games until their club teams season is over. What is the biggest change we’ve seen from Varga since we saw him at training camp in September? The likable personality has braces. Here is an article we did on Varga back in May. https://rocketfan.ca/2023/05/10/6035/
- With an injury to John Babcock Saturday in a 7-6 win over the Calgary Hitmen, if he is unable to play Friday against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings, that will leave just four players that will be able to dress in all 68 regular season games. On that list are Tij Iginla, Hiroki Gojsic, Marek Rocak, and Dylan Wightman. Wightman’s name on that list shouldn’t come as a surprise, after being the only Rocket to dress in all 68 games a season ago.
- Are the Victoria Royals the scariest team in the Western Conference right now? Seriously, while the Prince George Cougars are better on paper, belief is a scary thing. Under James Patrick, who took over November 6th from Dan Price, the Royals are 15-6-0-1 in their last 22 games. That is just two wins shy of the 17 the team had all of last season. If you asked the experts, I use that word loosely, the Royals were projected to be among the bottom feeders in the Western Conference this season. Instead, finding ways to win has been commonplace with the Royals sitting six points back of the Cougars for first in the overall standings. The Royals aren’t the talk of the league, as Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Prince George will steal the headlines with significant trade acquisitions, but should be getting rave reviews for what’s happened on the Island. The Royals are going quietly about their business.
- Last Saturday, RocketFAN reflected on the Swift Current Broncos bus crash that claimed the lives of four players. The tragedy happened on December 30, 1986, just outside of Swift Current. We spoke to Kelowna Rockets Head Coach Kris Mallette about his team stopping at the memorial on the Trans-Canada Highway to pay their respects, before heading toward Regina for the start of their Eastern Division road trip. “I thought it was great to educate our players and to show them how fortunate we are to play the game, and to get from point A to point B every day. It was a necessity that we stopped there.”
- The Kelowna Rockets will play their 2,000 regular season game March 6th when they host the Tri-City Americans. The team relocated from Tacoma, Washington to Kelowna, BC for the start of the 1995-96 season.
- Who was running the music at Westoba Place the night the Kelowna Rockets paid a visit? We tip the hat to the person for playing a song that has resonated in our head even three weeks after our stop in the Manitoba city. The Doobie Brothers – Listen to the Music – came resonating out of the loudspeakers before the warmup and it was candy for the ears and music for the soul. Thank you for playing this classic, which picked up RocketFAN’s spirits upon its playing.
- Don Hay will turn 70 in mid-February. The veteran WHL coach doesn’t look it, and the fountain of youth keeps seeping out of his pores. When the Kamloops Blazers visited Prospera Place last Friday, RocketFAN asked Hay about how he has changed over the years as a coach, and more interestingly what hasn’t changed. “Work ethic is non-negotiable,” he said without hesitation. “I enjoyed my four years in Portland. He [Winterhawks Head Coach Mike Johnston] really stressed speed and skill, and I enjoyed the way he coached, and hopefully I can pass that along here.”
- RocketFAN asked second year d-man Landon Cowper about his pre-game meal when he plays a home game. “You typically eat the same meals as you do on the road in hotels,” he said. “Probably I would eat cereal if I was younger. Typically the billets make us chicken and pasta every game, and it works for us.” In his second season in the WHL, how has Cowper dealt with being in and out of the lineup? “We have eight defensemen that all earn their ice time,” he said honestly. “It is inevitable that sometimes you aren’t going to play. You just try to do everything you can when you are out there.” What does Cowper need to do in order not to be a health scratch? “For me, I am just trying to hold my ground in the d-zone,” he added. “Making quick passes, getting to the puck fast, and winning puck battles is the biggest thing. Everything else is the result if you do those things right.” Cowper has played in 23 of 35 games this season, which is second lowest among defensemen to Ismail Abougouche, who has dressed in 18 contests.
- Can we all admit the Calgary Hitmen’s roster is loaded with difficult last names, arguably the toughest in the entire league? Case in point, David Adaszynski, Brandon Gorzynski, Aleksey Chichkin and Wyatt Pisarczyk. Oh, we forgot goaltender Ethan Buenaventura. If you see these teams more than once a season, they come off the tongue significantly smoother, but it was easily the hardest game we’ve called this season. And yes, we do sympathize with those who don’t routinely watch the Kelowna Rockets play. As a team, the Rockets may have the hardest roster for difficult last names that I’ve ever witnessed.
- Vernon Fiddler was back in Kelowna this week. The 43-year-old is traveling around watching his son and the Edmonton Oil Kings on a BC Division road trip. The Oil Kings, with 16-year-old Blake Fiddler, are at Prospera Place on Friday. Fiddler is one of two former Rockets players with sons playing in the WHL. The other is Hunter Laing, whose father is Kelowna Rockets alumni Quinton Lang. Both Vernon and Quintin were teammates in the 1999-2000 season.
- You want to witness good officiating? We saw it Saturday night in the Kelowna Rockets 7-6 home-ice win over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. Ward Pateman and Connor McCracken put their whistles in their pocket in the third period and let the two teams play. Oh, there were infractions on both sides, but instead of blowing the play dead on numerous occasions, RocketFAN thought they managed the game wonderfully. Heck, both teams still scored three power-play goals each, and even a penalty shot was awarded.
- When in doubt, call the penalty shot. I don’t care which team is given the free pass, call it. We are in the entertainment industry, so blow the play down if you think it’s a clear chance on the net. Remember the success rate is low for the shooter, with the goalie being successful 21 of the 29 times this season. When has the penalty shot been called the most? The third period has seen 12 penalty shots taken, as compared to nine in the second period. The first period has seen only 8 of them.
- Will the Oil Kings call up Joe Iginla, Tij’s younger brother, for Friday’s game at Prospera Place? Sadly, the answer is no. The 15-year-old, the Oil Kings first pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects draft, was hurt at the Circle K Classic in Calgary. Joe Iginla has played two games for the Oil Kings, picking up a goal and an assist.
- Where is Gordie Ballhorn? The former Kelowna Rockets d-man is playing in Demark with Esbjerg Energy. Now 26, Ballhorn spent four seasons with the U of S Huskies after aging out in the WHL where was picked up a degree in commerce.
- At 1613 words, it is time to shut the barn doors for another week. I’ve noticed my neighbours taking down their Christmas lights early this year, with many going dark with the ringing in of the new year. Google tells me they should be taken down by January 6th, which in this case is Saturday, or face bad luck moving forward. Gulp. With it being so dark here in BC, and the time changing back to more daylight hours in the second week of March, I can’t see myself climbing back up on my roof until then.
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