Photo credit: RocketFAN
Notes, quotes and anecdotes
Things that make me go hmm…
Sep 13, 2024 | 7:00 AM
- The photo above is Gabriel Szturc, taken by RocketFAN on the second last day of the 2023-2024 regular season. Turning 21 on September 24th, Szturc became the first European-born captain in franchise history and held the honour for two seasons. Szturc will represent the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2024 Rookie Showcase, which begins today in Nashville, Tennessee.
- A week from today, Kelowna, Lethbridge, Brandon, Medicine Hat, and Spokane must submit their intentions to bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup. The official winner will be announced in early December. David Rush is the co-chair of Kelowna’s bid and told RocketFAN he and colleague Steve Thomson have spoken to Tom Dyas about how he successfully won the bid for the 10-day tournament in 2020. “Tom has been involved in the process,” Rush said about the former chairman of the Kelowna entry. “He has a city to run [as mayor], so he hasn’t been fully involved. He has been kept up to speed on what we have been doing. The city has stepped up to the plate in all matters of support. We have a team that meets weekly, which includes city personnel. Tom has been a great resource.”
- Here is a head-scratcher. Shea Weber is arguably the best all-around defenseman to wear Kelowna Rockets colours. An intimidating presence. The ability to crush an opposing forward carrying the puck and a booming slapshot were just some of the reasons why he was so good. That said, Cole Martin, a defensive d-man who won a WHL championship with the Rockets in 2015, recorded 97 career points in five seasons of junior hockey. Weber, by contrast, had 91 career points in the WHL.
- Today is Friday the 13th. Remember those movies from the 80’s? There were 12 of them. They call them ‘slasher movies’.
- Here is one for the parents of a Kelowna Rockets rookie. Your teenager made the team. You hugged him for the final time, said goodbye, hopped into your vehicle and headed home. Maybe a tear was shed. As a loving parent, you may still feel anxiety wondering if your beautiful boy will be okay. Let me assure you, as a father of twin boys, your son is in tremendous hands. He will learn valuable life lessons that you just can’t teach. Surrounded by likeminded driven athletes, he will get significantly better in the sport he loves. The coaching he will receive is undoubtedly the best he has ever experienced. The organization, since I first called games for the team back in 2000 take education very, very seriously. If a player struggles in the classroom, help is there. If a concerted effort is not applied by the individual taking classes at Kelowna Senior Secondary, they won’t play. Bruce Hamilton, who has operated this team from the very beginning knows the importance of doing well in the classroom, yet understands that juggling academics and hockey at this level isn’t easy. Teenagers need structure. The WHL provides that. It will be a fun environment, but when games and practice are the focal point, your son will have to come to work. When you see the white’s of his eyes the next time you see him, you will see a difference. That change will only put a smile on your face, reassuring you as a loving parent that indeed your boy is in the right place.
- It sure looked odd not seeing Colin ‘Toledo’ Robinson on the Kamloops Blazers bench last week when the team made a pre-season visit to Prospera Place. How odd will it be when the Portland Winterhawks are here next weekend with Mike Johnston not at the helm? Robinson retired after last season, while Johnston stepped away from coaching, allowing associate Kyle Gustafson to take over.
- Gustafson has the patience of Job. Read the Bible for reference. Gustafson was an assistant or associate coach for 20 seasons in Portland before finally being named head coach this summer. He first started with the Winterhawks in the 2003-2004 season.
- Will Joey Frazier ever have a chance to be a head coach in this league? He has been with the Medicine Hat Tigers since 2010. He started as an assistant at 20 years old. Now he is 34! He too is one patient man.
- Kris Mallette is the youngest head coach in the BC Division. The 45-year-old is 11 year younger than Blazer’s head skipper Shaun Clouston. Vancouver Giants Manny Viveiros is 58, while Mark Lamb of the Prince George Cougars is 60. Who is the oldest of the bunch? James Patrick of the Victoria Royals is 61 years-old. Three of the five coaches are born in the 60’s. Mallette was born in 1979. All five coaches were drafted by an NHL team with Patrick and Clouston selected by the Rangers, Lamb by Calgary, Viveiros by Edmonton and Mallette by Philadelphia.
- Is it a sign that a rookie defenseman has made the team? When Rowan Guest was the interviewer in a Kelowna Rockets TikTok, you have to think the 18-year-old has cracked the roster. It is unusual for a player of his age to make the team, but the 6’5, 201-pound blueliner has a lot of upsides. A Saskatoon resident, the organization has done very well when plucking players from that area. Luke Schenn, Rourke Chartier and Caden Price come to mind. Guest was the Rockets 11th round pick in 2021.
- The Rockets took three late flyers in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, and it appears all three will play in the WHL. Two already have! Ismail Abougouche was chosen in the 12th round, after Rowan Guest. Forward Kayden Longley was chosen in the 13th round that year, the last player plucked off the board. Abougouche is now with the Tri-City Americans. Longley played 45 games with the Kelowna Rockets last season, scoring seven times.
- Have you’ve noticed how some WHL teams, who relied on the on-ice product alone to get fans in the stands, have upped their social media game? Entertainment dollars are hard to come by and teams are getting more mileage out of their employees.
- I was watching a Blue Jays game the other day when they were down in Atlanta playing the Braves. Organ music playing in the background of the ballgame was magical. My wish is for more WHL music producers in the 22 arenas make a concerted effort in bringing some of that back in 2024-2025.
- Former WHL’er Stephan Peat died recently. RocketFAN remembers the 44-year-old playing with the Red Deer Rebels, where he became one of the toughest players on the circuit. Current Kelowna Rockets head coach Kris Mallette fought Peat once in his junior career. Mallette was playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors as a 20-year-old. Peat was with the Calgary Hitmen. The two traded punches early in the third period in a game on April 2, 2000.
- The Young Stars Classic begins today down at the South Okanagan Events Centre. The Vancouver Canucks rookies will face the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. The Jets have two players with connections with the Kelowna Rockets. Carson Golder and Mark Liwiski will suit for the Manitoba based team. Both are free-agents. The Calgary Flames will have a Kelowna connection in their lineup. Hunter Laing, the son of Kelowna Rockets AC Quintin Laing will be there. Hunter was the Flames 6th round pick in June’s draft.
- A high-five to rookie forward Owen Folstrom for having the best time during the Kelowna Rockets 5 k run Monday at the Apple Bowl. Split into two groups, veteran d-man Marek Rocak lead the second pack across the finish line.
- Did you know the Rockets open the road portion of their schedule with six straight games in the U.S Division? Now you do!
- At 1,318 words, it is time to close the barn doors shut. Remember the Rockets host the Vancouver Giants in their final pre-season game Saturday night at Prospera Place at 6:05 pm. Our first broadcast on 104-7 The Lizard is September 21st when the team opens the new season against the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
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