Game Notes: Thunderbirds at Rockets
| Kelowna Rockets vs Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Date | Time | Fri., Jan. 24, 2020, | 7:00 p.m. |
| Tickets | Select Your Tickets |
| Video Stream | WHL Live |
| Radio | AM 1150, pregame at 6:30 pm |
| Live Stats | WHL Box Score |
| Live Updates | @Kelowna_Rockets Twitter |
| Next Game | Sat., Jan. 25 at VAN – 7:0o p.m. |
TEAM NOTES PREPARED BY REGAN BARTEL OF AM 1150
Tonight’s Preview: For the third time this month, the Rockets play three games in three nights. The Seattle Thunderbirds provide the opposition for the third of four times this season. The Rockets are 2-0-0-0 in the seasonal series after 8-3 and 3-2 wins. The T-Birds make one more visit to Prospera Place on March 6th. Dillon Hamaliuk leads all Rockets with 3+1=4 in the two games while Nolan Foote (2+2=4) and Kyle Topping (0+4=4) have four points in the opening two games. The Rockets have lost a season-high six straight games and are coming off a 3-2 loss in Portland last Sunday. In the last six games, the Rockets have been out-scored 25-7. Following tonight’s game, the Rockets are in Vancouver (Langley) tomorrow night before welcoming the Giants to Prospera Place for a rare Sunday game (5:05 pm). The Rockets enter the weekend 18 points back of first place Kamloops in the BC Division and 8 points behind Victoria for second place.
| Kelowna Rockets (21-20-1-2 – 45 points)
3rd in B.C. Division | 5th in Western Conference Power Play: 33/192 – 17.2% (16th in WHL) Penalty Kill: 159/197 – 80.7% (8th in WHL) Last Ten: 3-7-0-0 Streak: 0-6-0-0 GF: 118 GA: 136 PIM: 642 |
Seattle Thunderbirds (18-22-2-1 – 39 points)
4th in U.S. Division | 7th in Western Conference Power Play: 33/192 – 17.2% (20th in WHL) Penalty Kill: 153/200 – 76.5% (T16th in WHL) Last Ten: 5-5-0-0 Streak: 0-2-0-0 GF: 122 GA: 164 PIM: 637 |
Brug’s Returns: Thunderbirds captain Conner Bruggen-Cate returns to Kelowna for the first time since being traded by the Rockets back in May in the Hamaliuk, Lee and Schwebius deal. Bruggen-Cate was the Rockets 6th round bantam pick in 2014. The Langley resident played exactly 200 regular-season games with the Rockets, scoring 26 goals and collecting 72 points. Bruggen-Cate was named the T-Birds captain last Wednesday.
Broadcasters Notebook: Kaedan Korczak returns to the lineup tonight after serving a three-game suspension…Liam Kindree has been sidelined for an extended period of time after a hit against Kamloops which required surgery on his broken collarbone …. The Rockets were 5-7-0-0 while Nolan Foote was at the World Junior Hockey Championships …The Rockets have played in 23-1 goal games this season, the most in the WHL…The Rockets are 9-13-1-1 against teams in the BC Division…The Rockets are 4 and 1 in overtime with game-winning goals coming from Dillon Hamaliuk, Nolan Foote, Kaedan Korczak and Liam Kindree….Head Coach Adam Foote is closing in on a milestone. Foote will coach in his 100th game January 26th, at home, vs. Vancouver.
