Regan’s Notes: Hitmen at Rockets

TEAM NOTES PREPARED BY REGAN BARTEL OF AM 1150

• Tonight’s Preview: Happy BC Family Day! Captain Nolan Foote will be a game-time decision. The Rockets are playing the fifth and final game of a five-game homestand. The Calgary Hitmen make their lone appearance at Prospera Place this season. These two teams met once last season, in Calgary, in a 5-1 loss. Kyle Crosbie, now with the Moose Jaw Warriors, had the lone goal. James Porter, now with the Spokane Chiefs, made 27 saves in the loss. The Hitmen’s last stop in Kelowna was October 13, 2017, in a 4-3 win. Kyle Topping had 1+2=3 in the setback. The team is coming off a 3-2 loss to the Red Deer Rebels Saturday night. Pavel Novak (20^th) and Kaedan Korczak (10^th) scored in the teams’ 53^rd game of the season. The Rockets are 1-3-0-0 on the homestand, having been out-scored 17-15. The Rockets open a four-game road trip this Friday and Saturday night in Victoria before visiting the Prince George Cougars for back-to-back games next Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Who’s Hot: Pavel Novak has 3+8=11 in his last 6 games…Matthew Wedman has 6+10=16 in his last 13 games…Kyle Topping has 4+4=8 in his last 6 games…Kaedan Korczak has 2+4=6 in his last 6 games.

• Broadcasters Notebook: Jonas Peteruk plays against his old team. Peteruk was the Hitmen’s 1^st round pick in the 2019 CHL Import Draft. With the Rockets, the Czech product has 4+3=7 in 13 games after putting up 8+8=16 in 32 games with the Hitmen before being traded for a 5^th round bantam pick…The Rockets have surrendered the opening goal in seven straight games….The Rockets are 1-2-0-1 in four games against teams in the Central Division. That one win came against the Swift Current Broncos (3-2 OTW October 16, 2019).….Matthew Wedman played in his 300^th career game Saturday night….Tyson Feist and Dallon Wilton played in their 100^th games Saturday night as well ….With 15 games left in the regular season, 8 are on home ice with only 7 on the road. Those road stops include two in Victoria, two in Prince George and singles in Everett, Kamloops and Vancouver…After returning for one game after playing for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, Nolan Foote has missed 13 straight games with an injury. The Rockets are 9 and 17 in 26 games without him this season.…..The Rockets are 9-8-0-0 against teams in the US Division….The Rockets are now 19-5-0-0 when scoring the games first goal…The Rockets have played in 27-1 goal games this season…The Rockets are 10-14-1-1 against teams in the BC Division…The Rockets were 5-5-0-0 in December and 4-9-0-0 in January.