Three Rockets alumni hit 1,000 game plateau in the National Hockey League
In the early parts of the 2024-25 National Hockey League season, three former Kelowna Rockets have had the distinction of playing 1,000 games in the National Hockey League as Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers and Mikael Backlund have all reached the accomplishment.
Backlund is the most recent member of the club, as he will suit up for his milestone game tonight against the Utah Hockey Club. Backlund has spent his entire 17-year NHL career for the Flames, scoring 202 goals and adding 536 points while becoming one of the best defensive centermen in the league. Last season he was also named the Flames captain, a title he continues to holds. Backlund spent the 2009 season with Kelowna, appearing in 29 regular season games where he put up 30 points as well as 18 playoff games, where he potted 13 goals and 23 points.
Myers played in his 1,000th game on October 19th when the Vancouver Canucks took on the Philadelphia Flyers. Myers registered an assist in a 3-0 Canucks victory. The former first round pick was in Kelowna for three seasons and was a pillar on the Rockets backend, playing in 191 games as well as 37 playoff games. He posted 76 career points to go along with 280 penalty minutes, punishing the oppositions top players on a nightly occurrence. Myers is currently suiting up for the Canucks but also spent time with the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets and has garnered over 300 points and close to 800 penalty minutes.
Schenn was the first of the bunch, suiting up for game 1,000 on October 17th against the Edmonton Oilers. He spent four seasons with the Rockets from 2005 to 2008 where he played in 208 total games including both regular season and playoffs. His best with Kelowna came in his final year of junior, suiting up in 57 regular season games scoring seven goals and finishing with 28 points and 100 penalty minutes. He also chipped in with four points in seven playoff games. Schenn has won two Stanley Cups, both with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks and now is guarding the blue line with the Nashville Predators. The defensive defenceman has 199 points in his NHL career.
Adding to their impressive resumes, each of the trio of former Rockets have medals from the World Junior Hockey Championship. Schenn and Myers won gold with Canada in 2008 and 2009 respectively and Backlund won silver with Sweden in 2009. Myers and Backlund were also part of the Rockets team that won the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as Western Hockey League champions.
Rockets President and General Manager Bruce Hamilton said he’s proud of the trio for what they’ve accomplished both in Kelowna and at the professional level.
“It’s a really exciting achievement from my perspective,” Hamilton said. “With Luke and Tyler hitting their 1000 game marks, these two guys live here year round. They came and played in Kelowna and made Kelowna home, both are married to Kelowna girls and started their families here. So it’s great to see them get recognized. Both of them are very, very good players. They both had World Junior experience, and of course Luke’s got the Stanley Cups. Tyler’s certainly working to get his opportunity, but I’m thrilled for them.”
“Then Mikael Backlund was a real special player for us. We convinced him to come here from the World Juniors and then he became an integral part of our team moving forward that particular season where we ended up in a Memorial Cup and he was a big part of it. I’m thrilled for all three of them.”
“To play a thousand games in the NHL is no easy task. One, you’ve got to stay healthy and two, you’ve got to be good enough to hang around that long. To the credit of all three of them, they’ve done that. Backlund is the captain of the Flames, Tyler was a leader in Kelowna, he’s a leader in Vancouver and then Luke of course has been a leader everywhere he’s been. So it’s just a great achievement and more than anything, we congratulate them all for a great career so far.”