Callahan/Rockets Rolling Along
Kelowna Rockets forward Mitchell Callahan had an amazing week last week and it was capped off when he was named the WHL Player of the Week.
Kelownarockets.com reporter Kevin Parnell caught up with one of the Rockets California kids to get his reaction to the honour and the way things are going for the Rockets.
Kevin Parnell: What do you think about being named the WHL’s player of the week?
Mitchell Callahan: It’s a good honour. There has been a lot of great names that have won that award. It’s kind of special to win it but at the same time I had a lot of help from my teamates.
KP: You’ve been playing with Shane McColgan and Zach Franko. What do you like about your linemates?
MC: They’re both really skilled forwards and I’m more known as a grinder. I just go down low, get the puck in the greasy areas and get it to them so they can make some plays.
KP: You had quite the hot hand last week with back to back four point nights. Do you remember ever having such a hot streak?
MC: Maybe when I was playing youth hockey back home in California but I haven’t had anything like this in really high competitive hockey. It’s kind of special and I think it’s a first for me. Hopefully it can continue.
KP: You seem to be scoring a lot of goals from in close to the net. What do your teammates think of that?
MC: It’s funny. All the guys are teasing me calling me one-spot wonder. It seems all my goals are coming from that one spot. The guys are giving me a hard time but it’s all in good fun. If the puck is there I’ll go there.
KP: What do you think has been the change from earlier in the year when the team struggled to last week when you guys won four games in a row.
MC: Earlier in the year when we were strugling there were a few games where we definitely didn’t play well but it just seemed like the bounces weren’t going our way. But we stuck with the program and our special teams have really come around. We’ve stuck with it and now we have four lines that are doing their jobs.
KP: You’ve come a long ways since making the Rockets as a walk-on from California to getting drafted (Detroit) and now being named player of the week. How have you done it?
MC: I think it mostly has to do with my work ethic. I’ve always been known as a hard working guy. I think now I’m believing in myself. When I did play in California I was a skilled guy but when I came up here I wasn’t good enough to be a skilled guy. But I kept working and I think my hard work has paid off.
