Courier: Team Names Leadership Group
By Doyle Potenteau – Kelowna Daily Courier
The Kelowna Rockets named their captain and assistant captains on Thursday. Not surprisingly, Tyson Barrie will be this season‘s leader.
The slick defenceman led the Rockets in scoring last season, and he should challenge for a roster spot with Canada at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., this winter. Last season, his third with Kelowna, Barrie recorded 19 goals and 53 assists for 72 points in 63 games. In 202 regular-season games, Barrie has averaged more than a point per game, tallying 40 goals and 170 assists for 210 points.
“It was surprising, but it was also something that I‘d hoped for coming into the year,” Barrie said on being named captain. “It‘s a huge honour and it‘s kind of humbling to see the great leaders they‘ve had here throughout the years.”
“This is Tyson‘s fourth year for us, and, every year, he‘s been a guy who plays to win each and every night,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska. “I think he has a lot of respect in the dressing room and the same amount of respect in the coaches‘ office. He was a natural choice for us.”
The 5-foot-10 Victoria product also finished tied for first in league scoring for defencemen with Kevin Connauton of the Vancouver Giants despite being a year younger and playing in six less games.
Barrie was selected in the third round, 64th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL‘s 2009 draft.
He also potted the game-winning goal, in overtime, in Game 6 of the WHL‘s 2009 championship series against the Calgary Hitmen that won the Rockets the Ed Chynoweth trophy.
Kelowna‘s assistant captains will be defencemen Colton Jobke, who signed an entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, and Kevin Smith, 19, plus over-age forward Evan Bloodoff.
Jobke, 18, who wasn‘t picked in the NHL‘s draft this past summer and attended Minnesota‘s camp as a free agent, had eight assists in 69 games last season. Smith, a North Vancouver product, was acquired by the Rockets in a trade with the Moose Jaw Warriors earlier this summer, and the 6-foot-1 rearguard is entering his fourth WHL campaign. Bloodoff, who turns 20 on Nov. 21, is entering his fifth and final season of junior eligibility. Phoenix selected the fast left-handed shot in the sixth round, 157th overall, of the 2009 NHL draft.
“Evan, Colton and Kevin are guys who have shown that they have great leadership qualities,” said Huska. “They are going to do a good job of supporting Tyson, and we‘re very comfortable with the four guys who‘ll be leading our hockey team.”
The WHL‘s 2010-11 season starts tonight with eight games on tap, though the Rockets don‘t begin their campaign until Saturday night, when the Prince George Cougars roll into Prospera Place. Game time is 7 p.m., and it‘s not known yet if Barrie will be available for the game. He suffered a slight hamstring tear during training-camp action on Thursday, Sept. 2, and was projected to be out of action for three to six weeks. The injury was severe enough that he missed Colorado‘s training camp this month, something he was looking forward to.
“We‘re not sure yet,” Barrie said on playing against Prince George. “I‘m going to skate again (today) and we‘re going to take it day-by-day and see how I feel after the skate.”
The undisputed leader of Kelowna‘s defence, Barrie will be the Rockets‘ 10th captain since 2000. The others since the turn of the decade were Gavin McLeod (2000-01), Ryan Cuthbert (2001-03), Josh Gorges (03-04), Brett Palin (04-05), Tyler Spurgeon (05-06), Chris Ray (06-07), James McEwan (07-08), Colin Long (08-09), and, last season, Lucas Bloodoff.
“I know everyone says it, but it goes by so quick,” said Barrie, who began his WHL career in 2006-07, when he was called up from midget.
Barrie played seven games that season, two more than the maximum of five due to an injury-plagued Rockets roster at the time. In those seven games, he recorded three assists.
“Our team, this season, we‘re way ahead of where we were at this time last season,” Barrie said. “We‘ve made some good additions and our young guys are stepping up and maturing quite quickly. So I think we‘re going to have a really good team this season, and I hope that we can get it together early on.”
With most pundits predicting a tight Western Conference this season, a quick start will help the Rockets in the long run, for points will be valuable.
In 2005-06, for example, Kelowna placed second in B.C. Division standings with 96 points, four less than the first-place Vancouver Giants (100). Come playoff time, the Giants had a cakewalk in its first two rounds, playing Prince George (76), then Portland (67). Kelowna, meanwhile, had to play Kootenay (94), then Everett (85), which eliminated the Rockets in six games.
“This will probably be one of the tighter divisions and conferences we‘ve seen in a few years,” said Barrie. “And we have to look forward to it because a couple of good rivalries will be back in action.
“You have to be excited to play every night, especially with division and conference games meaning a lot. I think it‘s going to be a competitive conference, and every game at the start is going to be just as important as the ones near the end.”
After Saturday‘s opener, the Rockets will host Tri-City next Wednesday.
