GAME DAY: Rockets/Raiders On Teddy Bear Night
Rockets vs. Raiders
Saturday December 6, 2014
Game Time ‑ 7:05 pm
Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play game four of a four game home stand tonight against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. This is the one and only meeting of the season. These two teams’ met once last season with the Rockets earning a 5-3 win in Prince Albert. Jordon Cooke made 28 saves in the victory including a pair of penalty shots. In the Raiders last visit to Kelowna, January 26/2013, the Rockets earned a 6-2 win. Cody Fowlie scored twice in the four goal victory. The Rockets are coming off a 4-3 loss last night to the Prince George Cougars. Nick Merkley, Rourke Chartier and Justin Kirkland scored in the teams’ 4th regulation loss of the season. Ty Edmonds was terrific in goal making 37 saves. The Rockets were 1 for 8 on the power play. Overall, the Rockets have a record of 3-3-2-0 in their last eight games. Following this game the Rockets concluded the pre-Christmas schedule with five straight games on the road. They include dates in Lethbridge (Dec 10), Medicine Hat (Dec 12), Calgary (Dec 14), Edmonton (Dec 16) and Red Deer (Dec 17).
First to 30: Rourke Chartier became the first Kelowna Rockets player to reach 30 goals in under 30 games. Chartier has 31 goals in 28 games after scoring twice on Wednesday. That breaks the old mark of the quickest player to 30 goals, set by Brett McLean, who scored 30 goals in 30 games in the 1997-98 season. Here are other Rockets players to reach 30 goals in a short period of time.
1) Rourke Chartier: 30 goals in 28 games (2014-2015).
2) Brett McLean: 30 goals in 30 games (1997-98).
3) Jamie Benn: 30 goals in 36 games (2008-2009).
4) Jason Deleurme: 30 goals in 36 games (1997-98).
5) Chuck Kobasew: 30 goals in 39 games (2001-2002).
The Saskatoon Sniper: Rourke Chartier had 18+10=28 in the month of November. In 14 games, Chartier scored a goal in 12 of them. The 18 year-old had points in 13 of those 14 games. Chartier had 9 multiple point games in the month. Chartier had 6-3 point games and three-two point games. By comparison, last seasons’ WHL scoring champion Mitch Holmberg had 12+14=26 in November. The only player to record more points over the last five seasons in the month of November is Portland’s Brendan Leipsic. Leipsic had 9+21=30 in November 2012.
Walking wounded:
Tanner Wishnowski: missed 30 games Mitch Wheaton: missed 26 games
Dillon Dube: missed 25 games Dalton Yorke: missed 13 games
Austin Glover: missed 12 games Joe Gatenby: missed 7 games
Justin Kirkland: missed 6 games Jake Morrissey: missed 6 games.
Jesse Lees: missed 3 games Cole Martin: missed 1 game
Total # of games = 130 man games lost to injury. (Unofficial)
World Junior Bound: Congratulations Madison Bowey and Rourke Chartier for being two of 29 players named to Team Canada’s training camp roster for the WJHC. Kelowna Rockets forward Kris Schmidli will participate in the upcoming World Junior’s with Switzerland. Rockets majority owner Bruce Hamilton is a member of Team Canada’s management team.
Bowey on the Blueline: Madison Bowey is 6th all time in Kelowna Rockets d-scoring with 145 career points. Bowey has 49 career goals and 96 career assists = 145 points. Here are the franchise leaders:
1)Tyson Barrie: 228 4)Josh Gorges:152
2)Burt Henderson:186 5) Mike Card:147
3)Damon Severson:167 6) Madison Bowey:145
This and That: This game marks the return of Marc Habscheid to Prospera Place. Habscheid guided the Rockets to a WHL title in 2002-2003 and a Memorial Cup crown in 2004. Habscheid was hired by the Raiders as coach on November 4th after previous stops in Kamloops, Kelowna and Chilliwack/Victoria…..Raiders defenceman Josh Morrissey is the older brother of Kelowna Rockets rookie goaltender Jake Morrissey….The Rockets traded 20 year-old Colton Heffley to the PA Raiders on Tuesday for a 4th round bantam pick…Rourke Chartier was named the WHL Player of the month for November…Nick Merkley is rated 22nd by the International Scouting Service for this June’s NHL draft….The Rockets have been held to three goals or less only 7 times this season….Nick Merkley has 16 multiple point games….Rourke Chartier has been held off the score-sheet four times this season…In case you are wondering, the Rockets have not been shut-out in 106 consecutive games. The last time the Rockets were held without a goal was March 3, 2013 in a 3-0 loss in Kamloops…Tyrell Goulbourne hit the 100 point plateau for his career with a goal Wednesday night…The Rockets are rated 2nd in the CHL Top 10 rankings this week for a second consecutive week.
Who’s Hot: Jesse Lees has points in 8 of his last 11 games. Lees has 4+9=13 over that period…Tyson Baillie has six goals in his last 10 games and has points in 8 of his last 13…Over that period, the 19 year-old has (8+6=14)…Rourke Chartier has eight more goals (32) than he had all of last season. Chartier has goals in 16 of his last 18 games….Nick Merkley has 6+19=25 in his last 15 games…Madison Bowey has been held off the score-sheet 9 times this season. Bowey has 93 points in his last 99 regular season games.
