Rockets take 3-0 series lead

Rockets survive wild west shootout, take 3-0 lead

By Jason Peters

The Prince George Citizen

With their captain and best player watching from the seats, the Prince George Cougars had no trouble scoring enough goals to win. The problem is, they didn’t. Now, they are facing playoff elimination at the hands of the Kelowna Rockets.

On Tuesday night, in front of 2,475 fans at the CN Centre, the Rockets scored a trio of third-period goals and beat the Cougars 7-6. With the win, the Rockets took a 3-0 lead in the WHL Western Conference quarter-final series, and they can wrap up the first-round, best-of-seven series with a victory in Game 4 tonight. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Cougars played without 46-goal-man Brett Connolly, who has a separated right shoulder and is all but certain to miss tonight’s game as well.

In the pivotal third period, the Rockets erased a 5-4 Cougars lead on goals by Prince George product Brett Bulmer, Shane McColgan and Cody Chikie. Martin Marincin got one back for the Cougars while they had goaltender Ty Rimmer pulled for the extra attacker, but, despite a couple of chances in the last five seconds, they got no closer.

Through the first three games of the series, the Rockets have outscored the Cougars 10-1 in third periods. The Rockets led 3-2 after the first and the Cats were up by that 5-4 count after the second.

The Cougars scored three consecutive goals in the middle frame — two of them on power plays — before the Rockets answered back to pull themselves into a one-goal deficit heading to the third period.

Taylor Stefishen got the Cats into a 3-3 tie when — on a 5-on-3 power play — he picked up the puck at the left side of the Kelowna net and went high on goaltender Adam Brown. Stefishen was the beneficiary of a point shot by Sena Acolatse, a shot on which Acolatse didn’t get full wood.

Later, moments after Rimmer had robbed Andreas Stene and Tyson Barrie on point-blank chances, Acolatse gave the Cats their first lead of the night when his centering feed went in off Kelowna blue-liner Zak Stebner.

The Cougars moved into a 5-3 advantage when Taylor Stefishen fought his way to the rebound of a power-play blast by Acolatse and chipped the puck home from in close.

Before the middle period was done, Barrie found Mitchell Callahan with a beautiful stretch pass and Callahan scored when he cut to his left and Rimmer fell trying to move across with him.

In the first frame, the two teams combined for five goals. Colton Heffley made it 1-0 for Kelowna at 2:16, with Spencer Asuchak replying for P.G. at 8:27, then Zach Franko for the Rockets at 10:46. Charles Inglis levelled the score at 2-2 at 13:58, with Spencer Main giving the Rockets a 3-2 lead at 17:45.

The Cougars outshot the Rockets 41-29.

T-Birds searching for new coach

KENT, Wash. (CP) — The Seattle Thunderbirds are looking for a new coach.

The Western Hockey League team announced Tuesday it won’t be renewing the contract of head coach Rob Sumner for the 2011-’12 season. The Thunderbirds finished tied with Kamloops for last in the Western Conference with a 27-35-10 record this season.

“Rob has contributed a great deal to our organization during his time here and we would like to thank him for his years of service with the Thunderbirds,” GM Russ Farwell said in a statement. “He was a dedicated and loyal member of our team for 15 years and we appreciate his efforts to help the Thunderbirds grow as an organization.”

Sumner had been Seattle’s head coach since the start of the 2004-’05 season and joined the staff in 1996 as an assistant coach.

Rockets rally, beat Cougars 7-4

Adam Brown took one for the team on Saturday night, a slapshot to the head. That save, stinging as it was, helped turn a lost cause for Kelowna into a winning one.

Shane McColgan had a three-point night for Kelowna, all of them assists, as the Rockets roared back from a two-goal deficit with five unanswered markers to post a 7-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars in WHL playoff action on Saturday night. Yet, it could have easily been Prince George winning had Sena Acolatse's point-blank slapshot not hit Brown.

The Cougars were up 4-3 early in the third period, Kelowna had just begun pressing its attack and the game entered a pivotal point. Had Acolatse scored, the Rockets’ comeback would have likely never happened. But Brown used his noggin, the Rockets rallied, and now they lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. The first round series resumes Tuesday and Wednesday in Prince George with Games 3 and 4.

“I got my bell rung a little bit,” said Brown, who finished with 26 saves, including a highlight-reel deflection with his goalstick shortly after stopping Acolatse. “But it’s something you have to battle through.”

“Even if (Acolatse) did score, we were going to battle back like it was a 0-0 game,” said McColgan. “But luckily he didn’t score and we did battle back and we got a big win tonight.”

“I think I hit him square in the forehead,” said Acolatse, who owns a fearsome shot. “It was a good save by him. I put everything into it.”

“It hits him in the head and it doesn’t go our way. We had some good pressure in the third period,” said Cougars head coach Dean Clark, whose team was without its top forward, Brett Connolly, who is out with a suspected shoulder injury. The Cougars wouldn’t say what kept Connolly out of their lineup, but he wore his arm in a sling on Saturday.

Colton Sissons, Zak Stebner, Tyson Barrie, Cody Chikie, Jessey Astles, Kevin Smith and Geordie Wudrick scored for Kelowna, which trailed 1-0 and 4-3 at the period breaks. Of their five unanswered goals, four were in the final period. The first-round series resumes in Prince George with Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Acolatse, James Dobrowolski, Wilson Dumais and Jaroslav Vlach replied for Prince George, which held a 4-2 lead late in the second period. Acolatse also recorded two assists. Ty Rimmer made 25 saves for the Cougars.

Asked about Connolly, Clark said “he’s day to day. Obviously, we have a couple of days before the next game, so we’ll see if he’s ready or not for the next game.”

Even with Connolly in the lineup, the Cougars still likely wouldn’t have stopped Kelowna’s third-period comeback, a frame which saw the home team score four times. Asked what coach Ryan Huska said to his troops during the second intermission, McColgan said not much.

“Coach came in and he said ‘Do I have to say anything?’ And we said ‘no, we know what to do.’ So we knew what we needed to do; we just weren’t executing” said McColgan. “Then we started executing and we got a big win.”

Huska said he said “not much, to be honest with you. We asked them not to be so perimeter, staying to the outside in the offensive zone. Other than that, I thought it was our leaders in the dressing room who did a good job of making sure we were ready to go.”

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were D Mitchell Chapman, LW Evan Bloodoff (2nd game of 4-game suspension), RW Jason Siebert (wrist), C Max Adolph (head) and D Madison Bowey. Prince George’s scratches were RW Brett Connolly (undisclosed injury), RW Caleb Belter, D Shane Pilling and C Tayler Thompson.

Ryan Huska remembers Tyson Barrie’s first game with Kelowna like it was yesterday. Thing is, yesterday was four long years ago.

Now, Barrie is on borrowed Kelowna time after signing an entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche this week. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the signing is a signal that Kelowna’s top defenceman won’t be back for a fifth-and-final season.

“He came in here all offence, run-and-gun and not a care in the world about his own zone,” Huska recalled of Barrie’s first appearance in Kelowna colours. That was on Jan. 6, 2007, at Prospera Place, against Chilliwack. Barrie was a fresh-faced 15-year-old midget call-up at the time, while Huska was still an assistant coach before getting promoted to head coach.

Kelowna won 4-3, and Barrie, well, he showed a lot of promise despite a nervous start. On his first shift, he missed a clearing attempt along the right boards. But, several shifts later, he picked his spots in making passes and showcasing his offensive flair.

“I was so nervous at the beginning,” Barrie said at the time. “It’s certainly faster than midget, but I think I can play with them, given a couple more months. I played a little more than I thought I would.

“Right now, I’m trying to play a little more defensively and not give up any chances, but I like to get in there when I can. Hopefully I have a better first shift (in my next game) against Kamloops, but I’m sure I won’t be quite as nervous.”

Then Rockets forward Colin Long gave this assessment of Barrie: “He was a little nervous, but anybody would be nervous coming into a division game. He looked good and a couple of times, he looked really composed. I think he’s going to be a key guy for us in the future.”

Four seasons later, Barrie proved that, yes, he can play in this league, averaging almost a point a game. In 256 regular-season games, the Victoria product recorded 51 goals, 228 points and 130 penalty minutes.

“Over the course of the last four seasons, he’s turned himself into a very good all-around defenceman,” said Huska. “And I think that’s one of the things that when he looks back at his junior career, he should be most proud of that because he’s done a great job in that area.”

The Avalanche, who selected Barrie in the third round, 64th overall of the NHL’s 2009 draft, agreed with Huska’s assessment. 

“Tyson has had an accomplished junior career,” Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman said in a press release. “We are adding another young defenceman to the organization, and we look forward to him beginning his pro career.”

Barrie, meanwhile, says signing the contract “was a relief. It’s something I’ve been working towards for a while, so it’s nice, but it’s also kinda just the beginning.”

Last week, Barrie, 19, was named the Western Conference finalist for the WHL’s defenceman of the year award, which he won last season. Barrie also led all Kelowna defencemen in scoring with 58 points (11 goals and 47 assists) and was sixth among all WHL blue-liners — this, despite playing in just 54 games and missing time while playing for Canada at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo.

Barrie said contract talk sprung up about two weeks ago, when Colorado “approached my agent about negotiations and stuff. I didn’t know how long it was going to take, but we reached a deal, and it’s nice to get that behind me.”

Asked if it feels surreal knowing his days with Kelowna are coming to an end, Barrie said “I’ve had an unbelievable experience here in Kelowna. I’m looking forward to this last kick at the can.”

“Well, we knew that even if there was a contract in his pocket or not,” said Huska. “This is going to be it for Tyson, and I know he wants to go out on a good note.”

March edition

Well, it took longer than expected, but the March edition of DubNation is now available for download.
To visit the site, click on the magazine photo to the left.
Actually, it was available on Friday, but these called life and a full-time job keep on getting in the way.
As usual, a big hand goes out to Gregg Drinnan in Kamloops for his valuable help. And kudos to my fellow WHL beat scribes — Larry Fisher, Greg Meachem, Annie Fowler and Corey Wolfe — plus radio callers Cam Moon and Bruce Luebke for allowing me to use some of their material.
Your help is much appreciated.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the read, and if you have any comments on ideas or how to make it better, please share them. I'm all eyes and ears.


— Doyle

Cautious Start for Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets got off to a hot start on Friday night. Brett Connolly, meanwhile, it seems is under ice.

Adam Brown made 24 saves for Kelowna, and Mitchell Callahan scored twice in a cautious, mistake-filled game, as the Rockets beat the Prince George Cougars 4-1 in WHL playoff action at Prospera Place. The best-of-seven, first-round series, which the Rockets lead 1-0, resumes tonight in Kelowna with Game 2 at 7 p.m.

Whether it’ll be a repeat of last night’s error-prone game is anyone’s guess. Whether Connolly returns is also unknown, for Prince George’s top forward and captain left the game in the first period after suffering an undisclosed, but likely shoulder or arm, injury.

“I’m not sure what the extent of (the injury) is, but we’ll find out later tonight or tomorrow,” said Cougars head coach Dean Clark, who didn’t disclose what sidelined Connolly.

For Kelowna, overcoming its tentative start and scoring three times in the third period overshadowed Prince George’s double loss — the game and Connolly.

“There were some nerves, and I think it was probably both ways, but I was OK with it,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska, whose team led 1-0 late in the first period and 2-1 early in the third before reeling off two more goals. “Our guys found a way to stick with it in a tight game. When they scored their goal to tie the game up, we didn’t sag; I thought we were OK after that. We found a way to score that next goal.”

Asked about Connolly, Huska said “you can’t assume he won’t be in the lineup tomorrow. I think you have to assume he’ll be playing. It’s this time of the year where we’re not going to get any information on that. But we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Geordie Wudrick and Damon Severson, with a slapshot off a clearing attempt that decided the game midway through in the third period, also scored for Kelowna. Callahan opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first, then closed it with an empty-net marker with 1:41 remaining in the game.

Ty Rimmer made 26 saves and Charles Inglis scored for Prince George in its first playoff game since 2009.

While there were plenty of nervous mistakes made in Game 1, the Cougars seemed extra skittish, as witnessed by three delay-of-game penalties for clearing the puck over the glass while in the defensive zone.

“Because it was our first playoff game as a group, we did some things that . . . I can’t remember the last time we put the puck over the glass, let alone three times,” Clark said. “So that led to the first goal, and the second one (our guy) passed it right to him.
“But it was one of those games where, after two periods with all the things that we did, we were right there. But we didn’t do enough good things from the start of the game to sustain good things.”

Clark added that Kelowna’s playoff experience “was a factor in the outcome, just for the fact that they had a better idea of what it was going to take (to win).”

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were C Gal Koren, Evan Bloodoff (1st game of 4-game suspension), RW Jason Siebert (wrist, 1 week) and C Max Adolph (head, 1-2 weeks). Prince George’s scratches were RW Caleb Belter, D Shane Pilling, C Tayler Thompson and C Alex Forsberg.

All things being equal....

Of all the things this series could be between the Kelowna Rockets and Prince George Cougars, I’d side with it being low scoring.

Then again, you’re reading an opinion from a guy who picked Everett to beat Kelowna in the first round of last year’s playoffs, and, well, the Rockets didn’t do me any favours by upsetting the Silvertips in seven games. And, that, valued reader, is why predictions are so loved: No one knows what’s going to happen, and everybody has their own two cents’ worth.

So much so that in some cases, teams have been known to use newspaper clippings posted inside the locker-room as an aide, especially if a team feels its been wronged. Frankly, I’ve never understood that theory, because if you need a newspaper article to get you fired up, especially for the playoffs, you’ve got deeper, more pressing issues that need solving.

For Prince George, trying to solve Rockets defenceman and captain Tyson Barrie will be one of the Cougars’ biggest challenges. In the nine-game, regular-season series between the Rockets and Cougars, Barrie led all scorers with 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists). And with this being his last playoff run with Kelowna — all signs are pointing that the smooth-skating Victoria produce will graduate early from junior hockey to a professional career, much like former Rocket blue-liners Shea Weber, Josh Gorges, Tyler Myers and Luke Schenn — Barrie says he’s especially looking forward this post-season.

“Big time, big time,” he said looking forward to the playoffs. “It’d be nice to go deep and be the leader of a team that went deep into the playoffs. That’s something that would be pretty cool.”

One way Prince George could counter Barrie is matching him up with forward Brett Connolly. Normally, opposing players give Barrie healthy space when he’s quarterbacking plays from the blue-line. Connolly, however, was one of the few who consistently challenged Barrie.

Apart from that one should-be-fun-to-watch battle, there’s little stats-wise to choose between the Rockets and Cougars. Most of their regular-season stats are even, including their average playoff roster height and weight. The Rockets come in at a hair over six feet at 72.19 inches and 181.34 pounds, with an average age of 17.80. Prince George comes in at just over six feet (72.29 inches), 188.25 pounds and 17.87 years old.

So, if anything can be read in these tea leaves, it’s that they’re equally matched, which usually leads to low-scoring games. Unless, of course, Kelowna’s up-then-down power play starts lighting it up.

“How our power play goes will probably dictate how the series goes,” said Huska. “If our power play isn’t clicking well, they’ll probably be more physical with us. But if our power play is working well, it kinda forces you to change the way you’re playing.

“We need our power play to be big for us, and it has to be consistent in generating momentum. Not necessarily scoring all the time — it has to generate positive momentum.”

Curiously, it’ll be interesting to see how Kelowna plays at home, as the pressure is squarely on the Rockets to hold home-court serve. But when dissecting the Rockets’ win-loss tally, it’s odd to see a team with a better road record (22-14-0-0) than a home record (21-14-0-1). Digging deeper, Kelowna was just three-for-six during home games in March, losing their last two.

“At home, you always want to play your best game, and I don’t know why we haven’t reversed it,” Rockets head coach Ryan Huska said following Kelowna’s regular-season ending 4-3 loss to Vancouver last Saturday. “It seems at home, at least over the last little while, we have a tendency to try and do way too much on our own. We don’t move pucks, we want to skate through people and it causes problems, and that’s when the frustration creeps in.

“So we have to get back to playing the way we do on the road, and that’s simple, smart hockey.”

If they can do that, the Rockets stand a good chance of advancing to the second round. Kelowna has won its last seven straight away games, though the Rockets were swept the last time they visited Prince George, losing 4-0 and 3-0 on Feb. 4-5. But of the 11 games after that, Kelowna rolled to a 9-1-0-1 mark.

“It’s OK,” Huska said of Kelowna’s road record. “It gives you that sense of we can win where ever we are. I think we’re fortunate to be able to start at home, and we want to get off to a good start. Once we get up to Prince George, hopefully we have a bit of a lead that we can build on.”

Rockets vs. Cougars: Close statistics

Ready for playoff hockey? Maybe some old-school, hard-hitting hockey? The Kelowna Rockets and Prince George Cougars certainly are.

With the WHL’s second season almost here, junior-hockey fans in Kelowna and Prince George should be in for a treat of a series between the two B.C. Division rivals. Both teams have smart head coaches, good depth, a star player and a big will to win. All in all, it adds up to must-see hockey.

But best of all, if there’s anything this best-of-seven affair has the potential to be, it’s tough, hard-hitting playoff hockey. In fact, both teams have gone on record predicting it’ll be a physical affair, and, when that happens, you know both sides will certainly be backing up their words.

Earlier in the week, Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton said playing Prince George “is going to be a real battle, and it’s going to be real physical series for sure.”

Without knowledge of Hamilton’s comments, several Rockets agreed that, yes, this series should certainly lead to a lot of aches and pains.

“This is going to be a tough series; it’s going to be physical and they have a physical defence,” said Rockets forward Shane McColgan, who led his team in scoring this past season with 21 goals and 66 points in 67 games. “We’re going to have to play hard and match their intensity.”

“I think this is going to be a really hard-fought series,” added goaltender Adam Brown, who, like his Prince George counterpart, will see a significant increase in goalmouth activity. “They like to try to push teams around, but we can push back as well and do the same things to them.”

“Prince George has some star power and they have a real solid defence,” said Rockets captain and top defenceman Tyson Barrie, who will likely see a lot of action against Prince George’s top forward, that being first-round draft pick Brett Connolly. “They compete, and it’s going to be a battle, like most series are, and we’re going to have to be ready for that.”

Meanwhile, Cougars head coach Dean Clark offered this on Wednesday when asked if he thinks it’ll be a physical series: “If there’s a chance to be physical, I don’t think we should turn away from it. And I think they’ll be the same way . . . it’s one of those things that when you get into the playoffs, you want be physical — smart and physical, obviously — but that’s the kind of way we’ve tried to play all season.

“Whether that’s worked out that way, some games or not, we’ve probably been in the penalty box more than I’ve liked this season. But when we are physical, we do turn some pucks over and get some chances.”

On Tuesday, I predicted Kelowna in five games. Some think that’s an optimistic guess, while others feel the Rockets will win in six. Either way, Kelowna is favoured, though Prince George can certainly upset the Rockets’ playoff cart. What pushed me in Kelowna’s direction were its winning record against Prince George this season (six wins in nine meetings), and the fact that the Rockets win tight games.

Of the endless supply of stats available, the Rockets were 17-8-01 in one-goal games this season. For what it’s worth, Prince George was 8-6-2-2.

Now, I know all teams start at zero in the playoffs, but regular-season numbers say a lot about a team. In this case, it means Kelowna knows how to win tight games, and nearly every pundit is predicting a low-scoring affair between these two teams. Looking for a 6-2 blowout? Better look somewhere else, for apart from that one category, there’s little difference stats-wise between these two teams.

For example, Kelowna is 20-3-0-1 when leading after the first period, while Prince George is 25-2-1-2. After two periods, it’s 30-3-0-1 for Kelowna and 26-2-1-2 for Prince George. When trailing after 20 and 40 minutes, respectively, Kelowna is 9-18-0-0 and 3-22-0-0, while Prince George is 4-22-0-0 and 1-30-0-0.

The closeness continues in special teams: Kelowna’s power play was ranked 12th overall at 19.3 per cent (74 goals on 383 chances) while Prince George was 15th at 18.4 per cent (66-359). Penalty killing: Kelowna, 84.1 per cent; Prince George, 82.7 per cent. Further, both teams also scored eight shorthanded goals.

So, with everything being pretty much equal in this series, determination, will and power plays become important factors.

“When you get into a seven-game series, the team that’s going to make the least amount of mistakes succeeds,” said Clark. “Their power play is good; it’s very aggressive and they do some very good things with it. Ours against Kelowna hasn’t been that great, but it’s been great against other teams. So, obviously, we need to improve ours as well, and we have the potential to have a great power play as well.”

Yes, Prince George’s power play has struggled against Kelowna, with just six goals in 44 chances, or a conversion rate of 13.6 per cent. But, in a continuation of equal stats, Kelowna’s power play against Prince George was in the same low-percentage boat at 14.8 per cent (eight goals on 54 chances).

“Definitely, special teams will be key,” said Clark. “I just think it’s going to come down to little things, like which team wants to be very consistent at doing their things as much as they can.”

In the end, if both teams do the little things right, it’s the fans who will be the big winners.

Rockets, Cougars preview

A lot of water has passed under the playoff bridge when the Kelowna Rockets and Prince George Cougars last met in the post-season.  Eleven year’s worth, to be precise.

Since that 4-1 series victory for Prince George in the spring of 2000, the two franchises have gone in different directions. The Rockets went on to bigger and better things, such as three league titles over seven seasons, while the Cougars have stumbled with four first-round knockouts while also failing to make post-season play four times (2004, ’05, ’08, ’10).

Yes, it’s been a tough decade for the Cougars, and, unfortunately for them, their streak of bad playoff luck will continue this spring. Here’s why:

The first check-mark why Kelowna should win this series is the nine-game season series against Prince George that Kelowna outright dominated, going 6-3. In its six playoff rounds since 2009, Kelowna is 3-for-3 against teams when it has either tied or won the season series. The Rockets are also 2-for-3 when it has a losing season series record.

The second check-mark is how well Kelowna has played at home. Of its five home games against Prince George this season, Kelowna won four of them. That the Rockets mostly held serve spells trouble for Prince George, for the Cats need to win at least once in the Okanagan.

The third check-mark is how well Kelowna has played on the road. Not only did the Rockets win two of four games in Prince George, but of Kelowna’s 43 wins this season, 22 were on the road. Simply put, the Rockets know how to win away from home. Notably, Prince George piled up 16 road wins, and won three of its last four away games.

The fourth check-mark is the Cougars’ lack of playoff success the past three seasons — a first-round KO in 2009 sandwiched between twice failing to make the playoffs — isn’t a good sign. Contrast that to Kelowna’s first-round KO in 2008, a league title in ’09 and second-round KO last spring.

Yet, while on paper Kelowna is the clear favourite, Prince George does have a shot. And that shot revolves around the Rockets’ power play.

If there’s one thing Prince George does well, its playing physical hockey. With the rough stuff, however, comes penalties. And if the Rockets’ up-then-down power play can’t consistently cash in, the Cougars will push this series to its length. And the longer it goes, the better Prince George’s chances are.

“For some strange reason, our team has played better on the road than we have at home in a lot of games,” said Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton. “I think it’s because our game is more structured, but we’re going to have to play that way against Prince George.

“They’re a good team, and at the start of the season, a lot of people thought they’d be one of the top teams. They still have the same personnel, so it’s going to be a real battle, and it’s going to be real physical series for sure.”

Hamilton agreed that Prince George’s physical attack — arguably the toughest in the Western Conference — will hand Kelowna valuable power-play opportunities.

“Our power play is going to have to be good,” said Hamilton. “But we also have to be disciplined. I know we won’t be intimidated because we’ve stood up to everybody down the stretch. We’ve beat every big team along the way, and the one thing we do have is that we have a big-time goaltender in Adam Brown, and he’ll be as good as it gets down the stretch.

“So (physical intimidation) won’t come into play; what’ll come into play is that the most disciplined team will probably be the team that wins.”

Added Rockets head coach Ryan Huska: “Prince George is similar to Chilliwack in that they’re one of the more physical groups in our conference, for sure. But when we’re playing smart and physical, we can be hard to handle, too. We have to make sure we’re ready to be hit, but we also have to make sure we’re ready to be physical with them.”

In related news, the WHL handed Rockets forward Evan Bloodoff a four-game suspension for his high, leaping hit on Joel Rogers of the Vancouver Giants in Saturday night’s 4-3 loss at Prospera Place. Rogers, stationed along Vancouver’s end-boards, crumpled to the ice after Bloodoff checked him, and, following a lengthy delay, was stretchered off the ice and sent to hospital. Rogers was soon released and returned to Vancouver. According to the Vancouver Sun, Rogers has a concussion — his second since January — and will miss the Giants’ opening-round series against the Tri-City Americans.

For Bloodoff, who was handed a charging major and game misconduct, the suspension means he’ll miss the Rockets’ first four games of these playoffs. He’ll be eligible for Game 5 of the series. Games 1 and 2 are this Friday and Saturday in Kelowna.

“We’re just happy that (Rogers) wasn't injured more seriously, and we hope he has a full recovery,” said Hamilton. “It was a dangerous hit and I hope all our players, and all the players that were in that game, learn from that.”

Prediction: Rockets in five.

Brown named Rockets' MVP

Adam Brown was added to a long list of impressive names on Sunday after being named the Kelowna Rockets’ most valuable player.

In a choice that came down between top defenceman and team captain Tyson Barrie and Brown, the Rockets’ No. 1 goaltender, Kelowna’s coaching staff selected their puckstopper at the team’s annual awards banquet. Still, the decision wasn’t easy, admitted Rockets head coach Ryan Huska.

“Absolutely it was hard,” said Huska. “Those are guys we rely on each and every night to be at their best. So, yeah, it was definitely a tough decision.”

Brown said being named MVP was “a bit surprising. We have a lot of good players on the team and so many guys could have gotten it.”

Brown is the fifth goalie to win the honour, with the others being Kevin Swanson (2000), Shane Bendera (2002), Kelly Guard (2004) and Derek Yeomans (2005).

Other award winners were Barrie, top

defenceman; Shane McColgan, top scorer; Colton Sissons, rookie of the year and top plus-minus; Mitchell Callahan, top defensive forward; Evan Bloodoff, unsung hero; Jessey Astles, most improved; Zach Franko, most sportsmanlike; MacKenzie Johnston, schol-astic player; and Geordie Wudrick, humanitarian.

Having helped represent Canada at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo in December and January, Barrie winning the top defenceman award was a lock. He also won the award last year.

“It’s a nice accomplishment for a guy that’s done a lot over his time here, and he’s very deserving of it,” added Huska, who was an assistant coach with Team Canada in Buffalo, where the national team lost in the gold-medal game to Russia. “Hopefully what he brings to the table can rub off on some of our younger players.”

“It was more of a surprise last year, but it’s still an honour,” Barrie said of the award. “A lot of great defencemen have been here, and to have my name on that trophy twice with them is pretty cool.”

Also cool was Barrie’s monologue —  at every awards banquet, that season’s captain has to give a speech. His speech was sprinkled with small jokes, such as Kelowna’s team motto of 20 for 60: 20 players playing for 60 minutes. Added Barrie: “I guess Team Canada was 20 for 40, right Husk?”

For the most part, though, it sounded like Barrie was giving a farewell speech.

“You know what? I’ve had a great time here in Kelowna,” said Barrie, who, now in his fourth WHL season, will more than likely play pro hockey next season. “I’ve got lots to talk about; I have lots of material for that one. It’s nice to get (the speech) out of the way because it’s been weighing on me. I’m not used to public speaking, but we’re looking to have a real good playoffs with the team, and whatever happens next season happens.”

In addition to handing out team hardware, the Rockets also gave framed prints to their three over-age players who will graduate from junior hockey when the season ends: Bloodoff, Zak Stebner and Geordie Wudrick. For Bloodoff, it’s the end of a long career in Kelowna, as he became the ninth Rocket in team history to play for five seasons.

“It seems like yesterday that was I was 16, coming in,” said Bloodoff, 21. “It went by so fast.”

For Bloodoff, odds are this week won’t go by so fast; not with a suspension looming over his head for his leaping, high hit on Vancouver Giants defenceman Joel Rogers on Saturday night. In that 4-3 loss to Vancouver at Prospera Place, Bloodoff leapt as he checked Rogers, who was stationary against Vancouver’s end boards. Rogers immediately collapsed and, following a long delay, was taken to hospital on a stretcher. According to the Rockets, Rogers was later released and returned home with the Giants.

On Monday, it’s expected that Bloodoff will be suspended.

“Whatever the league decides, I’ll be fine with. It’s out of my hands,” said Bloodoff. “It was a spur of the moment thing and I’m glad he’s alright.”

As for being tangled in the frenzy of injury-causing hits, Bloodoff said “It’s still all on the player. You have that last second to decide to hit the brakes . . . I dunno . . . it seems like there’s nothing I could have done there.”

Sissons said winning two awards “was a nice surprise. It’s always nice to be rewarded for your work.”

Last season, Sissons played for the Westside Warriors of the BCHL, but bolted to play major junior. The decision, he said, proved to be a good one.

“The way the organization flows so perfectly, from top to bottom,” Sissons said in why he likes playing for Kelowna. “From Bruce and the coaches, to all my teammates, it’s on another level here. It’s been an unreal experience from me.”

Rockets fall to Giants

The Kelowna Rockets finished their regular season on a losing note. And, most likely, a suspendable low note as well.

In what was Kelowna’s regular-season finale, a tight, 4-3 loss to the visiting Vancouver Giants at Prospera Place, Evan Bloodoff laid a high, leaping hit midway through the first period on Giants defenceman Joel Rogers along Vancouver’s end-boards. Rogers immediately collapsed and, following a lengthy delay, was stretchered off the ice.

Rogers was sent to hospital, and, according to the Giants, the 19-year-old rearguard is OK.

“(Rogers) suffered a concussion in early January, and he’s only been back probably five or six games. We’re obviously very concerned for him,” said Giants head coach Don Hay. “The medical staff from both teams and the doctors did a real good job of looking after him and transporting him.

“The first report we got is that he’s going to be OK, with the evaluations they did for neck-and-head injuries being negative, other than concussion-like symptoms.”

While medical staff attended to Rogers, Bloodoff was hit with a charging major and game misconduct. With the WHL clamping down this season on hits that cause injury, Bloodoff is likely looking at some sort of suspension.

“I’m not sure,” Rockets head coach Ryan Huska when asked if Bloodoff will be suspended. “I can’t comment on that right now.”

Huska did say, however, that the hit “took a lot of air out of the game, to be honest. It’s difficult when you see someone on the ice for that length of time. You hope the young man is OK on the other side. . .  I think after the first period, it got back to being normal hockey.”

Pacing Vancouver to victory, and earning a small measure of vengeance for a 3-1 loss to Kelowna on Friday night, was Andrej Stastny, who recorded a three-point effort with one goal and two assists.

“It was a better result than Friday,” said Stastny, the game’s first star. “We had a good (team) effort.”

Luke Fenske, Spencer Bennett, with his 35th goal of the season, and Connor Redmond, with his first, also scored for the Giants (34-32-1-4), who led 1-0 and 3-2 at the period breaks in the literal back-and-forth game. Vancouver closes out its regular-season schedule on Sunday at 5 p.m. against the visiting Everett Silvertips.

Geordie Wudrick, with his 43rd goal of the season, Zach Franko, with his 22nd, and Colton Sissons, with his 17th, replied for Kelowna (43-2-0-1). Having clinched the B.C. Division pennant earlier this month, the Rockets will finish as the second seed in Western Conference standings.

Adam Brown made 22 saves for the Rockets, who will play the Prince George Cougars in the first round of the playoffs, while Mark Segal turned aside 24 shots for the Giants, who stopped an eight-game losing slide.

“I thought it was a good effort from them. I thought ours was a little sub-par tonight, to be honest,” said Huska. “They did a lot of good things; they blocked a lot of shots tonight, and that’s the sign of a team that has a little more urgency to win than we did.”

Count Redmond as one of those players. Three minutes into the first shift, he blocked two painful shots, then was later rewarded with a tap-in goal.

“One blocked shot was on (Tyson) Barrie in our d-zone. He kinda got a step on me, so I had to stick the foot out there like a goalie,” said Redmond, an 18-year-old left-winger from Maple Ridge. “The second one, it was in the high slot, and it was a bit of a scoring chance, so I figured I might as well get in front of it. It didn’t feel too good, but it was worth it.”

Redmond was limping after blocking the first shot. Seconds later, after stopping another one with his body, he was almost hobbled. Yet, he found enough energy to finish the shift, then slowly skate to Vancouver’s bench.

“We were on a losing streak, and we needed to get back to our ways,” said Redmond, who has played in only 14 games this season following left-shoulder surgery in late August that needed almost five months to heal. “Today, we focused on moving our feet and staying above our options and checking guys. Obviously, checking was a big part of our game; when they scored, we’d reply with another one.”

In regards to his goal, Redmond was charging down the middle on an odd-man rush with Stastny holding the puck on the left side. When Redmond hit the slot, Stastny zipped over a quick pass, and with Brown sucked over to one side, it was an easy goal into an empty net.

“I faked Barrie and then I looked and saw Connor,” said Stastny, “and he was yelling ‘Andrej! Andrej! Andrej!’ So I passed.”

“(Stastny) almost faked me out; I had to reach behind me and put it into the net” said Redmond. “(Stastny) said he was going to shoot the whole time until he heard me scream for the puck. I’m glad I screamed and finally got one.”

Said Hay of Redmond: “Connor hasn’t had a lot of success this season. He was out for a long time and didn’t come back until the end of January. That was a big goal for him, and those blocked shots, that’s where guys really sacrificed and paid the price to get the win tonight.

“We haven’t had a win for a long time, so to get one before our last (regular-season) home game was very important for us. But I thought Kelowna played really well on Friday. They didn’t give us much of anything; they’re a really hard-working hockey team that checks well. If you’re not prepared to skate with them and work as hard as them, you’re not going to get much. Our play was much better tonight than on Friday.”

As for Bloodoff’s hit on Rogers, it appeared that the charging penalty wasn’t immediately called. However, while Rogers was being attended to, and after a replay of the hit was shown, a five-minute major penalty was put up on the scoreclock. Regardless if the call was delayed or not, Hay said the officials made the right call. He also said when it comes to banning head shots, it’s not an easy decision to make.

“I don’t think you can make it black or white. You can’t give a penalty for every shot to the head,” said Hay. “(Every play) has to be evaluated and I think the WHL is really looking into that situation and I think that there’ll be more discussion about that during the summer.

“I think the WHL and (vice-president) Rick Doerksen do a really good job in assessing each major penalty and looking out for the protection of the players.”

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches: D Damon Severson, C Gal Koren, RW Jason Siebert (wrist, 1 week), C Andreas Stene and C Max Adolph (head, 1-2 weeks). Vancouver’s scratches: RW Matt Bellerive, C/RW Dalton Sward (ankle, 4-6 weeks), LW Marek Tvrdon, RW Nathan Smith, RW Michael Burns (concussion), C Tyler Hart, D Zach Hodder and LW Brodyn Nielson.