Wild return Bulmer to Kelowna

The Kelowna Rockets received a jolt of good news on Monday. Unexpected news, to be sure, but certainly welcomed.

The Minnesota Wild announced Monday morning that they were sending forward Brett Bulmer back to the WHL for what should be his final season of junior eligibility. The Prince George product played nine games in the NHL this fall before Minnesota returned the 19-year-old and 6-foot-3 power forward to Kelowna.

“When you have a guy of his calibre coming back, this is a shot in the arm for the team,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska. “We’re excited about the news and we’re looking forward to having Brett back on the ice sometime this week.”

Bulmer was expected to return to Kelowna late Monday night, with his first practice this week likely being Wednesday. Regardless when he practices, that he’s back in Kelowna colours certainly surprised the franchise.

Had Bulmer played a 10th game, Minnesota would have been on the hook for the first year of his three-year NHL salary. According to capgeek.com, Bulmer’s three-year contract will pay him $900,000 per season. However, last week, the Wild said they weren’t worried about eating his salary, and that they were going to keep him for the short term, then re-evaluate around the 40-game mark.

It looks like the Wild changed their mind about Bulmer on the weekend, as he could have played his 10th game on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, but instead was a healthy scratch.

“This fully surprised us,” said Huska. “We were told last week by Minnesota that Brett had been playing very well, that they weren’t too worried about (his contract) and they were going to give him more games to see if he would fit in. But I guess they came to the realization that if they want him to develop into a top-six forward, he needs to play in a lot of games and in a lot of roles, and the best place for that to happen would be here in Kelowna.

“As I said, we’re excited to have him back. I know he’ll be a little disappointed to start with, because everybody’s dream is to play in the NHL, but I think he’ll be focused on playing with urgency and intensity so he can give himself a World Junior Hockey Championship opportunity, as well as showing Minnesota that they made the right decision by putting him back and letting him play in all these offensive situations.”

In nine games with Minnesota, Bulmer had no goals, three assists and six penalty minutes. Last season with Kelowna, his second WHL campaign, Bulmer had 18 goals and 49 points plus 109 penalty minutes in 57 games. 

“They did exactly what they said they would do,” said Rockets general manager Bruce Hamilton. “If he’s not going to play regularly, there’s no reason to have him there.”

Monday’s news couldn’t have come at a better time for Kelowna, which is off to a poor start, with just five wins in 15 games, thanks mostly to an injury-ravaged roster. No less than six players missed the Rockets’ home-and-home weekend set with Kamloops, which the Blazers swept, 5-2 and 4-3.

Strangely, heading into 2011-12, Kelowna (5-9-1-0) said it wanted to avoid repeating its slow start from last season, where the Rockets went 5-10 in their first 15 games. Today, the Rockets are again at 5-10 after 15 games. However, there is a glimmer of offensive light — This season’s group has scored six more goals in the same time span despite injury woes that last season’s group didn’t have to battle (2011 — 47 goals for, 59 against; 2010 — 41 goals for, 58 against).

“There are a lot of positives beside that,” said Huska. “As coaches, we have to get our players to understand that they’re doing a lot of things well. And they are doing a lot of things well, but there’s also things they can build off of. As long as they continue to work hard, the success is going to come. With our group, we’ve been in a lot of one-goal games where we’ve had chances to win, where we’ve been one play short or couldn’t find a goal to even a game up. But being close isn’t good enough, no matter what your roster is — we have to work to get over that (losing) hump.”

The Rockets don’t play again until Friday, when they host the Portland Winterhawks in back-to-back games at Prospera Place. Leading up to that game, Huska said this week’s practice sessions will start slowly, beginning with fundamentals, then ramp up.

“We’re going to do a fair amount of teaching this week,” said Huska. “There are some areas we have to focus on with our team, and we have to continually work on those in practice. Part of this week is going to be used to get guys healthy, but, at the same time, we have to go to school a little bit and make sure we’re focused on getting better every day.”

Blazers sweep weekend series

Photo: Gary Nylander/ The Daily Courier

Kelowna Rockets goaltender Adam Brown, left, keeps his eyes on the puck while five players converge on the puck during WHL action in Kelowna on Saturday night. From left, are: Cole Martin, Colton Heffley and Damon Severson of the Kelowna Rockets plus Chase Schaber and J.T. Barnett of the Kamloops Blazers. Just to the right, and mostly off-screen, is Rockets left-winger Filip Vasko.

KELOWNA — Another game, another tough loss for the Kelowna Rockets.

Despite a game effort, Kelowna suffered its ninth loss of the season, falling 4-3 to the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. The setback was also the Rockets’ second in as many nights to the Blazers, having lost 5-2 in Kamloops on Friday night to start a home-and-home series.

Yet, unlike that 5-2 loss, a game which saw Kamloops take a 4-1 lead heading into the third period, there were plenty of positives in this contest. Such as Kelowna opening the scoring against the B.C. Division leaders midway through the first. Then making it 2-0 early in the second.

And this, despite a roster with six players on the injured list. However, Kelowna’s shortened bench proved its undoing — again, and understandably — as Kamloops roared back with four straight goals.

Rockets blue-liner Damon Severson closed out the scoring with 25 seconds left.

“I saw us not quit, which was good,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska. “But we’re not going to use (injuries) as an excuse. We have to continue to push and fight to improve. If we keep working and not backing off from what we’re asking the players to do, things will change for us, and that’s what we have to believe in.”

Madison Bowey, with his second goal of the season, at 8:39 of the first period, and Shane McColgan also scored for the Rockets (5-9-1-0), who were outshot 35-23. Goalie Adam Brown made 31 saves for Kelowna, which is 2-7-1-0 in its past 10 games.

Ryan Hanes, Dylan Willick, with back-to-back goals in the second and third periods, and Brendan Ranford, with the game winner at 18:26 of the third, scored for Kamloops (11-3-0-0). Cam Lanigan made 20 saves for the Blazers, who have the league’s best winning percentage at .786 and have won all three meetings this season with Kelowna.

Up next for the Rockets is a home twinbill against Portland, starting Friday night.   

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were D Jesse Lees (undisclosed upper-body), D Kevin Smith (shoulder), LW Carter Rigby (concussion), C Spencer Main, LW Brett Bulmer (NHL), LW Jessey Astles (concussion) and D Myles Bell (undisclosed lower-body). . . . Colton Sissons was unofficially named the Rockets’ captain, though official word is expected sometime this week. . . . The Rockets were 1-for-3 on the power play; the Blazers were 0-for-3.

Blazers 4 at Rockets 3

KELOWNA, B.C. — WHL Saturday night:

First Period

1. Kelowna, Bowey 2 (Chikie, McColgan) 8:39 (pp)

Penalties — Lipon Kam (tripping) 7:59, Hansen Kam, Johnston Kel (fighting) 11:42, Moar Kel (roughing) 13:57, McColgan Kel (roughing) 18:16.

Second Period

2. Kelowna, McColgan 5 (Glover, Vasko) 2:33

3. Kamloops, Hanes 1 (Gaudet, Caron) 6:35

4. Kamloops, Willick 8 (Hrbas, Schaber) 15:34

Penalties — Severson Kel (roughing) 8:26, Hanes Kam (interference) 16:27.

Third Period

5. Kamloops, Willick 9 (Caron) 14:44

6. Kamloops, Ranford 9 (McVeigh, Bell) 18:26

7. Kelowna, Severson 3 (Baillie, Martin) 19:35

Penalties — Bell Kam (tripping) 9:26, Bozon Kam (tripping), Chikie Kel (embellishment) 17:38.

Shots on goal by

Kamloops 13 13 9 —35

Kelowna 5 6 12 —23

Goal — Kamloops: Lanigan (W, 5-2-0-0); Kelowna: Brown

(L, 5-8-0-0).

Power plays (goals-chances) — Kamloops: 0-3; Kelowna: 1-3.

Referee — Matt Kirk. Linesmen — Ward Pateman, Alex Teichroeb.

Attendance — 6,063.

Rockets, Cougars preview; Bulmer's return looking doubtful

Press the panic button? Not right now, says Bruce Hamilton.

Tonight, the Kelowna Rockets play host to the Prince George Cougars in the first of eight meetings this season between the two B.C. Division franchises. Who’ll win is anyone’s guess — the Cougars began a brief, two-game road trip in Vancouver on Tuesday and lost 6-2, their sixth straight defeat, while the Rockets are on a two-game losing slide, also having lost eight of their last nine.

“There’s no panic because we’ve seen this movie before,” said Hamilton, Kelowna’s president and general manager, referring to Kelowna’s 4-10 start to 2010-11. “We never 

envisioned it being like this, because we thought we’d be deeper than we are, but we have a couple of key guys out.”

Out of action are over-age defenceman Kevin Smith (shoulder, one month) plus physical forwards Carter Rigby (concussion, two weeks) and Jesse Astles (concussion, day to day). Recently, Madison Bowey (knee) and Tyrell Goulbourne (leg) returned from the walking wounded, though back-up goalie Jordon Cooke (undisclosed upper body) was added to the WHL’s injured list this week.

“With Astles out of the lineup, it changes how other teams play against us,” Hamilton said. “We’re hoping Astles can play this weekend, which should give us a boost, but nobody’s feeling sorry for us. I have full confidence in the coaching staff that they can get the guys going.”

Asked why Kelowna is going through this funk, Hamilton attributed it to not one item, but a handful.

“If you go back to (a 5-1 loss on Oct. 8 in) Spokane, we really didn’t play well down there, which started a bit of a trend,” he said. “Then, last weekend, we’re up 5-2 to Victoria and don’t close that out and then we eventually come home and beat Vancouver in a game that was played pretty sloppily by both teams. And that’s going to happen when you have as many young guys that we do.

“We’re not fully healthy and in (a 5-2 loss on Sunday to) Vancouver, that showed. Sometimes you have to play guys at times that normally wouldn’t be playing if we have guys back and if we’re healthier. Those guys are going to make mistakes, and you have to live with them. But I thought our older players played well in Vancouver; it’s just that we need more offence out of our top guys. They have to be the difference for us.

“Am I surprised we’re not winning? Yes, I am. But I’m not overly surprised because when you lose two or three older guys over an extended period of time because of injuries, you’re asking young guys who normally wouldn’t play that much until Christmas to step in, and they’re still learning the game.”

Technically, Kelowna should be favoured to win. Not only do the Rockets have home-ice advantage, but their roster is mostly unchanged from last season, when they swept the Cougars in the first round of the playoffs.

Further, after playing in Vancouver, the Cougars should be a bit travel weary, and they’ll be without their top player, Brett Connolly, who’s trying to stick in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mind you, the Connolly aspect could be considered a wash with no Brett Bulmer for Kelowna, with the 6-foot-2 left-winger looking like he’ll stick with the Wild.

According to Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Bulmer was again slotted on Minnesota’s second power-play unit, along with Kyle Brodziak and Nick Johnson. On Thursday night, the Wild host Anaheim, and that contest will be Bulmer’s ninth NHL game — his 10th game means the first year of the three-year contract he signed in April kicks in, meaning Minnesota will have to pay him regardless if they keep him or return him to Kelowna.

In his blog, Russo said that, according to Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, Bulmer has been getting better and lately has been one of the Wild’s best forwards.

“Every day in the NHL is an important day, so if he’s continuing to develop and improve as a player and making contributions to our team, then I’m not sure why we're bringing academic arguments into the equation,” Fletcher told Russo. “If he can’t keep up or he’s not contributing, then clearly it’s in everyone's best interest to send him back. But to me, he’s a much better player today than he was the first day of training camp. We’ll see. Again, we have some tough games coming up. There will be lots of challenges for Brett. But he seems to be the type of kid that relishes those challenges as opposed to getting concerned about them.”

For Russo's blog, click here.

Hamilton said that Fletcher called him on Saturday, telling him of their plans for Bulmer.

“It was after (Vancouver’s 3-2 overtime win against Minnesota) and he told Brett was playing great,” said Hamilton. “I didn’t see last Thursday’s game against Edmonton (2-1 shootout win for the Wild), but Chuck told me that Brett played well there, too. As long as Brett is playing well and playing lots, what are you going to do? We’re a development league. Our issue is if he’s sitting and they’re still keeping him; then that’s a problem.

“But Minnesota has clearly let us know what they’re going to do. They’re going to let him play through the 10-game mark, for sure, and they told me 40 (games) is their thresh-hold. If he starts to fade, if at all, then they’ll look at sending him back. But he’s playing great right now, and I can’t blame Minnesota for keeping him; you can’t send a guy down when he’s going as good as he is.”

Hamilton added that Minnesota’s “concern is they want him to have some offensive success, and if they see that he starts to stagnate, then I think he’ll come back and maybe have a chance to play in the World Junior Hockey Championship. But for now, he’s there, and good on him. And I like what (Minnesota) is doing. For the first 10 games, some young guys get off to great starts. Then when the older players start their engines, then it gets tougher.”

**********

MJHL hands out hefty fine, suspension for hazing incident

In other junior-hockey news, a former B.C. Hockey League head coach was among those suspended as the Manitoba Junior Hockey League fined and suspended players from the Neepawa Natives for a hazing incident in late September.

Details of the hazing were not revealed, but the MJHL said the incident took place during the week of Sept. 26. The RCMP are also said to have opened an investigation into the hazing. 

In all, 16 players, the head coach and an assistant coach were suspended. Neepawa was also hit with a hefty $5,000 fine. The head coach, Bryan Perrier, was suspended for two games, though the MJHL admitted that Perrier wasn’t aware of the hazing. Perrier coached the Penticton Panthers, now Vess, from 1997 to 2004.

A former BCHL player, Perrier also coached in the BCHL with Cowichan Valley, Merritt and Alberni Valley. He also coached the Osoyoos Storm of the junior-B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

In regards to Perrier’s suspension, MJHL commissioner Kim Davis said on the league’s website that “the head coach had no knowledge of the hazing incidents, but is responsible because of his position as head of the hockey club. Therefore, the suspension of the head coach reflects the responsibility he had to ensure the staff and players conducted themselves appropriately.”

Being handed the longest suspensions were assistant coach Brad Biggers and captain Danil Kalashnikov, who were suspended for five games each. The other suspensions ranged from one to three games.

Davis said Biggers’ suspension was the result of him not promptly reporting his knowledge of the hazing.

Giant letdown in Vancouver

By Larry Fisher

The Daily Courier

One step forward, two steps back.

The Kelowna Rockets are having a hard time trying to gain traction as they battle an early season funk. On Sunday night, they slipped again, falling 5-2 to the Vancouver Giants at Pacific Coliseum. The loss was the second in as many nights for the Rockets, who fell 3-2 to the visiting Victoria Royals on Saturday night. Prior to that, though, the Rockets ended a six-game losing skid by doubling up Vancouver 6-3 on Thursday night at Prospera Place. 

Rockets head coach Ryan Huska didn’t feel his team was soundly outplayed on Sunday despite being outshot 37-28. He pointed to a power-play goal against in the third period — Brendan Gallagher’s team-leading 10th goal of the season in just his ninth game for Vancouver — as the game’s turning point. That man-advantage marker, at 5:37, made it 3-1 for the Giants after Kelowna’s leading scorer Shane McColgan gave the Rockets some momentum with his third goal and 13th point of the season late in the second.

“We turned over a puck when we had control and they scored off of a nothing play,” Huska said of Gallagher’s snap shot from the face-off circle that beat Adam Brown and stood up as the winner. “Those are the mistakes that are hurting us right now.

“We’re working hard, it’s just a matter of us working smarter. That’s our big thing. We do a lot of good things and then we shoot ourselves in the foot, and right now teams are capitalizing on us.”

Gallagher added three assists, factoring into almost all of Vancouver’s scoring, aside from Cain Franson’s late empty-net goal. Gallagher set-up Jordan Martinook twice, for his sixth and seventh goals of the season, and also had a hand in Jackson Houck’s icebreaker at 6:32 of the second period after a scoreless opening frame.

“I thought it was a quiet four-point night if that makes any sense at all,” Huska said when asked if Gallagher was the difference.

Cody Chikie, who made it 4-2, also scored for Kelowna (4-7-1-0). Brown, making his third start in four days, made 32 saves.

Giants goalie Adam Morrison, who was chased in Kelowna after allowing three goals on seven shots on Thursday, bounced back with a 26-save effort for Vancouver (6-6-0-1).

Kelowna hosts Prince George (3-8-0-1) on Wednesday, then has a home-and-home set against Kamloops (9-3-0-0) on Friday and Saturday.

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna scratched D Kevin Smith (shoulder), D Jesse Lees (upper-body), RW Brett Bulmer (Minnesota Wild), RW Carter Rigby (upper-body), RW Filip Vasko (suspension) and LW Jessey Astles (head).

Royals win sloppy, error-filled game

A work of art this wasn’t. Not with untold errors, turnovers, missed passes and bad bounces.

In the end, the Victoria Royals were the least error-prone, skating to a 3-2 win over the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place. Victoria’s margin of victory, though, was slim; maybe a hair’s width. Coincidentally, this game left both coaches pulling their hair out.

“Sure it was (frustrating). But, at times, we had our chances to get ourselves back into the game,” said Rockets coach Ryan Huska, whose team opened Saturday’s scoring, but gave up three straight goals, including two in the second period. Myles Bell made it 3-2 with a power-play marker with 23 seconds left in the frame, but the Rockets couldn’t draw even in the third despite a penalty shot (missed), a five-on-three power play for 43 seconds and pulling their goalie for an extra attacker.

“I thought when we scored at the end of the second period, it would allow our group to get a little momentum for the third period,” continued Huska. “(The third) was our best period of the night, but we didn’t have the legs to skate the way we needed to.”

Huska added “we had a tough time getting ourselves going tonight. When you start gripping your sticks a little too tight and you’re not playing the proper way, it becomes a little more difficult. Then you make mistakes that end up costing you. That was the case again tonight.”

“It wasn’t a Picasso by any means,” offered Royals GM and head coach Marc Habscheid. “But it was an important game for us because we got pounded (8-1 by Vancouver on Friday night), then we got in late and we were up against a team which beat the team that pounded us. We have quite a few banged-up bodies, but we found a way to win.

“Our execution wasn’t where it needed to be and we took some undisciplined penalties. I thought we made some bad mistakes, especially through the neutral zone which caused turnovers, but I’ve learned — and I’m not that smart — that you never bitch too much about a win.”

Jamie Crooks, with his seventh goal of the season, Robin Soudek, with his ninth, and Steven Hodges, with his fourth, scored for Victoria (7-6-0-0). Keith Hamilton of Kelowna made 22 saves for the Royals. Kevin Sundher and Brett Cote had two assists each for Victoria.

“The guys battled hard, especially after Friday night,” said Hamilton. “It was a good, greasy road win — that’s how you have to play here, considering how well the Rockets play at home. But I think the guys played well.”

Also scoring for Kelowna (4-6-1-0) was Mitchell Chapman, who started the scoring with his first of the season halfway through the first period. Adam Brown made 20 stops for the Rockets, who visit the Vancouver Giants tonight. Game time in Vancouver at the Pacific Coliseum is 5 p.m.

The Rockets had a glorious chance to level the score early in the third when Zach Franko was awarded a penalty shot after getting partially hooked on a breakaway. Franko’s attempt, though, went awry, when the puck skittered away from him on a deke and sailed harmlessly past Hamilton and into the end boards.

The loss was not only Kelowna’s third in three games against Victoria this season (0-3-0-0), but it pushed the Rockets’ record, again, to below .500. Oddly, while the Rockets are winless against Victoria, they’re perfect against Vancouver (2-0-0-0).

“Every game that you’re playing in, you have to win it,” said Huska. “Every team is capable of winning on every night; that’s a fact.”

ICE CHIPS — Kelowna’s scratches were D Jesse Lees, D Kevin Smith (shoulder), RW Carter Rigby, RW Brett Bulmer (Minnesota Wild) and LW Jessey Astles (head). Victoria’s scratches were D Zach Habscheid (head, 1 month), D Tyler Strahl (head, 1 month), C Brendan Persley, LW Curt Gogol (AHL), LW Taylor Crunk and D Jesse Pauls. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-6 on the power play; Victoria was 1-for-3.

Rookie’s first WHL goal a strange one

By Larry Fisher

The Okanagan Saturday

Austin Ferguson can tell this hockey story however he sees fit.

Telling the truth might be his best bet, though, even if the 16-year-old’s future kids or grandchildren refuse to believe the strange, but quite true story on how he scored his first goal in the Western Hockey League.

The circumstances were rather unbelievable as Ferguson finished an odd sequence of events by potting a loose puck past Vancouver Giants goaltender Adam Morrison to give Kelowna a 3-0 lead midway through the first period on Thursday night at Prospera Place.

The Rockets (4-5-1-0) went on to win 6-3, with Ferguson adding an assist in helping snap a six-game losing skid. Kelowna plays host to the Victoria Royals (6-6-0-0) tonight at 7 p.m., before visiting Vancouver (5-6-0-1) on Sunday evening. Victoria was in Vancouver for a late start on Friday night, where the Giants were hoping to halt their own three-game losing streak. The G-Men did exactly that, pasting the Royals 8-1, thanks to a six-goal first period.

Victoria hadn’t played since sweeping the Rockets in a two-game home set last weekend, winning 7-5 and 4-3 in overtime.

Against Vancouver, Ferguson’s goal was greasy in nature, and nothing that legends are made of.

“I’ll just tell them (grandchildren) I scored and won’t tell them how,” said Ferguson, an Abbotsford product and 10th-round bantam draft pick (199th overall) in 2010. “Just go to the net hard and good things will happen.”

Indeed, but what made this play more special was the behind-the-scenes action that captivated much of the audience.

Seconds earlier, at the other end of the rink, Giants sniper Brendan Gallagher bowled over Rockets goalie Adam Brown as he cut hard to the front of the net from the corner. A nearby referee signalled a delayed penalty — for goalie interference — while Kelowna players Mitchell Chapman and Cody Chikie came to the rescue in an attempt to pry Gallagher off a fallen Brown, only to have another Vancouver player take exception to their treatment of the Giants’ leading goal-getter.

A four-man scrum — or five, if counting Brown — ensued, with gloves eventually coming off but no real punches exchanged.

Most fans were watching that unfold as the Rockets rushed the puck up ice, resulting in Ferguson’s goal before the Giants gained possession to stop play.

“I just went to the net and the puck . . . ” Ferguson started before being interrupted by a shaving-cream pie to the face from assistant captain and leading scorer Shane McColgan, who assisted on the unforgettable goal. “The puck was just lying there, so I tapped it in. I didn’t really know what was going on behind me . . . but I’ll remember it.”

Rockets defenceman Damon Severson also had a memorable night, tying a team record with five assists, including the other helper on Ferguson’s goal. Former captain Colin Long, a forward, was the last Kelowna player to record five assists, accomplishing the feat against Portland on Jan. 23, 2008.

Severson had to think back to second-year bantam, playing house league for his hometown Melville, Sask., Millionaires, for his last five-point performance.

“It was the league final against Foam Lake, we won 7-6 in overtime and I had five goals and two assists,” recalled Severson, adding his side rallied from a 5-2 deficit. “That was probably the highlight of my life, and tonight was just another milestone.”

Thursday’s outburst came in front of a strong contingent of NHL scouts, who packed the press box prior to puck drop. As a draft-eligible defender, the 17-year-old Severson certainly left a positive impression. He also shot up the stats sheet, tying McColgan for the team lead at 12 points, both with two goals and 10 assists.

“I just tried to make quick plays out there tonight,” Severson said. “I tried to put the puck in other guys’ hands and they put it in the net. I didn’t score the goals, they did, I just gave them the puck.”

Afterwards, Rockets coach Ryan Huska was asked whether his team had finally turned the corner on its losing streak with Thursday’s victory.

“It’s one of many (corners),” Huska said. “I think we’ve got a ways to go.”

Despite doubling Vancouver, Kelowna again failed to put forth a complete effort. After building a 3-0 lead through 10 minutes, the Rockets coasted briefly, allowing the Giants to score twice before the end of the first period. Kelowna regained the momentum with three unanswered goals, two in the first three minutes of the second period and another just 26 seconds into the final frame.

“We kind of let off the gas in the last 10 minutes of that first period,” Severson said. “We’ve gotta play a full 60 minutes and that’s the main thing. As long as we play a full 60 minutes, we should come out on top.”

ICE CHIPS: Rockets forward Carter Rigby of Penticton was injured on an open-ice collision late in the second period with Giants defenceman Blake Orban, who was assessed an interference major and game misconduct. Rigby laid face down on the ice for a few minutes before being helped to the dressing room. He did not return. . . . Rockets defenceman Madison Bowey made his season debut after sitting out the first nine games with a knee injury. The highly regarded 16-year-old was hurt in a pre-season game against Kamloops on Sept. 9. . . . Kelowna’s scratches were LW Brett Bulmer (Minnesota Wild), RW Jessey Astles (head), D Kevin Smith (shoulder) and C Tyrell Goulbourne (leg). Vancouver’s scratches were D Neil Manning, LW Connor Redmond and RW Levi Bews.

Rockets roll past Giants, 6-3

By Larry Fisher

The Daily Courier

On Wednesday night, Ryan Huska and Don Hay were on opposing benches, matching wits and trying to one-up each other to lead their respective WHL clubs out of losing skids.

This coaching battle turned out to be a mismatch, as Huska’s Kelowna Rockets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and doubled Hay’s Vancouver Giants 6-3 at Prospera Place on Thursday night. In doing so, the Rockets (4-5-1-0) snapped a six-game losing streak that dated to Oct. 5, while the Giants (4-6-0-1) dropped their third straight decision and fourth in five games.

“We had a good start to the game and a great start to the second period that allowed us to get a bit of a lead,” said Huska, whose squad led 3-2 and 5-2 at the period breaks. “It was the night that we needed, and we needed some guys to feel good about their game. We can keep working now on the mistakes that are still causing us some problems. We just want to get everybody playing the right way and that’s our big thing right now. Points are kind of secondary to the way we’re asking guys to play.”

This time next month, Huska and Hay will be teaming up and sharing strategy in guiding Team WHL against Russia in the annual Subway Super Series, slated for Nov. 16 in Regina and Nov. 17 in Moose Jaw. Hay was named head coach of Team WHL on Wednesday, with Huska and Saskatoon Blades bench boss Lorne Molleken serving as assistants.

Then, after resuming their bitter B.C. Division rivalry for another month, Huska and Hay will form another partnership in the same roles for Team Canada at the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship, Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Calgary.

“He’s a mentor of mine, so I look up to him in a lot of ways,” said Huska, who played junior for Hay with the Kamloops Blazers in the mid-1990s before joining the coaching fraternity. “I always enjoy getting a chance to coach against him, and he’s a difficult guy to coach against because he’s not really predictable with the lines he’s putting on the ice sometimes. The (Brendan) Gallagher line we have to be careful with for sure, but he does a good job of making things difficult.”

Huska had Hay behind the 8-ball thanks to Thursday’s quick-strike offence that saw Kelowna chase Giants starter Adam Morrison by scoring three times before the midpoint of the first period.

“They came out really hard and took it to us early. It kind of put us back on our heels,” Hay said. “They needed a win, we needed a win, but they seemed to be the hungrier team.”

The Rockets got goals from six different players — Myles Bell, Zach Franko, Austin Ferguson, Colton Sissons, Spencer Main and Shane McColgan — while defenceman Damon Severson factored into five of them with a handful of helpers.

Of the half-dozen tallies, which included many for the highlight reels, two really stood out. 

Ferguson made it 3-0 with his first career WHL goal at 9:47 on a strange sequence. Gallagher bowled over Rockets goalie Adam Brown at the other end of the rink and a four-man scrum ensued in the crease, involving Kelowna’s Mitchell Chapman and Cody Chikie. Amid the chaos, the Rockets rushed the puck up ice and Ferguson banged in a rebound to bring an early end to Morrison’s night.

Then, at 2:56 of the middle frame, Main stretched the score to 5-2 by sneaking behind Vancouver’s defence on a perfectly timed line change to create a clear-cut breakaway. He finished the fortunate play by deking out replacement goalie Jackson Whistle, a Kelowna product and hard-luck loser in this contest. 

“There were some bizarre goals being scored today,” Hay said. “Both teams were giving up a lot of chances, so lots of poor defence or good offence and I’m not sure what it is right now.”

Matt Bellerive, with two goals, and Gallagher, with his team-leading eighth goal, replied for Vancouver. Jackson stopped 24 of 27 shots in relief, after Morrison yielded three goals on seven shots.

Brown made 31 saves, some of spectacular fashion, for Kelowna, which next hosts the Victoria Royals (6-5-0-0) on Saturday night before paying a return visit to Vancouver on Sunday evening.

Coaches announced for Super Series

Before getting to the Super Series, it appears the CHL wants to modify the NHL's annual entry draft. How so?


Jump on over to Patrick King's blog and have a good read.
FYI: King is based out of Ontario, but is a pro on the WHL, having lived in Lethbridge and covered the Hurricanes. 


And now the press release from the WHL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / Wed., Oct. 19, 2011

Team WHL coaching staff announced for Subway Super Series

Toronto, Ont. — The Canadian Hockey League in association with the three regional leagues the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League, today announced the coaching staffs for all six games of the 2011 SUBWAY Super Series.

Head coaching duties for the series have been assigned to Team Canada Head Coach Don Hay of the Vancouver Giants who will serve behind the bench for Team WHL, Yanick Jean of the Victoriaville Tigres and Patrick Roy of the Quebec Remparts will split games for Team QMJHL, while in Ontario, National Junior Team Assistant Coach Scott Walker of the Guelph Storm will lead Team OHL.

The SUBWAY Super Series features regional teams of CHL All-Stars competing against the Russian National Junior Team in a six-game event serving as an integral part of the identification process for Team Canada prior to the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.  Last season, Team Russia emerged with the series win for the first time in eight years of this event and would later win gold over Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, NY.

Don Hay will work the final two games of the series as Head Coach for Team WHL with Game Five set for November 16 in Regina, SK, and Game Six taking place in Moose Jaw, SK, November 17.  This season marks the second time Hay will serve as Head Coach for Canada's National Junior Team previously winning gold the last time the event was held in Alberta in 1995 when hosted by Red Deer.  Hay's coaching record in the WHL is among the best ever currently ranking fourth overall in wins, capturing three MasterCard Memorial Cup titles including 2007 with the Giants.

National Junior Team Assistant Coach Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets and Saskatoon Blades Head Coach Lorne Molleken will join Hay behind the bench as Assistant Coaches for both Team WHL games.  Huska is participating in this event for the third straight year with this season marking his second as a member of Team Canada's staff.  This is Huska's fifth season as Head Coach of the Rockets winning a WHL Championship in 2009.  He also won three Memorial Cups as a player with the Kamloops Blazers and added a fourth title in 2004 as an Assistant Coach with the Rockets.  Molleken re-joined the Blades staff for the 2004-05 season after leaving the club in 1995 to pursue various professional coaching opportunities which included two seasons as an NHL Head Coach with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1998-2000.  Prior to becoming a coach Molleken played in the WHL as a goaltender with the Swift Current/Lethbridge Broncos and the now defunct Winnipeg Clubs.

The Team WHL Training Staff was also named consisting of the Regina Pats' Greg Mayer, the Moose Jaw Warriors' Curtis Amiot and the Swift Current Broncos' Jamie LeBlanc.

Yanick Jean will open the series behind the bench for Team QMJHL when the series opens November 7 in Victoriaville, QC, with Patrick Roy serving as assistant.  The two coaches will switch roles for Game Two when the series moves to Quebec City, QC, on November 9. 

Jean, who graduated from the CHL after four seasons with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in 1996 is currently enjoying his ninth season as a coach in the QMJHL and fifth as Head Coach of the Tigres.  Roy is in his seventh straight season as the Remparts Head Coach winning a MasterCard Memorial Cup title in his first season beind the bench in 2006, the same year the former NHL goaltender was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Scott Walker will serve behind the bench for both Team OHL contests beginning with Game Three of the series November 10 in Ottawa, ON, and then again in Game Four November 14 in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.  In his first full season as Head Coach of the Storm, Walker joined the club midway through last season after retiring from an NHL career where he appeared in 829 games with Vancouver, Nashville, Carolina, and Washington. 

Joining Walker's staff will be Canada's National Junior Team Assistant George Burnett of the Belleville Bulls and Chris Byrne of the Ottawa 67's who will both serve as Assistant Coaches for the game in Ottawa, while Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Head Coach Mike Stapleton will serve as an Assistant Coach for the game in Sault Ste. Marie.

This marks the second straight year Burnett will be involved in the series as well as the National Junior Team program.  On October 13 Burnett coached in his 1,000th career OHL game.  Byrne is in his sixth season with the 67's and third as Head Coach following Hockey Hall of Fame member Brian Kilrea.  This season Byrne added General Manager to his title following Kilrea's retirement.  Stapleton, who enjoyed 697 career NHL games, is currently in his first season as Head Coach with the Greyhounds.  The former Cornwall Royal previously served as an Assistant with the Hounds from 2008-10 after three seasons with the Erie Otters.  Last season he worked in the AHL as an Assistant Coach with the Syracuse Crunch.

Game tickets for Wednesday, November 16 in Regina are available at the Brandt Centre Box Office, located in the East entrance, or Ticketmaster by calling 543.7800 Toll-free: 1.800.970.7328 or Log onto www.ticketmaster.ca <http://www.ticketmaster.ca/> .  Game tickets for Thursday, November 17 in Moose Jaw are available at the Mosaic Place Box Office - (306) 624-2050 or http://tickets.mjwarriors.ca/

***The Team WHL rosters will be announced next week.

All games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet with the two QMJHL games shown on TVA.

Rockets, Giants preview

By Larry Fisher

The Daily Courier

Sometimes the best cure for a slump is to play another struggling club.

The Kelowna Rockets (3-5-1-0) and Vancouver Giants (4-5-0-1) are two WHL franchises more often associated with winning than losing. But both teams are trying to find their way on this young season and cross paths tonight in Kelowna, 7 p.m. at Prospera Place.

The Rockets will be trying to stop a six-game losing skid, including three straight last weekend, while the Giants have dropped three of their last four games, including both weekend contests.

“I would assume that neither camp is really happy with the results that we’ve had over the last little while,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska, whose squad fell 7-5 and 4-3 in overtime at Victoria on Friday and Saturday, then suffered a 3-2 setback in Kamloops on Sunday. Vancouver was edged 3-2 at home by Seattle on Friday, then thumped 5-0 at Tri-City on Saturday.

“We’ve gotta find a way to put a good, hard 60 minutes together where we compete the entire time,” Huska continued. “That’s the big thing for us. At this time of the year, we try not to worry too much about who we are playing. We know how Vancouver plays, they are very aggressive and they work very hard. We have to be prepared for that for 60 minutes.”

Albeit early, Vancouver sits third in B.C. Division standings and Kelowna is tied for fourth — or last — with Prince George (3-6-0-1), while Kamloops (7-3-0-0) and surprisingly Victoria (6-5-0-0) are leading the pack.

The Rockets and Giants are perennial contenders and often battle for division titles, with Kelowna capturing last year’s regular-season pennant and Vancouver settling for second. They have finished 1-2 in B.C. for the past four years, with Vancouver crowned division champs the previous three seasons.

It’s expected Kelowna will rise to the top again this season, but the wins will have to start piling up sooner than later for that to happen. Kelowna’s last win was the last of three in a row to start the season, a 4-3 home victory over Tri-City on Oct. 5.

Kelowna also hosts Victoria on Saturday, then pays a return visit to Vancouver on Sunday.

“If our group’s committed to getting better and improving each time we step on the ice, then it will happen for us,” Huska said. “It’s a matter of us being all committed and all willing to compete, as I said, for 60 full minutes.”

October is a crucial month for the Rockets with nine consecutive divisional matchups, closed out by hosting Prince George next Wednesday and a home-and-home set against Kamloops that weekend. Simply put, more points are needed before the calendar flips to November.

“Yeah, we do,” Huska said. “Every game you play in, you want to get points. It’s no different from the beginning of the season to the very end of the year. Divisional games are always important, but we have to focus on the team that’s here in front of us and that’s Vancouver.”

That focus will centre around Giants forward Brendan Gallagher, who has tallied 10 points, including a team-high seven goals, in six games with a plus-five rating since returning to Vancouver from an extended stay with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. James Henry leads the Giants with 15 points, including 12 assists, in 10 games.

“(Gallagher’s) the guy that makes their team go,” Huska said, “so we have to make sure we play hard against him and give him the attention that he deserves.”

On the flip side, Shane McColgan is considered Kelowna’s top offensive catalyst. He’s tied for the team lead with 10 points in eight games, but only has one goal and a minus-six rating. Cody Chikie also has 10 points, from a balanced five goals and five assists.

“Consistency is one thing that we’re looking for out of a lot of players, and it’s not just Shane,” Huska said when asked if Kelowna needs more from McColgan. “We want to make sure that we’re all competing to score goals, so we don’t rely on one or two guys in that category. So if somebody does go into a stretch where they’re having a tough time finding the net, we have other guys picking up the slack. We’re looking for a lot more guys to be more competitive in the goal-scoring department, but also to take more pride in not giving any up in our own zone.”

McColgan, Chikie and the rest of the Rockets will likely be trying to score on a new goalie, with the Giants acquiring Adam Morrison from Saskatoon in a blockbuster deal earlier this month. Kelowna won the only meeting of the season to date, 6-3 on Oct. 1, which triggered Vancouver’s Oct. 4 trade for Morrison.

“He’s a very good goalie. He was a big part of Saskatoon’s success over the last few years,” Huska said. “If he sees a lot of pucks, he’s going to make the saves.”