Game notes vs. Tips

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets are riding a four game winning streak heading into tonight’s tilt with the Everett Silvertips. This is the first game against a non-BC Division opponent after playing four consecutive games against Kamloops (6-1) and Prince George (7-2 and 8-2) and Vancouver (7-5). This is the first of four meetings between the Rockets and Tips this season. The Rockets make one more visit on March 3, 2015. The Tips play two games in Kelowna this season but need to make one trip to accomplish it. The Tips and Rockets meet for back-to-back games at Prospera Place on the weekend of January 23^rd and 24^th. Last season the Rockets were 3-1-0-0 in the four game seasonal series, out-scoring the Tips 16-12. Following tonight’s game, the Rockets are in Seattle tomorrow night before welcoming the Swift Current Broncos on Tuesday.

Goulby Gallops Back: The Kelowna Rockets get faster and tougher with the return of 20 year-old Tyrell Goulbourne. The Edmonton product returned to the team Thursday night after attending the training camp of the Philadelphia Flyers. A third round pick from 2013, Goulbourne scored a career high 17 goal and collected 37 points in 68 games last season. In three full seasons with the Rockets, ‘Goulby’ has registered 385 penalty minutes and is regarded as one of the fastest skaters on the team.   

Hot Start for Stadel: Riley Stadel is off to another terrific start this season. The 18 year-old has 7 points in his first four games. Last season, in his first nine games, Stadel manufactured seven goals and 12 points.  

This and That: The Rockets are one of only four teams in the WHL that are undefeated so far this season. The others are Brandon, Spokane and Everett…Cole Martin leads the WHL in +/- with a plus 9…..Martin’s goal Wednesday night was his first in 114 regular season games…..Nick Merkley leads the WHL in assists with 9….The Rockets are rated as the 4^th best team in Canada according to this week’s CHL Top 10 Junior rankings…Rookie Dillon Dube will represent Canada at the Under 17 World Hockey Challenge at the end of the month. Dube will play for Team White. Rockets Head Coach Dan Lambert will coach Team Red….The Kelowna Rockets have never won four straight games to start the regular season. Nope, not even the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2009 teams have been able to accomplish the feat…The Rockets are an incredible 113-27-3-5 in their last 148 regular season games dating back to the start of the 2012-2013 season….The Rockets have scored 7 or more goals three times this season. Last season the team scored 7 or more goals 9 times….The Rockets are 8-3-0-0 in their last 11 appearance in Everett dating back to the start of the 2009-2010 season….The Rockets haven’t been shutout in Everett since February 10, 2010 in a 4-0 loss. Thomas Heemskerk made 36 saves in the victory….The last time the Rockets shutout the Tips in Everett during the regular season was November 28/2003 when Kelly Guard made 13 saves in a 1-0 win. Darren Deschamps scored the lone goal in the victory…Madison Bowey leads the WHL in power play assists with 6…The Rockets have scored five shorthanded goals this season. Last season the team managed 13 shorthanded goals and had the best penalty killing unit in the WHL…Colton Heffley plays in his 248^th career game tonight….…Last season the Rockets were 3-1-0-0 after four games and scored 19 goals while allowing 11 against. This season after four games the team is 4-0-0-0 and have scored 28 times and have allowed 10 goals against…The Rockets have scored a power play goal in all four games…The opposition has opened the scoring in three of the four games….The Rockets have out-shot the opposition in all four games this season…Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton is part of the management team for the Canadian World Junior Hockey team which will compete at the upcoming WJHC in Montreal and Toronto at Christmas…Last season the Rockets were 15-3-0-2 against the U.S Division…Jackson Whistle is 3-1-0-1 in five career starts in Everett. One of those starts was a shootout loss as a member of the Vancouver Giants…The most goals these two teams have combined for in Everett is 14. The Tips beat the Rockets 8-6 back on October 17, 2008…The Rockets are in the midst of playing four of their last five games on the road.      

Bowey on pace for big year: Captain Madison Bowey has 8 points in two games since returning from the training camp of the Washington Capitals. The single season Kelowna Rockets team record for most points by a defenceman is held by Burt Henderson, who recorded 74 points during the 1995-96 season. Tyson Barrie came close in 2009-2010 when the now Colorado Avalanche d-man had 72 points. Last season Bowey had 60 points including a franchise record 21 goals from the blue line. Bowey has a good chance of playing for Canada at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships which are being shared by the cities of Montreal and Toronto. In 203 career games, Bowey has 120 points (43 goals and 77 assists).