With a plethora of new players set to wear Rockets jerseys this season, Kelowna is ready to start the year Saturday on a new slate.
After last seasonsa国际传媒檚 tie-breaker loss to the Kamloops Blazers that knocked Kelowna out of the playoffs, the Rocketssa国际传媒� added new coaching and nearly 10 new players to the roster this year. With the Memorial Cup ahead, the Rockets are starting the year on a fresh page.
sa国际传媒淲e donsa国际传媒檛 even talk about last year with our group,sa国际传媒� said head coach Adam Foote.
sa国际传媒淲e have quite a few new faces, wesa国际传媒檝e instilled a new culture for this season. It was a long break, and we have a fresh start, itsa国际传媒檚 going to be a long season. We talk about developing and moving forward.sa国际传媒�
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For the first time in eight years, the Rockets will open up the season against a team other than the Blazers. Kelowna hosts the Spokane Chiefs in their home-opener Saturday night for the first time since 1996.
Starting the season with a change seems to be fitting for the Rockets as they embrace the year with multiple changes in their roster which started at the WHL Bantam Draft in May.
In the near five months of the off-season, the Rockets added defenceman Jake Lee, Carson Sass and Sean Comrie, forwards Dillon Hamaliuk, Jake Poole, Deegan Mofford and Pavel Novak as well as goalie Cole Schwebius. Meanwhile, Trevor Wong and Elias Carmichael, two young players, have cracked the opening night roster for the Rockets.
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Kelowna got a good look at the young players and new faces during training camps and with a large chunk of the Rocketssa国际传媒� core away at NHL camps. But ahead of Saturdaysa国际传媒檚 puck-drop, the Rockets will start the season minus just Nolan Foote.
sa国际传媒淭raining camp is an interesting dynamic where you have younger lineups to start. For us we had a young lineup, we had seven guys away at NHL camps. Some of them wesa国际传媒檙e gone for a while, and we havensa国际传媒檛 had our full lineup yet, itsa国际传媒檚 nice to have almost everyone back,sa国际传媒� said Foote.
Newly-acquired Rockets player Dillon Hamaliuk will make his debut Saturday night. The left-winger was traded to Kelowna at the draft and had a busy off-season after being drafted 55th overall at Junesa国际传媒檚 NHL draft and playing for the San Jose Sharks rookie camps.
sa国际传媒淧laying with the Rockets has been a long time coming, Isa国际传媒檝e been waiting for this moment since May,sa国际传媒� said Hamaliuk.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e found that everyone here is super accepting, it has helped me get adjusted. Spokane is a hard-working team, I think we should be able to dominate them if we play our game.sa国际传媒�
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A tailgate party in downtown Kelowna will lead into Saturday nightsa国际传媒檚 puck-drop.
The Rockets start the season at 7 p.m. at Prospera Place.
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