Trevor Wong (Paige Bednorz / Kelowna Rockets)
Before the pandemic
The 2019-20 season was a great moment for the hosts of the Memorial Cup. After losing nine of 12 games after the close of trading on Jan. 10, the Rockets fired head coach Adam Foote in mid-February and promoted assistant Kris Mallette to lead the way behind the bench.
They started to improve when players came back from injuries, but their chance to face Canada’s best big junior teams would go away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Season review
Even with several key elements moving away from last year’s roster and having their season paused for nearly three weeks after positive COVID-19 tests within the team cohort, the Rockets have overcome those challenges and set a 10-5-1-0 record their abbreviated 16-game table to earn the second highest point percentage in the BC division.
It was also a strong performance on offense as they increased their goals per game from 2.87 to 3.62, the highest average since 3.88 in 2017-18.
At the other end of the rink, the Rockets have nearly hit their 3.30 goals against last season’s average with a 3.31 mark this season.
Forward situation
00s
- Dillon Hamaliuk (6-7-13 in 16 games – San Jose Sharks Prospect)
- David Kope (6-9-15 in 16 games)
01’s
- Mark Liwiski (9-5-14 in 16 games)
- Alex Swetlikoff (6-9-15 in 15 games)
02er
- Ethan Bowen (Unsigned 2nd Round Pick 2017 – 10/11/21 in 19 games for the Chilliwack Chiefs – Engaged for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks – Anaheim Ducks Draft Pick)
- Ethan Ernst (0-0-0 in two games)
- Pavel Novak (0-1-1 in 15 games for Motor Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic – 25-33-58 in 55 games for the Rockets in 19-20 – Minnesota Wild Draft Pick)
- Jake Poole (2-7-9 in 15 games)
03’s
- Turner McMillen (2-6-8 in 16 games)
- Steel Quiring (2-1-3 in 13 games)
- Dylan Wightman (4-3-7 in 16 games)
- Trevor Wong (6-10-16 in 16 games)
04er
- Scott Cousins (1-3-4 in 13 games)
- Daimon Gardner (Unsigned 8th Round Pick 2019 – 1-3-4 in 25 games for the Omaha Lancers – Dedicated to the Clarkson Golden Knights)
- Nolan Flamand (1-6-7 in 16 games)
- Rilen Kovacevic (0-0-0 in three games)
05er
- Andrew Cristall (2-3-5 in 14 games)
- Marcus Pacheco (3rd round pick in 2020 – 0-4-4 in two games for the OHA Edmonton U18 prep team – 15-24-39 in 30 games for the 2019-20 OHA Edmonton U15 prep team)
Kelowna’s forward line-up has been possibly the biggest question mark that surrounds the team this season. Kyle Topping and Matthew Wedman had both aged out of the league, Nolan Foote had started his professional career and Pavel Novak couldn’t return from Europe.
As it turned out, the Rockets offensive was the strongest aspect of the squad. Trevor Wong enjoyed a stellar second season as his per-game scores got the Vancouver-18-year-old into the NHL draft discussion. Overagers David Kope and Dillon Hamaliuk were right behind Wong in the team scoring race, while veterans Mark Liwiski and Alex Swetlikoff would have broken their season highlight during a normal campaign.
The young faces also showed what they had to offer, with former Prince Albert Minto Turner McMillen and Nolan Flamand of Saskatoon posting solid numbers in their rookie seasons, along with Andrew Cristall for the 2020 first round.
Defense situation
00s
- Sean Comrie (0-9-9 in 16 games – Dedicated to Grant MacEwan Griffins for next season)
01’s
- Tyson Feist (2-8-10 in 14 games)
- Kaedan Korczak (3-5-8 in 15 games – Vegas Golden Knights Prospect)
- Jake Lee (3-7-10 in 16 games)
02er
- Robert Kincaid (Unsigned 9th Round Pick 2017 – 1-10-11 in 26 games for the Minot Minotaurs – Committed to the Maine Black Bears)
- Michael Krutil (Unsigned 2020 Import Draft Pick – 0-3-3 in 21 games for the Rockford IceHogs – Chicago Blackhawks Draft Pick)
- Jarod Newell (Tri-City’s 4th round pick 2017 – 0-1-1 in six games for the Camrose Kodiaks – 0-0-0 in nine games with the Americans and Rockets in 2019-20 – 0-6-6 in 23 .) Games for the Kodiaks 2019-20)
03’s
- Elias Carmichael (2-4-6 in 14 games)
- Jackson Desouza (0-1-1 in four games)
- Noah Dorey (1-2-3 in nine games)
- William Irvine (0-0-0 in four games)
04er
- John Babcock (0-1-1 in nine games)
05er
- Caden Price (2nd Round Pick 2020 – 2-2-4 in six games for the Saskatoon Under-18 Contacts – 31-24-55 in 31 games for the Saskatoon Under-15 Generals 2019-20)
Had the 2020-21 campaign gone normally, Kaedan Korczak, the potential Vegas Golden Knights contestant, would potentially be the biggest name in the trading market, especially as the Rockets are looking to reclaim assets they used on their Memorial Cup team. Instead, the 20-year-old from Yorkton stayed in Kelowna for the last part of a hectic season in which he competed in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights and Canada’s junior world team.
Alongside Korczak, the Rockets’ blueline was led by their veterans as Jake Lee and Tyson Feist both cracked the double-digit scores, closely followed by overager Sean Comrie.
The leading backend youngster was sophomore Elias Carmichael, who scored six points in 14 competitions after scoring 10 points in 59 games during his rookie campaign.
Goalkeeper situation
00s
01’s
- Roman Basran (4-2-1 with an ATM of 3.86, a savings percentage of 0.876, and zero shutouts)
- Cole Schwebius (5-3-0 with a 3.11 GAA, a 0.891 save percentage and a shutout)
02er
- Cole Tisdale (8th Round Pick 2017 – played a game for the Whitecourt Wolverines – 10-7-1 with a GAA of 3.34, a save percentage of 0.901 and a shutout for the Camrose Kodiaks in 2019-20 – won Game for the Rockets 2019-20)
03’s
04er
- Nicholas Cristiano (1-0-0 with an ATM of 1.00, a savings percentage of 0.969, and zero shutouts)
05er
While Roman Basran had solidified himself as a starter with the Rockets in the last two seasons, he and Cole Schwebius separated this spring, with Schewbius posting the better numbers. Since the aging situation in Kelowna has yet to be clarified, the two of them could compete in the training camp to find out who leads the way between the pipes at the end.
Currently, 19-year-old Cole Tisdale and 16-year-old Nicolas Cristiano are the only other two goalkeepers to have signed with the club. Cristiano, who scored 31 saves on his WHL debut against the Victoria Royals, appears to have the insider in the backup role unless the Rockets make any trades or signings this summer.
looking ahead
With at least six Overagers vying for three spots on the roster (which could rise to seven if the Golden Knights sent Korczak back to Kelowna), the way General Manager Bruce Hamilton helped build the Rockets squad the next could be Year ahead, one of the more interesting off-season storylines will be.
Offensive should be solid, especially if Novak returns from Europe, but depth of defense and whoever the goalkeeping tandem is could determine whether the Rockets can deserve a spot in the top half of the Western Conference.
The biggest question, however, is whether Kelowna will get the chance to host the Memorial Cup in 2023, when the WHL is expected to host the tournament again. The Kamloops Blazers, who along with the Lethbridge Hurricanes lost to the Rockets in the 2020 tournament bid process, are making noise that they have a better team than the Rockets for this season and should host the event that is just the rivalry between the two Heat up the sides.
One problem the Rockets might face building their roster if they host the CHL’s showcase event in two years’ time is their limited draft capital. Since there is no real trading deadline to regain the picks this year, they currently only have a third round choice in 2021 and a fifth round choice in 2022 out of the first ten rounds of the next two draft prospectuses.
You have second and fifth round selections in 2023, as well as all of your selections in the first five rounds for 2024, but risk selling your future all over again, only to be competitive for a week in May and be a wasteland when the 2023/24 season starts.
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