A round-up of results from junior hockey teams in the Okanagan.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelowna vs. Spokane
The Kelowna Rockets will take their first steps on Saturday evening in their march towards the Memorial Cup in May.
With the WHL’s 2019-20 season now underway, the Rockets will open their season at home against the Spokane Chiefs. Game time at Prospera Place is 7 p.m.
On Friday, Spokane (1-0-0-0) opened its season with a 4-3 road win in Kamloops (0-1-0-0).
Jake McGrew, a San Jose Sharks prospect, paced the Chiefs with two goals, as Spokane outshot the Blazers 37-34. Luke Toporowski and Connor Gabruch also scored for the Chiefs, who received a 31-save effort from rookie goalie Lukas Parik.
Last season, Spokane was projected to be a title contender, but fell just short of that lofty goal, though the Chiefs (40-21-2-5, 87 points) advanced to the Western Conference final, losing to Vancouver.
This season, Spokane has a new head coach in Manny Viveiros, who took over after former Rocket bench boss Danny Lambert left the club in June to become an assistant coach with the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
Other Spokane Chiefs head coaches currently coaching in the NHL include Bill Peters, head coach of the Calgary Flames, and Mike Babcock, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Meanwhile, in Kelowna, the Rockets are turning the page on last season – a campaign in which they failed to make the playoffs. Now they’re hosting the Memorial Cup, and the elevated pressures that come with it.
“We don’t even talk about last year with our group,” Rockets head coach Adam Foote said in a press release.
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“We have quite a few new faces, we’ve instilled a new culture for this season. It was a long break, and we have a fresh start, it’s going to be a long season. We talk about developing and moving forward.”
Kelowna made several off-season trades, acquiring five new players, along with a new import, Czech forward Pavel Novak, who was selected in the CHL’s 2019 import draft at 13th overall.
In preseason play, the Rockets were a bland 2-3-0-1, with all three losses against Kamloops – though to be fair, preseason rosters are more about the future than the current season.
For example, the team didn’t have several regulars, including winger Nolan Foote, who was second in team scoring. Foote is expected to miss Saturday’s season opener, as he’s still in Tampa Bay, attending training camp.
“Training 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,” said coach Adam Foote.
“Some of them we’re gone for a while, and we haven’t had our full lineup yet; it’s nice to have almost everyone back. What was good about having guys away is that you can put players in different situations to see how they can handle it.
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Notably, Spokane went 1-4-0-1, but had nine players away at NHL camps.
Also, on the WHL website, according to a broadcasters’ poll, Vancouver will be the top team in the Western Conference. Last season, the Giants (48-15-3-2, 101 pts.) steamrolled the B.C. Division and took top spot in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they advanced to the league final, falling to Prince Albert (54-10-2-2, 112 pts.), the league’s top team.
The poll predicts Calgary and Saskatoon to be the top contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Merritt 4, West Kelowna 1
At Merritt, Daniel Tkac had a two-point outing, notching a goal and an assist, as the Centennials earned their first win of the season by defeating the visiting Warriors on Friday night.
Brett Roloson, Thomas Manty and Payton Matsui also scored for Merritt (1-3-0-0), which rallied from a 2-1 deficit with three unanswered goals over the final two periods.
Levi Stauber, who opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the contest, and Lucas Cullen, who made it 2- at 3:31 of the first period, scored for West Kelowna (1-4-1-0).
Ryan Winter stopped 37 of 39 shots for the Cents, with Johnny Derrick turning aside 42 of 46 shots for the Warriors. Both teams were 1-for-4 on the power play.
Victoria 5, Vernon 1
At Vernon, the Grizzlies scored three times in the first period en route to a four-goal road win over the Vipers.
Darwin Lakoduk, Brendan Bowie, Marty Westhaver, Stephen Konroyd and Bryce Anderson scored for Victoria (3-2-0-0), which gave up the game’s first goal but responded with five unanswered markers.
Connor Marritt, at 5:29 of the first period, scored for Vernon (2-2-0-0).
Joe Howe stopped 41 of 42 shots for Victoria, with Max Palaga turning aside 25 of 30 shots for Vernon.
The Grizzlies were 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Vipers were 0-for-4.
In BCHL action for Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, undefeated Penticton (4-0-0-0) will visit Cowichan Valley (5-1-0-0), undefeated Salmon Arm (4-0-0-0) will host Victoria, Powell River (5-1-0-0) visits Vernon and West Kelowna hosts winless Trail (0-5-1-0).
KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelowna 5, Chase 4 (OT)
At Kelowna, Kayson Gallant scored the game-winner, in double overtime, as the Chiefs defeated the Heat in Kelowna’s home opener at Rutland Arena on Friday night.
Prior to the game, the Chiefs held a tribute to former team president and GM Grant Sheridan, 47, who died on July 28 after contracting bacterial meningitis in the spring.
Other Friday results:
- Princeton 5, Castlegar 1
- Spokane 6, Sicamous 5
- North Okanagan 3, Kamloops 2
- Grand Forks 5, Osoyoos 3
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