“We are committed to do what it takes to have a championship team in place for the 2019-2020 season,” said Bruce Hamilton, Kelowna Rockets general manager, in March of 2019.
Ever since that announcement, Kelowna Rockets fans have been speculating, pontificating and wondering what moves the franchise would make in order to ice a team capable of winning it all.
As of 2 p.m. Friday and WHL trade deadline, the Rocket’s roster is set and all the pieces are in play, but the question is will the all those pieces add up to a Memorial Cup?
Hamilton has spent the last few days behind closed doors, on the phone. He’s trying to build the best team he can, in preparation for hosting junior hockey’s biggest prize, in May.
Arguably, the biggest question for the future was who would the Rockets rely on for a netminder.
There will be no changes between the pipes for the Rockets.
With a goals against average of 2.49 per game, a save percentage of .914 and a record of 16 wins and 10 losses, Roman Basran will continue to backstop the team.
However, the franchise did make a number of moves leading up to and just prior to the WHL trade deadline.
Late Wednesday night, the Rockets added another badly needed defensemen to the blue line corps.
Kelowna acquired Tyson Fiest from the Regina Pats for a fourth round pick, in the 2020 draft.
“We needed another guy with the injury to Sean Comrie,” said Hamilton. “Our 16 year-olds are getting into positions that won’t be good for them, in the second half of the year.”
On Thursday, face-off specialist Jadon Joseph was sent to the Tri-City Americans.
Trading Joseph will make room on the roster for the return of Kyle Topping, who has just returned to skating after suffering a broken ankle.
Topping will take the third 20 year-old spot on the team, along with the recently acquired Matthew Wedman and Connor McDonald.
Early Friday morning, the Rockets filled their second foreign import position. They sent a sixth-round draft pick, to the Calgary Hitman, for Jonas Peterek, who is from the Czech Republic.
The 6’2″ winger has eight goals and eight assists for Calgary, this season.
Peterek is expected to join the Rockets, this weekend.
The acquisition of Peterek guarantee’s that Lassi Thomson will not return to the team, this season.
So in the end, in order to ‘have a championship team in place’ the Rockets have managed to add Matthew Wedman, Connor McDonald, Tyson Fiest and Jonas Peterak to their line up.
Now the team has a little over three months to gel, before they host the best team of the CHL, at the Memorial Cup.
The Rockets start a home at home series tonight in Kamloops, against the Blazers, as they chase the Victoria Royals for second place in the BC Division.