Friday Night Hockey returns to the Western Hockey League for a battle of B.C. division rivals as the Kamloops Blazers play host to the Kelowna Rockets.
Kamloops is in a dog fight for a playoff spot and has two options in that regard: sneak up on Prince George and capture third spot in the division or attempt to hold off the Tri-City Americans for a wildcard spot. Things are a little different for the Rockets, who continue to keep the train rolling in an attempt to capture yet another division title. Currently Kelowna trails Victoria with two games at hand.
Kelowna Rockets
The Rockets have experienced two key injuries: goaltender Jackson Whistle, who will undergo season-ending hip surgery, and Nick Merkley, who suffered a torn ACL. Both players were key in helping the Rockets win an Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2015 and ultimately come within a goal of winning the MasterCard Memorial Cup. Having said that, the Rockets are 9-2 without Merkley.
The goaltending situation was turned over to Michael Herringer at the start of the calendar year. Since the injury to Whistle, Herringer has played in all but three of Kelowna’s 26 games. Despite pedestrian numbers, Herringer is finding a way to win games. At one point he played in 18 straight before giving way to Brodan Salmond for a few spot starts. Getting Salmond in goal while chasing down a division title will be a challenge that may ultimately affect Herringer’s fatigue level in the playoffs.
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Defensively, Kelowna has spent the season adjusting to a younger, more inexperienced group. While there’ve been some leaks, the group has not burst. Draft-eligible Lucas Johansen had a fabulous February averaging a point per game. Joe Gatenby is a fine-skating, quiet, minute eater. Devante Stephens has played in every game and is learning what it’s like to manage top-four minutes. Cal Foote has the world by the tail and there is no limit to his potential. Rounding out the top six are rookies Jonathan Smart and late bloomer Braydyn Chizen, who’s starting to draw NHL attention. Gordie Ballhorn has missed five games with an upper body issue.
| Kelowna Rockets | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44-16-3-0 (19-12-1-0 Road) 3W, 2nd BC Division, 2nd Western Conference, 7th BMO Top 10 | ||||||
| Individual Stats | ||||||
| Top Scorers | GP | G | A | PTS | Note | |
| Tyson Baillie | 61 | 37 | 49 | 86 | 4th WHL Pts | |
| Justin Kirkland | 60 | 26 | 33 | 59 | ||
| Dilon Dube | 56 | 23 | 24 | 57 | ||
| Nick Merkley | 43 | 17 | 31 | 48 | ||
| Cole Linaker | 61 | 16 | 27 | 43 | ||
| In Goal | ||||||
| Michael Herringer (23-9-1-0, 3.17, .901%) | ||||||
| Team Stats | Rank | |||||
| PP | 54/247=21.9% | 7th | ||||
| PK | 55/277=80.1% | 9th | ||||
| GF/gm | 3.65 | 4th | ||||
| GA/gm | 2.98 | 6th |
Up front, several Rockets are making up for the loss of Merkley. Tyson Baillie always produces and takes an eight-game point-scoring streak into Friday night. Rourke Chartier can explode at any given time. Justin Kirkland has played with more urgency and bite to his game, and he’s used his big shot more this season. Cole Linaker is ramping up his game towards a fourth straight playoff appearance. Imports Tomas Soustal and Calvin Thurkauf have almost identical point totals. Draft eligible Dillon Dube is over a point per game and rookie Kole Lind has all 36 points at even strength.
NHL Drafted/Signed Players
Nick Merkley (ARI, 30th 2015)
Justin Kirkland (NSH, 62nd 2014)
Devante Stephens (BUF, 122nd 2015)
Rourke Chartier (SJ, 149th 2014
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings
Dillon Dube, No. 35
Lucas Johansen, No. 38
Tomas Soustal, No. 152
Under The Radar
Kole Lind got a taste of what it’s like to be on a championship team with a call up last season.
Kamloops Blazers
Kamloops has had an interesting season in that general manager Craig Bonner moved on to a pro opportunity, while the Blazers turned back the clock bringing in former GM Stu MacGregor. He is a Kamloops resident who has equal knowledge of the market as he does the ownership and coaching staff. He brings a wealth of pro knowledge having most recently been the head scout for the Edmonton Oilers.
The Blazers have Connor Ingram in goal. He routinely sees 33 or more shots per game and that has helped his save percentage. On most nights, he gives Kamloops a chance to win, but in order for the Blazers to wrap up a divisional playoff spot, he will likely have to steal a few games as most of the Blazers’ remaining schedule includes teams they are battling with for playoff position.
| Kamloops Blazers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29-25-5-4 (16-10-4-2,) L, 4th B.C. Division, 8th Western Conference | |||||
| Individual Stats | |||||
| Top Scorers | GP | G | A | PTS | Note |
| Collin Shirley | 63 | 33 | 37 | 70 | 18th WHL Pts |
| Matt Needham | 58 | 20 | 36 | 56 | |
| Gage Quinney | 47 | 25 | 28 | 53 | |
| Deven Sideroff | 54 | 18 | 34 | 52 | |
| Matt Revel | 58 | 18 | 27 | 45 | |
| In Goal | |||||
| Connor Ingram (26-15-5-4, 2.77, .917%) | |||||
| Team Stats | Rank | ||||
| PP | 46/238=19.3% | 12th | |||
| PK | 39/213=81.7% | 5th | |||
| GF/gm | 3.25 | 11th | |||
| GA/gm | 3.25 | 14th |
Kamloops has leaned on overager and New Jersey prospect Ryan Rehill and first-year draft eligible Dawson Davidson to provide scoring from the back end. Dallas Valentine and Ondrej Vala provide size. Nolan Kneed and Conner McDonald represent the future.
Up front, Deven Sideroff is an Anaheim prospect with speed to burn. He is particularly useful while shorthanded. Collin Shirley has been a man on a mission and his five-point performance over two Canada-Russia games in November were surprising to everyone but Blazers’ fans, who have watched him do it all season long.
Gage Quinney has benefitted from opportunity, playing higher up in the Blazers lineup than where he was in Kelowna. He has almost as many goals with Kamloops as he had in two previous seasons with Kelowna and Prince Albert combined. Matt Needham and Matt Revel have combined for over 100 points.
Kamloops is a team that requires balanced scoring, and elevated powerplay success will aid in that regard. Rookie Garrett Pilon has had a fine rookie season. Overall, it’s a young group that leans on its veterans while the youth develops.
NHL Drafted/Signed Players
Deven Sideroff (ANA, 84th 2015)
Ryan Rehill (NJ, 131st 2014)
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings
Ondrej Vala, No. 70
Garrett Pilon, No. 187
Dawson Davidson, No. 197
Connor Ingram #12 goalies
Under The Radar
Dawson Davidson earned Telus Cup top defenceman honours in 2014. He’s taken his point producing ways into the WHL without sacrificing responsibilities in his own end. Has high hockey IQ and is a slick puck mover.