The Kelowna Rockets were represented well at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville last week.
Early in the second round on Thursday morning (June 29), the Washington Capitals picked the Rockets current super star Andrew Cristall with the 40th overall selection.
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乌鸦传媒� Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets)
乌鸦传媒淚t feels unbelievable to finally have my name called,乌鸦传媒� said Cristall to the media after getting drafted. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 really special and I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 be happier with Washington.乌鸦传媒�
In 115 career WHL games, all with the Rockets, the 18-year old has put up 164 points (67 goals, 97 assists).
But Cristall wasn乌鸦传媒檛 the only Rocket selected as in the third round of the draft, the Seattle Kraken selected Rockets defenceman Caden Price 84th overall.
PRICE IS RIGHT 馃
乌鸦传媒� Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken)
With the 84th overall pick, the select Caden Price!
乌鸦传媒淲hen I heard my name called, there was a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders,乌鸦传媒� said Price. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a new franchise in the league and I乌鸦传媒檓 super excited to get started.乌鸦传媒�
The 17-year old has 61 points (seven goals, 54 assists) to his name in 112 WHL games.
Both Cristall and Price went right from Nashville to their respective new NHL cities for development camp. All NHL franchises are holding development camps for their prospects this week and many other current and former Kelowna Rockets also have been invited to NHL development camps.
On top of Cristall and Price, there are three other current Rockets that accepted invites to camps:
乌鸦传媒� Forward Gabriel Sztruc - Tampa Bay Lightning;
乌鸦传媒� Defenceman Jackson DeSouza - Detroit Red Wings;
乌鸦传媒� Goaltender Kari Kykkanen - Calgary Flames.
Former Rockets attending camps are:
乌鸦传媒� Forward Colton Dach - Chicago Blackhawks (drafted by team in 2021);
乌鸦传媒� Goaltender Talyn Boyko - New York Rangers (drafted by team in 2021);
乌鸦传媒� Forward Pavel Novak - Minnesota Wild (draft by team in 2020);
乌鸦传媒� Forward Carson Golder - Winnipeg Jets (invited);
乌鸦传媒� Forward Adam Kydd - Calgary Flames (invited);
乌鸦传媒� Forward Trevor Wong - Dallas Stars (invited);
乌鸦传媒� Forward Alex Swetlikoff - Vegas Golden Knights (invited).
Additionally, the Rockets newest player, Jakub Stancl, is attending the St. Louis Blues development camp after he was drafted by the team in the fourth round of the NHL Draft. He was also drafted by the Rockets on Wednesday, July 5 in the CHL Import Draft.
