It乌鸦传媒檚 down to a matter of days. Kelowna Rockets fans will welcome back their team Saturday night when the Rockets open the season against the Spokane Chiefs.
It乌鸦传媒檚 been an eventful off-season since the Rockets were knocked out of playoff contention last March in a tiebreaker game to the Kamloops Blazers. Trades, drafts, NHL camps and the Memorial Cup enveloped both the Rockets players and management.
Now, the start of the season is knocking on the doors of Prospera Place.
乌鸦传媒淣o more radical changes for us,乌鸦传媒� said general manager Bruce Hamilton.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e going to be fine when the season starts, there will be some fine-tuning. The big thing will be to get off on the right foot and we乌鸦传媒檙e excited to get going.乌鸦传媒�
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The pre-season wrapped up this weekend for the WHL and through the almost three weeks of exhibition games, the Rockets have been able to see how the young prospects look and how the returning players will best fit into the lineup.
Several Kelowna players have been busy with NHL camps including Nolan Foote in Tampa Bay and Kaedan Korczak in Las Vegas. Newly acquired players Sean Comrie and Dillon Hamaliuk will also soon return to make their Rockets debuts after being traded for at the WHL draft in May.
Hamilton said he乌鸦传媒檚 excited to see the new players but has been impressed with the young prospects looking to potentially crack this year乌鸦传媒檚 rosters.
乌鸦传媒淒uring the pre-season, we got to look at the young guys we wanted to get looks at. It gives us an understanding of where we乌鸦传媒檙e going to be, come next season,乌鸦传媒� he said.
Hamilton noted that he乌鸦传媒檚 liked what he乌鸦传媒檚 seen from young stars Trevor Wong, Elias Carmichael, Jackson DeSouza and Vernon乌鸦传媒檚 Steel Quiring.
With the strength and depth of this years乌鸦传媒� Memorial Cup Rockets roster, the young guns may not get as much ice time as desired, but Hamilton notes that all will be exceptional for the team乌鸦传媒檚 future.
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The start of the season on Saturday also kicks off the race for the Memorial Cup, which Kelowna will host next May.
It乌鸦传媒檚 been 15 years since Kelowna last hosted the cup and four years since the Rockets last played in the CHL championships. The Rockets management and coaching staff are beginning to feel the buzz around the city and the team ahead of the Memorial Cup乌鸦传媒檚 return to the Okanagan.
乌鸦传媒淭he city is starting to build up and the Memorial Cup committee is finishing up all the events and the planning has gone well,乌鸦传媒� said Hamilton.
As for the players, be they returning from camps or finishing the WHL pre-season, one of their biggest seasons of their junior hockey careers is about to kick off.
乌鸦传媒淥ur coaches have been through enough to know how this is all going to work out, and from their coaching perspective, (the players) are anxious to get back on the ice and start the season.乌鸦传媒�
Season tickets are still available, which also gives fans the chance at the first available Memorial Cup tickets.
The Rockets open the season Saturday night against Spokane at 7 p.m.
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