Prior to this season, neither nor had played a single minute of major junior hockey.

Based on the first couple of months of the 2017-18 campaign, the Kelowna Rockets乌鸦传媒� goaltending future looks to be in capable hands.

In early October, Porter, 17, stepped into the club乌鸦传媒檚 No. 1 role and hasn乌鸦传媒檛 looked back since.

The Bonners Ferry, Idaho native boasts a 10-4-0 record and has been arguably his team乌鸦传媒檚 best player in a handful of games already this season.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e been thrilled with James Porter, he乌鸦传媒檚 taken the ball and really run with it,乌鸦传媒� Rockets乌鸦传媒� president and GM Bruce Hamilton said of Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 seventh-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.

乌鸦传媒淥ur concern is we don乌鸦传媒檛 want to wear him down, there乌鸦传媒檚 not a lot to him (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) right now, so we have to take care of him and get him some games off when he needs them.乌鸦传媒�

Basran, 16, a third-round bantam pick last year, made his Rockets乌鸦传媒� debut Saturday, Nov. 18 in Vancouver, stopping 16 of 18 shots in relief of Porter.

Just a week later, Basran made an unforgettable first WHL start, stopping 38 shots for the over the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Contrary to how most people might expect a 16-year-old rookie to react in his first start in front of more than 5,200 fans, Basran said he felt calm and ready for the task at hand.

乌鸦传媒淚 wasn乌鸦传媒檛 that nervous because I乌鸦传媒檇 been thinking of that day and preparing for it basically every day for the last two years,乌鸦传媒� said Basran, who was called up from the BCMML乌鸦传媒檚 Okanagan Rockets after an injury to Brodan Salmond. 乌鸦传媒淚 just come to the rink with a positive attitude, try and treat every game the same and keep it simple.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 an honour and great experience to be here,乌鸦传媒� he added, 乌鸦传媒淚 just want to make the most if it.乌鸦传媒�

Roman "The Mayor" Basran has a night to remember as the Rockets shutout the Tigers 4-0. Story: 馃殌馃悏

乌鸦传媒� Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets)

Hamilton said Basran has all the tools to develop into a solid WHL netminder.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 a prototypical newer goalie, a big guy and very athletic,乌鸦传媒� Hamilton said of Basran, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Richmond product. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 a confident young guy with a bit of swagger, so we乌鸦传媒檙e looking forward to see him develop further.乌鸦传媒�

However long Basran stays with the WHL club this season, Hamilton said the Rockets will be mindful not to heap too much responsibility on his shoulders this early in his career.

At the start of the 2001-02 campaign, the Kelowna GM said the Rockets exercised poor judgment with their No. 1 draft pick, goalie Josh Lepp乌鸦传媒攑laying him too much, too soon乌鸦传媒攁nd are determined not to make the same mistake with Basran.

乌鸦传媒淲e have to be careful, he乌鸦传媒檚 only 16 and we乌鸦传媒檙e not going to heap too much on him and put him a position to fail,乌鸦传媒� said Hamilton. 乌鸦传媒淯nfortunately with Josh (Lepp), he was 16, we didn乌鸦传媒檛 do a very good job with him. We learned an important lesson from that.乌鸦传媒�

With the injured Salmond not due to return until after Christmas, Hamilton said Basran will quite likely stay with the club until then.

Just how his time is divided between the WHL and the major midget level over the next several months remains to be seen.

乌鸦传媒淚t could be that we shuttle him back and forth between our team and the midgets, we have to make sure he乌鸦传媒檚 still playing lots,乌鸦传媒� Hamilton said.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 no doubt that our (goaltending) future is these two guys, Porter and Basran, and we have to make sure we manage them the right way,乌鸦传媒� he added.

Meanwhile, Salmond, 19, has been rehabbing from a knee injury and hasn乌鸦传媒檛 seen action since Nov. 4.

On Friday, the Rockets (14-8-2-1) will head to Spokane to take on Dan Lambert乌鸦传媒檚 Chiefs for the second time this season.

Kelowna is back home Saturday for its lone meeting of the season with the Kootenay Ice. Face off at Prospera Place is 7:05 p.m.

The Rockets begin their traditional pre-Christmas tour of the Prairies on Friday, Dec. 8 in Regina.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

whenderson@kelownacapnews.com
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