Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Kelowna Rockets-Calgary Hitmen Connections

  • Kelowna Rockets forward Ian Duval should know something about the Calgary Hitmen. Duval played with the franchise for 125 games before being traded to Moose Jaw earlier this season. Duval collected 88 points in those 125 regular season games with the Hitmen, helping them to the Eastern Conference final last season before losing out to Lethbridge.
  • Duval's only career hat trick came as a member of the Hitmen. Duval scored three times October 27/07 against the then expansion Edmonton Oil Kings.
  • Duval will be celebrating a birthday in this series. Duval will turn 21 on May 7th, which is game five of this series. Teammate Lucas Bloodoff will turn 20 on May 5th, which is the day between games three and four in Kelowna.
  • The two starting goaltenders in this series have something in common. The Rockets Mark Guggenberger and Hitmen netminder Martin Jones share the same birth date. Guggenberger was born January 10,1989 while Jones was born January 10, 1990.
  • Rockets defenseman Tysen Dowzak also blows out the candles on the same day as Hitmen forward Brandon Kozun. Both celebrate birthdays on March 8th.
  • Hitmen head coach Dave Lowry and Rockets assistant coach Jeff Finley played for the same NHL organization. Both are alumni of the St. Louis Blues. Lowry played five seasons with the Blues from 1988 until 1993. Finley played 6 seasons with the Blues from 1998 until 2004.
  • Name the two first round NHL draft picks of the Calgary Flames that have played for the Kelowna Rockets? Mikael Backlund was selected by the Flames in 2007 and Chuck Kobasew was picked in the opening round in 2001. Backlund was selected 24th overall while Kobasew was picked 14th overall.
  • Name the two members of the Kelowna Rockets that have been to a Western Hockey League championship series? Both are coaches. Head coach Ryan Huska won 3 WHL titles as a player with the Kamloops Blazers, while assistant Ryan Cuthbert won a league title as the captain of the Rockets in 2003.
  • What two players in this series - one from each team - were involved in a Western Hockey League trade together? Rockets forward Kyle St. Denis and Hitmen forward Jason MacDonald were part of a six player deal when the Regina Pats dealt them to Kelowna for Kirt Hill, Kaspars Sauletis and Troy Ofukany. The Rockets also picked up Justin Bernhardt in that deal.
  • MacDonald played just 40 games in a Rockets uniform. MacDonald scored just two goals with the Rockets, against Chilliwack and Portland.
  • Kim Sylvester is the office/store manager for the Kelowna Rockets. Big deal you say? Well she is also the mother of Calgary Hitmen rookie forward Cody Sylvester. Cody is a 8th round bantam pick of the Hitmen from 2007.
  • Rockets forward Cody Almond and the Hitmen's Carson McMillan could be teammates in the near future. The two are draft picks of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. Almond was drafted in the 5th round in 2007 while McMillan was selected in that same draft in the 7th round. Oddly enough the Wild signed both players to pro deals recently.
  • The Phoenix Coyotes also have two players participating in the WHL final. The Coyotes hold the rights to Rockets forward Colin Long and to Hitmen rear guard Michael Stone.

4 comments:

Boondocker said...

Does anyone have any pre-game superstitions?

I carry a box of Viagra with me to every game. The only home game we lost was because I left it on my desk that night.

Note to self: don't forget the Viagra box before the game.

OK, seriously, I sit next to two groups of couples, both groups are middle aged. All year they have smuggled in, past the border security, a box of mints. Each game a new mint, each game they offer up their smuggled booty to me and each game I gladly accept (part of the joy of the good old hockey game). One particular game this playoffs against Kamloops I got a small blue mint. I popped it in my mouth and could feel the glare of eight eyeballs. As I looked over the eldest pulled out an empty box of Viagra and they laughed their heads off. That night (and every night) we kicked Kamloops butt. Thus the superstition started.

Anonymous said...

Funny to hear a story about Viagra and Kamloops butts, sounds like there are all "persuasions" of Rocket fans here. Not that there is anything wrong with that. LOL

Reagan, you are really letting this blog slide down into the slime with the posts you are allowing on here. The mis-information and blatant lies you allow to be posted is disgusting.
You claim to censor only the posts with profanity,yet you left the part out about censoring posts from opposition fans. (that makes me go Hmmm)

Regan Bartel said...

I may have to send these comments to you from now on for approval George? You should see the comments George that I don't post. If you only knew.

J.S. said...

Graham Wafer how are these blogs lies and misinformation?? It is not CNN for Pete's sake..it is an avenue to express an opinion..no matter how goofy...your posts are an excellent example...Rockets in six..Why stop now?