Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Cole Martin's brother and who's this goalie?

  • A spent a brief period of time watching the second (5:45 pm) scrimmage of the day at Kelowna Rockets main camp. This one featured Jackson Whistle's Team Black against Myles Bell's Team Red. Again a solid pace to the game with Bell playing on the wing with 15 year-old first round pick Dillon Dube at centre. Dube again didn't look out of place. While not as dominant as he was in rookie camp, the Alberta product showed solid offensive awareness as the physical side of the game seemed to ramp up. 
  • Rookie Dalton Yorke and veteran forward Henrik Nyberg seemed to be the two most physical players on the ice in the late day scrimmage. Yorke, while only 17, is physically strong for such a young defenceman and may challenge Joe Gatenby for a spot on this years team. Gatenby is obviously a year younger. Nyberg simply hits everything that moves. No fear goes a long way.
  • The goalie that impressed me the most in the second scrimmage was Evan Weninger. One of the smallest goalies at just 5'8 and 130 pounds, Weninger had a great battle level in the crease and was technically sound. It was the first time I've seen him play but came away impressed. The 17 year-old played with the Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan Major Midget League last season. Is he the Rockets goalie of the future? Here is Weninger in action at the Mac's Midget tournament.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiX4pYqEcpI
  • It was interesting to watch forward Mason Martin. Martin is the younger brother of Kelowna Rockets veteran defenceman Cole Martin. While the Martin brother's are playing against each other at main camp, the Bowey brothers, Madison and Connor, are teammates on Team Black.
  • Again Rourke Chartier was a bright spot. His board battle level was solid. The 17 year-old was always around loose pucks.
  • It was nice to see Austin Glover get a goal for Team Black off a nice wrister. 
  • Nick Merkley looked much better in the afternoon scrimmage than he did in the morning session. Not like he was bad this morning but the 16 year-old made some nice plays in an effort to set up his teammates. Just imagine Merkley on a power play unit with Rourke Chartier and Dillon Dube in two years time.  
  • Is Cole Linaker a poor man's Colton Sissons? Linaker works...and works....and works and is hard to play against. Still light on his skates at only 168 pounds, Linaker makes things happen. I say he is a poor man's Colton Sissons because he has yet to perfect a real hard shot and needs more work at becoming a dominant player in the face-off circle. Outside of that, Linaker has no 'give up' in his game which makes him a solid 6th round bantam pick.
  • I was told the reason the boards are white at Prospera Place during training camp - void of any advertising - is a new material is on order which will be placed over the advertising being installed. My understand is it will be more durable from puck marks/stick marks while allowing the rink crew the ability to change in and out advertising more efficiently.

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