Rockets roster set for 2021 season

Mar 4, 2021 | 4:09 PM

The Kelowna Rockets roster has been set for the shortened 2021 season.

The WHL B.C. Division schedule will start on Friday, March 26. The WHL’s B.C. Division will play a 24-game regular season schedule, which will be announced at a later date. Based on the approved WHL protocols, games will be played exclusively at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops and Prospera Place in Kelowna.

No spectators will be permitted to enter WHL facilities. WHL fans can take in all the action on WHL Live on CHL TV, including freeview opportunities for each Club’s home opening game. Visit WHL.ca or watch.CHL.ca for complete details.

The Rockets will have information available for season ticket holders in the coming days.

The following preview is from the Kelowna Rockets.

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Loaded with rookies

The roster features ten rookies, including four 16-year-olds: John Babcock(04), Scott Cousins(04), Jackson DeSouza(03), Noah Dorey(03), Nolan Flamand(04), William Irvine(03), Rilen Kovacevic(04), Turner McMillen(03), Steel Quiring(03), Dylan Wightman(03).

Rockets 2020 first-round pick Andrew Cristall will join the team’s cohort as an affiliate player. The eighth overall pick spent the 2019-20 season with St. George’s School Bantam Prep, recording 80 points (43G, 37A) and 47 penalty minutes in 27 games. He added another seven points (4G, 3A) and two penalty minutes in two playoff games.

Nolan Flamand, Kelowna’s first pick in the 2019 WHL Draft will also be joining the roster. Flamand, who was projected to be a WHL first-round pick, fell to the Rockets at 27th overall—four picks into the second round.

Cousins’ is on his way to Kelowna after a standout season with the Cariboo Cougars where he was named the BCU16 AAA Player of the Year. The 16-year-old compiled 57 points (28G, 29A) over 28 games last season.

A quartet of former Okanagan Rockets (BC U18AAA) will make the move up to the Kelowna Rockets for the season. DeSouza, Kovacevic, Quiring, and Wightman were all affiliate players for Kelowna last season.

Wightman, a product of Kelowna, captained Okanagan last season. He led the BC U18AAA league in scoring with 55 points (20G, 35A) in 39 games, earning himself U18AAA All-Star Team honours.

John Babcock will be the lone 16-year-old on the blueline for the Rockets. A fifth-round pick in the 2019 WHL Draft, Babcock posted 21 points (8G, 13A) over 38 games as a 15-year-old playing in the BC U18 last year.

Turner McMillen—the son of former Tacoma Rockets captain Dave McMillen—made his debut with Kelowna last year, becoming the first second-generation Rocket.

NHL reinforcements on the way

Dillon Hamaliuk and Kaedan Korczak will return to the team after spending time in the American Hockey League with their NHL team’s affiliate clubs.

Korczak has appeared in seven games for the Henderson Silver Knights this season, posting an assist. Hamaliuk has not appeared in any games but has been practising with the San Jose Barracuda.

20-year-olds

Hamaliuk, David Kope and Sean Comrie will be the Rockets trio of overage players this season.

Kope was acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings in the summer. The 6’4, 173 pound forward appeared in 59 games for the Oil Kings last year, posting 37 points (13G, 24A), 24 penalty minutes and a +2 plus-minus rating.

Comrie whose first season with the Rockets came to an end early last year after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury is ready to hit the ice with Kelowna again.

Euro Update

Kelowna remains hopeful that Pavel Novak will be issued a visa and able to return to Kelowna for the season.

Rockets 2020 import pick Micahel Krutil, who was selected by Chicago in the 2020 NHL Draft, will not be coming to Kelowna. Krutil has inked a standard AHL player’s contract with the Rockford IceHogs and will remain with them for the rest of the year.

The club’s roster consists of the following 26 players:

FORWARDS (15)	2019-20 TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
8 – Trevor Wong	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	58	6	8	14	32
9 – Mark Liwiski	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	55	8	11	19	93
10 – Turner McMillen*	Prince Albert Mintos U18 (SMAAAHL)	44	15	24	39	48
11 – Pavel Novak	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	55	25	33	58	33
12 – Steel Quiring*	Okanagan Rockets U18 (BC U18)	25	21	24	45	63
15 – Rilen Kovacevic*	Okanagan Rockets U18 (BC U18)	33	12	19	31	58
16 – Scott Cousins*	Cariboo Cougars U16 (BC U16)	28	28	29	57	24
17 – Alex Swetlikoff	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	63	13	12	25	47
18 – David Kope	Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)	59	13	24	37	34
19 – Ethan Ernst	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	58	6	13	19	16
20 – Nolan Flamand*	Saskatoon Blazers U18 (SMAAAHL)	43	8	43	51	16
22 – Dillon Hamaliuk	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	56	15	16	31	65
23 – Jake Poole	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	59	4	12	16	17
24 – Dylan Wightman*	Okanagan Rockets U18 (BC U18)	39	20	35	55	30
28 – Andrew Cristall AP	St. George’s School U15 Prep (CSSHL U15)	27	43	37	80	47

DEFENCEMEN (9)	2019-20 TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
2 – Noah Dorey*	Delta Hockey Academy U18 Prep (CSSHL U18)	27	5	16	21	46
3 – Sean Comrie	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	35	3	14	17	33
4 – William Irvine*	Pembina Valley Hawks U18 (MU18HL)	42	16	36	52	91
5 – John Babcock*	Vancouver NW Hawks U18 (BC U18)	38	8	13	21	38
6 – Kaedan Korczak	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	60	11	38	49	27
14 – Elias Carmichael	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	59	2	8	10	25
21 – Jake Lee	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	60	5	25	30	64
25 – Tyson Feist	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)	54	2	13	15	62
27 – Jackson DeSouza*	Okanagan Rockets U18 (BC U18)	36	4	12	16	36