Rockets’ main camp hits the ice today
Friday morning marked the end of the Kelowna Rockets’ rookie camp, and the start of main camp.
Since Tuesday morning, six teams of rookies had been scrimmaging twice a day, with the final game for each team taking place Friday.
Jake Poole, of McAuley, Man., — Kelowna’s sixth-round selection in this year’s bantam draft — says it was a week of fun and intensity. “Overall, the camp went really well. It was really well organized, everyone had a lot of fun, and it was really fun going up against these top guys,” Poole told. “It’s a higher level than what we’re used to. Everyone is competing every shift, no one is taking a shift off. It was very intense throughout the whole week.”
Goaltender Cole Tisdale, an eighthround pick from Lethbridge, enjoyed his first WHL camp as well.
“It was really intense, I enjoyed the whole thing. The facility is nice . . . just everything,” Tisdale said. “It was awesome coming here and skating in the rookie camp.”
The pace of the scrimmages picked up as the week progressed.
Cole Carrier of Strathcona, Alta., — the Rockets’ fourth-round pick — was feeling the effects by the end of rookie camp.
“I’m a little bit sore, but that’s to be expected,” Carrier said on Thursday. “The physicality has been going up quite a bit and the games are getting faster and tougher as they go on, but that’s what you expect as the week wears on.
“It’s definitely a lot faster out there than what most guys are used to because it is more of an elite camp compared to what most winter teams look like,” he continued, “but, for myself, I’m comfortable with it having played with my older brother before and he’s two years older.”
Kaedan Watkins, a 6-foot-5 defenceman from Saskatoon, selected in the fifth round by the Rockets, echoed Carrier in reflecting on the speed of the camp.
“It’s fast. It’s similar to the regular level, but a lot more intense because everyone is competing for a spot here, so it’s just awesome. I love it,” Watkins said. “It’s just such an awesome experience. Awesome ice, awesome surroundings, it’s just really cool to be able to be here.”
The Rockets liked what they saw from those 14- to 16-year-old prospects, ranging from this year’s top bantam draft pick Ethan Bowen (second round, 39th overall) to several camp invites hoping to get listed by Kelowna.
“We’re fortunate, we think we’ve had a good draft, and we’ve got other good players here that we’re going to have to seriously look at in terms of applying to our list as well,” Lorne Frey, the Rockets’ assistant general manager and director of player personnel, said on Thursday. “It’s been a good camp.”
In addition to Bowen — the obvious standout — Frey shone the spotlight on Carrier and Ethan Ernst (third round) as prospects that “looked really good,” while adding Watkins was “improving every day and getting real good.”
Frey also believes the Rockets may have found a couple steals in the later rounds, including Poole and Steven Kesslering (ninth round, 182nd overall).
“Kesslering, we think, could develop into an excellent player, and same thing with Poole. They have been very, very good,” Frey said.
While the rookies were finishing up their on-ice portion of training camp, the Rockets’ returning players and older prospects were up bright and early Friday for fitness testing at the Apple Bowl.
There were multiple fitness tests, including a timed five-kilometre run. Kole Lind, entering his third full season with the Rockets after being selected in the second round of June’s NHL draft by the Vancouver Canucks, was the winner of the big running event in a time of 19:38.
The testing was followed by registration for main camp at Prospera Place. There were both familiar and fresh faces in that group — all looking to make impressions on coaches and management in the coming days — plus a few young guns that pushed through the rookie portion into main camp, including Bowen, Poole and Tisdale.
Now a sophomore player, 17-year-old defenceman Konrad Belcourt remembers what it was like coming out of rookie camp and going to main camp. He suggests the kids just relax and be themselves.
“The draft picks are only here for a couple of days, so I say just have fun . . . play your heart out and show those scouts and those coaches what you’ve got and what you can bring to the table for the next couple of years,” Belcourt said.
Much like the youngsters, the returnees are eager to get out on the ice as well.
After a busy summer with the NHL draft followed by Hockey Canada camps, third-year blueliner Cal Foote can’t wait to get things started again with Kelowna.
“I’m very excited. It feels really good to be back and see all the old faces and to see all the new faces,” said Foote, who was picked in the first round (14th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning. “I’m mostly excited just to get back on the ice and about getting to spend time with all the guys here.”
The main camp schedule is as follows:
TODAY
9-10:15 a.m. — Practice Team 1 10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. — Scrimmage Teams 2 and 3 4-5:15 p.m. — Practice Team 2 5:45-7 p.m. — Scrimmage Teams 1 and 3
SUNDAY
9-10:15 a.m. — Practice Team 3 10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. — Scrimmage Teams 1 and 2 4-5:15 p.m. — Practice Team 1 5:45-7 p.m. — Scrimmage Teams 2 and 3
MONDAY
9-10 a.m. — Practice Team 1 10:20-11:20 a.m. — Practice Team 2 5:45-7 p.m. — Scrimmage Teams 1 and 2
TUESDAY
9-10 a.m. — Practice Team 2 10:20-11:20 a.m. — Practice Team 1 5:45-7 p.m. — Scrimmage Teams 1 and 2
WEDNESDAY
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. — Practice 5:45-7 p.m. — Scrimmage
THURSDAY
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. — Practice 5:45-7 p.m. — Scrimmage The Rockets open pre-season play next Saturday, Sept. 2, when they host the Victoria Royals, 7 p.m. at Prospera Place.