Happy to play it forward
COUNTDOWN TO THE CUP MAY 22-31 • KELOWNA
Kelowna Rockets rookie defenceman Noah Dorey is a team-first guy.
That’s why, when the coaching staff asked him to play forward last Saturday, he remembers his first reaction clearly. “Kind of confused,” he said, smiling. Dorey hadn’t played forward since he was young. OK, that’s a relative statement when you’re talking about a 16-year-old hockey player.
Still, Dorey accepted the challenge — and what a challenge it was.
The Rockets were hosting the first-place Kamloops Blazers a night after losing 4-1 to the same team on the road.
Dorey was forced to play out of position after a rash of injuries depleted Kelowna’s forwards. He ended up alongside fellow rookie Rilen Kovacevic and Jake Poole, 17.
“I wasn’t really sure what to do out there,” Dorey said after practice this week. “But I got the hang of it by the end there.”
Saturday’s game ended in a 7-2 loss, but it certainly wasn’t because of anything Dorey did, or didn’t do. Kamloops is on fire. The Blazers have won five straight, eight of their past 10 games and are now ranked seventh in Canada.
Kelowna was outmanned, but Dorey’s willingness to play where the coaches needed him is one reason he’s on the team in the first place.
He’s played just eight games in the WHL heading into this weekend’s action.
Overall, he’s been calm and hasn’t done anything to draw undue attention to himself after Kelowna recalled him from Delta Hockey Academy when Sean Comrie went down with an upper-body injury.
“Noah’s done a great job,” said assistant coach Kris Malette, who oversees the defencemen. “He’s a strong, young 16-yearold who doesn’t do anything flashy, but for the most part he’s a big sponge. He’s ready to learn and eager to learn and has just been a real positive asset on our back end.
“The future looks bright for the young D-corps of the Kelowna Rockets.”
They’re certainly getting battle-tested this season, and the next challenge is tonight in Everett, Wash., against the Silvertips (26-9-2-1).
Kelowna (21-17-1-2) will then play the Portland Winterhawks (28-6-2-3) on Saturday and Sunday.
Portland, No. 3, and Everett, No. 8, are also among the CHL top 10.
While Dorey is likely to return to Delta when the Rockets get healthy defencemen back in the lineup, he is travelling with the team this weekend.
“It’s a great experience. I love it up here,” he said. “It’s a great team we’ve got, and it’s a great coaching staff to help us.”
He’s being paired with veteran Devin Steffler, 19, this weekend.
“Our approach is playing simple, just like we used to,” Steffler said. “Playing for each other. Stepping up for guys, like we did with Kamloops. Not leaving a guy behind. We need to get back to that stuff.”
Kelowna hasn’t faced Portland yet this season, but they did beat Everett 5-1 on Sept. 28 — the third game of the season. However, the Silvertips were without Gianni Fairbrother, a third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens.
“It doesn’t have to be pretty,” Malette said. “We’re not going to try and over-handle pucks. If we have to ice the puck numerous times, then we’ll take that. Keeping the puck out of the zone, out the house, as they say — the high-scoring areas — is going to be the key to our success.”
Malette, however, also said his club isn’t going to back down. He’s still confident Kelowna can play with the top two teams in the U.S. Division.
“It’s just going to be a simple hockey game,” the coach said. “I understand there is going to be mistakes made, but I’m going to try and teach through confidence and just build those guys up the best that I can. We’ve still got some really good pieces back there, for sure.”
AFTERBURNERS — F Liam Kindree had successful shoulder surgery Thursday to repair a broken collarbone. He’s expected to miss four weeks. Kamloops F Ryley Appelt drove him into the boards on Saturday. … Kelowna is also without D Kaedan Korczak (3-game suspension), F Nolan Foote (LBI, week-to-week), and D Sean Comrie (UBI, 2 weeks). F Kyle Topping (LBI), F Trevor Wong (LBI), F Mark Liwiski (UBI) and G Roman Basran (UBI) are game-time decisions. … Dorey’s grandparents live in Kelowna. He calls playing here “almost like a vacation.” The Rockets drafted the Surrey native 88th overall in 2018. … Mallette is no stranger to fights in hockey — he had 369 penalty minutes in 49 games for the UHL’s Asheville Smoke in 2001-02. That’s why he said what happened Saturday against Kamloops has an upside. Kelowna and Kamloops combined for 18 fighting majors in the final five minutes. “That’s a builder,” he said. “When those types of things happen, guys stepping out of their element, it can bring a team really close together. … Hopefully, it’s a turning point for us.”