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Following a relatively lacklustre conclusion to 2019, the Okanagan Rockets ushered in the new year with a more-familiar dominating performance at their own Okanagan Classic minor midget tournament at the CNC.
The Kelowna-based BC Hockey Minor Midget League team won six straight games, including a 3-1 decision over the Everett Junior Silvertips in the championship game on Sunday. Just three hours earlier they had earned a berth in the final of the 10-team event by handling the AC (Airdrie/Cochrane) Avalanche of Alberta 7-3 in semifinal play.
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Sitting second in the BCHMML with 16-5-0-1 record, the Rockets had lost three of their final six games in December, two to the league-leading Cariboo Cougars and one to the sixth-place Thompson Blazers.
While head coach Eric Blais was adamant the Rockets should have won all three of the games in which they came out on the short end of the score, he also recognized the losses as a blessing in disguise for a team that sat in top spot for the first two months of the season.
“I think we were a bit complacent, especially on the defensive side because of us scoring so much early on,” said Blais prior to the weekend tournament. “The kids were getting caught up in ‘go-go-go’ on offence and then were puck watching when it was going the other way.”
There was little of that in the Okanagan Classic as the best-of-the-best 2004-born Valley representatives opened with a 5-2 win over Leduc Oil Kings on Tuesday and got better in every game after than according to Blais.
“Our attention to detail and structure was excellent and that allowed us to close down the opposition coming through the neutral zone,” said the veteran Kelowna minor hockey coach. “Defensive zone play was very good and we didn’t give other teams much in the way of scoring chances.”
The hosts killed off close to 90% of their penalties in their six games.
Cashing in on nearly 40% of their power-play opportunities, the Rockets outscored their opponents 31-9, led by leftwinger Max Graham, selected as a tournament all-star who tied teammate Mason Finley in points with 11 on eight goals and three assists. Carter Schmidt, another tournament all-star, finished with 10 points (five goals, five assists).
“All three played at a very high level in all the games and either scored or set up goals at crucial times in the games,” noted Blais.
Goaltending was superb, with Ethan Reynaud and Wilson Maxfield taking care of business between the pipes, the latter being named the top netminder for his three wins and a 0.67 goals-against average.
Overall, Blais was pleased with his team’s outstanding performance.
“Our compete and battle level was at a season’s best.”
That was especially evident in the tournament playoffs on Sunday.
After sweeping round-robin games over Leduc, Vancouver North East (10-1), Arizona (3-1), and CNHA Canucks of Calgary (3-0), the Rockets came through with what Blais considered their best game of the tournament in a win over the AC Avalanche.
Except for a four-minute span in the third period when they “fell asleep” and gave up three unanswered goals after leading 7-0, the Rockets went full out and were in full control.
Graham and Schmidt, first and fourth in team scoring in the regular season with 41 and 34 points respectively, both tallied twice against the Avs while Finley (three points), Tristan Weill and defenceman Adam Bourgeois added a goal apiece.
The late letdown in the semi provided a preaching point for Blais going into the final.
“The boys played for a full 60 minutes in the championship and never let up. Our skill and speed was the difference,” said Blais after the game in which the Rockets outshot Everett — coached by former NHLer Turner Stevenson — 23-17 and out-chanced the Silvertips by a significant margin.
Remy Spooner staked the Rockets to a 1-0 lead late in the first period off a feed from Schmidt while Graham notched what would stand up as the winner early in the second on a power play, with assists going to Holdin Getzlaf and Schmidt.
Defenceman Dain Levesque rounded out the scoring at 15:21 of the third on feeds from Parker Konneke and Russell Kosec.
That they rose to the occasion against competition which for the most part was higher than what they’ve faced in league play bodes well for the young Rockets as they resume BCHMML action this weekend at the CNC against the fifth-place Vancouver North West Hawks (Saturday, 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, 12:45 p.m.).
“That the competition was at a higher level was a welcomed situation for us,” said Blais, whose team’s goal is to win a league championship that doubles as a provincial crown. “It was very gratifying to see the guys raise their level of compete and play to their potential.”
Typically, Blais was quick to temper his enthusiasm.
“Of course we need to keep improving on all details of the game. There’s always room for that, especially when you know the rest of the teams will be doing the same”
Photo Gallery (145 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
BC Hockey Minor Midget Hockey Standings
Photo Gallery (145 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
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