With a plethora of new players set to wear Rockets jerseys this season, 琉璃神社 is ready to start the year Saturday on a new slate.
After last season鈥檚 tie-breaker loss to the Kamloops Blazers that knocked 琉璃神社 out of the playoffs, the Rockets鈥� added new coaching and nearly 10 new players to the roster this year. With the Memorial Cup ahead, the Rockets are starting the year on a fresh page.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 even talk about last year with our group,鈥� said head coach Adam Foote.
鈥淲e have quite a few new faces, we鈥檝e instilled a new culture for this season. It was a long break, and we have a fresh start, it鈥檚 going to be a long season. We talk about developing and moving forward.鈥�
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For the first time in eight years, the Rockets will open up the season against a team other than the Blazers. 琉璃神社 hosts the Spokane Chiefs in their home-opener Saturday night for the first time since 1996.
Starting the season with a change seems to be fitting for the Rockets as they embrace the year with multiple changes in their roster which started at the WHL Bantam Draft in May.
In the near five months of the off-season, the Rockets added defenceman Jake Lee, Carson Sass and Sean Comrie, forwards Dillon Hamaliuk, Jake Poole, Deegan Mofford and Pavel Novak as well as goalie Cole Schwebius. Meanwhile, Trevor Wong and Elias Carmichael, two young players, have cracked the opening night roster for the Rockets.
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琉璃神社 got a good look at the young players and new faces during training camps and with a large chunk of the Rockets鈥� core away at NHL camps. But ahead of Saturday鈥檚 puck-drop, the Rockets will start the season minus just Nolan Foote.
鈥淭raining camp is an interesting dynamic where you have younger lineups to start. For us we had a young lineup, we had seven guys away at NHL camps. Some of them we鈥檙e gone for a while, and we haven鈥檛 had our full lineup yet, it鈥檚 nice to have almost everyone back,鈥� said Foote.
Newly-acquired Rockets player Dillon Hamaliuk will make his debut Saturday night. The left-winger was traded to 琉璃神社 at the draft and had a busy off-season after being drafted 55th overall at June鈥檚 NHL draft and playing for the San Jose Sharks rookie camps.
鈥淧laying with the Rockets has been a long time coming, I鈥檝e been waiting for this moment since May,鈥� said Hamaliuk.
鈥淚鈥檝e found that everyone here is super accepting, it has helped me get adjusted. Spokane is a hard-working team, I think we should be able to dominate them if we play our game.鈥�
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A tailgate party in downtown 琉璃神社 will lead into Saturday night鈥檚 puck-drop.
The Rockets start the season at 7 p.m. at Prospera Place.
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