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Thread: Congrats Rockets

  1. #11
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    Congratulations Rockets you truly deserve to be representing the WHL in the Memorial Cup,now go there and show the entire CHL what the WHL is all about. Good luck Rockets!!!



    My twitter handle: @SaskHockeyFan23


  2. #12

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    By Doyle Potenteau, Kelowna Daily Courier
    Monday, May 11, 2009

    In the end, it was a matter of when, not if, the Kelowna Rockets would win the Western Hockey League championship.
    Saturday night was proof of that.
    In what was their biggest game of the season, the Rockets came out with their biggest effort. How big? Consider this: The Calgary Hitmen, the WHL‘s best team in the regular season, couldn‘t contain the Rockets, and were outshot nearly 2-to-1. Yes, 2-to-1 in a game that was, arguably, one of the best ever played at Prospera Place. That‘s how unstoppable the Rockets were.
    Technically, the shots were 50 to 26 for Kelowna. But that the Rockets put up 50 shots in a clutch game, against the league‘s top team, speaks volumes.
    “That was our best game of the playoffs,” said Rockets centre Mikael Backlund, who had two assists in Kelowna‘s 3-2 overtime victory in Game 6. That win, played before a loud crowd of 6,383, earned the Rockets a 4-2 decision in the best-of-seven series.
    “We dominated the whole game,” continued Backlund. “We made mistakes, and they had power plays (1-for-7), but when we made our mistakes, they didn‘t have many chances. We just dominated.”
    For Rockets captain Colin Long, it was an unbelievable night. Two years ago, the Rockets failed to reach the playoffs. Last year, Kelowna was bounced from the playoffs in the first round.
    So when he hoisted the Ed Chynoweth Cup moments after defenceman Tyson Barrie snapped home the winner eight minutes into overtime, a sea of thoughts and emotions came crashing down.
    Thoughts of how Kelowna entered the playoffs on a hot roll. Thoughts of how the Rockets knocked off the Kamloops Blazers in four games, then reeled off six-win victories over three impressive teams: the U.S. Division champion Tri-City Americans, the B.C. Division and Western Conference champion Vancouver Giants, then, finally, the Central Division and Eastern Conference champion Calgary Hitmen.
    “It was surreal . . . really surreal,” said Long. “To see guys doing it every year, and always looking from the outside in, when you‘re not making the playoffs . . . it was awesome.
    “Back at Christmas, I remember doing a lot of interviews, where we were getting criticized a lot because we were supposed to be one of the better teams in the league. We were underachieving a little, but then we had some big (trade-deadline acquisitions) that were huge, and the second half we really came together. It‘s been amazing.”
    “This feels amazing,” added Rockets left winger Jamie Benn, who provided his team with a momentum-turning spark.
    Ninety seconds into the second period, Backlund was sprung free from the penalty box for a late-first period penalty for delay of game. Upon hitting the ice, the puck squirted to him for what he thought would be a long breakaway. However, with his head down, he was levelled just above the blue-line by Hitmen defenceman Michael Stone.
    The hit was so hard that it separated Back-lund from his helmet, both gloves and stick. Backlund‘s visor was also broken on the play.
    But just seconds after, Benn jumped into the fray, dropped his gloves and hammered Stone with hard punches, with one of them almost buckling the 6-foot-4 blue-liner from Winnipeg. Benn, in his first game back following a week off due to a concussion suffered in Game 2, wound up with a four-minute penalty for roughing, two penalties which Kelowna killed.
    So, instead of Calgary earning momentum with a bone-rattling hit, it was, conversely, Kelowna, courtesy of Stone.
    “When I got out of the box, I saw the puck and thought for sure I had a breakaway,” said Backlund. “So I had no clue (Stone) was coming and he . . . well, it was like I went into a wall.
    I couldn‘t breath. After a while, I felt better. I didn‘t see Benn fight, but I heard about it and it feels good to have players stand up for you.”
    Added Long: “We were getting a lot of guys hit by Calgary, and no one was really jumping in. Then Benn jumped in and that was pretty tough of him to do that. That really sparked our bench and we knew it was a penalty we were going to kill.”
    After being the first to hoist the Cup, Long passed it off to Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton, who, with a big cheer, celebrated as much as his players did.
    “I‘m just so happy for these kids,” said Hamilton. “Our scouting staff and our coaching staff did a remarkable job of bringing these guys along. Full credit to the guys because they beat the best team here, they beat Tri-City, Vancouver and now they beat the best team (Calgary).
    “We‘re just so thankful and honoured to win this trophy.”

  3. #13
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    Congrats Rockets and Rocket fans -- you guys wanted it more -- now go kick some serious butt in Rimouski -- keep the cup in the West
    My Vancouver Giants focused Blog

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  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by GBG BLEED BLUE View Post
    Go there and show the entire CHL what the WHL is all about. Good luck Rockets!!!
    Love it, at least we all unite when it matters. WHL baby!

    All-Time Favorite.

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