A new era of Golden Rockets hockey begins under Jed Houseman going into his first full season as head coach-general manager. In their Quick Shift team preview, Houseman gives insight into this season’s team and he’s confident the on-ice product will be better because of the competitive training camp environment. They had 73 players attend, giving the coaching staff tough decisions to ensure the Rockets are better and looking to improve on an eight-win season.
KIJHL: What should fans be excited about when it comes to this team?
JH: We’ve got a good crop of recruits, who are really quick, and play a fast, uptempo style that is hard to play against. We have players from all over North America that will help us grow the program.
They will be excited to see them in the community as we will have a better presence and work with minor hockey. We’ve also got some new jerseys, a throwback to old retro Rockets jerseys in the Canucks style that we’re going to be representing. That’s exciting. The game-day experience will be better for fans.
KIJHL: Are there first-year players who are able to make a smooth transition for an immediate impact?
JH: Seth Flett (OHA U17 Prep – 39 PTS in 31 GP). Flett captained the Okanagan Hockey Academy and is one of our fastest players. He is very skilled and throughout camp he has proven to be an elite player, who I think is going to find the back of the net a lot. He is wise beyond his years.
Austin Hlavac (Jersey Hitmen 19 PTS in 44 GP between Elite/Premier league). The Pittsburgh product has the right attitude with a tremendous work ethic.
KIJHL: What areas are you looking to improve from last season?
JH: There are numerous things. You want the wins, but it’s about building that culture and organizing a team to compete and be involved in the community. Those are areas we are really pushing. This year is going to be a big culture shift with getting the right guys here to make us better and more competitive.
KIJHL: Are there any players that you are expecting to have big seasons?
JH: Brayden Bissell is returning from attending the Bonnyville Pontiacs (Alberta Junior Hockey League) camp. He was our leading point producer and I think he is going to improve on his production as a rookie. I’m excited to see how much he has grown over the summer, how much work he has put in. He had 32 PTS in 43 GP.
Stefan Bodtker is a tremendous skating defenceman, who has patience with the puck. He’s a heads up player and he is going to log a lot of minutes for us. He had 13 PTS in 42 GP.
Reid Ashcroft came to us in a trade from Revelstoke (six points in 13 games). He has great character and scored really high in our fitness testing and on-ice skill testing. That will translate into game play. He is going to have a major top six role for us, producing offensively. He shows good poise with the puck.
Cooper Thompson is someone I’m really excited to watch this year. He plays with a lot of energy, pace, and he put in an amazing amount of work this summer. He almost looks like a brand new guy. Thompson had five points in 34 games last season.
Chaz Jaeb is a second-year defenceman who showed up and earned his spot on the team again. He was No. 1 in fitness testing and No. 2 in skill testing. I’m expecting him to take on a major leadership role. He defends well, is hard to play against and possesses a great shot and skates well.
KIJHL: When it comes to your leadership group, what are the important characteristics that you want each player to possess?
JH: We haven’t chosen our leadership group yet, but we want to see who is showing good work ethic in the gym and poise on the ice.
KIJHL: What do you like about the people you have surrounding you on the coaching staff?
JH: They have some great experiences. Ralph Stalder played 17 years of pro hockey in Switzerland’s top division (retiring in 2020) – he played against Auston Matthews, Roman Josi, Joe Thornton. There are so many take-aways that I can learn from him. He is just a great resource for us to have.
Cole Pearn is a minor hockey skills coach with a very progressive mind. He is from Ontario and a student of the game. He is always learning the new edge thing and was in NASCAR for 12 years. He is the only Canadian crew chief to win a NASCAR championship and has unbelievable sports performance experience. He is a very organized individual. Lots of those skills will translate over in terms of team building and culture.
Josh Thorimbert is our goalie coach with an NCAA D1 background having played for Colorado College. He was drafted to the WHL, earned the SJHL’s Rookie of the Year and was a great goaltender. He has been a goalie coach consultant for the last 15 years and is very driven and progressive.
