The Okanagan Rockets will have to get used to playing without one of their top forwards, and can only hope the results aren’t what they experienced on the past weekend.
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With 16-year-old Eli Zummack playing for the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs and high-scoring defenceman Seth Barton (6 goals, 16 assists) suiting up for the Nanaimo Clippers of the B.C. Hockey League, the second-place Rockets (14-3-0-1) dropped a pair of games to the lowly Thompson Blazers (4-14-0-0) in B.C. Major Midget Hockey League play.
Despite a two-goal effort from Kelowna’s Rayman Bassi and single tallies from Max Kryski and Coleton Bilodeau, the Rockets fell 5-4 in overtime to the surprising Blazers Saturday at the CNC. The next day, the second-place Rockets dropped a 5-3 decision in Chase after falling behind 2-0 in the first period and giving up a pair of goals in the third. Jeffrey Karpowich, Wyatt Head and Dylan Prpich were the Okanagan marksmen.
Following weekend play in which they held most of the territorial edge, the Rockets announced that Zummack, a recent selection to one of Hockey Canada’s World U17 Challenge teams, has been called up to join Spokane on a permanent basis.
The third promotion also elevates the Rockets to unique territory among midget programs in the country, having graduated three players in the span of a month. Zummack joins Chase Stevenson (West Kelowna Warriors) and Jameson Murray (Calgary Hitmen) among Okanagan players moving on to play junior hockey this season.
"Our program prides itself first and foremost on the development of hockey players, and to see another one of our own make the jump off to junior hockey at this point of the season is something we are extremely proud of." said Rockets general manager Braeden Pistawka. "Eli has had a tremendous influence on this program over the past two years. He will always remain one of our family and we know he is in safe hands with the Spokane Chiefs. We wish him the very best moving forward."
Zummack, KelownaNow’s Active Care Athlete of the Month for October, was playing in his second season with the Rockets, after putting up 52 points in 37 games over the course of last season.
In 10 games with the Rockets this season, he managed to score above last year’s pace, recording 20 points in that span.
A Kelowna Minor Hockey Association and Pursuit of Excellence Academy graduate, was taken originally 36th overall by the Red Deer Rebels in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, but he was later a part of a trade that saw the Rebels acquire Adam Helewka ahead of their Memorial Cup run.
In five games with the Chiefs this season, Zummack has put up a goal and an assist, after scoring three points through seven preseason games with the WHL team.
Meanwhile, the Rockets will attempt to get back on the winning track this weekend at Kelowna’s CNC when they play host to the first-place Cariboo Cougars (16-1-1-0). Puck drop on Saturday in 3 p.m. and on Sunday at 10 a.m.
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