Rockets face tough test

Photo: Kelowna Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets face one of the toughest stretches of the season starting tonight.

The Rockets, winners of five-in-a-row, begin their annual pre-Christmas prairie road swing through the highly competitive Eastern Division tonight in Regina.

Over the next nine days, the Rockets play six games against a division where five of the six are playing at, or above .500.

Three of those, Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Brandon, all have more than 40 points, and sit in the top seven of the CHL's latest Top 10 rankings.

And, to complicate matters, following the opening two games tonight, and Saturday in Brandon, the Rockets will lose the services of three key players.

Forwards Dillon Dube and Kole Lind and defenceman Cal Foote will leave the team Sunday for the Canadian Junior team selection camp in St. Catherines, ON.

"Our focus doesn't need to change regardless of our opponent. The Eastern Conference is very strong and we'll need to make sure that the details in our game of late continue," said assistant coach Kris Mallette.

"We will focus on being quick in the D-zone, manage the blue lines, and work hard to stay disciplined."

The Rockets head into the trip 17-8-2-1, two points in back of the slumping Victoria Royals. The Rockets hold three games in hand.

Following games this weekend, the Rockets travel to Moose Jaw Tuesday, Swift Current Wednesday and Prince Albert Thursday, before closing out the trip in Saskatoon next Saturday.

The last time the Rockets made this trip two seasons ago, they came home with a 3-3 record.

On their way to Regina Thursday, the Rockets made a brief stop at the monument in memory of four Swift Current Broncos players killed in a tragic bus accident Dec. 30, 1986.