Gloves off, oven mitts on

Photo: Kevin Bain

Kelowna Rockets in the kitchen

The Kelowna Rockets were Master Chefs on Tuesday at Kelowna Secondary School. 

The boys were split up into five teams and provided $50 to purchase ingredients for a dish of their choice.

Head Coach Jason Smith, Assistant Coach Kris Mallette, and Video and Goaltending Coach Adam Brown judged the competition. Assistant Coach Travis Crickard hosted the event. Each judge scored the various dishes in three categories; taste, plating, and originality with a score of 60 being perfect. The winning team was awarded gift cards for their efforts. 

Team Ballhorn which included Gordie Ballhorn, Marek Skvrne, Nolan Foote, Colum McGauley, and Braydyn Chizen ended up taking the cake with their Chicken Parmesan dish, scoring a victorious 51 points.

Assistant Coach Travis Crickard said these types of events really help with team bonding. 

"First off it was an opportunity for the guys to get a little uncomfortable and have some fun. More importantly though, it helps them learn about teamwork and it shows them who takes teamwork seriously," Crickard said. "The winning groups took it very seriously, they looked like they had a lot of fun, and they made some really good food for our coach judges."

You can catch the Rockets out of the kitchen and in the rink on Friday night when they open up the regular season against the Kamloops Blazers at Prospera Place. Puck drop is 7:05 p.m.

Tickets are available for Rockets home games through selectyourtickets.com.