Interim Rockets head coach debut's tonight in Victoria

Photo: Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets

Kris Mallette's tenure as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets begins in earnest this weekend.

Mallette takes over behind the bench after Adam Foote was fired on Wednesday.

And, with just 14 games left in the regular season and the team on a downward spiral, Mallette doesn't have much time to get things turned around.

It all begins this weekend in Victoria as the Rockets begin the first of four on the road against division opponents.

They'll play the Royals tonight and Saturday before venturing north for games Tuesday and Wednesday in Prince George.

The Rockets come into the weekend with just two regulation wins in 22 games since Christmas - both against the Tri-City Americans.

The skid has dropped the Rockets from second to fourth in the BC Division, 11 points behind Vancouver and 13 in back of Victoria.

Kelowna heads to the island with more names on the injured list.

Defenceman Tyson Feist is questionable with an upper-body injury while Michael Farren is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

They join defenceman Sean Comrie and forwards Nolan Foote and Liam Kindree on the injured list.

Foote returned to the lineup Monday, but played just one period before departing due to soreness.

"Nolan left (Wednesday) for New Jersey to see their medical staff," said president and GM Bruce Hamilton. "I spoke a number of times with the general manager there, and they're fully prepared to do whatever they can do to get him ready play as soon as he can play.

"So he'll go down there and go through a battery of tests, I'm sure with their medical team. Which doesn't surprise me at all when you make a trade for the quality of player he is that I would want to bring him in and have our doctors see him too."

The Rockets don't return home until next Friday when they entertain the Everett Silvertips.