Goaltender Cole Schwebius, 20, free to sign with any team in Canada

Photo: Marissa Baecker

The Kelowna Rockets solved two problems with one move Thursday.

The Rockets released 20-year-old netminder Cole Schwebius after he went unclaimed when placed on waivers earlier in the day.

The move brings the Rockets down to the league maximum of three overage players on the roster, and also reduces the logjam in the crease.

Prior to the move, the Rockets had three netminders on the active roster.

Schwebius is now free to join any team in any junior league in the country.

"This was a very tough decision for us to make," said Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton.

"Cole is a very special person, I want to wish him all the best going forward. He's truly one of the good guys in our game."

Schwebius was acquired in a draft-day deal with Seattle prior to the start of the 2019-2020 season that also saw the Rockets pick up forward Dillon Hamaliuk and Jake Lee.

Lee, fellow defenceman Tyson Feist and forward Mark Liwiski will serve as the Rockets overage players.

Schwebius appeared in 48 games split between the Rockets and Seattle.

He finished with a 17-23-2-0 record with a 3.67 goals against average and .890 save percentage.

The Rockets will go with a goaltending tandem of newly acquired Colby Knights and Cole Tisdale.

After splitting their opening two games in Victoria last weekend, the Rockets will host Kamloops in their home opener Friday at Prospera Place.