2004 WHL Champs?

2004 Whl champs?

Da Rockets.

aww.. why so sad ?

The way Brandon's playing now though, I don't even think they have a shot at the beating Kelowna. To telll you the truth, nobody in the east has a shot at the Rockets. I saw Red Deer come here and I think you would expect a game like that to be great, but it stunk. Red Deer was missing Cam Ward but they played awful and so did Brandon. Maybe somebody that sees the Rebels lots can tell me if they always play like this this season or this was just a bad game. That was a bit-below average for Brandon but they haven't played well this year.

Eastern teams will also be praying like hell that Kelowna wins the West so the East gets a free pass to the Memorial Cup.

Agreed

I'm not so sure about the Rockets. Kelly Guard looks like last season wasn't a fluke, but the last couple of e-mails I've gotten on their mailing list seem to be trying to prepare the fans for the strong possibility that Duncan Keith and Cam Paddock aren't going to be coming back. That'll hurt the scoring if they don't - and, God help us, might mean Sunderman sticks around until they acquire a real overager. Tonight's Kamloops game should be interesting. I think it's going to be a real horserace between those two teams for #1 in the division.

Whether Keith and Paddock come back or not...the roster we see in Kelowna today is not going to be the same roster we see after the trade deadline. Any team hosting the Memorial Cup will make deals.

Sure, but consider that this is a logical year for the Blazers to load up, too. Christensen and Korovkin won't be back next year, they've got some decent 19-year-olds, enough depth that moving a couple of young guys won't hurt them - and they really need something to distract their fans from that mess in their front office.

I can't beleive after the Rockets lose Shultz, Slovak, and Mcloude....people still pick them to win the WHL :rolleyes:

Why wouldn't they pick them to win the WHL championship again? They have one of the best, if not the best coach in the WHL. They've got TONS of youngsters who are able to contribute, and that are valuable around the league.

The Rockets are still the class of the WHL this season.

I can't beleive after the Rockets lose Shultz, Slovak, and Mcloude....people still pick them to win the WHL :rolleyes:
You forgot about Cutter and maybe Paddock and Keith, now look at the depth the Rockets have, they have a shot to win with the team they have at this moment. But Hamilton will make changes after next Tuesday when they know's what is happening with Paddock and Keith.

The depth is still there, they had a 17 yr old verson of Keith in the line-up last night. Cumisky is almost as fast as Keith and looked very good for his first WHL game.

It doesn't matter who you have lost, it matters who you have, the last time I looked.

Kamloops has a good shot at the title, Medcine Hat looked good and has a shot. I read Brandon hasn't started the year off too good. But it's early and wait and see.

Alot of the reason everyone picks Kelowna is coaching. It is safe to pick them as we know Habby will have them playing like a team no matter whos in the lineup. I really like Spuurgeon, COmeau and Olafson tongiht. these guys are gonna be huge players i this league. COmeau looks like a second coming of Ferguson at times.

I think its time we start thinking about who we should pickup as overagers.... Sunderman will be gone but do we keep Guard????? Has looked prety good so far... tough choice wouldnt want to be Hamilton.

paddock being signed means he won't be back..

not sure about keith...


to tray.. you're absolutely right about comeau.. however with less of a mouth/attitude.. but he's still got some.. awesome speed, awesome penalty killer from what i saw this past weekend.. good smarts away from the puck..

olafson and spurgeon are two awesome depth guys as well, olafson is big and can fit in on any line, while spurgeon is just a great working sparkplug

The only team that has a remote chance in my opinion, is Kamloops...but even the Blazers will have to over-achieve to accomplish the feat.

Well, they over-achieved their ***** off tonight. 5-0, ouch.

paddock being signed means he won't be back..

not sure about keith...


to tray.. you're absolutely right about comeau.. however with less of a mouth/attitude.. but he's still got some.. awesome speed, awesome penalty killer from what i saw this past weekend.. good smarts away from the puck..

olafson and spurgeon are two awesome depth guys as well, olafson is big and can fit in on any line, while spurgeon is just a great working sparkplug
Paddock signed a 3 way deal, so yes he might be back

The way Brandon's playing now though, I don't even think they have a shot at the beating Kelowna. To telll you the truth, nobody in the east has a shot at the Rockets. I saw Red Deer come here and I think you would expect a game like that to be great, but it stunk. Red Deer was missing Cam Ward but they played awful and so did Brandon. Maybe somebody that sees the Rebels lots can tell me if they always play like this this season or this was just a bad game. That was a bit-below average for Brandon but they haven't played well this year.


I think Brandon has definitely played below expectations so far, they shouldn't be last in the division 10 games into the season. That being said, they have the deepest group of forwards in the league and if McCrimmon can add a decent d-man or two for some of our promising 17 year-old forwards, Brandon should do pretty well this season. Time will tell though.

Paddock signed a 3 way deal, so yes he might be back

well i have my fingers crossed.. i'd love him to come back for a last year.. just so i can see him play a couple more times

I pick swift in the east if they get a goalie and one more scoreing forward, and in the west, just maybe the Giants or Tbirds, hey you never know :dunno:

T-birds maybe but thats because of the weak division they play in.



Giants? They've gotten off to a good start, will it continue? Well Evason's past on his teams dictates that no it won't last and its just a good start to the season. Will the Giants be top 3? Yes, but they'll be behind kelowna and kamloops.



kelowna and kamloops will be the class of the western conference and maybe even the whl. Both have proven winners for coaches and who implement a strong work ethic.




:yo:

man the giants are looking scary this year(who wouldve thought after they became the first team in my recent memory to lose a playoff game 10-0) but brule, courchane are lighting it up. look out W!

Despite the rockets slow start, they will still be a great team with less offensive ability than last year. gelech is looking to have a huge season, keller may just replace schultz, and spurgeon, comeau, Blanar, Chris Ray and olafson will go a long way to replace what was lost in cutter, mcleaod, and possibly, but hopefully not paddock. Card, Gorges, Palin can handle the load on defense. keith and slovak are big losses, maybe catostrophic, but prolly not. Guard is still our saviour is goal. once the team finds its groove, It will be 1st or 2nd in the west.

When the hell has Guard ever bailed out the Rockets? Try never, all his weaknesses were hidden behind their great defence.

Great defence or not, you don't make the Memorial Cup semi final without great goaltending.


I honestly think Guard is overrated... time will tell.

Memorial Cups have been won by plenty of teams with worse goaltenders than Guard. I think the Rockets are fine with him in goal- what they're lacking right now is scoring, especially down the middle. Paddock coming back will help that a little, but I'd still like to see them get another big centre. Unfortunately, they're aren't a lot of those available on the teams that are likely to move someone at the trade deadline - Stefan Meyer in the Hat is the only guy that springs to mind.

When the hell has Guard ever bailed out the Rockets? Try never, all his weaknesses were hidden behind their great defence.

So you travelled around with the rockets all year last year? saw every game? I think I'd rather listen to the coaches, management, and broadcasters who all repeatedly stated guard was the mvp than somebody who doesnt know what theyre talking about. and if it was all the defense, why didnt lepp set any records himdelf, he had his fair share of games.