15 former Rockets crack NHL opening night rosters
The Kelowna Rockets are proud to announce fourteen Rockets alumni have been named to National Hockey League opening night rosters to start the 2021-22 NHL season.
The 2021-22 regular season will commence Tuesday, Oct. 12 with a doubleheader that includes the Tampa Bay Lightning raising their third Stanley Cup championship banner before facing the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the first-ever regular-season game for the NHL’s 32nd franchise, the Seattle Kraken, who will play against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena at 10 p.m. ET. The 1,312-game regular-season schedule — 82 games per team — will conclude Friday, April 29, when 30 of the League’s 32 teams take to the ice.
Below is the list of Rockets on rosters by team:
Calgary Flames: Mikael Backlund, Dillon Dube
Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn, Blake Comeau
Edmonton Oilers: Tyson Barrie, Leon Draisaitl, Duncan Keith
LA Kings: Alex Edler
Nashville Predators: Colton Sissons
New Jersey Devils: Damon Severson
Seattle Kraken: Kole Lind
Tampa Bay Lightning: Cal Foote
Vancouver Canucks: Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers
Winnipeg Jets: Josh Morrissey
A number of former Rockets attended NHL camps but were either re-assigned or waived and will now join their respective NHL teams farm club. Those players include: Kaden Korczak (Vegas/Henderson), Dillon Hamaliuk (San Jose Sharks/San Jose Barracuda), Nolan Foote (New Jersey/Binghamton), Lassi Thomson (Ottawa/Belleville), Carsen Twarynski (Seattle/Charlotte), Lucas Johansen (Washington/Hershey), Devante Stephens (Vancouver/Abbotsford), Nick Merkley (San Jose Sharks/San Jose Barracuda), Justin Kirkland (Calgary/Stockton), Gage Quinney (Vegas/Henderson), Madison Bowey (Vancouver/Abbotsford), Tyrell Goulbourne (Ottawa/Belleville).
Shea Weber, who is still under contract to the Montreal Canadiens, has been placed on the long term injured reserve.
