鈥� Marissa Tiel

For the first time this season, the 91大黄鸭 Rockets are winners on home ice.

The Rockets beat the Swift Current Broncos 3-2 Tuesday night, making newly-minted head coach Adam Foote鈥檚 debut a victorious one.

The home team got off to a strong start, with Lane Zablocki logging his first goal of the season, sneaking the puck past Broncos goaltender Joel Hofer鈥檚 left glove 4:31 into the first frame.

Swift Current answered around six minutes later with Dalton Gally in the box for a cross-checking minor.

鈥淲e tried to stick to a plan and we got off it a little bit,鈥� said Foote. 鈥淚 think we got frustrated. Their goalie really kept them in it, I felt, the first 10 minutes of the first period, gave them a bit of life and I felt we might have tried to press a little too much.鈥�

READ MORE: 91大黄鸭 Rockets do well with new head coach

With the game tied 1-1, 91大黄鸭鈥檚 Kyle Topping scored his fifth of the season at 7:27 in the second frame.

The lead was short-lived as the Broncos scored one of their own 16 seconds later to tie it up again.

Jack Cowell got his second of the season just over halfway through the second period, the eventual game-winner.

Gally, Erik Gardiner, Kaedan Korczak (2), Conner Bruggen-Cate and Mark Liwiski all logged assists in the game.

鈥淭he effort was there,鈥� said Foote, 鈥渁nd guys tried to do what we asked.鈥�

The win at home marked a first for the team at Prospera Place this season.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so much fun to win at home in front of the crowd,鈥� said veteran forward Topping. 鈥淲e wanted to give them a nice win tonight and I thought we were really good as a group.鈥�

The Swift Current Broncos were at the end of a six-game road stint. The 2018 WHL Champions have struggled this season with only a single win.

The game was the first for Foote behind the bench after being named head coach Tuesday morning.

鈥淚鈥檝e been on a bench before, that鈥檚 for sure, but it鈥檚 fun to see those kids look back and ask questions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 different than the pros. They really care. They don鈥檛 want to let you down.鈥�

Foote wasn鈥檛 too happy about having a game on his first night as head coach. He鈥檇 only had one practice with the team, but was confident in goalie James Porter鈥檚 abilities.

鈥淚 think Porter kept us in it,鈥� said Foote. 鈥淗e made some big saves at the end.鈥�

The Rockets had to kill a four-minute high sticking penalty late in the third period to hold on to win.

Foote was impressed with how his team killed penalties, noting several players sacrificed their bodies to block shots.

鈥淚 love the character and the will to block shots,鈥� he said.

Foote鈥檚 appointment to head coach comes a day after the Rockets announced they were parting ways with former head coach Jason Smith.

Smith was hired before the start of the 2016/17 season and spent two full seasons as head coach. He led the team to a 45-22-5-0 record in his first year and a 43-22-5-2 record last season.

鈥淎nytime you let someone go that is the quality of Jason Smith it鈥檚 very tough, however, the success of our hockey club ultimately falls with myself and I feel at this time we need to go in a different direction,鈥� said Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton in a news release Monday morning. 鈥淛ason is just a wonderful person and we want to thank him for his time here.鈥�

The announcement came a few weeks after the club was named as 2020 Memorial Cup host.

鈥淏ecause we host the 2020 Memorial Cup, we know a number of personnel moves will have to be made,鈥� said Hamilton. 鈥淲e are confident Adam will be able to help us move forward, not just this year, but next season also.鈥�

The coaching change was a surprise to the players.

鈥淲e weren鈥檛 expecting this. Gator (Smith) was a great guy and a great coach,鈥� said Topping, who has shared ice time with both of Foote鈥檚 sons, Cal and Nolan as a Rocket.

He said the transition has been manageable as Foote knows the players.

鈥淲ith Adam coming in, the one thing I noticed and a couple of the guys have been talking, is he鈥檚 familiar with us and obviously with both Footers (Cal and Nolan) playing here, he鈥檚 watched almost every game and he knows us personally and he knows our style of play.鈥�

Foote, now 47, had a 19-year career in the NHL, logging 308 points (66 goals, 242 assists). In his first season in the NHL, he amassed 168 penalty minutes and would go on to log many more before his retirement.

He was drafted 22nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989.

The former captain of the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets was a gritty stay-at-home defender. He won two Stanley Cups with the Avs in 1996 and 2001 and won Olympic gold with Team Canada at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

Most recently, Foote has been a defensive coach with the Avs.

The Foote family has close ties with the Rockets organization. Nineteen-year-old Cal played three WHL seasons with 91大黄鸭 and was selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lighting. He currently plays in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch.

Younger brother Nolan, 17, is an active member of the Rockets, an assistant captain who is widely considered a first-round 2019 NHL Entry Draft pick.

In his first press conference Tuesday morning, coach Foote addressed the question of coaching his son.

鈥淚 have to feel safe at home and Nolan has to feel safe at home. He鈥檚 going to have a bad day and cost us a game; I hope he never does, but chances are, it may happen and he鈥檚 gotta come home and not be holding that. I鈥檓 not going to talk about it. I鈥檓 going to be dad at home,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 skate him harder because he didn鈥檛 put his dishes away either.鈥�

Foote said he respects Smith, also a former NHLer, as a player.

鈥淗e taught my kids a lot. They loved him. He treated them really well.鈥�

The Rockets will have a few days at home before they suit up for their next game against the Prince George Cougars Saturday night at Prospera Place.

These next few days will be a welcome break for the Rockets as they recover from the personnel changes and build chemistry with the new coach.

鈥淚t鈥檚 huge. I think you look at the whole change, our coaching staff, the emotions that went on with everybody. I think everyone felt overwhelmed in the last 18 hours and it鈥檚 going to be nice to get some flow, get some practices and maybe not try to cram too much too soon down them,鈥� said Foote. 鈥淚t will be good for our team.鈥�

Foote said the coaching staff won鈥檛 give the team too much to work on, but the neutral zone is on the list.

鈥淓veryone is a little overwhelmed with the change,鈥� said Foote. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l be a little tired tomorrow, so we won鈥檛 throw too much on their plate.鈥�

Topping is hoping to ride the momentum from this home win.

鈥淲e鈥檒l get in a nice groove with some practices and a lot of time off,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to work on some things and be ready for Saturday.鈥�

The Rockets, who improved to 5-10-0-0 host the Prince George Cougars (5-6鈥�0-1) Saturday. Puck drop is 7:05 p.m. at Prospera Place.

edit@kelownacapnews.com
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