As his team hits the quarter mark of the 2017-18 season, Bruce Hamilton admits the are more or less in the position he expected.

At 8-6-2-1, the Rockets sit second in the B.C. Division, eight points back of first-place Victoria and four ahead of Vancouver.

鈥淚 think we鈥檙e pretty much where we thought we鈥檇 be in this kind of race,鈥� said Hamilton, the Rockets president and GM. 鈥淲e went through a little four or five-game funk there where we struggled in goal, but it wasn鈥檛 just the goalies.

鈥淥ur whole team got thinking that maybe they were better than they were,鈥� added Hamilton. 鈥�(Goalie) James Porter has really got his game going, that鈥檚 helped a lot and I think all in all, we鈥檝e been playing better the last little while here.鈥�

With the departures of offensive weapons Nick Merkley, Calvin Thurkauf, Reid Gardiner and Lucas Johansen from last year鈥檚 club, Hamilton said the Rockets鈥攅ven with Kole Lind and Dillon Dube returning鈥攌new goals would likely be harder to come by this season.

Finding ways to win games 3-2 and 4-3, particularly in a division with a high degree of parity, may become a season-long necessity for the Rockets.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to be a real flashy team, we鈥檙e going to have to work hard and play really well defensively, we have young guys in goal and we鈥檝e got to back them up and support them,鈥� Hamilton said.

To continue being better than a middle-of-the-pack type of team, Hamilton said the Rockets will require contributions from up and down the entire lineup.

鈥淲e need some miles from our over age players here,鈥� Hamilton said of Carsen Twarynski, Gordie Ballhorn and James Hilsendager. 鈥淲e need them to have an impact in the outcome of every game.

鈥淎nd we need to see some development from some of our younger guys in the scoring department.鈥�

As for Jason Smith and his progress as Rockets鈥� head coach, Hamilton said the second-year bench boss is growing with each game.

鈥淗e鈥檚 done a real good job,鈥� Hamilton said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a learning process, the group we had last year and this year are a little different. These guys are more and more his team now, last year鈥檚 was more inherited. I think they鈥檙e coming along (under Smith).鈥�

While Smith isn鈥檛 entirely dissatisfied with his team鈥檚 performance at the quarter point of the season, he believes the Rockets have considerably more to offer.

Head coach Jason Smith:

鈥淚 think you can always look at where you鈥檙e at and we want to be better,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e been inconsistent in playing complete games, I think there鈥檚 games where we鈥檝e done things really well for stretches, then we鈥檝e taken our foot off the pedal and gotten sloppy.

鈥淲e just haven鈥檛 competed at the level we need to and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to work at and strive to be a better team and a more consistent team.鈥�

The Rockets will settle into Prospera Place for a four-game home stand beginning Friday against the Giants. Face off at Prospera Place is 7:05 p.m. The Red Deer Rebels will visit 琉璃神社 on Saturday.

Rockets with Team WHL

Dillon Dube, Kole Lind and Cal Foote returned to the Rockets this week after playing with Team WHL during the Canada-Russia series in Saskatchewan.

As part of Hockey Canada鈥檚 evaluation process for the 2018 national junior squad, Dube scored twice and added three assists as the teams split the two-game set in Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Lind had a goal and two assists, while Foote posted a +2 rating.

Team Canada鈥檚 final selection camp will be held Dec. 12 to 15 in St. Catharines, ON.

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