4 Rockets to NHL camps
Photo: Steve Dunsmoor
Four current Kelowna Rockets players will attend National Hockey League rookie camps later this week.
Netminder Talyn Boyko (New York Rangers) and forward Colton Dach (Chicago Blackhawks) skipped Rockets training camp, reporting directly to their respective teams.
Goaltender Jari Kykkanen (Florida Panthers) and defensemen Noah Dorey (Edmonton) will depart Kelowna to join NHL clubs that invited them as undrafted players.
The Rangers selected Boyko in the fourth round (No. 112) in the 2021 NHL Draft. He appeared in 46 games for Kelowna last season after a trade from Tri-City in November, posting a 28-12-1-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.79 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
In his first season with the Rockets, Dach led the Kelowna in 79 points and 50 assists and shared the team lead in goals with 29 through 61 games during the regular season.
The 19-year-old also signed a three-year entry-level contract with Chicago after they selected him in the second round (No. 62) in the 2021 NHL Draft. He is not AHL eligible this season and must either play in the NHL with the Blackhawks or be returned to Kelowna.
Dorey attended Edmonton’s development camp this past July after going undrafted in the 2022 NHL Draft. Last year he was invited to the Boston Bruins development camp last fall after going undrafted in the 2021 NHL Draft. The 6’3, 192-pound defenseman put up a career-high 21 points during the 2022-23 season.
Kykkanen also attended the Panthers development camp this past summer after going undrafted.
The goaltender made 13 appearances in his first season with the Rockets last year, posting an 8-3-0-0 record with a 2.75 goals-against average, .897 save percentage and a shutout.