Image Credit: Kelowna Rockets
January 15, 2014 - 8:29 AM
VICTORIA - Twenty-year-old Detroit Red Wings prospect Marek Tvrdon will make his Kelowna Rockets debut this weekend as the Rockets continue a stretch of six straight road games with a double-header in Victoria.
The Rockets acquired Tvrdon's WHL rights from the Vancouver Giants last week for a 2nd round bantam draft pick. Playing in Toledo of the the ECHL at the time, the Red Wings re-assigned him to Kelowna where he is skating with the team and will be in the lineup this weekend.
After sizzling the WHL for 31 goals and 74 points in 2011-12 as an 18-year-old, injuries limited Tvrdon to just 18 games with the Giants last season where he would score eight times and add 14 assists.
In 90 career regular season WHL games, Tvrdon has scored 107 points. In Vancouver's six playoff games in the 11-12 season, Tvrdon had three goals and three assists.
This year the Wings opted to keep the 20-year-old in their minor league system rather than returning him to the Giants. Tvrdon played one game in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins and 22 games in Toledo in the ECHL where he had nine goals and 13 points.
The WHL-leading Rockets (36-5-0-2) are in Victoria to conclude a six game road trip. After going 3-1 through Alberta, Kelowna now heads to Victoria take on the Royals (29-15-0-2) twice. Victoria sits in in second place in the WHL BC Division.
The Rockets return to Kelowna next week hosting Everett on Jan. 22 and then Medicine Hat (Jan. 24) and Lethbridge (Jan. 25).
News from © iNFOnews, 2014