The Tacoma Rockets were a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1991 to 1995. They played at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington . The Rockets were granted as an expansion franchise, and were named after the defunct professional team of the same name . After the 1994–95 season, low attendance forced the team to move to Kelowna , British Columbia after only four seasons, where they became the Kelowna Rockets . While the Rockets drew high attendance numbers when they played the Seattle Thunderbirds , they did not draw as well with other teams. The Tacoma Dome was not well-suited for hockey as the risers for the seats were too shallow, making the sightlines bad for hockey.
53-677: Marcel Comeau was hired to be the first coach of the Rockets, and stayed with the team all four seasons. The 1991–92 season marks the first season of the expansion side Rockets, who began play in the Tacoma Dome , one of North America 's largest hockey arenas. The inaugural Rockets blasted their way to one of the most memorable inaugural seasons in the 25-year history of the Western Hockey League . Attendance of 14,975 and 15,240 at two heated contests against their then arch rival,
106-484: A 3–2 final in overtime to a powerful, deep Russian team. The tournament set records for attendance. This would also be the start of another unrivaled display of junior hockey by Canada, claiming 14-straight medals from 1999– 2012 , including their second run of five-straight gold medals from 2005 through to 2009 . At the 2009 tournament in Ottawa , where Team Canada last captured gold, Canada faced defeat against Russia in
159-603: A balanced offence and strong defence to post a 6–0–1 record in the round robin tournament. Canada defeated the Soviet Union 7–0 in the second-to-last game, the worst defeat the Soviets suffered in the tournament's history. The game was played at the Winnipeg Arena before a rabid crowd, which amazed the players. The Canadians entered the final game, against Czechoslovakia, guaranteed a silver medal, and needed only
212-530: A copy of the Canadian anthem, or had technical difficulty with it, so was unable to follow the IIHF tradition of playing the winning team's anthem following the game. The players themselves chose to sing the anthem, badly off-key, an image that has since become an iconic moment in the junior program's history. The gold medal marked the first international amateur championship for Canada in 20 years, and established
265-558: A full-time coach with the Calgary Wranglers for the 1983–84 WHL season . Comeau switched to the Saskatoon Blades for the 1984–85 WHL season , and stayed with the team for five seasons. He led Saskatoon to improved records in three successive seasons, reaching the third round of the playoffs in the 1986–87 WHL season . Comeau led Saskatoon to 47 wins and the east division title in the 1987–88 WHL season , and
318-786: A full-time scout in the same regions in June 2000. On July 9, 2003, he was named director of amateur scouting for the Thrashers. He remained in the same position with the organization when it became the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets in 2011. In 2015, Comeau stepped down from his position, but remained with the Jets as an amateur scout. Season-by-season career playing statistics. Season-by-season career coaching record. Canada men%27s national junior ice hockey team The Canadian men's national under-20 ice hockey team
371-703: A right-hand shot. He began playing junior ice hockey with the Ponoka Stampeders , and was named the Alberta Junior Hockey League rookie of year in the 1970–71 season, and led the league with 42 goals scored. He finished the 1970–71 season playing 11 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Canada Hockey League . After one full season with Edmonton, he was drafted 148th overall by
424-629: A row on two occasions, 1993–1997 and 2005–2009. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) created an invitation-only junior tournament for the top ice hockey nations in the world to be held in late December 1973 and early January 1974 in Leningrad , Soviet Union . It featured six teams: the Soviet Union , Czechoslovakia , Sweden , Finland , the United States and Canada. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) hoped to send
477-531: A second-place finish in the West. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Marcel Comeau Marcel Comeau (born March 1, 1952) is a Canadian ice hockey scout, and former player, coach , and National Hockey League team executive. He played eleven seasons in the International Hockey League (IHL), where he was
530-438: A summer training camp to evaluate potential players for the junior team. The three major-junior leagues were initially reluctant to support the proposal, as it would have required them to surrender their top players for a longer period for the tournament, as well as their younger players for regional development tournaments. The CAHA ultimately gained the support of each league, but not before having to also convince them to allow
583-530: A team at all if it couldn't send its best. However, it was in a dispute at the time with Hockey Canada and feared that if it did not send a team, the IIHF would turn to the rival governing body instead. Though the CAHA typically sent the defending Memorial Cup champion, those teams were typically weakened by the loss of graduating players and were often only a shadow of the team which won their championships. Disappointed by frequent complaints from European teams that
SECTION 10
#1732791615200636-595: A tie to win gold. Played at a half-full arena in Rochester, the Czechs entered the third period leading 2–1, and would have had a larger lead if not for goaltender Mike Moffat . Two third-period goals gave Canada the lead before the Czechs tied it. They held on despite a frenzied attack in the final minutes to end with a 3–3 tie, and win Canada's first gold medal in the tournament's history. The arena either did not have
689-412: A victory, or gold with a victory of 5 or more goals. Norwegian referee Hans Rønning, assigned based on his neutrality despite his inexperience officiating at the international level, quickly lost control as both teams frequently hacked and slashed each other. Midway through the second period, with Canada leading 4–2, a line brawl broke out that ultimately involved nearly every player for both teams after
742-555: Is the ice hockey team representing Canada internationally in under-20 competition. Their primary participation in this age group comes at the International Ice Hockey Federation 's World Junior Championship , held annually every December and January. The team also participates in various exhibition matches and occasional exhibition series, such as the 2007 Super Series against their Russian counterparts, an eight-game exhibition series commemorating
795-741: The Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as the WHL coach of the year, and the CHL Coach of the Year Award as well. In addition to their winning streak, the Rockets home record of 36–6–0 and collecting 37 more points than the previous year, proved them serious contenders in the WHL. Once again the Rockets attendance of 13,769 saw them defeat the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2 in win number 24, marking the third largest crowd in
848-538: The East Coast Hockey League on January 12, 1991, but was unable to get his new team into the 1990-91 ECHL season playoffs. Comeau was hired as the first head coach for the expansion Tacoma Rockets in the WHL, on April 17, 1991. In his 1992–93 WHL season with Tacoma, he led the team to 45 wins, and won his second Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL Coach of Year. He also received the Coach of
901-724: The Laval Titan , lost 3–2 to the Peterborough Petes , and won 5–4 over the Swift Current Broncos to reach a berth in the finals. Saskatoon was leading in the third period of the Memorial Cup championship game, but were defeated 4–3 in overtime by Swift Current. Comeau stepped down from his position with the Blades on August 10, 1989. Comeau was named director of hockey operations and head coach of
954-622: The Minnesota North Stars , in the tenth round of the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft . Comeau never played in the National Hockey League , and spent eleven seasons playing with the Saginaw Gears in the International Hockey League (IHL). He was named an IHL second-team all-star in the 1973–74 IHL season , and the 1977–78 IHL season . Comeau led the league with 82 assists in the 1980–81 IHL season , led
1007-576: The New Haven Nighthawks on August 11, 1989. In his first season coaching in the AHL, Comeau led the New Haven to seventh-place finish, and missed the playoffs. The following season, his team struggled again and Comeau became the first AHL coach to be fired mid-season in nearly six years, on November 29, 1990. Comeau took over as head coach of a struggling Winston-Salem Thunderbirds team in
1060-659: The Seattle Thunderbirds . This assisted the Rockets in chalking up the highest per game average for a first year expansion team under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella. In 1992–93, the Rockets startled everyone in the league by winning 24 straight home games for an all-time Western Hockey League record. Tacoma held first place in the West Division for three months and finished with a promising 45–27–0 season. Head coach Marcel Comeau won
1113-890: The Snohomish County and King County areas, from 1996 to 2000. He also worked as a scout with the Independent RHO Hockey Service, and coached the Pacific under-17 team at the 1999 USA Hockey Festival. He was hired as a part-time scout for the Atlanta Thrashers by Don Waddell , a former teammate on the Saginaw Gears. He scouted part-time in Western Canada and the United States from October 1998, until becoming
SECTION 20
#17327916152001166-818: The Western Canada Hockey League WCHL as Canada's representative. The team finished in second place with a 4–1 record, their lone loss at the hands of the champion Soviet Union. As the OHA and WCHL had each sent a representative already, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) sent Canada's entry in the form of the Sherbrooke Beavers for the 1976 tournament . The team finished second despite scoring only 12 goals and giving up 27 in four games The growing popularity of international competition begun by
1219-556: The league's top scorer and won the IHL Most Valuable Player Award in 1981. He later coached in the Western Hockey League (WHL), winning two WHL Coach of the Year Awards , and a Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year Award . He also led Team Canada to a gold medal at the 1996 World Juniors , and later served as a team executive for the Atlanta Thrashers , and the Winnipeg Jets . Marcel Comeau
1272-664: The 1972 Summit Series and continued with the Canada Cup led the IIHF to formalize the tournament in 1977 as the IIHF World U20 Championship (colloquially the World Junior Hockey Championship). The defending Memorial Cup champion St. Catharines Fincups of the OHA represented Canada at this first official tournament, winning the silver medal, while Dale McCourt was named the tournament's best forward. The 1978 tournament
1325-614: The 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series . The Canadian junior team is the most successful in the world, having medalled in 34 of 46 events held since 1977, winning a record 20 gold medals. Its success can be traced back to the formation of the Program of Excellence in 1982 by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association , which created the first true national junior team. Since that time, Canada has won 20 of 42 World Junior championships – including five in
1378-429: The Canadian juniors were just "slugs" who couldn't play the game at an elite level, CAHA president Murray Costello finally set out to build a true national team program. Known as the "Program of Excellence", Costello and the CAHA proposed a multifaceted approach that would see Canada send its top eligible juniors from across the nation. It included the creation of U-17 and U-18 programs to develop younger players and
1431-674: The Soviet Union again faced off for the gold medal in their match-up at the 1986 in Hamilton. The Soviets emerged 4–1 victors and won the gold, while Canada finished as silver medalists. Believing that the Canada-Soviet match-up would again determine who won gold, the Czechoslovak hosts scheduled the two teams to be the final game of the 1987 tournament . It did not turn out that way, as the Soviets struggled and were eliminated from contention. However, Canada could win silver with
1484-620: The Soviets left their bench, closely followed by the Canadians. The melee lasted 20 minutes, ending only when the players were too exhausted to continue fighting. The brawl, which became known as the Punch-up in Piestany , resulted in the disqualification of Canada and the Soviet Union. Players who were on the 1987 team entered the 1988 tournament in Moscow seeking redemption. They won
1537-457: The Soviets with silver. From 1993 through to 1997, Canada won a record five-straight gold medals. The streak started under difficult circumstances beginning at the 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden, one of the most competitive engagements in tournament history. The host Swedes, led by Peter Forsberg , Markus Näslund , and Niklas Sundström , broke scoring records. In 1995 ,
1590-654: The Year Award for the Canadian Hockey League in the same season. Comeau served five seasons total with the Rockets, four of those in Tacoma, and a fifth season being the team's first year as the Kelowna Rockets in the 1995–96 WHL season . Comeau was head coach of the Canada men's national under-18 ice hockey team which captured the gold medal at the 1994 La Copa Mexico in Mexico City . Two years later he
1643-482: The crowd for the referees whistle and stopped playing. The Canadians finished with the bronze medal. The game against the Soviets was a much closer affair in the following year, ending in a 3–3 tie. However, Canada needed a win in the game to retain a chance for gold. Left with bronze as the best possibility, the disheartened Canadians lost to Czechoslovakia in the final game of the tournament and finished in fourth place. Canada and Czechoslovakia entered their contest on
Tacoma Rockets - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-568: The defending Memorial Cup champion Toronto Marlboros to represent Canada, but after they declined, the Peterborough Petes , runner up to Toronto in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) standings, was sent. The Petes finished third, despite being the only club team in the tournament A second tournament was held in 1975 , primarily in Winnipeg , Manitoba . The CAHA sent an all-star team made up of players representing
1749-471: The final day of the 1985 tournament in Sweden with identical 5–0–1 records. Playing for the gold medal, the game was dominated by the goaltenders: Craig Billington and Dominik Hašek . It ended in a 2–2 draw and Canada claimed gold in the round-robin tournament as a result of a better goal differential. It was the nation's first World Championship won on European ice in 24 years. With 5–0 records, Canada and
1802-449: The final seconds of their semi-final before Jordan Eberle scored the equalizing goal with 5.4 seconds remaining in the game, forcing overtime. Canada would win in a shootout and go on to rout Sweden 5–1 in the final. John Tavares , the future first overall selection at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft , was named most valuable player of the tournament. The team's players and Hockey Canada were the subject of allegations of sexual assault after
1855-428: The gold medal, finishing the tournament at 6–0–1. The 3–2 victory over the Soviet Union was the difference maker, dropping the tournament hosts to the silver medal. Canada would achieve the same feat at the 1990 and 1991 tournaments, capturing back-to-back gold medals for the first time, hinging on crucial wins over the Soviet Union. This ultimately broke the tie in points at the top of the standings each time, leaving
1908-514: The history of the WHL. Three Rockets won best in the WHL West. Goaltender, Jeff Calvert – Most Valuable Player; Michal Sýkora – Most Valuable Player; and Jamie Black selected as Most Sportsmanlike Player. The 1993–94 season marked the year of transition for the Rockets, with the graduation of high scoring veteran Allan Egeland , a solid forward, Trever Fraser , and netminder, Jeff Calvert. The Rockets' third season also brought forward some of
1961-474: The host Canadians benefited from a squad bolstered by the 1994–95 NHL lockout , resulting in a perfect record en route to winning gold. The streak culminated at the 1997 tournament in Switzerland, with excellent defence and goaltending covering for an offence that struggled early in the competition. At the 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships , Canada won silver as hosts in Winnipeg , dropping
2014-645: The league with 126 points and won the Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy as the top scorer, was named a first-team all-star, and won the James Gatschene Memorial Trophy as the IHL's most valuable player. In the 1976–77 IHL season , Comeau and the Saginaw Gears finished first place overall in the league winning the Fred A. Huber Trophy , and won the playoffs to capture a Turner Cup title. The team
2067-497: The league's best rookies and a phenomenal base of nine NHL drafted players. Six alone were selected in 1994 , bringing the total to thirteen Rockets drafted in three seasons. Rockets finished third in the Western Hockey League with a 33–34–5 record. With a strong finish in the 1993–94 season, the Rockets strove to compete at a higher level of excellence. They launched their third season boasting size in defense and
2120-640: The organization to also invite eligible players from outside major junior hockey. The team that was sent to the 1982 Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota was the first true national junior team sent. It was composed of ten players from the WHL, four from the OHL, three from the QMJHL, two playing United States college and one playing professionally in the Finnish league . The team lacked star players, but relied on
2173-470: The preliminary round) ‡ Includes one loss in extra time (in the preliminary round) * Includes one win in extra time (in the playoff round) + Includes one loss in extra time (in the playoff round) In 2007, the Canadian junior team played the Russian junior team in an eight-game Super Series commemorating the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series . For the 40th anniversary, the two teams competed in
Tacoma Rockets - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-458: The strength of nine NHL draft picks. Adding the skill and talent of one of Europe 's top young forwards, Václav Varaďa , who slotted 50 points and tied the team's rookie scoring record. Todd MacDonald , 1993 Florida Panthers draft choice, became the team's top goalie, nominated for the Best in the West award. Veteran Dallas Thompson became team Captain . This combination brought the Rockets to
2279-415: The team threatened to withdraw from the tournament. Canada's first three games, all wins, were played in a small, empty arena. The fourth game was against the hosts in a larger rink at full capacity, which the team was denied the ability to practice in beforehand. The players struggled to adapt to the new playing conditions, losing 7–3, and even surrendered a goal when they mistook a whistle from somewhere in
2332-566: The team visited London, Ontario in 2018, celebrating their gold medal at the 2018 World Championship . After an investigation by the London police , former team members Dillon Dube , Cal Foote , Alex Formenton , Carter Hart , and Michael McLeod were charged with sexual assault in late January 2024. Roster for the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships . (2023–24 teams listed at time of event) Head coach: Alan Letang The 1974, 1975 and 1976 tournaments were unofficial. The 1974 team
2385-441: The value of the Program of Excellence. Attempting to repeat as champions in 1983 , Canada endured numerous incidents and mind games perpetrated by the host Soviet Union. The Soviets initially refused to grant a sufficient number of visas for the Canadian delegation, then when the team landed in Leningrad , had their clothing and equipment seized immediately by government officials. It was returned three hours later, but only after
2438-533: Was awarded the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as the WHL Coach of the Year. The Blades moved out of Saskatoon Arena during his fifth season, into the new Saskatchewan Place , and were scheduled to host the 1989 Memorial Cup . Comeau led Saskatoon to second place in the east division with 42 wins, and into the third round of the 1988–89 WHL season playoffs. At the 1989 Memorial Cup, Comeau's Blades won 5–3 over
2491-595: Was born on March 1, 1952, in Edmonton , Alberta . His parents, Emile and Anita Comeau, moved to Ponoka and operated the local Massey Ferguson retailer. He played minor ice hockey in town and attended Ponoka Composite High School. He played shortstop on the Ponoka Royals fast-pitch softball club as a youth, and played semi-professional softball in summers. Comeau was a centreman during his playing career, listed at 6 feet (183 cm) and 165 pounds (75 kg) with
2544-417: Was even worse, as the Cornwall Royals , with some additions from other QMJHL teams, finished in seventh place out of eight teams. The CAHA had long hoped to send a true national team to the tournament, but were limited by costs. To assemble such a team in 1981 would have cost four times the amount it spent to send the Cornwall Royals. The CAHA lacked the resources for such a program and preferred not to send
2597-414: Was head coach of the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team at the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships , which won a fourth consecutive gold medal at the World Juniors . Canada finished the round-robin winning all four games, defeated Russia 4–3 in the semifinals, and defeated Sweden 4–1 in the finals. Comeau served as the executive director of the Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association in
2650-415: Was held in Montreal . It was the first major international tournament for Wayne Gretzky , a 16-year-old phenom whom the Montreal crowd cheered wildly. Though he led the tournament in scoring with 17 points, Canada managed only a bronze medal after losing the final round-robin game to Sweden, 6–5, in which they needed only a tie for silver. The following three years yielded poor results. The 1979 team
2703-437: Was inducted into the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Comeau finished his playing career with the Maine Mariners in the American Hockey League (AHL), with seven games during the 1982–83 AHL season playoffs. Comeau began his coaching career with the Saginaw Gears during the 1981–82 IHL season , and the 1982–83 IHL season , until the team folded, acting as the player-coach and general manager. He became
SECTION 50
#17327916152002756-436: Was represented by the Peterborough Petes . Canada was ejected from the tournament in 1987 for a bench clearing brawl with the Soviet Union. In 1996, a playoff was added to the tournament (prior to this, it was just a round robin tournament.) Playoff games are included in record. Since 2007, the IIHF has awarded 3 points for a win, 2 points for an overtime win and 1 point for an overtime loss. † Includes one win in extra time (in
2809-431: Was represented primarily by the WHL's New Westminster Bruins and finished in fifth place. The CAHA nearly chose not to send a team in 1980 due to travel costs, but donations from the three major junior leagues ensured Canada's participation. The Peterborough Petes formed the primary core of the team, supplemented by players from other OHA squads. The result, however, was another fifth-place finish. The 1981 tournament
#199800