Brother Nolan Foote, left, and Cal Foote played the past two seasons together
with the WHL';s Kelowna Rockets.

Looking back to his first season as a head coach - which was also his first
season behind a junior bench - Smith was thoroughly impressed with how Cal
handled himself during his draft year. So impressed that Smith saddled Cal with
 Kelowna's captaincy the following season - replacing the graduated Rodney
Southam.

"If he took anything from his brother Cal, and the way he went about (his draft
 year), he didn't become consumed by it," said Smith. "You're going to put
extra pressure on yourself - there's going to be pressure. You don't want to
worry about it too much, you don't want to think about it, but it's there. As a
 young guy, you don't want to let it become your focal point every day.

"There's going to be questions and you're going to go through a lot of
interviews throughout the year, but that's something you have to just not get
too tied up in, and be focused on what you're doing on the ice," Smith
continued in his advice for Nolan and Kelowna's other draft-eligibles. "Over
the years, the guys that go out and just put their best foot forward on the ice
 are the guys who make the most impression with the scouts."Captain in Waiting?

There is also the question of captaincy in Kelowna, now that Cal is going pro -
 either with Tampa Bay or its top affiliate, the AHL's Syracuse Crunch.

Nolan is mature beyond his years and it wouldn't be surprising if the Rockets
passed their ΓÇÿC' from one Foote to another - especially if Kelowna wins its
bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup. Kamloops and Lethbridge are also in that
mix, with the decision to come at the WHL's board of governors meeting on Oct.
3.

"I definitely want to follow his footsteps. He was a great leader, I want to be
 a great leader in Kelowna too. I'm going to be the best leader I can be."Nolan
 Foote

That sounds like captain material, but Smith may hold off in naming Cal's
successor until partway through the regular season.

Regardless, Nolan is eager to take on a leadership role - with or without a
letter on his jersey.

"I want to be a leader on this team, and carry this team to the playoffs
hopefully," said Foote. "It would be awesome for our team to win the B.C.
Division again, and we're obviously looking to go farther this year in
playoffs."Leading Kelowna's Offence

For that to happen, Foote will need to lead the way offensively.

Kelowna has lost a lot of firepower up front, with forwards Lind, Dube and
Carsen Twarynski moving on to the pro ranks. They were the Rockets' three
leading scorers last season, combining for 122 goals - lighting the lamp 39, 38
 and 45 times, respectively.

"We're not going to put overbearing pressure on one guy to pick up for the
offence that has left us," said Smith. "Last year and two years ago, they
talked about all the goals that disappeared from the team too, and we managed
to score goals. . . .

"I think we have a group of guys who are going to push each other to become
better players, and I think he's going to be a big contributor for our
team."(Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Kelowna Rockets players, from left, Kaedan Korczak, Cal Foote and Nolan Foote
celebrate a goal with Kole Lind during WHL action last season. Nolan Foote and
Korczak will assume bigger roles this season with Cal Foote and Lind making the
 leap to pro hockey.

Foote has to be at the top of that group, along with Topping, Mattson, Kindree
and other veterans such as Jack Cowell, Conner Bruggen-Cate, Erik Gardiner and
new overager Ryan Bowen.

It's possible, but not probable, that sophomores Ted Brennan and Wil Kushniryk
could break out or that potential rookies like Mark Liwiski, Ethan Ernst and
Cole Carrier could hit the ground running.

Those names aren't jumping off the screen and thus the name that stands out is
still Foote.

"It's huge to step up, and not just me, all of our young guys are going to have
 to take a step because those are some elite players gone," said Foote. "It's a
 huge year for all of us to step up. It's our time now."(Marissa
Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Nolan Foote celebrates one of his 13 goals last season.Sleeper Team

Kelowna no longer has any big-name NHL prospects - drafted or signed - and the
Rockets' two overagers are below average by league standards. The goaltenders
are young again too.

Therefore, some are calling it a rebuilding year for Kelowna - or rather a
building year towards 2020 if successful in landing the Memorial Cup
tournament.

The Vancouver Giants are favoured to win the B.C. Division this season - led by
 Bowen Byram, believed to be a top-10 lock for 2019 - and the Kamloops Blazers
have an older group that should be more competitive if overagers Jermaine
Loewen and Dylan Ferguson return with Luc Smith.

The Victoria Royals will be decent and the Prince George Cougars should be
improved.

Many pundits have Kelowna pencilled into the middle of that pack, as the second
 or third seed behind Vancouver and perhaps Kamloops - suggesting the Rockets
will struggle to score this season and citing an offensively challenged
supporting cast for Foote.

Call Kelowna an underdog, for once, but Foote assures the Rockets will be up to
 the challenge.

"The Rockets are always good. We have a lot of good young guys coming up who
can learn and develop fast, and for us older guys, it's our job to teach them
and show them the way. And we have a great coaching staff, so I definitely
think we'll surprise some people."Nolan Foote

A sleeper in Kelowna? Maybe, but time will tell, with Foote and the Rockets
opening their regular season on Sept. 21-22 with a home-and-home set against
the rival Blazers.

The post Rockets' Nolan Foote Gearing Up for Draft Year appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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