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Rockets Select 2 Centres in Import Draft

June 29, 2010 - Kelownarockets.com

The Kelowna Rockets are pleased to announce they have selected two centres in the 2010 Canadian Hockey League import draft.

With the team's first selection the Rockets chose Norway’s Andreas Stene with the 25th pick in the draft involving all teams in the Canadian Hockey League

Stene (D.O.B March 1, 1991) is a 6-foot-3 centre who played with Valerenga in the Norway senior league last year. He has played with the Norwegian national team at every level, from Under-20 down to Under-16.

“We think he’s a pretty good player,” said Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton. “We needed a bigger centre and he brings good size.”

Stene, who is expected to play with the Rockets in the 2010-11 WHL season, attended the Chicago Blackhawks NHL training camp as a free agent in 2009-10.

In 2008-09 he was voted Norway’s young player of the year.

Later in the day the Rockets used their second pick to choose Slovenian native Gal Koren (D.O.B.Jan. 16, 1992).

A 6-foot-1 191 pound centre/left wing, Koren had 41 points in 32 games for Jungadler Mannheim playing in Germany last season.

He has also played for the Slovenian Under-20, Under-18 and Under-17 national teams and was rated 69th on the international skaters ranking for the 2010 NHL draft.