Questions that need to be asked 12 days before main camp

• Who will challenge Adam Brown for the starting job as the Rockets number one goaltender? Brown is a competitor and wants to beat someone to earn the #1 duties. He doesn't want to be handed the job without a fight. Let's hope a challenger pushes Brown to be better. If that happens, Adam Brown benefits and so does his team.
• Who will the Rockets overagers be this season? Kyle St. Denis, Geordie Wudrick, Tyler Matheson, Evan Bloodoff and newcomer Brendon Wall from the Prince Albert Raiders will fight for those spots. Unless Wall falls flat on his face, you would think the veteran d-man would be safe. Overage defenseman that contribute are highly coveted. Look no further than to Dallas Jackson's contribution at last years WHL trade deadline. Wudrick and Bloodoff would be the safe picks unless Kyle St. Denis can prove he is fit and able to play with contact.
• Does Tyson Barrie return for his 19 year-old season? You can't but be paranoid considering the Rockets have lost a defenseman to the NHL in the two previous years. Luke Schenn was nabbed by the Leafs as a 19 year-old and Tyler Myers, also 19, was yanked up to the NHL a season later by the Sabres. Could the Rockets be unlucky three years in a row?
• Who's the captain? Barrie would be my pick, but if he stays with Colorado who is next in line? Would Wall or newly acquired Kevin Smith be looked upon in a leadership role with a team of strangers?
• What does Brett Bulmer do for an encore? A second round pick of Minnesota this summer, Bulmer easily has the ability to lead his team in scoring if he plays with urgency. If he can get on the same page as Shane McColgan, these two could reek havoc on opposition goaltenders this season.
• How does Shane McColgan handle the attention of potentially being a first round pick in the 2011 NHL draft? Some players handle it well while others let it go to their head, fracturing their game. McColgan is worthy of the praise and media attention he has already received, but how he handles those early accolades will either improve his stock or see him fall out of favor with scouts that peg him as a safe pick in the second round.
• If I'm 18, I don't necessarily get a free pass as a fringe player. Any player in the 18 year-old age (born 1992) bracket better come to camp and make a big impression. Bulmer, Spencer Main and Mitchell Chapman are all but guaranteed roster spots, but can the same be said for Max Adolph and Shaun Ashim? Those two need solid training camps to prove they belong.
• What can we expect from a healthy Cody Chikie? A dynamic player who exceeded expectations with 18 goal, Chikie missed the final two months of the season with a broken collarbone. You have to wonder what he could do if he was healthy for all 72?
• Jason Siebert, Colton Heffley, Tyrell Goulbourne and Damon Severson all saw action with the Rockets last season. Which one of those rookies makes the squad this season? All four? Severson, in my opinion, looked the most WHL ready. That's saying a lot for a defenceman, who's mistakes are often magnified as where a forwards miscues are often unnoticed by the casual observer.
• What no name newcomer will make a name for himself this season? The Rockets tend to find a player that is either a castoff from another WHL team or simply a player that somehow fell through the cracks. Cody Chikie was the poster-child last season while Adam Brown/Mitchell Callahan took the honour in 2008-2009. Players like James McEwan, Torrie Jung and of course Tyler Mosienko also come to mind.
• Can the Rockets two european born players selected in the CHL import draft make an immediate impact? The two arrive on North American soil next Wednesday.