Cardinal Sport Game Preview: Rockets Return Home to Host Vancouver
Published on December 26, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release
Kelowna Rockets' Mazden Leslie
(Kelowna Rockets)
The Kelowna Rockets return to Prospera Place tonight as they host the Vancouver Giants in a BC Division matchup to open the post-Christmas schedule. Puck drop is set for 6:05 pm, with limited tickets still available at selectyourtickets.com.
ROCKETS HEADLINES
Kelowna (16-12-3-1) is back on home ice following a six-game East Division Road Trip that saw the club go 3-3-0-0 prior to the holiday break. The Rockets will be eager to re-establish momentum in front of the Kelowna crowd as they enter the second half of the season firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Offensively, the Rockets continue to be led by Shane Smith (17G, 20A) and Carson Wetsch (13G, 23A), while Mazden Leslie anchors the blue line with 25 points on the season. Kelowna's penalty kill remains a strength, operating near 78% on the year, and will be a key factor against a Giants power play that has shown flashes of danger.
Tonight's game also serves as a Team Canada Celebration Night, with fans encouraged to show their Canadian pride as the World Junior Championship continues. Forward Tij Iginla remains away representing Team Canada at the tournament. The Rockets earned a 5-2 road victory over Vancouver earlier this season on November 1 and will look to build off that result in their first meeting of the year in Prospera Place.
VANCOUVER GIANTS
The Giants (15-18-1-1) enter the contest looking to bounce back after a challenging stretch to close out the pre-Christmas schedule. Vancouver features one of the league's more dangerous offensive threats in Cameron Schmidt (22G, 27A), supported by Ryan Lin (9G, 33A) and Ty Halaburda (18G, 15A). While Vancouver has struggled defensively at times this season, their powerplay ranks as one of the WHL's best at over 26%, making discipline a priority for Kelowna.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Season Series:
Kelowna leads 1-0
Last 10 Games:
Kelowna: 5-5-0-0
Vancouver: 6-4-0-0
Special Teams:
Kelowna: PP 19.2% | PK 78.0%
Vancouver: PP 26.1% | PK 68.8%
INJURY & ABSENCE REPORT
Tij Iginla - World Junior Championship (Team Canada)
Tomas Poletin - World Junior Championship (Team Czechia)
Vojtech Cihar - World Junior Championship (Team Czechia)
Peyton Kettles - UBI (Indefinitely)
Gabriel Guilbault - UBI (Week-to-Week)
Nate Corbet - LBI (Week-to-Week)
UP NEXT
The Rockets continue their homestand following tonight's matchup, with more BC Division action on Monday, December 29th, against Okanagan Rivals, the Penticton Vees, at 7:05PM. Tickets are available for that game at selectyourtickets.com or at the Select Your Tickets Box Office at Prospera Place.
Images from this story
 Kelowna Rockets' Mazden Leslie |
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