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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Playoff Battle Continues As Rockets Close Out Regular-Season, Fan Appreciation Night On Saturday

March 22, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Kelowna Rockets right wing Andrew Cristall eyes the puck
Kelowna Rockets right wing Andrew Cristall eyes the puck
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

Heading into the final weekend of the 2023-24 WHL regular season, many things need to be determined in the Western Conference playoff positioning. While all eight teams have secured their spot on the post season, as of Wednesday, teams five through eight are only four points within each other.

The Rockets will head into the weekend in a home-and-home series against the Giants that will wrap up their regular season schedules. Vancouver enters the weekend fifth in the conference with 68 points, one ahead of the Rockets and Victoria Royals who are tied for sixth with 67 points. The Royals take on the Wenatchee Wild, who are fourth in the conference with 70 points, on Friday.

The Rockets will start the weekend on Friday in Langley at 7:00 pm before coming back to Kelowna for the annual Fan Appreciation Game on Saturday.

SATURDAY'S FAN APPRECIATION GAME

Saturday's Fan Appreciation game will feature a special Rocky the Racoon themed jersey that the players will gave off their backs to the fans in the season long draw that will take place Saturday during the game, a 50/50 Jackpot that started online sales earlier this week at $10,000, live music from The Hip Replacements and a team poster giveaway.

For the jersey giveaway, fans will have until puck drop to enter the final ballot from the Game Day Program. Following the game, the Rockets players will give their special, one of a kind Rocky Raccoon jerseys to the fans whose names were drawn during the first intermission.

The online and in-person 50/50 gives fans located in British Columbia along with fans attending games the chance to win during every Rockets home game this season while raising important dollars for the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association. 50/50 tickets are on sale now online at rockets5050.com and will end at the start of the third period on December 29. Fans can use debit, credit or cash to purchase tickets in person at the game. For more information about the 50/50 click here.

TICKETS

Single-game tickets for all Rockets games are on sale at Select Your Tickets.

Tickets for Rockets games are only available at Select Your Tickets, they are the official provider of Rockets tickets. To view pricing and a seating map please click here.

Tickets can be purchased:

Online at selectyourtickets.com

By calling Select Your Tickets at 250-762-5050

Or by visiting the Select Your Tickets box office at the Prospera Place box office. The box office is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and opens at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday home game days.

ROCKETS ROSTER UPDATES

Rookie defenceman Landon Cowper remains out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, meanwhile, forward Ty Hurley is no longer listed on this week's report after missing the last five games with a lower body injury.

ROCKETS TO WATCH

Tij Iginla enters Friday's game sitting at 47 goals. Iginla is trying to become the first Rocket to hit 50 goals in a season since Justin Keller's - 51 during the 2005-2006 season. Jesse Schultz holds the Kelowna Rocket record for goals in a season with 53 in 2002-03, while John Varga owns the single season franchise record for 60 posted in 1993-1994 with Tacoma.

Andrew Cristall enters the weekend with 106 points, the most any Rocket has posted since Jesse Schultz's 104 recorded during the 2002-03 season. The Kelowna Rocket record for points in a season is held by Robb Gordon, who recorded 114 in 1995-1996, while Cristall is one back of tying Marty Flichel's for second with 107, also recorded in 1995-1996. The franchise record fo points in a season is owned byAllan Egeland, who put up 123 points in 1993-1994 with Tacoma.

SEASON RECORD

vs GIANTS (5-1-0-0)

Oct. 21 vs VAN - 6-5 W

Dec. 1 @ VAN - 4-0 W

Jan. 19 vs VAN - 5-2 W

Jan. 21 @ VAN - 4-2 L

Feb. 23 vs VAN - 4-1 W

Mar 1 @ VAN - 4-3 OTW

Mar. 22 @ VAN - 7:00 pm

Mar. 23 vs VAN - 7:05 pm

THE LAST TIME THESE TWO MET

After scoring three unanswered goals to hold a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the third period back on March 1 in Langley. The Giants chipped away at the Rockets lead to tie the game. While on the penalty kill Jari Kykkanen made a cross-crease save on Adam Titlback but Ty Halaburda put the rebound in to get the Giants on the board 10:47 into the third period. Fifty-five seconds later Halaburda set up Jaden Lipinski with a one-timer in the slot to pull Vancouver within one. With 2:29 left in regulation Cameron Schmidt (23) tied the game at three.

While in overtime Caden Price blocked a shot in the Rockets zone, he then sent the puck up along the left boards into the neutral zone. Leslie picked up the puck along the Giants blueline, but Andrew Cristall was able to track down the puck and skate to the high slot, dropping it off to Price in the slot where he found the back of the net with the overtime winner.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

as of Friday morning

# TEAM GP W L OTL SOL PTS

2 xy Prince George Cougars 66 47 15 1 3 98

2 xy Portland Winterhawks 65 46 15 3 1 96

3 x Everett Silvertips 66 43 18 2 3 91

4 x Wenatchee Wild 66 33 29 4 0 70

5 x Vancouver Giants 66 32 30 4 0 68

6 x Kelowna Rockets 66 31 30 4 1 67

7 x Victoria Royals 67 29 29 5 4 67

8 x Spokane Chiefs 66 29 31 5 1 64

9 Seattle Thunderbirds 65 26 37 2 0 54

10 Tri-City Americans 65 22 40 2 1 47

11 Kamloops Blazers 66 20 40 3 3 46

x denotes playoff spot clinched, y denotes Division title clinched

WATCH AND LISTEN

Radio broadcast

Rockets games will be broadcast on 104.7 FM the Lizard this season with Regan Bartel calling all of the action.

Don't forget to download the RocketFAN app and visit rocketfan.ca for more exclusive Rockets content from Pattison. Fans can stream the radio broadcast of all Rockets games on the app.

Online video stream

All Rockets games will be available on WHL Live. WHL Live on is available to fans anywhere in the world, providing high-quality streaming of WHL games on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV platforms, via mobile with iOS and Android, and on web using Safari or Google Chrome web browsers. Visit watch.chl.ca for complete details and subscription options.

ONLINE 50/50

The Kelowna Rockets online 50/50 is back for the 2023-24 season!

The online 50/50 will give fans in Rockets fans located in British Columbia and those who are attending the game the chance to win during every Rockets home game this season. The 50/50 will also raise important dollars for the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association.

Tickets will be available for purchase on all game days starting at 9 a.m. PT and end at the start of the third period on the same day.

LINEUP SHEET + GAME DAY PROGRAM

Printed lineup sheets will not be available at games this season, they can be accessed online by visiting the game day program.

The Game Day Program will be available in the same spot, it comes complete with game notes, stats, team rosters and entry forms for the Rockets intermission contests.

The sheet and program will be uploaded by 3:00 p.m. on game days

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Kelowna Rockets right wing Andrew Cristall eyes the puck
Kelowna Rockets right wing Andrew Cristall eyes the puck
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from March 22, 2024


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