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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Preview: Rockets At Wenatchee

March 28, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Kelowna Rockets battle the Wenatchee Wild
Kelowna Rockets battle the Wenatchee Wild
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

The quest for the Ed Chynoweth Cup commences when the 2024 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien kick off on Thursday, March 28. The Western Hockey League will preview each of the eight First Round matchups in the leadup to puck drop.

Playoff hockey may be coming to Wenatchee, Wash. for the first time, but the Wild's upcoming series against the Kelowna Rockets promises an exciting new chapter in the storied playoff history between the two franchises.

This will mark the fifth time the Rockets and Wild (formerly known as the Kootenay ICE) will meet in the postseason and the first time since 2006.

The best-of-seven First Round series begins Friday, March 29 in Wenatchee at 7:00 p.m. PST.

Fans can watch the Rockets next at Prospera Place on April 2 and 3 when Kelowna hosts the Wenatchee Wild for games three and four of their best of seven series in the opening round of the 2024 WHL Playoffs.

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.

The Wild and Rockets are evenly matched in many categories, with Wenatchee finishing one point ahead of Kelowna in the Regular season and Kelowna scoring 250 goals to Wentachee's 249.

The single-point difference saw the U.S. Division side finish with a 34-30-4-0 record and lock in home-ice advantage in Round One.

The Wild feature seven players who played at least one game with the Winnipeg ICE during the team's run to the WHL Final in 2023, including important pieces like forward Evan Friesen and blueliners Graham Sward, Jonas Woo and Karter Prosofsky.

Wenatchee has scored by committee to earn a playoff berth after star forwards Conor Geekie and Matthew Savoie were traded away in January to replenish the Wild's trove of draft picks. Four Wild players- including team-leading scorer Kenta Isogai- have surpassed 50 points on the season.

On the other side, Kelowna has shown dynamic scoring capability and some buzzer-beating wins.

Captain Gabriel Szturc's playmaking ability has helped steer the Rockets, with Andrew Cristall and Tij Iginla also enjoying career seasons.

The Wild franchise has previously faced Kelowna four times in the playoffs, including Kelowna's WHL Championship run in 2005 and Kootenay's President's Cup victory in 2002.

STAT PACK

Wenatchee Wild Kelowna Rockets

Record 34-30-4-0 33-30-4-1

Leading Scorers Kenta Isogai (31G, 57A, 88PTS)

Graham Sward (15G, 66A, 81PTS)

Briley Wood (28G, 34A, 62PTS) Andrew Cristall (40G, 71A, 111PTS)

Tij Iginla (47G, 37A, 84 PTS)

Gabriel Szturc (33G, 51A, 84PTS)

Leading Goaltender Brendan Gee (17-13-1-0, 4.14, .872) Jari Kykkanen (28-16-2-1, 3.38, .896)

Powerplay 20.7% (16th) 23.4% (9th)

Penalty Kill 74.3% (T-15th) 72.5% (19th)

2023 WHL Playoffs Lost Final* (Seattle) Lost First Round (Vancouver)

Last WHL Championship 2011 2015

*- As the Winnipeg ICE

**- As the Kootenay ICE

2023-24 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

Regular Season Series: Wenatchee leads 2-1-1-0

September 30, 2023- Wenatchee 3, Kelowna 5

October 28, 2023- Kelowna 0, Wenatchee 4

November 29, 2023- Wenatchee 4, Kelowna 5 (OT)

January 6, 2024- Kelowna 3, Wenatchee 6

GAME BREAKERS

Wenatchee Wild: Captain Graham Sward is coming off a monster regular season that saw him finish second in points among defencemen with 15 goals and 66 assists for 81 points in 66 games. The Abbotsford, B.C. product had a goal and seven assists against Kelowna through four regular season matchups to lead all skaters on both teams. The 6-foot-3 blueliner is also one of three Wild players who suited up for all 19 games of the then-Winnipeg ICE's run to the WHL Final last spring. Sward collected two goals and 10 assists in the 2023 postseason and will try to lean on that playoff experience as Wenatchee gears up for Round One.

Kelowna Rockets: Andrew Cristall has made it his business to score in droves. The Washington Capitals prospect finished fifth in the league with a career-high 40 goals and 71 assists and went on an impressive streak that saw him add 45 points in 23 straight games. He led Kelowna with three goals and three assists against the Wild in the regular season and his chemistry with team Captain Gabriel Szturc (33 goals, 51 assists) forms a dangerous tandem with their off-the-charts chemistry.

GOALTENDING

Wenatchee Wild: Rookie Brendan Gee has taken over starting goaltending duties with veteran Daniel Hauser sidelined by an injury since early February, going 7-9-0-0 over that stretch with a 4.21 goals-against average and .866 save percentage. Gee is expected to make his WHL playoff debut in Round One with Hauser still listed as day-to-day.

Kelowna Rockets: Jari Kykkanen has handled an increased workload gracefully, putting up a career-best 28-16-2-1 record, 3.38 goals-against average, a .896 save percentage and two shutouts. The Lloydminster, Alta. product is on the hunt for some playoff redemption after going 0-3-0-0 in the 2023 WHL Playoffs against the eventual champion Seattle Thunderbirds.

X FACTOR

Wenatchee Wild: Kenta Isogai has exploded onto the major junior scene in his first WHL season after moving over from the USHL, where he won a Clark Cup with the Youngstown Phantoms. The Nagano, Japan-born winger is the lone 30-goal scorer on the Wild roster with 31 and leads his team with 88 points. He also put up four goals and three assists against the Rockets in 2023-24.

Kelowna Rockets: Tij Iginla has proven to be a dangerous scorer in all situations with the Rockets- he's netted 47 goals in his second full WHL season, including 11 powerplay markers, eight game-winners and three shorthanded tallies. Now, fans will get a chance to see what the hotly-anticipated 2024 NHL Draft-eligible prospect can do with an expanded role in the playoffs. Iginla only suited up for three playoff games with Seattle last season and will look to make a statement in his last showcase before the June NHL draft.

SERIES SCHEDULE

Game Date Away Home Time

1 Friday, March 29 Kelowna Wenatchee 7:00 p.m. PST

2 Saturday, March 30 Kelowna Wenatchee 6:00 p.m. PST

3 Tuesday, April 2 Wenatchee Kelowna 7:05 p.m. PST

4 Wednesday, April 3 Wenatchee Kelowna 7:05 p.m. PST

5* Friday, April 5 Kelowna Wenatchee 7:00 p.m. PST

6* Sunday, April 7 Wenatchee Kelowna 2:05 p.m. PST

7* Tuesday, April 9 Kelowna Wenatchee 6:00 p.m. PST

*- If necessary

Fans can watch the Rockets next at Prospera Place on April 2 and 3 when Kelowna hosts the Wenatchee Wild for games three and four of their best of seven series in the opening round of the 2024 WHL Playoffs.

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.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Kelowna Rockets battle the Wenatchee Wild
Kelowna Rockets battle the Wenatchee Wild
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from March 28, 2024


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