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WHL Kelowna Rockets

PREVIEW: ROYALS AT ROCKETS

January 2, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Kelowna Rockets battle the Victoria Royals
Kelowna Rockets battle the Victoria Royals
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

The Kelowna Rockets will kick off the 2023 calendar year with a Tuesday night matchup against the Victoria Royals at Prospera Place - puck drop is set for 7:05 pm.

It will also be a Fan First Menu night with $2 hot dogs and $5-$6 options from Blue Ribbon. The Fan First Menu is available at all Monday to Wednesday regular season games.

The Rockets will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak, they were last in action on the weekend falling to the CHL's top-ranked Seattle Thunderbirds twice. Seattle took game one 4-1 on Friday night, the two then met the next night in Kent where they both held each other off the scoreboard until the third period when Seattle scored a pair.

Victoria only played one game this past weekend, falling 4-3 to the Vancouver Giants in a shootout at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena in Victoria, BC.

Tickets

Single-game tickets for all Rockets games are available at Select Your Tickets. Tickets can be purchased online through www.selectyourtickets.com, at the Prospera Place box office, or by phone at 250-762-5050.

Mini Packs are now on sale for the 2022-23 season, pick from between a six or twelve-game pack. Click here to learn more about Mini Packs.

The last time these two met

The Royals spoiled the Rockets teddy bear fun, downing them 3-2 back on December 10th at Prospera Place.

Victoria took control of the game in the first period, finding the back of the net just 1:33 into the game. They added another two goals, including a power play tally, before the end of the opening frame.

Sixteen-year-old rookie Logan Peskett made the bears go flying with 5:05 to play in the second. Max Graham made it a one-goal game on the power play in the third period.

Talyn Boyko made seven saves of ten shots before being pulled after the first period. Jari Kykkanen stopped all 20 shots he faced in the second and third periods after replacing Boyko

Roster Updates

The Rockets will be without forwards Colton Dach, Adam Kydd and Gabriel Szturc

Both Dach (Canada) and Szturc (Czechia) are competing at the World Junior Championship.

Hockey Canada announced on Sunday that Dach suffered a tournament-ending injury in their game Saturday night against Sweden, at this time the Rockets do not have an update on Dach's injury.

Kydd remains sidelined with a lower-body injury.

The Rockets added 2022 CHL Import pick seventeen-year-old defenceman Marek Rocak to the roster on Monday. He's expected to arrive in Kelowna this week.

Click here to view the Rockets Injury Report.

Players to watch

Kelowna

Twenty-year-old forward Carson Golder has been held off the score sheet in the Rockets last two games, he registered a team-high seven shots on net in Saturday's loss to Seattle. The Smithers, BC product started his WHL career with the Royals, spending the 2019-20 season with them.

Eighteen-year-old defenceman John Babcock currently sits at 99 WHL games played.

Victoria

The Royals have made a series of trades this season to switch up their goaltending tandem, picking up Nicholas Cristiano's right from the Rockets and most recently brought in Braden Holt from the Everett Silvertips last week.

Former Rocket Jake Poole leads the Royals in scoring with 35 points (19G, 16A) through 34 games this season.

The series at a glance

2022-23 Season Series vs VIC

Oct. 5 vs Victoria 3-0 W

Oct. 11 @ Victoria 2-1 OTW

Oct. 12 @ Victoria 5-2 L

Dec. 9 vs Victoria 3-2 L

Jan. 3 vs Victoria 7:05 pm

Jan. 13 @ Victoria 7:05 pm

Jan. 14 @ Victoria 6:05 pm

Jan. 22 vs Victoria 4:05 pm

BC Division standings

as of Monday evening

TEAM GP W L OTL SOL PTS

1 Kamloops Blazers 33 21 7 3 2 47

2 Vancouver Giants 36 14 16 4 2 34

3 Prince George Cougars 34 15 16 3 0 33

4 Kelowna Rockets 33 12 18 3 0 27

5 Victoria Royals 36 8 24 3 1 20

Online 50/50

The Kelowna Rockets online 50/50 is back for the 2022-23 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.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Kelowna Rockets battle the Victoria Royals
Kelowna Rockets battle the Victoria Royals
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2023


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