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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets And Royals Meet For Fifth Time This Season

January 29, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Will Sharpe of the Kelowna Rockets
Will Sharpe of the Kelowna Rockets
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

The Kelowna Rockets have a busy week ahead with three games beginning on Wednesday against the Victoria Royals. This is the fifth of eight matchups this season between the two clubs, with the teams split at two wins apiece.

Kelowna comes into this game off the backs of a hard fought 6-4 loss to the Vancouver Giants on Saturday, January 25. Hayden Paupanekis scored twice, giving him six goals in his past four games.

ROYALS

The Royals are coming off a weekend where they got a split, registering a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds before dropping a 5-4 shootout decision to the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday.

ROCKETS ROSTER AND INJURY UPDATE

The WHL Trade Deadline and come and gone with the Rockets being very active in preparation for next year's Memorial Cup. The Rockets moved defenceman Caden Price to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for defenceman Will Sharpe, the rights to goaltender Harrison Boettiger along with five draft picks. Andrew Cristall was also moved, traded to the Spokane Chiefs for forward Hayden Paupanekis along with five draft picks which included two first round picks. The Rockets then acquired 2006-born forward Dawson Gerwing from the Swift Current Broncos.

The Rockets wrapped up the deadline with a pair of deals with the Everett Silvertips. The Rockets acquired a seventh-round pick in exchange for defenceman Landon Cowper before closing out the deadline by acquiring forward Andrew Petruk for a ninth-round selection in 2025.

Rockets captain Max Graham is out week-to-week with a lower body injury as is defenceman Gabriel Guilbault. Tij Iginla remains out with a lower body injury that has sidelined him indefinitely.

ROCKET TO WATCH

Hayden Paupanekis has been red hot lately, scoring six goals in his past four games, including back-to-back two goal performances.

Connor Pankratz scored his first career WHL goal against the Royals in one of their December matchups.

ROYALS TO WATCH

Brandon Lisowsky came over to Victoria prior to the WHL's trade deadline in a move with the Saskatoon Blades. Since his arrival in Victoria, the overage forward has nine goals and 12 points in 10 games.

Teydon Trembecky is second on the Royals in goals with 25, only behind Lisowsky who has 31.

THE LAST TIME THESE TWO MET

VS VIC

The Rockets and Royals last met in early December where the Rockets took two wins from the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena on December 7 th and 8 th. Kelowna defeated Victoria 4-2 on Saturday before defeating the Royals 4-1 in their Teddy Bear Toss game.

SEASON RECORD

VS VIC

Sept. 27 vs VIC - 2-1 L

Oct. 23 vs VIC - 4-3 SOL

Dec. 7 at VIC - 4-2 W

Dec. 8 at VIC - 4-1 W

Jan. 29 vs VIC - @ 7:05 PM

Feb. 4 at VIC - @ 7:05 PM

Feb. 5 at VIC - @ 7:05 PM

Mar. 19 vs VIC - @ 7:05 PM

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.

Six and twelve game Mini Packs for the Kelowna Rockets season are now on sale through Select Your Tickets.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Will Sharpe of the Kelowna Rockets
Will Sharpe of the Kelowna Rockets
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from January 29, 2025


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