Rockets And Thunderbirds Set For First Round Clash
March 22, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release
Seattle Thunderbirds' Luke Prokop battles Kelowna Rockets' Andrew Cristall
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)
For the second consecutive spring, the Seattle Thunderbirds and Kelowna Rockets will meet in the First Round of the WHL Playoffs.
The first-round series was confirmed Tuesday after Seattle defeated the Kamloops Blazers 6-3 and the Vancouver Giants won 3-2 in overtime in Portland versus the Winterhawks. Seattle captured the top seed in the Western Conference with Tuesday's result, with Kelowna confirmed as the number eight seed.
Single-game tickets for the Kelowna Rockets first two home games of the 2023 WHL Playoffs at Prospera Place are on sale now through 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.
The two sides have been frequent WHL Playoffs rivals recently, with 2023 marking the fourth post-season series between the Clubs in the past seven years. Seattle has won the previous three series, including a pair of Western Conference Championship series wins in 2016 and 2017. The Thunderbirds hold a 5-4 edge in series wins in the all-time playoff history between the two franchises.
The Thunderbirds will begin the defence of their Western Conference Championship on home ice after clinching the number-one seed in the Conference Tuesday. Seattle can still finish with the League's best overall record, though the Winnipeg ICE hold the advantage in the overall standings with five days remaining in the 2023 WHL Regular Season.
As they did in 2022, the Rockets will begin the WHL Playoffs on the road, but playoff success comes naturally to Kelowna. The Rockets are four-time WHL Champions, most recently in 2015.
The Thunderbirds and Rockets met four times over the course of the 2022-23 Regular Season, with Seattle earning all eight points in the season set. Most recently, the Thunderbirds swept a home-and-home series over Kelowna in late December, earning a 4-1 victory at Prospera Place December 30 before a 2-0 triumph at accesso ShoWare Center on New Year's Eve.
Calgary Flames prospect Lucas Ciona led all scorers during the regular season series, scoring twice and totalling six points from his four appearances against the Rockets.
Kelowna's highly-touted 2023 NHL Draft prospect, Andrew Cristall, countered with three gaols and five points from his four games against the Thunderbirds.
Scott Ratzlaff, who like Cristall is ranked by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft in June, collected three of the four victories in goal for Seattle, posting a 1.00 goals-against average and .953 save percentage along the way.
At the other end of the ice, New York Rangers prospect Talyn Boyko was the goaltender of record in three of the four Kelowna defeats, though the product of Drumheller, Alta. posted a .907 save percentage in his work against the Thunderbirds.
The 2023 WHL Playoffs will mark the first meeting between the two Clubs since a blockbuster trade January 7. Kelowna sent then-captain Colton Dach to Seattle for forward Ty Hurley, defenceman Ethan Mittelsteadt and a trio of conditional draft picks. Dach, though, has been limited to just six games with the Thunderbirds since the trade.
Seattle has three regular season games remaining before the First Round of the WHL Playoffs begins Friday, March 31. The Thunderbirds will travel to Kamloops for a rematch with the Blazers Wednesday, March 22 (7:00 p.m. PT, Sandman Centre), before a home-and-home set with the Portland Winterhawks Friday, March 24 in Portland (7:00 p.m. PT, Veterans Memorial Coliseum) and Saturday, March 25 (6:05 p.m. PT, accesso ShoWare Center).
Kelowna will wrap up the regular season with two contests against the Vancouver Giants Friday, March 24 in the Okanagan (7:05 p.m. PT, Prospera Place) and Saturday, March 25 in the Lower Mainland (7:00 p.m. PT, Langley Events Centre).
Game 1 of the first-round series between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Kelowna Rockets is scheduled for Friday, March 31 at 7:05 p.m. PT in Kent, Wash. (accesso ShoWare Center). The series will shift to Kelowna for Game 3 on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:05 p.m. PT (Prospera Place).
2023 WHL PLAYOFFS - SERIES E SCHEDULE
Game Date Away Home Time
1 March 31, 2023 Kelowna Seattle 7:05 p.m. PT
2 April 1, 2023 Kelowna Seattle 6:05 p.m. PT
3 April 4, 2023 Seattle Kelowna 7:05 p.m. PT
4 April 5, 2023 Seattle Kelowna 7:05 p.m. PT
5 April 7, 2023 Kelowna Seattle 7:05 p.m. PT *
6 April 9, 2023 Seattle Kelowna 4:05 p.m. PT *
7 April 11, 2023 Kelowna Seattle 7:05 p.m. PT *
* - if necessary
Images from this story
 Seattle Thunderbirds' Luke Prokop battles Kelowna Rockets' Andrew Cristall (Steve Dunsmoor) |
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