Rockets Face Vees in the Final Weekend of Regular Season Action
Published on March 19, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release
Kelowna Rockets centre Tij Iginla
(Kelowna Rockets)
The Rockets will take on the Penticton Vees in a home-and-home series to close out the regular season, beginning Friday at 7:05 PM PST in Penticton. That game is available for free on Victory+ and 104.7 The Lizard. The Rockets will then return to Prospera Place for the regular season finale on Saturday at 6:05 PM PST. Tickets for the Rockets final regular season game are available at selectyourtickets.com.
KELOWNA ROCKETS
The Kelowna Rockets enter the weekend after sweeping both games against Kamloops last weekend. Kelowna is currently locked in a battle with Prince George for the third seed in the Western Conference with just two games remaining.
Tij Iginla (41G, 48A), the 2024 NHL sixth-overall pick, continues to lead the Rockets' offensive charge. Iginla is currently riding a 16-game point streak in which he has recorded 38 points. Carson Wetsch (22G, 51A) continues to be a consistent playmaker and has reached the 50-assist mark for the first time in his career. Overager Shane Smith (33G, 34A) sits second on the team in goals and has scored five in his last five games. Fellow overager Ty Halaburda (29G, 35A) has also been highly effective for the Rockets. Tomas Poletin (20G, 15A) has not missed a beat returning from injury, while fellow Czech Vojtech Cihar (11G, 19A) is coming off his first WHL hat trick Saturday night in Kamloops.
On the blue line, Mazden Leslie (18G, 50A) leads the defensive unit and ranks eighth in WHL defenceman scoring. His seven game-winning goals are second among WHL defensemen. Keith McInnis (10G, 23A) and Parker Alcos (5G, 25A) have been valuable additions since being acquired at the deadline. Since joining the Rockets, Alcos has elevated his offensive production with 16 points in 30 games. Nate Corbet (3G, 12A) and Rowan Guest (1G, 24A), who has five points in his last six games, round out a dependable and physical defensive group.
In goal, Harrison Boettiger (2.85 GAA, .910 SV%) has carried the bulk of the workload this season and has won seven of his last eight starts. Josh Banini (3.28 GAA, .893 SV%) has also been reliable, allowing two goals or fewer in five of his last six appearances.
WHERE THEY RANK
Kelowna Rockets: 3rd in the Western Conference (38-19-6-3)
Penticton Vees: 2nd in the Western Conference (42-14-6-4)
PENTICTON VEES
Penticton comes into the weekend following a dominant 6-1 win over the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday night. The Vees sit second in the Western Conference as they approach the WHL playoffs in their inaugural season.
Penticton is led offensively by WHL rookie and New York Islanders Prospect Jacob Kvasnicka (35G, 49A), who is tied for eighth in league scoring. Behind Kvasnicka, the Vees are driven by a trio of overage forwards: Ryden Evers (34G, 39A), Brady Birnie (22G, 48A), and Matteo Danis (29G, 28A). This group provides both leadership and consistent offensive production. Veteran forward Brittan Alstead (20G, 35A) is also a key contributor to the Vees' attack.
On the back end, Ethan Weber (13G, 37A) leads the Vees' blue line in scoring. Fellow veteran Nolan Stevenson (11G, 35A) is another important piece of the defensive unit. Rookie Callum Stone (2G, 24A), along with Doogan Pederson (4G, 18A) and Charlie Michaud (0G, 15A), have all put together strong seasons. The Vees' blue line has been a major strength, helping the team allow the fourth-fewest goals against in the WHL.
In goal, Penticton has received excellent goaltending all season. Andrew Reyelts (2.49 GAA, .905 SV%) has served as the primary starter, and his 28 wins rank third in the league. Ethan McCallum (2.72 GAA, .904 SV%) has also been very reliable between the pipes.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Head-to-Head Season Series
Kelowna vs. Penticton - Tied 3-3
Game 1: Friday, September 26th, 2025 (at Penticton) - Kelowna won 5-4
Game 2: Saturday, September 27th, 2025 (vs Penticton) - Kelowna won 3-2 SO
Game 3: Saturday, October 11th, 2025 (at Penticton) - Penticton won 5-3
Game 4: Wednesday, November 5th, 2025 (at Penticton) - Kelowna won 6-2
Game 5: Monday, December 29th, 2025 (vs Penticton) - Penticton won 6-4
Game 6: Saturday, January 24, 2026 (vs Penticton) - Penticton won 5-0
Last 10 games
Kelowna: 7-1-1-1
Penticton: 6-2-2-0
Special teams
Kelowna: PP 23.31% | PK 80.3%
Penticton: PP 27.07% | 81.6%
POWER RANKINGS:
Kelowna currently sits fifth in the week twenty-five power rankings
Penticton currently sits fourth in the week twenty-five power rankings
MAZDEN HITS 250:
Rockets defenseman Mazden Leslie has been red hot as of late with points in 26 of his last 30 games, posting 40 points in those 30 games. Leslie recently hit 250 career points in a game against the Royals. The feat is the first time this milestone has been hit by a Kelowna Rockets defender in history, as Tyson Barrie came the closest with 228 points in his WHL career. He is the 13th defenseman in WHL history to hit the milestone.
IGINLA'S 2ND HALF DOMINANCE:
Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla has been on an incredible hot streak since returning from winning a Bronze Medal at the 2026 World Junior Championships. Iginla recorded five points Saturday night against the Victoria Royals and has now registered at least 1 point in 28 of his last 29 games since returning to the lineup. Over that span, Iginla has recorded 28 goals and 34 assists for 62 points in 29 games. Tij is currently on a 16-game point and looks to extend it to 17 games against Penticton this weekend
GOALIE OF THE WEEK:
Kelowna Rockets goaltender Harrison Boettiger was named the Mary Brown's Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week of March 10-16 after going 3-0-0-0 with a 0.98 goals against average and a 0.973 save percentage. It was the second time this season that Boettiger had been given the WHL Goalie of the Week honour.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON:
The Rockets are 38-19-6-3, including a 19-7-5-2 record at the Prospera Place. On the road this year, the Rockets have a 19-12-1-1 record.
The Vees are 42-14-6-4, including a 20-8-4-1 record at home. On the road this year the Vees have a 22-6-2-3 record.
UPCOMING MILESTONES:
#25 Jaxon Kehrig - 1 game away from 100 career games played
#16 Carson Wetsch - 5 points away from 200 career points
#4 Mazden Leslie - 5 games away from 350 career games played
#6 Parker Alcos - 3 games away from 200 career games played
ROCKETS INJURY REPORT:
#7 Peyton Kettles - UBI (Indefinitely)
#25 Jaxon Kehrig - UBI (Week-to-Week)
#26 Rowan Guest - UBI (Day-to-Day)
#29 Hiroki Gojsic - LBI (Week-to-Week)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
The Rockets will head into the 2026 WHL Postseason and open the first round on home ice against either Spokane, Kamloops, or Seattle. Game 1 is set for March 27th at 7:05 PM PST, with Game 2 to follow on Saturday, March 28th at 6:05 PM PST.
Tickets for both games are available at selectyourtickets.com.
Images from this story
 Kelowna Rockets centre Shane Smith |
 Kelowna Rockets centre Tij Iginla and right wing Carson Wetsch |
 Kelowna Rockets centre Tij Iginla |
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