Rockets face Winterhawks in Key Western Conference Battle
Published on February 2, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release
Kelowna Rockets centre Jaxon Kehrig
(Kelowna Rockets)
The Kelowna Rockets return home Tuesday as they face the Portland Winterhawks at 7:05 p.m. PST. The Rockets will look to carry the momentum from a 9-2 win last Saturday and keep their winning streak alive.
KELOWNA ROCKETS:
Kelowna enters the matchup against the Portland Winterhawks on a three-game win streak. Over that span, they have beaten Red Deer, Prince George, and Vancouver and are hoping to carry that momentum into a big Western Conference matchup.
Offensively, the Rockets are driven by Tij Iginla (23G, 24A), who was named Tempo Player of the Week last week after recording four goals and five assists over three games. Ty Halaburda (23G, 24A) and Carson Wetsch (17G, 34A) have also been relied upon as major contributors to the Rockets' offense and will look to keep things moving this week. Shane Smith (24G, 29A) is another key contributor for the Rockets but will remain out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. Czech rookie forwards Tomas Poletin (19G, 12A) and Vojtech Cihar (1G, 8A) have been strong additions as well, providing secondary scoring throughout the lineup.
On the back end, Mazden Leslie (10G, 32A) leads all Rockets defensemen in scoring and sits tied for 10th among WHL defensemen in points. Parker Alcos (5G, 15A), acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings, has provided stability since arriving in Kelowna while also contributing offensively. He is joined by Keith McInnis (7G, 21A), brought in from Red Deer, along with Nate Corbet (2G, 34) and Rowan Guest (0G, 18A), rounding out a dependable and physical defensive group.
In goal, Harrison Boettiger (3.07 GAA, .904 SV%) has shouldered a heavy workload as of late and continues to be relied upon to give the Rockets a chance every night. Boettiger has won three of his last four starts and could be counted on again Tuesday. Goaltender Josh Banini is returning to the lineup after dealing with an upper body injury that caused him to miss eight games. He last played Friday January 9th against the Portland Winterhawks
WHERE THEY RANK:
The Rockets currently sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 25-16-4-2 record
The Winterhawks currently sit seventh in the Western Conference with a 22-23-4-0 record
PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS:
Portland currently sits seventh in the Western Conference this season with a 22-23-4-0 record. However, they have lost six of their last seven games and have taken a bit of a tumble down the standings. Portland has had issues keeping the puck out of their own net this year, allowing the fifth-most goals in the WHL.
Offensively, Portland is led by overage forward Alex Weiermair (25G, 34A), along with Ryan Miller (19G, 30A), Jordan Duguay (16G, 31A), and Nathan Free (21G, 15A). They are the driving force behind Portland's offence and have shown the ability to score in bunches this season. They will be relied upon heavily against the Rockets.
Defence is an area the Winterhawks have struggled with this season. This group, however, is young and improving. They are led by rookie defenceman Will McLaughlin (7G, 14A), along with Max Psenicka (4G, 13A), Cole Slobodian (1G, 15A), and Niko Tsakumis (0G, 8A).
In net, the Winterhawks have struggled this season. Ondrej Stebetak has played most of the year, starting 32 games with a 3.49 GAA and a .894 SV%. He is looking to bounce back after a rough last couple of starts.
Special teams have also not been great for Portland. They have the seventh-worst power play in the WHL, along with a penalty kill that is fourth-worst in the league at 71.4%, dropping even lower to 68.18% on the road.
Portland last played Saturday in Penticton, where they lost 5-3.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Head-to-Head Season Series - Kelowna leads 3-0
Game 1: Saturday, November, 21st (at Portland) - Kelowna won 2-1
Game 2: Friday, January 9th (at Portland - Kelowna won 2-1
Game 3: Saturday, January 10th (at Kelowna) - Kelowna won 5-2
Last 10 games
Kelowna: 7-2-1-0
Portland: 2-6-2-0
Special teams
Kelowna: PP 23.5% | PK 78.7%
Portland PP 20.6% | PK 71.4.%
TEMPO PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kelowna Rockets Forward Tij Iginla was named Tempo player of the Week in the WHL last week after scoring four goals and five assists for nine points in three games. It was the first time this year that a Rockets player has been Player of the Week, and it was the third time Iginla has taken home those honours.
POWER RANKINGS:
The Rockets currently sit eleventh on the week eighteen power rankings.
The Winterhawks currently sit thirteenth on the week eighteen power rankings
2026 NHL DRAFT:
Kelowna currently has two Rockets on the Midterm Rankings of the NHL Central Scouting list as Players to watch ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. Goaltenders Harrison Boettiger and Frantisek Poletin were originally ranked as "B"-level prospects in the preliminary rankings, which list them as potential second or third-round picks. This time around, Boettinger was listed as the seventh-best North American goaltender, while Poletin is listed as the fifth-best International goaltender.
OLYMPIC INVITE:
Rockets Alumnus and 2015 WHL Champion Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers will be representing Team Germany for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Draisaitl played for the Rockets from 2014-2015.
Rockets Alumnus and 2015 WHL Champion Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets will be representing Team Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Morrissey played for the Rockets from 2014-2015.
Rockets Alumnus Calvin Thurkauf of HC Lugano of the National League will be representing Team Switzerland for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Thurkauf played for the Rockets from 2015-2017.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON:
The Rockets are 25-16-4-2, including a 9-7-3-2 record at the Prospera Place. On the road this year the Rockets have a 16-9-1-0 record.
The Portland Winterhawks are 22-23-4-0 Including a 13-8-4-0 record at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. On the road Portland has a 9-15-0-0
ROSTER MOVES:
The Kelowna Rockets have reassigned 2009-born goaltender Linden Sobocan to Okanagan Hockey Academy U18 Prep (CSSHL). Sobocan made his first career start in the WHL Saturday against the Vancouver Giants, stopping 16 of 18 shots to earn his first career win.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES:
Ty Halaburda - 1 goal away from 100 career WHL goals.
Ty Halaburda - 6 games away from 300 career WHL games
ROCKETS INJURY REPORT:
#7 Peyton Kettles - UBI (Indefinitely)
#9 Shane Smith - UBI (Week-to-Week)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
The Rockets head up to Prince George this weekend for a pair of games against the Cougars. Friday's game is set for 7:00 pm PST, while Saturday's matchup gets underway at 6:00 pm PST. Both games are available to watch on Victory+ and can be heard live on 104.7 The Lizard.
Images from this story
 Kelowna Rockets centre Tij Iginla |
 Kelowna Rockets centre Jaxon Kehrig |
Western Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2026
- Royals Host Blazers for Mid-Week Matchups - Victoria Royals
- Rockets face Winterhawks in Key Western Conference Battle - Kelowna Rockets
- Vees Announce Superhero Night - Penticton Vees
- February 2 - Canes Chatter - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Moroz Valuing Support System and Team During Rehab Process - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Iginla, Vanhanen & Kraus Land WHL Weekly Awards for Monday, February 2 - WHL
- Alessandro Domenichelli Named to Switzerland 5-Nations Squad - Portland Winterhawks
- Kamloops Blazers Host Four Games in February - Kamloops Blazers
- T-Birds Roar Back to Earn Point - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Vees Pick up Shootout Victory - Penticton Vees
- Pyne Makes 35 Saves in 2-1 Loss to Rebels - Vancouver Giants
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