Rockets Fall, 4-2, to Silvertips in Game 2
Published on April 11, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release
Kelowna Rockets battle the Everett Silvertips
(Kelowna Rockets)
The Kelowna Rockets dropped Game 2 of the second round in the 2026 WHL Playoffs, falling 4-2. They now trail the series 2-0 as they head back to Kelowna for games 3 & 4. Goals from Hayden Paupanekis and Owen Folstrom led the Rockets offensively, while goaltender Harrison Boettiger made 34 saves in the loss.
GAME SUMMARY
The opening period saw Kelowna come out strong, generating a ton of early offense and outshooting Everett heavily. However, it was Everett who opened the scoring at 4:56, as Zackary Shantz (3) finished a play from Brek Liske and Landon DuPont to make it 1-0. The Rockets responded late in the frame, with Hayden Paupanekis (2) scoring at 17:39 off a setup from Tomas Poletin and Ty Halaburda to tie the game 1-1 heading into the second.
Everett took control early in the middle frame, as Jaxsin Vaughan (3) struck just 1:19 in, finishing a play from Nolan Chastko and Jaxon Pisani to give the Silvertips their first lead. Kelowna answered back at 6:58, with Owen Folstrom (1) scoring his first of the playoffs off a tip from a point shot by Jacob Henderson to tie it 2-2. However, the Silvertips regained the lead on the powerplay at 15:35, when Carter Bear (1) buried a chance off of a Landon DuPont shot that missed the net. Shea Busch picked up the other assist, giving Everett a 3-2 lead heading into the third.
In the third period, Everett added insurance at 9:01 on the powerplay, as Julius Miettinen (6) finished a setup from Carter Bear and Matias Vanhanen to extend the lead to 4-2, which would stand as the final. Rockets Forward Ty Halaburda left the game after a collision in the third period. Updates will be provided on his status shortly.
ADDITIONAL STATS
Shots on Goal: Kelowna 39 | Everett 38
Power Play: Kelowna 0/6 | Everett 2/3
Faceoffs: Kelowna 33 | Everett 38
UP NEXT
The Rockets will now return to Prospera Place for games three and four. Game three is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14th at 7:05 pm PST. Game four is the following night on April 15th at 7:05pm PST. Tickets for both games are available on selectyourtickets.com.
Images from this story
 Kelowna Rockets battle the Everett Silvertips |
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