Rockets Lose, 5-0, to Vees
WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets Lose, 5-0, to Vees

Published on March 21, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Penticton Vees' Ethan McCallum and Kelowna Rockets' Carson Wetsch in action
Penticton Vees' Ethan McCallum and Kelowna Rockets' Carson Wetsch in action
(Kelowna Rockets)

The Kelowna Rockets were shut out on home ice Saturday night, falling 5-0 to the Penticton Vees in their final game of the regular season at Prospera Place. It was a tough end to the regular season for the Rockets but a successful season overall, which saw them finish with a 38-21-6-3 record for fourth place in the Western Conference.

GAME SUMMARY

The Kelowna Rockets were shut out on home ice Saturday night, falling 5-0 to the Penticton Vees in their final game of the regular season at Prospera Place.

Penticton took control early and never looked back, opening the scoring on a powerplay at 9:03 of the first period as Ethan Weber (14) beat Josh Banini for what stood as the game-winning goal. Matteo Danis (30) added another late in the opening frame to give the Vees a 2-0 lead after one.

The Vees extended their lead in the second period with goals from Doogan Pederson (5) and Diego Johnson (25), the latter coming on the powerplay. Penticton capitalized on their opportunities all night, finishing 2-for-2 with the man advantage while limiting Kelowna to 0-for-4.

The third period was a tightly fought battle with little time and space for either team. Neither team generated much offence with shots ending 4-4 in the final frame. Brittan Alstead (22) capped off the scoring with a late third-period goal, sealing the 5-0 victory.

The game also featured plenty of physicality, with three fights in total from Nate Corbet, Dawson Gerwing, and Rowan Guest.

Despite the result, the Rockets now shift their focus to the postseason, where they'll have a fresh opportunity to regroup, reset, and show the form that has carried them through strong stretches this season.

ADDITIONAL STATS

Shots on Goal: Kelowna 20 | Penticton 31

Power Play: Kelowna 0/4 | Penticton 2/2

Faceoffs: Kelowna 21 | Penticton 30

UP NEXT

Kelowna will open up the postseason at home on Friday, March 27th, at 7:05 pm PST for game one of the 2026 WHL Playoffs. The Rockets will play either the Spokane Chiefs or the Kamloops Blazers. Game two will take place the following night on Saturday, March 28th, at 6:05pm PST. Tickets for both games are available now at selectyourtickets.com.





Images from this story

Penticton Vees' Ethan McCallum and Kelowna Rockets' Carson Wetsch in action
Penticton Vees' Ethan McCallum and Kelowna Rockets' Carson Wetsch in action

  



Western Hockey League Stories from March 21, 2026


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