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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets To Host Giants And Raiders

February 2, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Kelowna Rockets left wing Carson Golder battles the Vancouver Giants
Kelowna Rockets left wing Carson Golder battles the Vancouver Giants
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

The Kelowna Rockets will play a pair of games on home ice this weekend at Prospera Place, hosting the Vancouver Giants on Friday and the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday - puck drop is set for 7:05 pm on both nights.

The Rockets and Giants are well acquainted, Friday's game will be the fifth meeting between the two in the last fifteen days, in the four previous meetings they've split it down the middle two wins each.

Kelowna has had the week off, they last played the Giants on Saturday where they downed them 5-1. Carson Golder posted his first WHL hat trick, while Gabriel Szturc and Marcus Pacheco both chipped in a goal each. Jari Kykkanen made 29 saves on 30 shots.

The Giants had a midweek matchup with the Raiders on Wednesday, falling 4-1 to Prince Albert.

Prince Albert will continue their BC Division trip in Kamloops before wrapping it up on Saturday in Kelowna.

The Rockets last took on the Raiders back on Dec 6, 2019 at the Art Hauser Centre where Kelowna won 2-1. Elias Carmichael is the only remaining Rocket on the roster who played in that game.

Friday's game will also be the annual Canadian Mental Health Association's Talk Today game. Click here to learn more.

Tickets

Single-game tickets for Saturday's game and all other Rockets games are available at 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.

Mini Packs are now on sale for the 2022-23 season, pick from between a six or twelve-game pack. Click here to learn more about Mini Packs.

Roster Updates

Ty Hurley and Andrew Cristall both remain listed as out week to week with lower body injuries on this week's injury report. After missing last weekend's games, defencemen John Babcock and Marek Rocak are both listed as day to day on the report. It was announced earlier this week on the Rockets twitter that Max Graham will miss the next three to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

The Rockets have called up affiliate players Scott Cousins (Prince Geroge Spruce Kings/BCHL) and Kayden Longley (Northern Alberta Xtreme U18 Prep/ CSSHL).

Cousins started the season with the Rockets, appearing in three games before being assigned to the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL in October. The 2004 born forward posted seven points (2G, 5A) in 24 games for Prince George this season.

Longley was a Rockets draft pick in the 2021 WHL Draft.

The Injury Report is updated on Tuesdays, click here to view the Rockets Injury Report.

Players to watch

Kelowna

Overage forward Carson Golder recorded his first WHL hat trick against the Giants last weekend. Six his ninteen goals this season have been scored against the Giants.

Kayden Longley is expected to make his WHL debut this weekend after signing a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Rockets on Thursday. The 2006 born forward was the final pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, the Rockets selected the Wainwright, Alta. product in the 13th round (No. 281). He's appeared in 25 games for the Northern Alberta Xtreme U18 Prep of the CSSHL, posting 28 points (11G, 17A) and 16 penalty minutes.

Vancouver

Ty Thorpe leads the Giants in scoring with 51 points (24G, 27A) in 45 games this season.

Mazden Leslie leads the Giants defence in scoring with 33 points (8G, 25A) through 46 games. He's ranked 80 among North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term rankings.

Prince Albert

Sixteen-year-old rookie Ryder Ritchie previously played for POE/RINK Kelowna, he was selected 14th overall by the Raiders in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. He's recorded 31 points (13G, 18A) in 40 games with the Raiders this season.

Sloan Stanick leads the Raiders in scoring with 46 points (17G, 25A) through 42 games.

The series at a glance

Season Series vs VAN

Dec 10 @ Vancouver 3-2 OTL

Jan. 20 @ Vancouver 4-1 W

Jan. 21 vs Vancouver 4-3 L

Jan. 27 @ Vancouver 3-1 L

Jan. 28 vs Vancouver 5-1 W

Feb. 3 vs Vancouver 7:05 pm

Mar. 1o vs Vancouver 7:05 pm

Mar. 24 @ Vancouver 7:30 pm

Mar. 25 vs Vancouver 7:05 pm

Season Series vs PA

Feb. 4 vs Prince Albert 7:05 pm

BC Division standings

as of Thursday evening

TEAM GP W L OTL SOL PTS

1 Kamloops Blazers 44 28 10 4 2 62

2 Prince George Cougars 44 19 21 4 0 42

3 Vancouver Giants 46 18 22 4 2 42

4 Kelowna Rockets 44 15 26 3 0 33

5 Victoria Royals 48 14 29 4 1 33

Watch and listen

Radio broadcast

Rockets games will be broadcast on 104.7 FM the Lizard this season with Regan Bartel calling all of the action.

Don't forget to download the RocketFAN app and visit rocketfan.ca for more exclusive Rockets content from Pattison. Fans can stream the radio broadcast of all Rockets games on the app.

Online video stream

All Rockets games will be available on WHL Live. WHL Live is available to fans anywhere in the world, providing high-quality streaming of WHL games on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV platforms, via mobile with iOS and Android, and on the web using Safari or Google Chrome web browsers. Visit watch.chl.ca for complete details and subscription options.

Online 50/50

The Kelowna Rockets online 50/50 is back for the 2022-23 season!

The online 50/50 will give fans in Rockets fans located in British Columbia and those who are attending the game the chance to win during every Rockets home game this season. The 50/50 will also raise important dollars for the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association.

Tickets will be available for purchase on all game days starting at 9 a.m. PT and end at the start of the third period on the same day.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Kelowna Rockets left wing Carson Golder battles the Vancouver Giants
Kelowna Rockets left wing Carson Golder battles the Vancouver Giants
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2023


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