Cardinal Sport Preview: Rockets ready for busy Thanksgiving weekend at home
Spokane Chiefs at Kelowna Rockets
| Date | Time | Sat., Oct. 7, 2023 | 7:05 pm |
| Video Stream | CHL TV |
| Radio | 104.7 The Lizard + Rocket Fan App |
| Live Stats | WHL Box Score |
| Live Updates | @Kelowna_Rockets on X (formally Twitter) |
Victoria Royals at Kelowna Rockets
| Date | Time | Mon., Oct. 9, 2023 | 12:35 pm |
| Video Stream | CHL TV |
| Radio | 104.7 The Lizard + Rocket Fan App |
| Live Stats | WHL Box Score |
| Live Updates | @Kelowna_Rockets on X (formally Twitter) |
The Kelowna Rockets will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses to the Prince George Cougars when they open a five-game homestand at Propsera Place this weekend.
The Rockets will host Michael Cicek’s former team, the Spokane Chiefs, on Saturday at 7:05. They’ll then host the Victoria Royals for a Thanksgiving Monday matchup that features $10 kids tickets and the Fan First Menu, which consists of $2 hot dogs and $5 Pabst Blue Ribbon beers.
The Rockets hit the road for the first time this season earlier this week, where they faced the WHL’s top-scoring team, the Cougars. Entering Tuesdays game the Cougars had found the back of the net 29 times in just four games this season.
Kelowna suffered their first loss in regulation of the season, falling 3-2 on Tuesday night. Andrew Cristall and Hiroki Gojsic were the goal scorers for the Rockets. Jari Kykkanen started the game for the Rockets, but Carlin Dezainde driving across the crease collided with Kykkanen. He would finish off the remainder of the first period, but was replaced in net by Jake Pilon to start the second frame. More information regarding Kykkanen can be found below in the Rockets Roster Updates.
In Wednesday’s game, Jake Pilon made the start for the Rockets after Jari Kykkanen was unavailable due to injury. The Cougars peppered Pilon with 21 shots in the opening frame, but the game was tied at one through the opening twenty minutes. Prince George then broke free in the second period with five goals, including a pair of short-handed goals and another on the power play. The Cougars added another pair of goals in the final minute of the game. In the end, Prince George outshot the Rockets 47-11. Logan Peskett scored the lone goal for Kelowna.
Spokane enters the weekend with a 2-1-0-0 record, they were last in action on Saturday where they fell 3-1 to the Tri-City Americans. They’ll kick off their weekend with a game at home against the Seattle Thunderbirds before heading to Kelowna for Saturday’s game.
As of Friday morning, the Royals are 0-4. They’ll play in Kamloops on Friday night before facing the Rockets on Monday afternoon.
TICKETS
Single-game tickets for all Rockets games are on sale at Select Your Tickets.
Tickets for Rockets games are only available at Select Your Tickets, they are the official provider of Rockets tickets. To view pricing and a seating map please click here.
Tickets can be purchased:
- Online at selectyourtickets.com
- By calling Select Your Tickets at 250-762-5050
- Or by visiting the Select Your Tickets box office at the Prospera Place box office. The box office is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and opens at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday home game days.
In addition, six and twelve-game Mini Packs for the Kelowna Rockets season are now on sale through Select Your Tickets. To learn how to save on walk-up tickets and use the flexibility of a Mini Pack click here.
ROCKETS ROSTER UPDATES
The Rockets have called up 16-year-old affiliate goaltender Nathan Kam for the weekend. Netminder Jari Kykkanen is out day-to-day after leaving Tuesday night’s game in Prince George with an upper-body injury.
The Rockets will be without defenceman Caden Price who is out one-to-two weeks with a lower-body injury and forward Marcus Pacheco who is out two-to-three weeks with a lower-body injury. The Rockets injury report is updated weekly and can be viewed here.
WHERE IS CAPTAIN GABBY?
As a 20-year-old import player, Gabriel Szturc has a few options of where he can play this season. He could play professionally in Europe or sign in the American Hockey League, he could also be assigned to Kelowna to spend his overage season with the Rockets.
Szturc was invited as an undrafted free agent to play for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their rookie tournament, he was then invited to their main camp and assigned to their AHL affiliate the Syracuse Crunch on September 30, he’s there on a try-out.
ROCKETS TO WATCH
- Nineteen-year-old centreman Michael Cicek will face his former team, the Spokane Chiefs, for the first time since being dealt to the Rockets. Cicek was traded on May 26, 2023, to Kelowna in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft. Entering Saturday, the Winnipeg, MB product is tied for the team lead in scoring with four points (1G, 3A) through four games.
- Seventeen-year-old winger Logan Peskett recorded his first goal of the season in Wednesday’s loss to the Cougars, redirecting Ethan Mittelsteadt’s shot past Ty Young.
CHIEFS TO WATCH
- As of Friday afternoon Berkly Catton, the first overall pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, leads the Chiefs in scoring with seven points (2G, 5A) through three games.
- Dallas Stars prospect Conner Roulette is back in the US Division. After spending three seasons with Seattle, he spent last season with the Saskatoon Blades before being moved to Spokane this past summer. The 20-year-old has recorded five points (2G, 3A) through three games this season.
ROYALS TO WATCH
- The Royals made a major trade on Thursday, dealing away veteran players Kalem Parker and Brayden Schuurman along with a draft pick to the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for forward Ben Riche, two first-round picks, a second-round pick, a third-round pick, and a fifth-round pick in upcoming WHL Prospects Drafts. Riche, who was picked in the second round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, is expected to make his debut with Victoria this weekend.
- Entering Friday defenceman Nate Misskey leads the Royals in scoring with four assists
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.
Click here to download RocketFAN on Google Play
Click here to download RocketFAN on the App Store
Online video stream
All Rockets games will be available on WHL Live. WHL Live on 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 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 2023-24 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.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the online 50/50 and purchase tickets.
LINEUP SHEET + GAME DAY PROGRAM
Printed lineup sheets will not be available at games this season, they can be accessed online by visiting the game day program.
The Game Day Program will be available in the same spot, it comes complete with game notes, stats, team rosters and entry forms for the Rockets intermission contests.
The sheet and program will be uploaded by 3:00 p.m. on game days
Six and twelve game Mini Packs for the Kelowna Rockets season are now on sale through Select Your Tickets. To learn how to save on walk-up tickets and use the flexibility of a Mini Pack click here.
