PREVIEW: Rockets set to open the 2023 Playoffs in Seattle
| Kelowna Rockets at Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Date | Time | Fri., March. 31, 2023 | 7:05 pm |
| Video Stream | CHL TV |
| Radio | 104.7 The Lizard |
| Live Stats | WHL Box Score |
| Live Updates | @Kelowna_Rockets Twitter |
| Kelowna Rockets at Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Date | Time | Sat., Apr. 1, 2023 | 6:05 pm |
| Video Stream | CHL TV |
| Radio | 104.7 The Lizard |
| Live Stats | WHL Box Score |
| Live Updates | @Kelowna_Rockets Twitter |
| Next Game | Tue., Apr. 4 vs SEA – 7:05 pm |
For the second consecutive spring, the Seattle Thunderbirds and Kelowna Rockets will meet in the First Round of the WHL Playoffs. Just like last season, the Rockets will open the postseason on the road in Kent, WA.
The best-of-seven First Round series begins Friday, March 31 in Kent, Wash. (7:05 p.m. PT, accesso ShoWare Center). The two will play again this weekend on Saturday, April 1 (7:05 p.m. PT, accesso ShoWare Center).
The Rockets will host games three and four will take place on Tuesday, April 4th and Wednesday, April 5th at Prospera Place, puck drop is set for 7:05 pm. Single-game tickets are on sale 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.
The two Clubs have been frequent playoff foes, meeting nine times since the Rockets entered the WHL in 1991. Seattle has won five of the nine prior series, including a five-game victory in last year’s First Round.
Seattle finished the regular season atop the Western Conference standings with a franchise record 54 wins. Their roster boasts ten NHL prospects and six Canadian World Juniors stars on the roster.
The Rockets will face former captain Colton Dach for the first time since they moved him to Seattle on January 7th in exchange for Ty Hurley, Ethan Mittelsteadt, a 2024 first-round pick and two more conditional draft picks.
Drafted Thunderbirds:
- Jordan Gustafson – Vegas Golden Knights
- Brad Lambert – Winnipeg Jets
- Reid Schaefer – Nashville Predators (WJC Canada)
- Jared Davidson – Montreal Canadiens
- Colton Dach – Chicago Blackhawks (WJC Canada)
- Lucas Ciona – Calgary Flames
- Dylan Guenther – Arizona Coyotes (WJC Canada)
- Nolan Allan – Chicago Blackhawks (WJC Canada)
- Luke Prokop – Nashville Predators
- Kevin Korchinski – Chicago Blackhawks (WJC Canada)
Thunderbirds Ranked on Central Scouting:
- Gracyn Sawchyn – #42 among North American skaters
- Nico Myatovic – #47 among North American skaters
- Sawyer Mynio – #111 among North American skaters
- Scott Ratzlaff – #6 among North American goaltenders
- Thomas Milic – #25 among North American goaltenders (WJC Canada)
The last time these two met
The Seattle Thunderbirds blanked the Kelowna Rockets 2-0 on December 31st in their final meeting of the season at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, WA Seattle, the number-one-ranked team in the CHL at the time, took down the Rockets for the second consecutive night. The night before the two met at Prospera Place where they defeated Kelowna 4-1.
Both teams penalty kill units were busy hitting the ice five times each, neither team was able to capitalize on the man advantage.
Roster Updates
Injury updates are not public during the playoffs.
Rockets to watch
Kelowna
- Andrew Cristall was named the Rockets MVP and to the WHL’s B.C. Division First All-Star Team. Rated #16 among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Cristall led the Rockets in goals (39), assists (56) and points (95) while finishing sixth among the leading point-getters in the WHL.
- Gabriel Szturc packs a one-two punch alongside Cristall. The Rockets captain finished the regular season second in points with 79 (24G, 55A) over 56 games. His successful season has also included a World Junior silver medal that he captured with Czechia as well as an appearance on the NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.
- In net, it’s not known yet who will start game one. Talyn Boyko is the elder statesman in the Kelowna Rockets crease, though it was 18-year-old Jari Kykkanen who led the Club with 14 wins this season. Both netminders are big, though at 6-foot-8 Boyko stands taller than the 6-foot-3 Kykkanen. Both posted similar stats during the regular season as well.
Series at a glance
2022-23 Season Series vs SEA
| Oct. 7 | vs Seattle | 5-4 L |
| Nov. 23 | @ Seattle | 4-2 L |
| Dec. 30 | vs Seattle | 4-1 L |
| Dec. 31 | @ Seattle | 2-0 L |
Playoff schedule vs SEA
| Game | Date | Away | Home | Time | |
| 1 | March 31, 2023 | Kelowna | Seattle | 7:05 p.m. PT | |
| 2 | April 1, 2023 | Kelowna | Seattle | 6:05 p.m. PT | |
| 3 | April 4, 2023 | Seattle | Kelowna | 7:05 p.m. PT | |
| 4 | April 5, 2023 | Seattle | Kelowna | 7:05 p.m. PT | |
| 5 | April 7, 2023 | Kelowna | Seattle | 7:05 p.m. PT | * |
| 6 | April 9, 2023 | Seattle | Kelowna | 4:05 p.m. PT | * |
| 7 | April 11, 2023 | Kelowna | Seattle | 7:05 p.m. PT | * |
* – if necessary
Watch and listen
Radio broadcast
Rockets games will be broadcast on 104.7 FM the Lizard 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 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.
If you have a CHL TV subscription to watch games online, please note that your regular season pass will not work for the postseason. There are no discount codes in the playoffs.
You’ll have to go into the subscribe now tab on watch.chl.ca. There you will have multiple options for the CHL as a whole or the OHL/WHL/QJMHL individually. Please make sure you read closely as only three of them are options to watch Rockets games:
- 2022-2023 WHL Playoff Pass (59.99 + taxes), gives you access to all WHL games through all four rounds.
- 2022-2023 WHL Daily Playoff Pass (9.99 + taxes), only gives you access to WHL games on the day you purchase it for.
- 2022-2023 WHL Round 1 Playoff Pass (19.99 + taxes), gives you access to all WHL games in round one.
Single-game tickets for Rockets home games one and two 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.
