Preview: Royals at Rockets 10/5/22
| Victoria Royals at Kelowna Rockets |
| Date | Time | Wed., Oct. 5, 2022 | 7:05 pm |
| Tickets | Select Your Tickets |
| Video Stream | CHL TV |
| Radio | 104.7 The Lizard |
| Live Stats | WHL Box Score |
| Live Updates | @Kelowna_Rockets Twitter |
| Next Game | Fri., Oct. 7 vs Seattle – 7:05 pm |
The Rockets will host the Victoria Royals for their first matchup of the 2022-23 regular season on Wednesday night at Prospera Place.
Kelowna will be looking to stay in the win column after picking up their first victory of the season with a 5-1 win over the Prince George Cougars on Saturday night. The Rockets went three for nine on the powerplay, with Andrew Cristall picking up an assist on each power play and adding another at even strength. Jari Kykkanen was named the game’s third star, making 32 saves on 33 shots to pick up his first win of the campaign.
The Royals are searching for their first win of the campaign after opening the season 0-0-0-4. They were last in action on Sunday, falling 4-0 to the Everett Silvertips on the road.
Victoria was without several key players, Marcus Almquist and Luke Shipley missed Sunday’s contest, but victoriaroyals.com stated the pair are expected to play in Wednesday’s game against the Rockets. Brayden Schuurman, Matthew Hodson, Caleb Wilms, and San Jose Sharks prospect Gannon Laroque also all missed Sunday’s game due to injury.
Tickets
Single game tickets for Wednesday’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.
Roster Updates
Both Colton Dach and Talyn Boyko are still away at training camps.
Dach, who suffered a concussion on September 16th in the Blackhawks first rookie tournament game, has resumed skating. Chicago head coach Luke Richardson said on Saturday that the intention is to get Dach into at least one preseason game.
“But that’s one of those funny things,” said Richardson. “Everybody reacts differently, so we have to see day by day. I think they’re pushing and ramping him up every day, so we want to see how his body reacts tomorrow after having a little bit of a heavier load today. Hopefully would love to see him in a game. I think he’s a young guy that can shoot the puck and has some offensive talent, so it would be a great time to see him in an exhibition game, but obviously, he hasn’t played in a while too so we’d have to factor that into the equation, there will be a little rust on there if he does.”
Talyn Boyko was reassigned to the New York Rangers AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack’s training camp. Still without a contract, the 20-year-old is attending the camp on a professional tryout alongside signed goaltenders Louis Domingue, Parker Gahagen, Dylan Garand and Olof Lindbom. He can still be returned to the Rockets for his overage season.
The Rockets dealt 20-year-old forward Jake Poole to the Victoria Royals on Tuesday afternoon for an eighth-round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. Poole appeared in two games for Kelowna this season, posting three points (1G, 1A), two penalty minutes and a -1 plus-minus rating. He’s expected to make his debut against his former team tomorrow.
Players to watch
Kelowna
- Andrew Cristall was named the WHL’s Player of the Week on Monday after posting five points (1G, 4A) in over games this past weekend against the Prince George Cougars. The 2023 NHL Draft prospect is riding a three-game point streak that has seen him post seven points (3G, 4A) over that span.
- Gabriel Szturc and Adam Kydd are also tied with Cristall for the team lead in points, the pair have an identical stat line of (3G, 4A). Heading into Tuesday, the pair along with Cristall are tied for second in league scoring.
- Defenceman Noah Dorey leads all Rockets in defenceman in shots on net with eight through three games.
Victoria
- Seventeen-year-old forward Alex Edwards spent last season with the KIJHL’s Kelowna Chiefs. This season, Edwards has appeared in four games for the Royals posting seventeen penalty minutes.
- Kelowna product Teague Patton will play his first game in his hometown as a member of the Royals. Victoria acquired the forward from the Medicine Hat Tigers over the summer. He’s appeared in four games this season, recording three assists.
- After being limited to four games last season, Carter Dereniwsky leads the Royals in scoring with a goal and three assists through four games.
Series at a glance
2021-22 Season Series vs VIC (10-3-0-0)
| Oct. 8 | @ Victoria | 6-3 L |
| Oct. 9 | @ Victoria | 6-4 W |
| Oct. 30 | vs. Victoria | 5-4 OTW |
| Dec. 14 | vs. Victoria | 5-4 OTW |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Victoria | 5-2 W |
| Jan. 14 | vs. Victoria | 6-4 W |
| Jan. 15 | vs. Victoria | 9-1 W |
| Jan. 25 | @ Victoria | 4-3 SOW |
| Jan. 26 | @ Victoria | 4-3 W |
| Mar. 4 | vs. Victoria | 5-4 OTW |
| Mar. 22 | @ Victoria | 4-2 L |
| Mar. 23 | @ Victoria | 4-3 L |
| Apr. 2 | vs. Victoria | 5-0 W |
2022-23 Season Series vs VIC
| Oct. 5 | vs Victoria | 7:05 pm |
| Oct. 11 | @ Victoria | 7:05 pm |
| Oct. 12 | @ Victoria | 7:05 pm |
| Dec. 9 | vs Victoria | 7:05 pm |
| Jan. 3 | vs Victoria | 7:05 pm |
| Jan. 13 | @ Victoria | 7:05 pm |
| Jan. 14 | @ Victoria | 6:05 pm |
| Jan. 22 | vs Victoria | 4:05 pm |
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 on CHL TV. WHL Live on CHL TV 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 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.
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.
