High-end 2025 NHL Draft prospects Reschny, Paupanekis clash in B.C. Division Wednesday Night in the Dub tilt
Do your best, forget the Rescht.
That’s the mindset Cole Reschny is bringing to his NHL Draft season.
Ranked 34th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medalist hopes his play will do the talking as NHL brass start to key in on his game.
The two-way centreman was in fine form on Tuesday with two goals and two assists in a 7-3 win over the Kelowna Rockets, bringing his season totals to a team-leading 20 goals and 45 assists.
And he’s not the only firepower the Royals are relying on.
Victoria went 9-3-0-1 in January to jump into first in the B.C. Division and inch closer to clinching a playoff berth while becoming the fourth highest-scoring team in the WHL, thanks to trade deadline acquisitions like Brandon Lisowsky and Kenta Isogai.
Highly-touted rookie defenceman Keaton Verhoeff is also a player to watch with the 16-year-old defenceman sitting fifth in the rookie scoring race and on-pace to surpass 50 points in his first WHL season.
Between the pipes, 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Jayden Kraus has quietly become one of the sturdiest netminders in the WHL. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound goalie is 8-1-0-1 in 2025 with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, while first-year Johnny Hicks has dived right in with a 2-2-0-0 record, a 2.75 GAA and a .910 save percentage with his new club.
But the Rockets will look to play spoiler on the Island.
Despite injuries to key players like Tij Iginla (Utah Hockey Club) and Captain Max Graham (New Jersey Devils), Kelowna still boasts a wealth of talent, highlighted by St. Louis Blues prospect Jakub Stancl.
Stancl, the goals leader for Czechia at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, is closing in on 20 goals and 50 points in his first WHL season- and even opened the scoring with a shorthanded tally on Tuesday.
Not to be outdone, NHL CSS’s 48th-ranked skater, Hayden Paupanekis, has been scoring at a near point-per-game clip since joining the Rockets as part of the blockbuster Andrew Cristall trade.
Paupanekis has 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points in his sophomore season, with 10 of those points coming in his last 11 outings with the Rockets.
He’s a key part of the new-look Rockets, which are loaded with draft capital ahead of hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup.
The 6-foot-4, 198-pound forward believes Kelowna can still use its size and speed to push teams around welcoming the CHL’s best to Prospera Place next season.
In net, Jake Pilon has stood up against a lot of rubber this season but has pulled out dominant performances, including his first WHL shutout against the Moose Jaw Warriors on October 25, 2024.
Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. PST at Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena.
All Wednesday Night in the Dub featured games will be free to stream on WHL Live and the WHL’s YouTube Channel.
STAT PACK
| Kelowna Rockets | Victoria Royals | |
| Record | 16-26-4-1 (5th B.C.) | 28-14-3-5 (1st B.C.) |
| Leading Scorers | Jakub Stancl (18G, 26A, 44PTS)
Michael Cicek (15G, 21A, 36PTS) Hayden Paupanekis (17G, 17A, 34PTS) |
Cole Reschny (20G, 45A, 66PTS)
Brandon Lisowsky (33G, 26A, 59PTS) Kenta Isogai (21G, 36A, 57A) |
| Leading Goaltender | Jake Pilon (8-9-3-1, 4.06 GAA, .882 save percentage, one shutout) | Jayden Kraus (21-7-3-4, 2.67 GAA, .912 save percentage, one shutout) |
| Powerplay | 19.6% (19th) | 28.6% (2nd) |
| Penalty Kill | 65.9% (22nd) | 75.1% (12th) |
NHL PROSPECTS
Kelowna Rockets
F- Hiroki Gojsic (Nashville Predators)
F- Max Graham (New Jersey Devils)*
F- Tij Iginla (Utah Hockey Club)*
F- Jakub Stancl (St. Louis Blues)
*Unable to participate
Victoria Royals
Top 2025 NHL Draft Eligibles (per NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings of North American Skaters)
Kelowna Rockets
F- Hayden Paupanekis (48)
D- Will Sharpe (65)
F- Dawson Gerwing (135)
D- Nate Corbet (223)
G- Jake Pilon (23)
Victoria Royals
F- Cole Reschny (34)
G-Jayden Kraus (11)
SOUND OFF
Hayden Paupanekis
On the adjustment to Kelowna:
it’s been good so far. Everyone’s been pretty nice to me, the coaching staff, all the staff, and then especially my teammates.
On being a key piece in the Andrew Cristall blockbuster trade:
Kelowna called me and they said they really wanted me. I took that as a positive and kind of just brought my game here and I’ve been trying to play as best as I can. It’s really special to me. I think we’ve got something good going on here and then especially next year at the Mem Cup.
On the new identity the Rockets are establishing:
I think we’re just trying to play as hard as we can every game. I think we’re a pretty big team, we’re tall, we’re strong, so I think just playing physical every game.
On being ranked 48th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting:
It was pretty special. It was definitely pretty cool. I mean, (you) try not to think much about that kind of stuff and try to play my game. But yeah, it was really cool for me to be on that list.
On fellow 2025 Draft-eligible forward and Royals star Cole Reschny:
I think he’s a really smart player. He’s got a great shot. He’s a good skater. So I think if we play really hard on him, I think we’ll be able to shut him down.
Cole Reschny
On what’s motivating him most in his draft season:
I think just the playoffs are in the picture. We’re trying to secure the top spot in our division and finish as high as we can in the conference with as many points as possible. It’s a lot team-focused. Now, all games are tight. Everyone’s fighting for their lives here. So every game is going to be a battle, and we know that.
On using the CHL USA Prospects Challenge as a measuring stick:
That was a pretty cool event to go to. It’s always an honor to be able to represent at those events for the first time. I think it was a pretty well-rounded event and it is nice to play best on best- you’re there with the best players from the CHL and then the top ones in the U.S. too. I think it was a good learning experience for me.
On being ranked 34th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting:
I’m just trying to stick to my game, stick to know what I do best and put the right picture in, NHL scouts and GM’s minds and teams this last little stretch, or just doing whatever I can to climb up those rankings. But I’m also just playing for the team too, you know. I try not to focus on that kind of stuff at all, and myself, it’s more for the team, especially at this time this season.
On trade deadline acquisitions Brandon Lisowsky and Kenta Isogai:
I think our management took a big step there and they trusted us that we are going to make a playoff push here and those two guys are going to be huge parts of it. I think they’ve been nothing but great for us. Obviously, you’ve seen the production that they’ve been able to produce since being here. But not only are they great players, they’re great guys. Great guys to have around the room, they’re leaders, obviously, in two 20 year olds.
On facing fellow 2025 NHL Draft-eligible forward Hayden Paupanekis
He’s a big player. He’s a 200-foot centreman. He’s tough to go up against every night. He’s got the offensive touch, so playing him hard and trying to play in the offensive zone instead of your D zone is a big thing. He’s smart, too.
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