Preview: Rockets season starts to ramp up with pair of games
| Kelowna Rockets at Vancouver Giants |
| Date | Time | Oct. 23, 2021 | 7:30 pm |
| Video Stream | WHL Live on CHL TV |
| Radio | AM 1150 |
| Live Stats | WHL Box Score |
| Live Updates | @Kelowna_Rockets Twitter |
| Next Game | Oct. 30 vs VIC – 7:05 pm |
The Kelowna Rockets schedule will start to ramp up this weekend as the team is set to open the weekend in Vancouver on Friday night before returning home to host the Victoria Royals on Saturday at Prospera Place.
The Rockets have only played one week with multiple games so far this season, they travelled to the island to face the Victoria Royals on October 8 and 9.
Kelowna will be looking to bounce back from being shut out 2-0 by the Giants last Saturday at the Langley Events Centre. Netminder Colby Knight made 27 saves in the losing effort.
The Giants have also been off since last weekend’s matchup.
TALE OF THE TAPE
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Vancouver Giants (3-2-0-0 – 6 points) 3rd B.C. Division | 5th Western Conference Power Play: 1/17 – 5.9% Penalty Kill: 20/24 – 83.3% Last Ten: 3-2-0-0 Streak: 1-0-0-0 GF: 17 GA: 16 PIM: 73 |
Kelowna Rockets (2-2-0-0 – 4 points) 4th B.C. Division | T-6th Western Conference Power Play: 3/10 – 30.0% Penalty Kill: 13/15 – 86.7% Last Ten: 2-2-0-0 Streak: 0-1-0-0 GF: 13 GA: 14 PIM: 46 |
Victoria hit the road to face the Prince George Cougars on Wednesday night at the CN Centre, where they fell 4-0 to the Cougars. They’ll take on the BC Division-leading Kamloops Blazers in Kamloops on Friday before heading to Kelowna to face the Rockets.
Kelowna and Victoria have already faced each other twice this season, with the two splitting the back-to-back series. The Royals took the series opener 6-3 on October 8, but the Rockets responded the next night with a 6-4 win.
Defenceman Elias Carmichael was added to the Rockets Injury Report this week with a lower-body injury, he is listed as day to day.
Players to watch:
Kelowna:
- Sixteen-year-old rookie defenceman Caden Price has a goal and an assist so far this season, both of those points were picked up against the Royals.
- Gabriel Szturc has been skating on the Rockets top line this past week. The rookie import forward has a pair of assists through four games this season. He has yet to score his first WHL regular-season goal. He earned a C rating on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list released last Tuesday. Those with C ratings are projected to be fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round selections for the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft.
Vancouver:
- Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jesper Vikman now has two shutouts in just four WHL games played. The Swedish product, who was selected 8th overall in the 2021 CHL Import Draft, has a 2.25 GAA and .910 SAV%.
- Forward Payton Mount picked up a pair of assists and third star honours against the Rockets last Friday.
Victoria:
- Six of Brayden Schuurman‘s eight points so far this season have come against the Rockets. In the series opener, he posted a hat trick and an assist, in the second game he picked up a pair of assists.
- The Royals traded for Nanaimo, BC product Campbell Arnold from the Spokane Chiefs. The veteran goaltender has appeared in four games this season, posting a 3.34 GAA and .872 SAV%.
B.C. Division Standings
as of Thursday afternoon
| # | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | PTS |
| 1 | Kamloops Blazers | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Prince George Cougars | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 3 | Vancouver Giants | 5 | 3 | 2 | o | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Kelowna Rockets | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Victoria Royals | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
2021-22 season series vs Vancouver (0-1-0-0)
| Oct. 23 | @ Vancouver | 2-0 L |
| Oct. 29 | @ Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Nov. 3 | vs. Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Dec. 1 | vs. Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 2 | @ Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 7 | vs. Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 22 | @ Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 28 | @ Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 29 | vs. Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Feb. 9 | vs. Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Mar. 5 | vs. Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
| Mar. 6 | @ Vancouver | 7:05 PM |
2021-22 season series vs Victoria (1-1-0-0)
| Oct. 8 | @ Victoria | 6-3 L |
| Oct. 9 | @ Victoria | 6-4 W |
| Oct. 30 | vs. Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Dec. 14 | vs. Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 14 | vs. Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 15 | vs. Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 25 | @ Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Jan. 26 | @ Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Mar. 4 | vs. Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Mar. 22 | @ Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Mar. 23 | @ Victoria | 7:05 PM |
| Apr. 2 | vs. Victoria | 7:05 PM |
Tickets
The current B.C. Provincial Health Office restrictions allow for 50% capacity at Prospera Place.
Due to this, a limited number of single-game tickets for the next upcoming four home games have gone on sale to the general public. Tickets for Saturday’s game are available at selectyourtickets.com, at the Prospera Place box office or by phone at 250-762-5050.
