Preview: Winnipeg At Kelowna
October 21, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Kelowna Rockets News Release
Kelowna Rockets Halloween Candy Scramble
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Cindy Rogers)
The Kelowna Rockets will wrap up their three-game home stand against the number-one-ranked team in the country, the Winnipeg ICE on Saturday night at Prospera Place.
It will also be the Rockets 26th annual Halloween Candy Scramble game sponsored by Hershey, both adults and children are encouraged to dress up in their costumes.
During the second intermission children 11 and under can go on the ice for the candy scramble to grab their share of Hershey’s candy.
It will be the ICE’s first visit to Kelowna since relocating to Winnipeg for the 2019-20 season, previously they were the Kootenay Ice from 1998 to 2019. Kootenay last visited Prospera Place on December 2, 2017.
Winnipeg remained atop the Kia CHL Top Ten Rankings for this week, making that four weeks in a row that they’ve been on top.
Even more impressive is that the ICE are 9-1-0-0 entering Friday morning, having not played a single game at home yet this season. Wayne Fleming Arena has been undergoing upgrades, resulting in the ICE being on the road for their first 13 games of the season.
“We knew this week coming up at home was going to be a challenge for us with two eastern teams that are both strong,” said head coach Kris Mallette in his postgame interview on Wednesday.
“Obviously, Winnipeg coming in ranked number one in the CHL, having the success they had last year. We’ll prepare our players to the best of our abilities as coaches, but at the end of the day we can’t put the skates on and get them to play with that courage and that urgency that we need to. Because I think if we compete and play the type of game we need to play, not many teams want to play with us, hopefully that comes out on Saturday.”
The Rockets are looking to snap a two-game skid. They were last in action on Wednesday against the Brandon Wheat Kings, where they were shutout 3-0.
Meanwhile, the high-flying ICE will be in action in Kamloops on Friday night before facing the Rockets on Saturday. As of Friday morning, they’re riding a four-game win streak, picking up wins against Lethbridge, Prince George and Victoria. Their only loss this season has come against the Moose Jaw Warriors, falling 4-1 on October 8th.
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
Colton Dach remains sidelined, he’s listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
The Rockets roster currently sits at fourteen forwards, seven defencemen and three goaltenders.
Players to watch
Kelowna
Rookie forward Grady Lenton had three solid chances in Wednesday night’s game against the Wheat Kings. The 17-year-old has an assist and five shots on net through six games this season.
Max Grahamhas an assist and eight shots on net through nine games this season. He recorded three shots on goal in Wednesday’s game.
Goaltender Talyn Boyko made 28 saves on 31 shots fired on him in his season debut on Wednesday.
Brandon
Matthew Savoie was drafted first overall by the Winnipeg ICE in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft. He was selected ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL Draft this past June. He’s appeared in six games this season, recording ten points (4G, 6A) and four penalty minutes.
The ICE selected Manitoba product Conor Geekie right after Savoie, taking him with the second overall pick in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft. He was picked 11th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in this year’s NHL Draft. The centreman has posted nine points (6G, 3A) through nine games this year.
Defenceman Carson Lambos was picked second overall by the ICE in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft. Last year, the Minnesota Wild selected him 26th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He’s recorded four assists in six games this season.
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.
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