A roundup of junior hockey results from the Okanagan and area.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelowna at Regina
After a three-year hiatus, the Kelowna Rockets are again road-tripping through the East Division.
Normally, Kelowna swings through Saskatchewan and Manitoba every December, making stops in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and Brandon.
However, their last East Division road trip was December 2020, with the team going 4-2 on its six-game journey when the division had six clubs. It currently has five, after Winnipeg relocated to Wenatchee, Wash.
The 2020-21 season was shortened due to COVID-19, with no cross-conference games taking place. And last season, the Rockets travelled to the Central Division twice, but not the East Division.
For a quartet of Rockets, the trip represents a chance to play in front of family and friends.
The four are Caden Price (Saskatoon), Trae Johnson (Martensville, Sask.), Will Munro (Swan River, Man.) and Michael Cicek (Winnipeg).
Kelowna’s first game will be Saturday evening in Regina, as the Rockets (11-14-2-0) take on the Pats (12-15-1-1). On Tuesday, they’ll visit Moose Jaw (17-11-0-2), followed by stops in Brandon (14-11-4-1), Prince Albert (16-13-0-2) and Saskatoon (20-8-1-0).
The team will make Regina their home base for a couple of days before relocating to Saskatoon and travelling from there.
And, what’s also a tradition during the trip, the Rockets are calling up a bantam draft pick for the trip.
Owen Folstrom, 15, was selected by Kelowna in the fourth round of this year’s bantam draft. In 15 games this season with his hometown 3A Calgary Flames, he has tallied 14 points (11 goals, 3 assists. He also played in two WHL preseason games this fall.
Many former Rockets got their first taste of WHL life by being called up for the week-long trip, including former NHLer Blake Comeau.
The Kamloops Blazers (7-17-3-2) will also be swinging through the East Division at the same time.
Friday’s results
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- Saskatoon 4, Red Deer 2
- Regina 6, Kamloops 4
- Prince Albert 4, Calgary 3
- Brandon 5, Moose Jaw 4 (SO)
- Medicine Hat 8, Edmonton 2
- Lethbridge 5, Swift Current 3
- Victoria 5, Prince George 3
- Portland 8, Spokane 5
- Tri-City 4, Seattle 1
- Everett 4, Vancouver 1
Saturday’s games
- Kamloops at Brandon
- Lethbridge at Swift Current
- Kelowna at Regina
- Red Deer at Prince Albert
- Saskatoon at Moose Jaw
- Medicine Hat at Edmonton
- Victoria at Prince George
- Seattle at Portland
- Wenatchee at Tri-City
- Everett at Vancouver
Sunday’s games
- Calgary at Saskatoon
- Portland at Everett
- Wenatchee at Spokane
- Tuesday’s games
- Kamloops at Prince Albert
- Kelowna at Moose Jaw
B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Salmon Arm, Ryan Gillespie scored the game’s only goal as the Silverbacks shut out the Vees on Friday night.
Eli Pulver had the shutout for Salmon Arm (15-7-0-1-0), his second of the season, stopping all 28 shots he faced. Gillespie and Pulver were respectively named the game’s first and second stars.
For Penticton (19-2-2-2-0), Will Ingeman stopped 30 of 31 shots. He was the game’s third star.
Gillespie’s goal came late in the third period, a shot that went in off a Penticton defenceman just 24 seconds remaining in regulation time.
The result snapped Penticton’s 24-game point streak. It was also the first time the Vees had been shut out this season.
Both teams were scoreless on the power play, with Penticton at 0-for-1 and Salmon Arm at 0-for-4.
At Trail, Ethan Warrener tallied three points, with a goal and two assists, as the Smoke Eaters downed the Vipers on Friday night.
Ethan Mann, Mathieu Cobetto-Roy, Adam Barone and Josh Schenk also scored for Trail (10-9-6-0-0), which led 4-1 after 40 minutes following a 1-1 tie following the first period.
Luke Pakulak, who made it 1-0 just 2:29 in the first period, and Jiri Duda, who made 4-2 at 16:35 of the third, replied for Vernon (16-7-1-0-0).
Teagan Kendrick stopped 26 of 28 shots for the Smoke Eaters, with Ethan David turning aside 31 of 35 shots for the Vipers.
Trail was 1-for-5 on the power play while Vernon was 0-for-3.
Friday’s results
- Prince George 3, Cranbrook 2
- Coquitlam 4, Langley 1 (OT)
- Cowichan Valley 4, Merritt 2
- Nanaimo 6, Powell River 4
- Surrey 2, Chilliwack 1
- Alberni Valley 4, Victoria 0
Saturday’s games
- Coquitlam at Chilliwack
- Powell River at Cowichan Valley
- Salmon Arm at Penticton
- Prince George at Cranbrook
- Merritt at Alberni Valley
- Victoria at Nanaimo
- Trail at West Kelowna
Sunday’s games
- Vernon at West Kelowna
- Langley at Surrey
KIJHL
Friday’s results
- Columbia Valley 4, North Okanagan 3 (OT)
- Kimberley 8, Spokane 3
- Creston Valley 3, Fernie 2 (OT)
- Beaver Valley 7, Golden 6
- Grand Forks 5, Kelowna 4 (SO)
- Princeton 4, Castlegar 2
- Revelstoke 5, 100 Mile House 1
- Chase 4, Summerland 0
Saturday’s games
- Beaver Valley at Columbia Valley
- Spokane at Fernie
- Creston Valley at Kimberley
- North Okanagan at Golden
- Sicamous at Kelowna
- Princeton at Osoyoos
- Revelstoke at 100 Mile House
- Chase at Kamloops
- Castlegar at Summerland
Sunday’s game
- Castlegar at Osoyoos