A round-up of junior hockey results from the Okanagan and area.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
The Kelowna Rockets skated to their third win of the WHL pre-season on Friday night after dismantling the Vancouver Giants 7-3.
Forward Gabriel Szturc scored twice for Kelowna, with his two markers being the game’s first two goals, as the Rockets outshot the visiting Giants 38-22 at Prospera Place.
Grady Lenton, Max Graham, Adam Kydd, Will Munro and Scott Cousins also scored for Kelowna (3-0-1-0), which led 2-0 and 5-2 at the period breaks. Marcus Pacheco and Elias Carmichael each tallied three assists.
Kyle Bochek, Ty Halaburda and Ethan McEneany replied for the Giants (0-2-1-0), who will host Kelowna in Maple Ridge on Saturday night, as the two B.C. Division franchises close out their pre-season schedules.
Cristiano Nicholas stopped 19 shots for Kelowna, with Matthew Hutchison turning aside 31 shots for the Giants. The Rockets were 3-for-5 on the power play while the Giants were 1-for-7.
Notably, the Rockets dressed just 10 forwards. Colton Dach is attending training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks, and the team Turner McMillen, Ethan Neutens, Jake Poole, Dylan Wightman and Andrew Cristall for Friday’s game.
Friday’s results
- Spokane 10, Portland 4
- Everett 5, Tri-City 4
- Calgary 4, Edmonton 1
- Prince George 3, Kamloops 0
- Lethbridge 3, Red Deer 1
- Moose Jaw 4, Brandon 3
- Saskatoon 4, Prince Albert 3
- Medicine Hat 6, Swift Current 3
Saturday’s games (all times PT)
- Everett at Seattle, 2:05 p.m.
- Regina at Winnipeg, 5 p.m.
- Moose Jaw at Brandon, 5 p.m.
- Edmonton at Calgary, 6 p.m.
- Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 6 p.m.
- Lethbridge at Red Deer, 6 p.m.
- Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 6 p.m.
- Kamloops at Prince George, 6 p.m.
- Portland at Tri-City, 6:05 p.m.
- Kelowna at Vancouver (Maple Ridge), 7 p.m.
Sunday’s game
- Spokane at Tri-City, 2:05 p.m.
B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Vernon, the Penticton Vees picked up their first win of the pre-season with a two-goal decision over the host Vipers.
Billy Norcross, who opened the scoring just 56 seconds into the first period, Jackson Nieuwendyk, Ben Brunette, Dovar Tinling and Frank Djursavic scored for Penticton (1-0-0-1).
Isaac Tremblay, Reagan Milburn and Luke Lavery replied for Vernon (3-3-0-0), which led 3-2 after the second period but gave up three goals in the third.
Hank Levy stopped 22 of 25 shots for the Vees, with Roan Clarke turning aside 35 of 39 shots for the Vipers. Penticton was 0-for-4 on the power play while Vernon was 1-for-4.
Last Friday, the Vipers edged the Vees 2-1 in a shootout.
In other notable action on Friday, the Wenatchee Wild fell 7-4 to the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL.
The Wild will also play exhibition games against two more USHL clubs this weekend: the Sioux City Musketeers on Saturday at 4 p.m., then the Fargo Force on Sunday at 4 p.m.
In Friday’s game, Wenatchee opened the scoring — 52 seconds into the second after a scoreless first period — but wound up being outshot 44-18.
The USHL bills itself as a tier one league, while junior-A leagues in Canada are commonly called tier two leagues.
“This is the most aggressive preseason schedule we have had in my time here,” Wild GM Bliss Littler said on the team’s website. “I’m excited to get the season started.”
Friday’s results
- Merritt 4, Chilliwack 0
- Surrey 4, Langley 2
- Cranbrook 7, Trail 3
- Victoria 5, Cowichan Valley 2
Saturday’s games (all times PT)
- Chilliwack at Penticton, 2 p.m.
- Wenatchee at Sioux City, 4 p.m.
- Powell River at Alberni Valley, 6 p.m.
- Trail at Cranbrook, 6 p.m.
- Prince George at Salmon Arm, 6 p.m.
- Victoria at Cowichan Valley, 7 p.m.
- Surrey at Langley, 7:15 p.m.
Sunday’s game
- Alberni Valley at Powell River, 12 p.m.
- Wenatchee at Fargo, 4 p.m.
KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday’s results
- Kimberley 3, Revelstoke 1
- Columbia Valley 4, Fernie 3
- Nelson 4, Creston Valley 2
- Castlegar 3, Beavery Valley 1
- Kamloops 5, Grand Forks 0
- Chase 2, Sicamous 1
- Princeton 4, Summerland 3
Saturday’s games (all times PT)
- Grand Forks at Kamloops, 2 p.m.
- Fernie at Columbia Valley, 6 p.m.
- Beaver Valley at Castlegar, 7 p.m.
- Kimberley at Revelstoke, 7 p.m.
- Sicamous at Chase, 7 p.m.
- North Okanagan at 100 Mile House, 7 p.m.
- Nelson at Creston Valley, 7:30 p.m.
- Kelowna at Osoyoos, 7:35 p.m.
Sunday’s game
- North Okanagan at 100 Mile House, 1 p.m.
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