A look ahead to this weekend’s junior hockey games throughout the Okanagan.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
The Kelowna Rockets have just four games remaining on their regular-season schedule, and two of them will take place this weekend.
The Rockets will begin a home-and-home set against Kamloops by visiting the Blazers on Friday night, then hosting their regional rival on Saturday evening.
Kelowna (26-35-3-0) heads into the two-game set on the heels of a 6-3 loss in Prince George on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Kamloops (45-11-4-2) is riding a seven-game winning streak.
In Western Conference standings, Kamloops is all but locked into second place with 96 points. The Blazers have six games remaining but likely won’t catch first-place Seattle, which has 103 points and six games left as well.
At the flip side, Kelowna is in eighth place with 55 points. The Rockets trail seventh-place Vancouver (25-29-5-3, 58 points) by three points.
The Giants have six games left, including a season-ending home-and-home set with the Rockets on March 24-25. That set could decide who finishes seventh, but, either way, it decides nothing as both teams are facing massive first-round challenges.
If Kelowna finishes eighth, they play Seattle. The Rockets are 0-4 against the Thunderbirds this season.
If Kelowna finishes seventh, they play Kamloops. The Rockets are 2-6 against the Blazers this season.
If Vancouver finishes eighth, they play Seattle. The Giants are 0-2-1-1 against the Thunderbirds this season.
If Vancouver finishes seventh, they play Kamloops. The Giants are 2-6 against the Blazers this season.
In related news, the Rockets say tickets are now available for their first two playoff games, April 4 and 5.
Also, in Portland, the Winterhawks will be inducting four members into the team’s hall of fame, including former forward Cam Neely. The rugged winger played two seasons in Portland before being drafted ninth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 1983.
In 91 games with Portland, Neely tallied 64 goals and 82 points for 146 points. He also had 159 penalty minutes.
In the NHL, Neely recorded 395 goals and 299 assists for 694 points in 726 games. He also had 1,241 penalty minutes.
Of course, one can’t mention Neely and see Canucks fans roll their eyes in pain, given Vancouver’s infamous 1986 trade that sent him to Boston, where he became an instant star.
In 1985-86, his last season with Vancouver, Neely had 14 goals and 34 points in 73 games. The next season, in Boston, he had 36 goals and 72 points in 75 games. He went on to register three 50-goal seasons.
B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE
The league-leading Penticton Vees are close to finishing their regular-season schedule, as they have just five games left.
Already crowned regular-season champions, having amassed 91 points in 49 games, the Vees (45-3-0-1) will host Nanaimo (35-12-3-0) on Friday night, then Merritt (12-33-3-2) on Saturday night.
Notably, the Vees could reach an impressive milestone – the 100-point barrier – if they sweep their remaining opponents.
Reaching triple digits in a 54-game season would be quite the feat, as it would mean suffering just four losses.
The nearest team to Penticton in terms of points is Nanaimo, which is well back at 73 points.
Friday’s game will also be a rematch of the 2022 championship series, which Penticton won 4-0. The Vees have 14 players from last season’s roster while the Clippers have 10.
Elsewhere this weekend:
The Vernon Vipers (24-20-2-4) will host Trail (19-25-3-3) on Friday and Saturday.
The West Kelowna Warriors (26-19-5-0) will host Cranbrook (34-13-1-2) on Friday night, then Nanaimo (35-12-3-0) on Saturday evening.
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks (26-17-4-2) will visit Prince George (25-20-4-1) on Friday and Saturday.
KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
In the KIJHL, it’s down to the final four with the third round of playoffs starting this weekend.
The Okanagan-Shuswap Conference final will feature the Revelstoke Grizzlies and Princeton Posse, while the Kootenay Conference final will feature the Kimberley Dynamiters and Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
Revelstoke is 8-0 in the playoffs, having swept 100 Mile House in the first round, then Sicamous in the second round.
Princeton is 8-1. The Posse swept Summerland in the first round, then beat North Okanagan in five games in the second round.
Meanwhile, Kimberley is 8-4 after beating Golden (4-1) in the first round, then Fernie (4-3) in the second round. And Beaver Valley is 8-5, having dispatched Nelson (4-2) and Creston Valley (4-3).
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