A roundup of junior hockey results from the Okanagan and area.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
KELOWNA vs. PORTLAND
The WHL opened its 2023-24 regular season on Friday night with nine games. Another nine games are on slate for Saturday evening, including the Kelowna Rockets’ first game of the campaign.
The Rockets (0-0-0-0) will host the Portland Winterhawks (0-1-0-0), who lost 6-5 in Wenatchee (1-0-0-0) on Friday, despite outshooting the Wild 42-32.
Portland scored four times in the first period and added another in the second, but the Wild proved consistent in lighting the lamp two times in all three periods.
Both teams were scoreless on the power play, with Portland going 0-for-4 and Wenatchee at 0-for-7. The attendance at Town Toyota Center was 2,879.
Saturday’s game will be the fourth time in franchise history that Kelowna has opened its schedule against Portland.
The Rockets will be honouring local emergency officials – police, area fire chiefs and the Kelowna Fire Department – prior to puck drop.
Also, Kelowna, like every other team in the league, won’t have its full roster, with players away at NHL training camps. Defenceman Jackson Desouza is at Detroit’s training camp. Goalie Jari Kykkanen (Calgary Flames) and forward Andrew Cristall (Washington Capitals) are away as well.
Portland entered the week with 10 players in training camps while Seattle, last season’s league champions, had the most with 14.
Friday’s results
- Regina 7, Brandon 6
- Medicine Hat 4, Calgary 1
- Spokane 5, Kamloops 4
- Lethbridge 3, Swift Current 1
- Prince Albert 4, Moose Jaw 0
- Prince George 9, Tri-City 0
- Edmonton 4, Red Deer 2
- Vancouver 4, Victoria 1
Saturday’s games
- Red Deer at Edmonton
- Victoria at Everett
- Portland at Kelowna
- Calgary at Medicine Hat
- Brandon at Moose Jaw
- Tri-City at Prince George
- Saskatoon at Regina
- Lethbridge at Swift Current
- Seattle at Wenatchee
Sunday’s games
- Spokane at Everett
- Prince Albert at Saskatoon
B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE
The West Kelowna Warriors opened the 2023-24 season on Friday night with a statement victory, a two-goal decision over the defending league champions.
Johannes Lokkeberg had a three-point night, with two goals and an assist, as West Kelowna (1-0-0-0) opened and closed the scoring against Penticton.
Michael Salandra, Trent Wilson and Callum Hughes also scored for the Warriors, who led 1-0 and 2-1 at the period breaks.
Lokkeberg scored midway through the second to make it 2-1, then netted his second of the night at 6:11 of the third to make it 3-2.
Simon Meier, Callum Arnott and Billy Renfrew replied for Penticton (0-1-0-0), which suffered just four losses all of last season (50-3-0-1).
Renfrew tied the game at 3-3 at 8:22, but Wilson replied for West Kelowna at 10:24, with Hughes sealing the game with an empty-net marker at 19:45.
Rorke Applebee stopped 32 of 35 shots for the Warriors, with Andrew Ness turning aside 21 of 25 shots for the Vees.
Both teams were 1-for-1 on the power play.
At Salmon Arm, the host Silverbacks erased a 2-1 deficit by scoring twice in the third period to defeat the Vipers in season-opening action on Friday night.
Isaac Lambert, Ryan Gillespie and Reid Varkonyi scored for Salmon Arm (1-0-0-0), which trailed 2-1 after the second period. Gillespie tied the game at 5:20 of the third, with Varkonyi netting what stood up as the game-winner at 6:07.
Adam Csabi and Julian Facchinelli, with goals at 7:03 and 10:08 of the middle frame, replied for Vernon (0-1-0-0), which outshot Salmon Arm 29-22.
Rayn Grout stopped 27 shots for the Silverbacks, with Ethan David making 19 saves for the Vipers.
Salmon Arm was 0-for-2 on the power play while Vernon was 1-for-5.
Friday’s results
- Alberni Valley 5, Coquitlam 1
- Nanaimo 6, Cowichan Valley 3
- Surrey 4, Victoria 2
- Cranbrook 5, Trail 4
- Merritt 5, Powell River 3
- Chilliwack 5, Langley 4
Saturday’s games
- Victoria at Chilliwack
- Nanaimo at Cowichan Valley
- Prince George at Salmon Arm
- Cranbrook at Vernon
- Surrey at Coquitlam
- West Kelowna at Trail
- Penticton at Merritt
- Alberni Valley at Langley
Sunday’s games
- No games scheduled
KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday’s results
- Columbia Valley 7, Spokane 0
- Kimberley 4, Osoyoos 2
- Princeton 4, Golden 2
- Creston Valley 3, 100 Mile House 2
- Sicamous 5, Kelowna 2
- Nelson 4, Revelstoke 2
- Castlegar 4, North Okanagan 1
- Summerland 3, Grand Forks 2
Saturday’s games
- Princeton at Columbia Valley
- Osoyoos at Fernie
- Beaver Valley at Kimberley
- Spokane at Golden
- Castlegar at Kelowna
- Creston Valley at Kamloops
- Revelstoke at Grand Forks
- Sicamous at Chase
- North Okanagan at Summerland
Sunday’s games
- Osoyoos at Golden
- Sicamous at 100 Mile House