Photo credit: RocketFAN
By Regan Bartel
Rockets play for real

Drop the puck!

Sep 24, 2022 | 6:00 AM

For the 28th time since arriving in the Okanagan in the fall of 1995, the Kelowna Rockets open a new season.

The Portland Winterhawks provide the opposition in a rare tilt between the two teams before the calendar even turns to October.

It hasn’t been since September 20, 2002, that the Rockets opened the season at home against the Winterhawks. It was a 3-2 loss, with Joni Lindlof and Nick Tarnasky scoring in the one-goal game.

Before the snow flies, the two teams will have met three times, with the Rockets playing back-to-back nights in Portland on October 28th and 29th.

Last season, the Rockets were 0-2-0-2 against Portland, losing two shootout games by scores of 5-4 at home and 6-5 on the road. The Rockets haven’t beaten the Winterhawks in 8 games (0-6-0-2) with the last victory coming March 3, 2019, in a 4-3 win.

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How did the Rockets open the 2021-2022 season? They started on the road with a 6-3 loss in Victoria. Pavel Novak scored twice in the setback.

The 68 games schedule begins with the team playing 4 of its opening 7 games on the road, which includes double-headers in Prince George next weekend (Friday and Saturday) and then in Victoria on October 11th and 12th.

Of the opening 12 games of the regular season, five are against teams in the highly competitive U.S Division, including a home game against defending Western Conference champion Seattle on October 7th and defending U.S Division champion Everett on October 14th.

The last time the Rockets opened the season with a win on home ice against a U.S Division team was September 21, 2019 in a 4-3 overtime win against Spokane. Dillon Hamaliuk, who now plays in the American Hockey League with the San Jose Barracuda, scored the game winning goal with :01 left in the extra session.

A reminder, you can catch all the action on the new home of the Rockets – 104-7 The Lizard – or you can stream the games right here on RocketFAN.

 

by Regan Bartel

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