Rockets reeling; Royals rolling

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

Price was asked by RocketFAN if his team can make the playoffs, despite sitting in 9th place in the Western Conference with the second most losses (24) in the entire WHL.

Rockets await start of Memorial Cup

Chances were there. Goals weren't

Apr 20, 2026

Enough talk. Time for action

As they say in Everett, 'Let's play hockey!

Apr 10, 2026

Rockets face road test in games 3 and 4

Goaltending, discipline and depth driving 2-0 series lead over Blazers

Mar 30, 2026

“One hundred percent”, Price said deadpan, even though many outsiders believe it would be wise for the team to move its marquee players, like Laroque and speedster Brayden Schuurman, to a contending team for what can only be described as a king’s ransom.

“For me, that isn’t a question [making the playoffs]”, Price added. “That is our goal and that is our intention. It’s not a given and it will be tough to do, but we believe we can do that.”

Price, who can’t be faulted for his optimistic approach, saw his team move to within five points of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference after Tuesday’s win.

Jake Poole, who was traded to the Victoria Royals by the Kelowna Rockets on October 4th, scored twice in his teams 9th win of the season, giving the 20 year-old a career high 21 goals.

“He is an incredible person”, Price said about Poole and why he has made such an impact on his team. “He is full of character, preparation, intelligence, competitiveness and work ethic. He is just the best guy and it shows on the ice.”

Meantime, the Kelowna Rockets, losers of their last six games overall, and winless in their last six home games, could use more of all of those things in their overall game.

Out-scored 26-10 during this recent six-game slide, the Rockets never led against the Royals, tying the score before again, much like Saturday in Seattle in a 2-0 road loss, surrendered two goals in the final frame.

Andrew Cristall, with his team leading 24th goal of the season and Elias Carmichael, with his third of the campaign, scored in the teams 19th loss of the season, one shy of the 20 suffered a season ago.

The Royals, who entered the game with only one power play goal on 13 chances in the seasonal series (7.7%), erupted for two goals with the extra man while not allowing a goal against in three shorthanded situations.

“There has to be a level of embarrassment within our group if we are being out-worked and easily pushed off pucks”, Rockets head coach Kris Mallette said about the losing streak. “Expectations were high coming into this season, and we are not living up to them.”

With a loss to team below them in the standings, the task of getting back in the win column becomes increasingly harder this weekend with a home-and-home series against the BC Division leading Kamloops Blazers.

“We are underachieving in my opinion,” Mallette added. “The games last season where we found a way to win, to hold on, to tie it and win it, we just don’t have that fire or belief yet that we can do it,”

“I am going to do everything in my power and my staff will do the same, that we are going to right this ship .”