Photo credit: Lethbridge Hurricanes
Record drops to 17-39-4-2

Rockets eliminated from playoff contention

Mar 6, 2025 | 6:00 AM

Two former Kelowna Rockets played pivotal roles in sealing their old team’s fate and officially eliminating them from the WHL playoff picture. 

Trae Johnson, sent to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in July, and Caden Price, dealt on January 6th in the Will Sharpe trade, combined for five points in the Hurricanes’ 7-4 victory over the Rockets Tuesday night at VisitLethbridge.com Arena. 

With six games remaining in the regular season and 13 points behind the eighth-place Seattle Thunderbirds, who currently occupy the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, they can’t catch them, even if they win all their remaining games.

Though the Rockets’ playoff dreams were dashed with the loss, and they now face the reality of an early off-season, assistant coach Liam McOnie still found reasons for optimism. 

“I thought we were really good,” McOnie said. “We did a lot of little things really well. We played hard. We gave it everything we had.” 

Even after enduring a five-game losing streak, and coming off a 5-2 loss the night before to Medicine Hat, the Rockets exploded out of the gate with a 2-0 lead, courtesy of back-to-back goals from Levi Benson and Hayden Paupanekis. But the Hurricanes, boasting the most games played in the league, rallied with three unanswered goals. Benson, however, wasn’t going down without a fight. He netted his second goal to even the score at 3-3 heading into the second intermission. 

“Levi’s a really smart player,” McOnie said, giving high praise to Benson, the smallest player on the ice. “He’s always in the right spots, working hard. For his size, he plays like a giant—grinding it out in the tough areas. He’s got a great hockey IQ, and that’s why he finds himself in those prime scoring positions.” 

Benson’s two goals were his 8th and 9th of the season, marking his first-ever multi-goal game in his career. 

“It was nice to see him shoot the puck tonight,” McOnie continued. “In previous games, he’s passed up chances to shoot, but tonight, he let it rip and was rewarded for it.” 

Despite facing the harsh reality of two more goals from the Hurricanes—one each from Johnson and Price—the Rockets didn’t back down. Owen Folstrom battled back, finding the back of the net to make it 5-4, but the game was ultimately sealed with two empty-net goals. 

“I think it speaks volumes about the composure of the group,” McOnie reflected. “We’ve been challenging them to do more than just play good hockey. It’s about growing up, transitioning from boys to men. The resilience, the never-quit attitude, and the ability to stay composed—those are key lessons.” 

With only one game left on this grueling eight-game road trip, the Rockets are focused on ending the season with pride, despite knowing their playoff hopes are gone. They’ll face the Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday, with nothing left to lose but the chance to finish strong. 

“These last two games, against Medicine Hat and the Hurricanes, are building blocks for where we want to be,” McOnie said, echoing a rallying cry for the team. 

“We’re trying to create a culture of good habits, structure, buy-in, work ethic, and competition.

“These are the kinds of games you learn from. Now, we take those lessons and build on them as we prepare for the Oil Kings.” 

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  1. Ed says:

    WOW !! Judging by the last two games,the Rockets may have started to turn the corner :). They are really starting to come together !! Next year could be REAL interesting if they keep maturing 🙂