Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Rockets fall 5-4 as Hurricanes claw back

Overtime heartbreak on home ice

Nov 15, 2025 | 6:00 AM

The Kelowna Rockets let a 4-3 second-period lead slip away Friday night, falling 5-4 in overtime to the Lethbridge Hurricanes at Prospera Place. It was another tight home game that ended without the finish they needed, dropping Kelowna to 1-3-2-1 on home ice this season.

Tomas Poletin supplied two goals, his team-leading 10th and 11th of the year, both coming on the power play. Tij Iginla kept his early-season surge rolling with a goal and an assist, giving him 10 goals and 14 points through his first seven games.

Despite the offensive output, Rockets assistant coach Brandon McMillan pointed to the opening twenty minutes as the biggest area that cost them.

“We didn’t come out strong in the first period. We gave them some life, we gave them some hope that they can hang with us,” he told RocketFAN.

The Rockets found their legs in the second, generating long stretches of possession, outshooting the Hurricanes 13-3 and taking a one-goal lead into the break. But they couldn’t create the separation that would have made the difference.

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“We did get our game in the second, got a lead, and then we just couldn’t get that next goal to give us a two-goal lead,” McMillan said. “We let them hang around a little too long.”

The tying goal early in the third came on a bad bounce when a shot hit the back boards and then deflected in off goaltender Josh Banini.

“Unfortunate goal, off the backboard and goes back and hits your goalie,” McMillan said. “Unlucky goal, but still, we let them stay around in the game too long.”

In overtime the Hurricanes had more of the puck, and at three-on-three that often decides it.

“You’re playing three on three. It’s a skills hockey game,” McMillan said. “You win the faceoff and keep puck control. It’s hard to get it back without taking too big of a chance. Unfortunate we couldn’t get the extra point tonight.”

One bright spot for Kelowna came from forward Shane Smith, who made his Rockets debut against his former club. Smith finished with two assists and created several strong looks around the net.

“Good start for him,” McMillan said. “It wouldn’t have been easy playing your first one against your old team. He probably could have had a few goals tonight too.”

The fourth line chipped in as well. Connor Pankratz scored his third of the season on a shift built on forechecking pressure and persistence.

“Great forechecking goal,” McMillan said. “They got the puck in, they found the puck, they got the puck to the net and they ended up getting rewarded for it. It’s a simple game when you get down to it.”

Even with four goals scored, McMillan felt Kelowna’s play in their own zone wasn’t up to the level they expect.

“We broke the puck out well. I didn’t think we overly defended very well in our defensive zone,” he said. “We’re not defending well enough in front of our net and we’re not finding open guys. That has to be a staple of our game.”

Kelowna doesn’t have long to regroup. The Spokane Chiefs arrive Saturday night with the Rockets stressing the urgency of re-establishing Prospera Place as an advantage.

“We need to start making this place a really hard place to come and play,” McMillan said. “This is our house and we have to take control of it.”

The Rockets will look for a quick response in the second game of the weekend set before heading south to close out the stretch Sunday in Everett against the Silvertips.