Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Slow start sinks Rockets

Lackluster in home ice loss

Dec 3, 2025 | 10:02 PM

The Kelowna Rockets wanted Wednesday night to be a statement, but the Prince George Cougars were the ones who delivered the message. In a matchup between the two teams in the BC Division, the Cougars came into Prospera Place and beat the Rockets 4-2, stretching their lead to eight points at the top of the division.

The victory also kept one of the WHL’s most impressive streaks alive, as Prince George is now 13-0 when leading after two periods.

Gabriel Guilbault and Hayden Paupanekis scored for Kelowna, but the Rockets spent most of the night chasing after a difficult start and never fully caught up.

Assistant coach Brandon McMillan joined the postgame show and did not hide his disappointment in the team’s opening period.

“They came out after they lost down in Tri-Cities last weekend, and they were ready to play,” McMillan told RocketFAN after the game. “We looked like a group that was just out there, and we weren’t on our toes. We weren’t ready to play in the first period, and that was very evident in the score.”

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Prince George pushed the pace right away, using their quick transitions and strong forecheck to immediately put Kelowna on its heels. The Rockets had an early power play that could have swung momentum in their direction, but when it ended without a goal, the Cougars pounced. They scored the opening goal shortly after, then struck again to make it 2-0.

By the end of the first period, the Rockets were searching for energy and structure while the Cougars already had control.

For McMillan, the frustration came from the expectations around a game that should have given the Rockets an emotional boost.

“When you looked at the scoreboard, our players should have been jumping out of their seats to play this one,” he said. “A group that’s just ahead of us, we’ve been playing some good hockey, our last one at home before a long road trip… we should have been ready to play and this should have been a lot harder game on them.”

Some fans wondered why the Rockets looked so flat to start a game of this importance. McMillan said there was no simple answer.

“It’s hard to pinpoint,” he said. “You see them ahead of you in the standings. They’re a group that’s been playing really well with the special teams. We should have had this one circled on the calendar… and for whatever reason, it took us a long time to get into it.”

The Rockets finally found momentum midway through the second period. The forecheck improved, the defense tightened, and Paupanekis later made it 3-2, bringing Kelowna within one heading into the intermission.

Kelowna also faced another challenge, finishing most of the night with only five defensemen after an injury early in the game. McMillan was proud of how the group handled the workload.

“I thought they actually did pretty well,” he said. “As the game went on, I thought they got better. Maybe playing a bit more, they were more into the game, not thinking too much, and I thought they handled themselves well.”

Another factor that hung over the game was the Cougars’ special teams. Prince George entered the night with the league’s top penalty kill and the best power play. McMillan acknowledged their strength and said it may have been part of Kelowna’s hesitation early.

“They do have the best… I think the top penalty kill unit and best power play,” McMillan said. “Obviously you want to stay away from special teams, but it’s also a good challenge when you’ve got a power play that’s very good. We had a couple of chances on our power play, but it’s something we definitely have to keep working on.”

In the end, the game was not decided by a bounce or a missed opportunity. It was decided in the opening 20 minutes when Prince George was sharp and the Rockets were not. Everything after that was Kelowna trying to climb out of a hole against one of the toughest teams in the league to chase.

The Rockets now head out on a seven-game road trip beginning Friday in Seattle. While the loss stings, McMillan believes the quick turnaround gives the team a chance to respond.

“We’ll get here in the morning, have a little practice, and hop on the bus and be right back at it,” he said. “That’s what’s great about hockey. You can redeem yourself in 48 hours.

“Hopefully we can have a good start down there in Seattle. It’s a hectic place to play, so we’re looking forward to seeing our response.”