Photo credit: Saskatoon Blades

By Regan Bartel

A rookie and a seasoned vet come through

Earning a road win the ugly way

Dec 18, 2025 | 6:00 AM

The blizzard that swept through Saskatoon on Wednesday night kept many fans at home. Snow whipped across the streets, the wind cut through layers, and the cold made even a short walk feel like a chore. Inside SaskTel Centre, the conditions demanded the same thing from the Kelowna Rockets.

Survive the storm.

They did just that.

Shane Smith scored the shootout winner, and Harrison Boettiger was outstanding when it mattered most as the Rockets edged the Saskatoon Blades 3-2 in a shootout, earning their 16th win of the season and their 12th away from Prospera Place.

This had the feel of blizzard hockey from the opening faceoff. Visibility was limited. Time and space were hard to find. Nothing came easy.

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Levi Benson opened the scoring for Kelowna, but the Blades pushed back and built momentum as the game wore on. Saskatoon grabbed the lead and carried a 2 to 1 advantage into the second intermission, forcing the Rockets to chase the game in the third period.

That is where the response showed.

With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Kelowna finally broke through. A tying goal was jammed home in front and sent to video review as the officials worked through a lengthy checklist.

“They were checking everything,” said Rockets assistant coach Brandon McMillan about the nine minute lengthy video review. “Was the net on or off, was it kicked, was there interference? In the end, we didn’t interfere, and if the net was on, it’s a good goal.”

The goal stood. The game moved to overtime. The storm inside the building intensified.

Saskatoon came hard in the extra frame, firing six shots on goal and generating multiple high danger chances. Boettiger answered every one of them. His best save came on a backdoor look that appeared destined for the net before he slid across and shut the door.

“They had a lot of really good chances in overtime,” McMillan said. “Botts just stood tall and made the saves when we needed him.”

Boettiger’s ability to read plays and move laterally was on full display as the Blades pressed.

“He reads the play extremely well,” McMillan added. “Anything east west, anything down low. He’s very athletic and very quick.”

After weathering the overtime surge, the Rockets turned to the shootout to decide it.

The choice of shooters came down to trust.

McMillan tapped Shane Smith on the shoulder and asked if he was ready. Smith did not hesitate.

“We haven’t had a shootout with him yet,” McMillan said. “I asked him if he was good, and he told me he was over 50 percent. I trusted him.”

Smith stepped over the boards knowing exactly what was expected. The veteran forward snapped his shot past the Saskatoon goaltender to give Kelowna the edge. The decision was backed by numbers. Smith entered the night third in the WHL in shots on goal, a player who does not shy away from shooting in big moments.

“He’s an older guy,” McMillan said. “And when you give him a chance to win a game, he’s going to give you a good chance.”

Boettiger finished the job in the shootout, stopping all three Saskatoon attempts to seal the win. He was perfect when the pressure was highest, capping a performance that carried the Rockets through the storm.

The victory was an important response after a difficult loss the night before in Moose Jaw and moved Kelowna to 3-2-0-0 on their Eastern Division road trip heading into Friday night’s game against the Prince Albert Raiders.

“You want a way to finish games in the regular season,” McMillan said. “Shootouts come down to skill, but for our group, getting the two points tonight was the most important thing.”

Outside, the blizzard calmed as the Rockets left the arena with two points.

“It wasn’t perfect,” McMillan said.

“But the want was there. Sometimes you have to win ugly on the road, and that’s okay.”