Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Four goals early

Fast start fuels Rockets to 5-2 win over Americans

Jan 7, 2026 | 10:21 PM

The Kelowna Rockets didn’t waste much time taking control Wednesday night at Prospera Place.

Four goals in the opening period gave the Rockets all the breathing room they would need, as Kelowna skated to a 5-2 home-ice win over the visiting Tri-City Americans. It was the Rockets’ 18th victory of the season and their sixth at home, in a game that showed both how dangerous this group can be – and how much they’re still learning about playing together.

Kelowna’s start was overwhelming. After a feeling-out stretch early, the Rockets struck first when Tij Iginla opened the scoring, setting the tone for what became a dominant first period. From there, the floodgates opened.

Mazden Leslie added to the lead, newcomer Parker Alcos jumped into the rush to score his first as a Rocket, and Connor Pankratz capped the frame with a shorthanded goal. By the time the dust settled, Kelowna had built a 4–0 lead after 20 minutes and had Prospera Place buzzing.

“It took us a little bit to get rolling,” assistant coach Brandon McMillan said postgame. “There are a lot of new faces and some new systems for guys. Once we got going, though, I thought we had really good energy and a really strong first period.”

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The Rockets could have had even more. Breakaway chances, odd-man rushes, and extended pressure kept Tri-City on its heels. Kelowna was fast, aggressive, and confident, playing with the kind of pace that’s hard to match when it’s clicking.

Alcos, in particular, stood out. The newcomer led all Rockets with six shots on goal, using his skating to join the attack and move pucks quickly out of trouble.

“He’s a really good skater and he makes a lot of the right plays,” McMillan said. “He moves the puck well and he’s got a great shot. He played very well for us tonight.”

Tri-City, to its credit, didn’t fold. The Americans came out in the second period with more urgency and found a way to push back. Two goals in the middle frame cut the lead in half and briefly shifted momentum, reminding the Rockets that no lead comes easy in the WHL.

McMillan admitted that stretch is something the team can learn from.

“That’s the learning curve for us,” he said. “You know the other team is going to have a push after a first period like that. We need to come out in the second and match their intensity right away. It’s human nature to let off the gas a little, but that’s when chances start to show up for the other team.”

Kelowna settled things down in the third period, playing a more structured game and limiting Tri-City’s looks. With the Americans pressing late and their goalie pulled, Tomas Poletin sealed the win with an empty-net goal. The tally was Poletin’s first game back after helping Czechia win silver at the World Junior Championship, and it slammed the door on any hopes of a comeback.

Another newcomer also made his mark. Vojtech Cihar, making his WHL debut just days after playing in the World Junior gold medal game, picked up two assists in the win. One of them came on Poletin’s empty-netter, but his impact went beyond the scoresheet.

“You can tell he’s a very smart player,” McMillan said. “He reads the game really well and knows what he wants to do with the puck before he gets it. Considering the travel and everything he’s been through, I thought he did a great job.”

Cihar wasn’t alone in adjusting on the fly. With several new players in the lineup, the Rockets kept things simple and relied on energy and instinct more than structure at times.

“A lot of guys were just staying in the moment and doing what they could,” McMillan said. “That’s important when you’ve got so many new faces.”

Kelowna’s penalty kill also delivered a key moment with Pankratz’s shorthanded goal, which sucked the life out of Tri-City early and helped stretch the lead during that explosive first period.

Now comes a bonding test. Kelowna heads south for a back-to-back weekend in Portland, a trip McMillan believes will be valuable beyond just the standings.

“It’s going to be important for our group,” he said. “We’ll be on the bus for a long time, spend a lot of meals together, and that helps when you’ve got new faces coming in.

“We can enjoy this win, then really start to dial in our team game.”