Photo credit: RocketFAN

By Regan Bartel

Rockets grind out a 2-1 road win

Nailing down a nail-biter in Portland

Jan 10, 2026 | 12:00 AM

“This game was really good for our group.”

That was Don Hay’s takeaway after the Kelowna Rockets edged the Portland Winterhawks 2-1 Friday night, a win that felt tighter, heavier, and more important than most January games usually do.

Kelowna picked up its 19th win of the season and 13th on the road by finding a way through a low-scoring, playoff-style contest at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It wasn’t always comfortable, but it was exactly the type of game Hay felt his group needed.

“We had to find a way to win a 2-1 hockey game,” Hay said. “That’s important.”

It was a familiar score line for the Rockets. The last time Kelowna was on the right side of a 2-1 decision also came against this same Winterhawks team, a 2-1 win back on November 22.

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The Rockets fired 46 shots on goal, but Winterhawks goaltender Ondrej Stebetak made sure the score stayed close. The 18 year old was sharp throughout the night, turning aside several high quality chances and stopping three breakaways on Shane Smith and Carson Wetsch, both of whom tried to beat him between the legs.

Without Stebetak’s performance, this game likely isn’t decided by a single goal. He was named the game’s first star.

At the other end, goaltender Josh Banini was every bit as steady for Kelowna. The Rockets netminder stopped 28 shots and was calm under pressure, especially late in the game when Portland pushed hard looking for the equalizer.

“I thought Banini played an excellent game,” Hay said. “That might have been his best game of the year.”

The first period ended scoreless, with both teams trading chances and neither side able to break through. The pace was high, the space was limited, and the game had the feel of something more than a typical regular season matchup.

“It felt like a playoff type of game,” Hay said of the two teams separated by one point in the Western Conference standings heading into the weekend. “Guys were blocking shots, paying the price, and our top players were digging in.”

Kelowna finally opened the scoring in the second period and did it while shorthanded. Tij Iginla potted his second goal in as many games, scoring Kelowna’s seventh shorthanded goal of the season to make it 1-1.

On the power play, Owen Folstrom snapped a backhand shot past Stebetak to restore the lead. It was Folstrom’s first goal in nine games and proved to be the difference.

“Our power play wasn’t sharp,” Hay said when asked about the five minute power play awarded late in the first period after Winterhawks forward Nathan Brown was ejected for a high hit on Rockets forward Tomas Poletin. “But we still scored a power play goal to win the game.”

Kelowna went into the second intermission holding a slim 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, setting up a tense third period where every shift mattered.

The third period unfolded exactly as expected. Portland pushed. Kelowna defended. The Rockets didn’t generate as much offense as they would have liked, but they protected the middle of the ice, blocked shots, and trusted their structure.

“When you’re nervous, you make soft plays,” Hay said. “But we regrouped and made good plays.”

Even with the shots heavily in Kelowna’s favour, Hay felt the game was much closer than the numbers suggested.

“Both goalies were very good,” he said. “I thought it was closer than that.”

Portland threw everything it had at Kelowna late, pulling the goalie and testing Banini in the final minute, but the Rockets held firm to close out the win.

With the victory, Kelowna moved into a two way tie for third place in the BC Division with the Kamloops Blazers, again that’s third place in the BC Division, tightening an already close race.

“This was a real playoff type game,” Hay said. “If we do the right things and play the right way, we give ourselves a chance.”

Kelowna did exactly that Friday night.

Hay knows the challenge ramps up quickly with the rematch coming Saturday night.

““It shouldn’t be any different. You have to be prepared to play as a team and play together. The team that lost is going to be more desperate, so you have to be ready to compete.”