Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

A rare win over Red Deer

Fast start lifts Rockets past Rebels

Jan 27, 2026 | 10:03 PM

The Kelowna Rockets finally solved the Red Deer Rebels on Tuesday night.

Behind a fast start, timely power-play goals, and contributions throughout the lineup, the Rockets earned a 5-3 win at Prospera Place — their first victory over Red Deer since 2017. The win snapped a five-game losing streak against the Rebels and marked Kelowna’s 23rd victory of the season.

Kelowna now sits at 23-16-4-2, good for 52 points.

The Rockets wasted no time setting the tone. Just 28 seconds into the game, Kelowna opened the scoring, continuing a trend of strong starts that has followed the team in recent games.

“I thought we gave ourselves a really good 40 minutes,” said Rockets assistant coach Brandon McMillan. “That start really set us up. We were ready to play, and we carried that through the first two periods.”

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Kelowna took control midway through the second period after Red Deer was assessed a high-sticking penalty. The Rockets struck twice on the power play in quick succession, building early momentum and forcing the Rebels to chase the game.

“Those power-play goals came pretty quickly,” McMillan said. “We took advantage of the opportunity and just kept rolling after that.”

The Rockets controlled play through much of the first 40 minutes, limiting Red Deer’s chances while generating steady pressure at the other end of the ice.

“I thought we outplayed them,” McMillan said. “We had a good game overall.”

Much of Kelowna’s offense flowed through forward Vojtěch Cihar, who scored his first WHL goal and added strong playmaking throughout the night. The Czech forward was consistently around the puck and created several quality chances.

“It was great to see him get that first one,” McMillan said. “You could tell it was in the back of his mind a bit. Once he got it, you saw his confidence. He made some really nice plays.”

McMillan said patience has been key with Cihar, who is still adjusting to life in the WHL after arriving from Europe.

“He’s in a new city, a new league, and the game is different,” McMillan said. “He was playing on a bigger ice surface back home. It takes time. We usually say it can take two to four weeks to really get comfortable, and you can see that happening with him now.”

Another highlight came from Eli Barrett, who scored his first career WHL goal. Barrett has spent much of the season in and out of the lineup, but made the most of his opportunity.

“We’re really proud of him,” McMillan said. “He works hard in practice, he’s very coachable, and he’s always trying to learn. He had a really good practice yesterday, and when you prepare like that, you give yourself a chance to be rewarded.”

Kelowna carried a multi-goal lead into the third period and looked in control early, but the Rebels pushed back midway through the frame. Red Deer scored twice to cut the deficit and make it a one-goal game with under ten minutes remaining.

“It got a little dicey there late,” McMillan said. “That’s something we’ve been dealing with. You know the other team is going to push. We have to be ready for that.”

Despite the late pressure, the Rockets held on, closing out the game to secure the long-awaited win over the Rebels.

“The third period is something we’re still working on,” McMillan said. “There have been times this season where that’s been a tough period for us. It’s about maturing as a group and understanding how to handle those moments.”

The Rockets now turn their attention to Friday night, when they host the Prince George Cougars. McMillan said the focus remains on building a consistent identity.

“When we get pucks in deep, forecheck hard, and play down low, we’re a really good team,” he said. “We saw that for 40 minutes tonight. Now it’s about doing it every night.”