(Image Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

By Regan Bartel

Back into third place

Iginla strikes in overtime as Rockets squeeze past Royals

Mar 11, 2026 | 10:10 PM

The Kelowna Rockets didn’t deliver their sharpest performance Wednesday night. They still managed to collect the two points.

Tij Iginla scored 3:28 into overtime as the Rockets edged the Victoria Royals 2–1 at Prospera Place, ending a tight goaltending duel between Harrison Boettiger and Royals netminder Jake Pilon.

The win improves Kelowna to 36 victories on the season, but the postgame conversation focused as much on how the Rockets played as the result itself.

Iginla’s game-winner came in the three-on-three overtime session when he converted a pass from Mazden Leslie, snapping the puck past Pilon to bring the game to an end. Tomas Poletin also drew an assist on the play.

The goal was Iginla’s 40th of the season.

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Boettiger was strong for Kelowna, stopping 30 shots and recording an assist on the Rockets’ lone regulation goal. Pilon was just as steady at the other end, making 39 saves for Victoria.

Victoria, a team fighting to stay alive in the Western Conference playoff race, played with urgency throughout the night. The Royals entered the game two points out of the final playoff spot and were coming off a shutout loss the night before in Seattle before travelling overnight to Kelowna.

Associate coach Don Hay said afterward that the Rockets knew what kind of effort to expect.

“We knew they were going to play well,” Hay said. “Their playoff lives are hanging on the line and they managed to get a point out of the game.”

Despite the win, Hay wasn’t pleased with Kelowna’s overall performance.

The veteran coach pointed to areas where he felt the Rockets fell short, particularly in the offensive zone.

“We’re not spending enough time in the other team’s end wearing them down and creating opportunities,” he said. “Our forecheck isn’t getting pucks into the positions we need to be successful.”

Kelowna also spent time shorthanded, taking four penalties through the first two periods. The penalty killing unit held firm, but the lack of sustained pressure five-on-five was something Hay highlighted.

The Rockets were able to kill off the penalties and even generated some chances while shorthanded, but Hay felt the team didn’t dictate the play consistently enough.

“We’re not playing at our level,” he said. “We’re playing average, and average gives you the kind of results we’ve been getting lately.”

Late in regulation, the Royals nearly grabbed the lead when they broke in on a two-on-one opportunity. The chance appeared dangerous, but Boettiger managed to recover and smother the puck before it crossed the goal line, helping send the game to overtime tied 1–1.

Hay admitted afterward that Kelowna was fortunate the play didn’t turn into the winning goal for Victoria.

Still, the Rockets regrouped for overtime.

Kelowna controlled the play during the extra session and limited the Royals’ chances before Iginla’s shot ended the game.

“I thought we played really well in the overtime,” Hay said. “We had some good chances and didn’t give them anything.”

Even with the victory, Hay said the team needs a stronger push from its leadership group as the regular season winds down.

“Our leadership has to be better,” he said. “The captain, the assistants, the 20-year-olds, they all have to be better. The coaches can’t be in the dressing room all the time. They have to take the message and carry it onto the ice.”

Hay also pointed to the circumstances surrounding Victoria’s schedule, saying the Rockets should have taken advantage earlier in the game.

The Royals arrived in Kelowna in the early morning hours after playing in Seattle the night before.

“They travelled all night and probably got here around five in the morning,” Hay said. “Shame on us for not jumping on them early and really pushing them out of the game.”

Instead, Victoria stayed within reach throughout the contest and ultimately left Kelowna with a point.

For the Rockets, the victory sets up an important weekend matchup against the Kamloops Blazers, a team Kelowna could face in the opening round of the playoffs.

Hay believes those games will be a significant test.

“I think it’s really important,” he said. “You don’t want to give them confidence. If we want to be known as one of the good teams, we have to come out and play like it.”