(Image Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

By Regan Bartel

4 vs. 5 seed clash in round-one

‘The pressure is on them [Rockets]’ – Blazers HC Shaun Clouston

Mar 24, 2026 | 6:02 AM

The quote “the pressure is on them” comes from Shaun Clouston, speaking to (CFJC TV/Kamloops) reporter Marty Hastings.

That tells you everything about how the Kamloops Blazers are approaching this series. They’re embracing the underdog role. They’re loose. They believe they have nothing to lose.

What the Rockets must do

As Tij Iginla goes, so go the Kelowna Rockets. He’s their driver offensively, and when he’s on, he sets the tone. That part isn’t the issue.

The issue is everyone else’s involvement. Too often, teammates can sit back and wait for him to make something happen. That slows the game down and puts too much on one player. On the flip side, when Iginla tries to do it all himself, the group loses its balance. The Rockets are at their best when the puck moves, everyone touches it, and he uses his teammates to open things up. That’s when the offense takes another level.

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Intangibles

The X factor sits with forwards Hiroki Gojsic and Hayden Paupanekis. Both are NHL-drafted players, and both need to be noticeable.

It’s about more than points. It’s forechecking, pressure, puck battles, getting to the net, and making life difficult shift after shift. Gojsic returns from injury, so there may be a short adjustment, but he should bring fresh legs. Paupanekis has shown he can produce offensively, and now it’s about bringing that same level of involvement every shift. When these two are engaged, they add layers to the lineup that make Kelowna harder to defend.

Concern

There’s a real danger in giving the Kamloops Blazers any reason to believe they can hang around in this series.

The first two games are critical. Set the tone early, and the message is clear. If Kelowna comes out sharp, plays with pace, and dictates the game, it establishes control right away. If not, and Kamloops is allowed to stay close, build confidence, and find its footing, the series tightens quickly.

This is where the Rockets have to be dialed in from the opening puck drop. No slow starts. No stretches where they let the game drift. They need to take control early and make it known this is their pace, their series.

Motivation

Hosting the Memorial Cup should be all the motivation needed.

The Rockets have been clear that they want to earn their way in, not lean on the automatic berth. Now it is about proving it. That means showing urgency, detail, and consistency right from the start.

Kamloops will bring plenty of motivation of their own. There is no better opportunity than knocking off a rival and extending their season. The Rockets need to match that, and then exceed it.

Start on time. Stay sharp. Play with purpose from the opening shift.

Final Comment

Both of these teams missed the playoffs a season ago. Now they are back with a second chance, and that alone adds edge to this series.

Playoff experience gets talked about as a major factor, but at this level, it is often overstated. These players have already been in big moments. Five players in this series, three from the Rockets and two from the Blazers, have played at the most recent World Junior Hockey Championships. Big games are the norm, not the exception.

For the Rockets, forward Shane Smith is the only player on this roster with deep WHL playoff experience, having gone to the third round last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He brings 23 career playoff games into this series, real, relevant reps in meaningful hockey.

On the other side, Blazers forward Jordan Keller has been there as well, reaching the conference finals by playing in 17 games in 2023 with the Saskatoon Blades before falling to the Winnipeg Ice.

Bottom line, experience is part of the story, but it does not decide it.

What matters now is who executes, who stays composed, and who plays the moment, not the moment playing them.