(Image Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

By Regan Bartel

Opening goal a wake-up call

Rockets advance

Apr 1, 2026 | 10:09 PM

The Kelowna Rockets didn’t just finish the job Wednesday night; they flipped the script entirely.

Trailing early, outworked, and chasing the game through much of the first period, the Rockets looked nothing like a team on the verge of a sweep. But in the final four minutes of that opening frame, everything changed. One goal turned into momentum, momentum turned into control, and control turned into a series sweep.

By the time it was over, the Rockets had scored six of the game’s final seven goals, skating away with a 6-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers at Sandman Centre, eliminating the 5th seed in four games.

It marks the first time since 2009 that Kelowna has swept Kamloops in a playoff series.

“They came out desperate,” Rockets assistant coach Brandon McMillan said postgame about the Blazers. “It’s do-or-die for them, and they showed that in the first period. But I thought our group stuck to the plan in the second and third, and that’s when we really took over.”

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Kamloops struck first, capitalizing on that early urgency. For a moment, it looked like the Rockets might be in for a long night. McMillan admitted the early goal had an effect.

“It felt like we had to climb Mount Everest a little bit,” he said. “There was a sense that maybe one goal was going to beat us, just the way the group felt early.”

Then came the turning point.

Late in the first period, with time winding down, Vojtech Cihar found the back of the net. It wasn’t just a goal; it was a reset.

“That really helped us settle down,” McMillan said. “We got into our rhythm after that. It was a huge moment.”

From there, the Rockets looked like a completely different team.

“Once we got pucks in deep and started out-changing them, we controlled the game,” McMillan explained. “And when they started cheating for offense, that’s when we really took over and got a few more behind them.”

Cihar led the charge offensively, scoring twice in the win. His series was nothing short of dominant, six goals in four games, a constant threat every time he stepped on the ice.

His six-goal performance now sits just two shy of the franchise record for most goals in a single playoff series, held by Geordie Wudrick, who scored eight against Everett in 2010.

But this sweep wasn’t about one player.

It was about a team that found its identity and imposed it, shift after shift.

Kelowna outscored Kamloops 21–8 over the four games, a staggering margin that reflects how the series tilted as it went on.

“You just have to stick with it,” McMillan said. “There’s another good team on the other side. But if you stay patient and trust your game, over time you’ll take it over.”

That patience showed most in the third period, with the series on the line.

Rather than sit back, the Rockets played smart, structured hockey, getting pucks deep, staying above the play, and trusting each other.

“We talked about building trust,” McMillan said. “Can you trust the guy next to you to make the right play? I thought everyone took that to heart in the third.”

Inside the dressing room, the mood was exactly what you’d expect from a team moving on.

“It’s hooting and hollering,” McMillan said with a smile. “Guys are excited, yelling, celebrating. You get the game puck, you put it up, you sing your win song. It’s an unreal feeling.”

And yet, even in the celebration, there’s an understanding: this is only the beginning.

The benefit of a sweep is clear. The Rockets now get valuable time to rest, recover, and reset before the second round begins.

“It’s huge,” McMillan said. “We get time to get healthy, to reset mentally, and to really prepare for what’s next.”

What’s next remains uncertain. Kelowna now waits to see who its second-round opponent will be. But whoever it is, the challenge will be greater.

“I think the next round, you’re going to see teams with a lot of skill,” McMillan said. “It’s going to be a big test. The team that’s more committed over a long series is going to win.”

For now, though, the Rockets have earned a moment.

A sweep. A statement. And a reminder that even when they don’t start their best, they can finish better than anyone.