Rockets start season on road

When you play late into May, like the Kelowna Rockets did hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup, the WHL offseason doesn’t feel like much of an offseason at all. You blink, and suddenly mid-June is here and the next season is already taking shape.

On Wednesday, the Rockets announced their home opening date for the 2026-27 campaign. Kelowna will open the season on the road against the Penticton Vees on Friday, September 25th at the South Okanagan Events Centre, before returning home to host the Vees in the home opener on Saturday, September 26th at Prospera Place.

It’s a notable shift for the Rockets, marking the first time since the 2011-12 season that the team will open on the road. That year, Kelowna started away from home against the Victoria Royals.

As for the home opener, it also breaks a recent trend. For the past four seasons, the Rockets have opened at Prospera Place against U.S. Division opponents – Portland three times and Spokane once. The last time a B.C. Division team visited Kelowna for opening night was the Kamloops Blazers in 2021-22.