Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Kayden Sadhra-Kang enjoying postseason

A new experience for a wily veteran

Apr 9, 2024 | 7:00 AM

Know your limit, play within it.

It is a catchphrase often used by the gambling industry to remind their clientele about healthy playing habits, and knowing how much they should spend on that form of entertainment and sticking to it.

Kelowna Rockets defenseman Kayden Sadhra-Kang could also use that slogan in defining his own game.

“Obviously you want to play inside the dots,” the well-spoken 20-year-old told RocketFAN about how he needs to preform to have success. “You want to be in a good position. You have to make sure your feet are moving. You have to make sure you are keeping speed with them [opposition player] and you are physically moving them so you can’t get caught for tripping or hooking.”

We asked head coach Kris Mallette to define Sadhra-Kang’s role on the team.

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“He is a big body. He can pivot and move well,” he said. “He can utilize his wingspan to keep guys to the outside. He closes quick and separate guys in a hurry. He isn’t an overly physical guy. It isn’t his m.o. He has done a better job of taking a deep breath, scanning the play and recognizing that, hey you aren’t beating me here. I am going to get you into the corner, I am going to separate and I am going to steal the puck.”

Playing in his 200^th career WHL regular season game on March 31^st against the Vancouver Giants, Sadhra-Kang was excited about the post-season, failing to do so in previous experiences with three other teams.

“I have been on a couple of teams that have been really close to making the playoffs, but I haven’t been able to get in there, so I am happy to be here in the playoffs before the career goes.”

Sadhra-Kang started his career in Lethbridge, was dealt to Swift Current before moving on to Brandon. Finally, a one-for-one trade to Kelowna from the Wheat Kings in November made it all possible.

“The fans are a lot rowdier,” he said. “The games are faster. It is more competitive. The guys have to sacrifice more, but its really fun. You just have to stay to your role. Bodies are going to hurt more as we play more back-to-backs and more games in a shorter span. With this team, if guys play their roles, we can have a lot of success.”

While regarded as a stay-at-home defender, Sadhra-Kang looked anything but in Sunday’s series clinching victory over the Wenatchee Wild. Joining the attack, he received a puck from teammate Andrew Cristall, who nifty sent it back to the dynamic forward who one-timed the puck into the empty net.

“If we play five-on-five, we have a way better chance of winning the game,” he said. “We need to work hard, not taking any hooking or holding or lazy stick penalties, and if we take a roughing penalty, or a hitting penalty, the boys are ready to kill it off and we are confident in that.”

Winners of 8 of their last 10 games, which included two massive wins on the final weekend of the regular season, the confidence level should be high as the team reaches the second round of the playoffs, this Friday, against the Prince George Cougars.

“I would say we are doing well. I would say the last couple of months we were riding high by playing really good hockey and we wanted to carry that into the playoffs.”

Leading the team with a +6 rating in six playoff games, the pride of Richmond, BC says much of the success in the defensive zone was the result of exceptional goaltending.

“I came here halfway through the season, and when I first got here, wow he is a good goalie,” he added about Jari Kykkanen’s tremendous play. “He has just elevated his play a little bit more [in the playoffs] and became great for us. He is helping us out in these games. We wouldn’t be here without him.”

Of all the players acquired mid-season, it would be hard to argue that Sadhra-Kang has been the most popular among his teammates. Often outsiders can spoil the chemistry in the room, yet the step-brother of Cougars forward Arjun Bawa has only added to it.

“It is a really good group we have here,” he added. “When I first got here, I was welcomed in. I felt at home here. Some guys may think its just me, but I think its everyone in the room being really nice and really good.

“I think we are a really close team and that helps a lot.”