Photo credit: Keith Dwiggins

By Regan Bartel

Power play pumps four home

Rockets roll’n

Jan 11, 2026 | 6:00 AM

The Kelowna Rockets are starting to look comfortable in their own skin.

Saturday night in Portland, the Rockets leaned on a red-hot power play and a career night from Shane Smith to earn a 5-2 win over the Winterhawks at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The victory completed a weekend sweep in Portland, extended Kelowna’s winning streak to three games, and earned the club its 20th win of the season.

The power play was the story. Kelowna scored four times on five chances, breaking open a game that stayed tight longer than the final score suggests. Assistant coach Brandon McMillan said the goals were big, but just as important was the momentum the power play created.

“Even when you don’t score, you want zone time and shots,” McMillan said. “Tonight, we won some faceoffs and got a couple of quick ones. That helped us settle in, and I was really proud of how the group played.”

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Smith put on a show, scoring four goals for the first four goal game of his WHL career. Three of them came on the power play, all from nearly the same spot, with a release that gave Portland fits all night.

“His release is dynamite,” McMillan said. “He did a really good job holding onto the puck, working it by the first guy, and creating his own looks.”

There was some symmetry to the night as well. Smith’s last hat trick came October 14, 2023, when he was a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers and scored in Kelowna against the Rockets. This time, he was doing the damage for Kelowna, in Portland, in one of the best games of his career.

McMillan explained that Smith’s spot on the power play isn’t random. Working the left side on his downhill flank allows him to see the ice and attack with confidence.

“When he gets it there, he can see everything,” McMillan said. “It’s something he’s comfortable with, and he showed tonight he really likes playing there.”

Mazden Leslie was a steady presence all night and chipped in with three assists, while newly acquired forward Ty Halaburda scored his first goal as a Rocket. Halaburda was acquired Tuesday from the Vancouver Giants and is starting to find his way with his new club.

Despite the final score, the game was anything but easy. Portland pushed back and cut into the lead early in the third period, scoring just after a Kelowna penalty expired. McMillan said that earlier in the season, that moment might have changed the feel of the game.

“Earlier in the year, I think that momentum swings the other way,” he said. “But we had a really strong third period. We created chances and didn’t sit back, and that shows growth in our group.”

The night took a scary turn when Rockets backup goaltender Josh Banini was struck by a stray puck while watching from the bench. Medical staff responded quickly, and Banini was stretchered off and taken to hospital for X rays.

McMillan said the early word was encouraging.

“It’s always scary when something like that happens,” he said. “But we’ve had good news so far. He’s in good shape, expected to travel home with us, and there’s nothing major to worry about.”

He also made sure to credit the Portland medical staff and first responders for their quick response.

“They were right there right away,” McMillan said. “Everyone did a great job getting to him and taking care of things.”

For the Rockets, the weekend was about more than just two wins. With new faces added at the deadline, the road trip provided valuable time to gel.

“We spent a lot of time together,” McMillan said. “Long bus rides, meals together. That stuff matters when you’re trying to bring a group together.”

Kelowna now heads home riding a three game winning streak and feeling good about where things are trending. With the power play rolling and confidence building, the Rockets look like a team that’s starting to believe in what it can be.