Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Kelowna-born forward hits WHL milestone

Wily veteran Dylan Wightman playing hard with time ticking down

Feb 12, 2024 | 8:00 AM

The Kelowna Rockets should be taking a cup-half-full approach after splitting a pair of games with the Kamloops Blazers on the weekend.

Why should they be so optimistic?

The team was able to beat the Blazers at the Sandman Centre for the first time this season in a 6-3 victory Friday night, snapping an 11-game losing streak in that building. Entering the weekend, the Rockets were 2-15-2-0 in their last 19 games in the ‘Tournament Capital’.

“It is frustrating,” veteran forward Dylan Wightman told RocketFAN before earning a three-goal win in hostile territory. “Coming into [Kamloops] here, it is always a rivalry game and they have had our number the last few years.”

It was the team’s first regulation victory at Sandman Centre since a 4-3 win back on December 4, 2021. On that night, Turner McMillen, now playing for the Prince Albert Raiders, scored the game-winning goal at 5:30 of the third period.

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One night later, this time at Prospera Place, the Blazers earned a 7-3-win, courtesy of four goals off the stick of forward Emmitt Finne.

“In years past, they had a really good team,” the 21 year-old Wightman admitted. “This season being a rival, they are coming out and are playing hard. Even when they had really good teams, we were finding ways to beat them, so I think it’s just two teams getting up for these rivalry matches, and one team having an extra gear.”

The Blazers have 16 wins this season, with four of them coming against the Rockets, by scores of 3-2, 4-3 in overtime, 3-2, and 7-3.

“When we play a team defensive game, we are good,” Wightman said, while suiting up for his 200 career game in Saturday’s setback. “When we chip pucks in [the offensive zone] and don’t turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and commit to team play, we can play with the best teams in the league.”

Consistency has plagued the team all season long. Returning from the Christmas break, the longest winning in the last 20 games was three consecutive victories December 29^th against the Blazers, December 30^th against Calgary, and January 5^th vs. Edmonton.

“We need the forwards in support [for the defensemen] so they have places to go with the puck,” Wightman added about the role each line must play to transition the puck up the ice. “It allows the defense to get back quick, and if they have pressure on them and there is nowhere to go with it, then we are going to turn it over. We need everybody back in our zone. The saying we use is five in the picture.”

While surrendering 87 shots on goal in the two games on the weekend to a Blazers, Wightman isn’t overly concerned.

“I’ve always been a defensive forward, so it is just the way I play by working hard in our zone,” he said. “I am always back in support. For some of these guys, there are offensive opportunities by not coming back, but when the wins aren’t going our way, or when pucks aren’t bouncing our way, that’s when we get caught with odd-man rushes coming back against us. There are chances to score, and when everyone is buying in, we are a good team.”

Sitting seven points back of the Victoria Royals for 5^th place in the Western Conference, the Rockets hope to earn three consecutive wins this week, hosting the Spokane Chiefs Tuesday before heading to Vancouver Island for two must win road games to vault up the standings.

“A few weeks ago, [in the standings] we were sitting pretty good,” Wightman said about his team’s inability to move several games above the .500 mark. “Every team is good. Every team is trying to win. It is the playoff push.

“Half of the teams are trying to secure their playoff positions and the other teams are fighting to make the playoffs, so you won’t get an easy night.”