Photo Credit: Contributed
ROCKETS HEADLINES
The Kelowna Rockets (12–9–3–1) hit the road Friday night to open a seven-game road trip against the Seattle Thunderbirds (11–10–2–0) at accesso ShoWare Center. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm, with fans able to watch live on Victory+ or listen on 104.7 The Lizard.
Kelowna sits 6th in the Western Conference, four points clear of 10th-place Seattle, and heads into the matchup looking to bounce back from a 4–2 loss to the Prince George Cougars on Wednesday. The Rockets have still won three of their last five and continue to be led offensively by Shane Smith (15G, 15A), Tij Iginla (13G, 14A) and Tomas Poletin (14G, 11A).
Friday marks the second meeting of the season between the two clubs. The Thunderbirds took the first matchup 3–1 at Prospera Place back on October 10, giving Kelowna a chance at a bit of road revenge to start their trip.
SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS
Seattle enters the contest with an 11–10–2–0 record and is in a tight Western Conference race of their own. The Thunderbirds have dropped two straight but remain dangerous offensively, featuring a balanced attack led by Antonio Martorana (14G, 17A), Brock England (11G, 13A), Matej Pekar (9G, 14A) and Vancouver Canucks Prospect Braeden Cootes (9G, 12A)
Seattle’s power play is operating at 18.6%, with a noticeable boost at home (25.49%). Kelowna’s penalty kill, running at 84.0%, will be a key factor in slowing the T-Birds’ top unit.
Defensively, the Thunderbirds have allowed 92 goals through 23 games, an area the Rockets will look to exploit as they try to set the tone for the trip.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2025–26 Season Series: Seattle leads 1–0–0–0
Last Meeting: Seattle 3 @ Kelowna 1 – October 10, 2025
Last Five Games:
- Kelowna – 3–2–0–0
- Seattle – 3–2–0–0
Goals For/Against:
- Kelowna — 86 GF / 82 GA
- Seattle — 91 GF / 92 GA
Special Teams:
- Kelowna – PP: 19/104 (18.3%), PK: 16/100 (84.0%)
- Seattle – PP: 16/86 (18.6%), PK: 25/106 (76.4%)
INJURY REPORT
- Peyton Kettles (UBI) – Indefinitely
- Gabriel Guilbault (UBI) – TBD
- Hiroki Gojsic (UBI) – Day-to-Day
- Nate Corbet (LBI) – Week-to-Week
UPCOMING MILESTONES
- Carson Wetsch – 2 points shy of 150 career WHL points
- Shane Smith – 5 points shy of 150 career WHL points
- Will Sharpe – 4 games shy of 150 career WHL games played
- Nate Corbet – 6 games shy of 150 career WHL games played
