_{**Highlights from Friday night's shootout loss are at the bottom of the story**}

It may not have been the desired result, but the fans at Prospera Place got their money’s worth at the first Kelowna Rockets game of 2026.

The Rockets fell 3-2 to the Kamloops Blazers in the shootout on a night where the two teams combined for 83 shots on goal.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Hayden Paupanekis opened the scoring for Kelowna just 50 seconds into the game, but Josh Evaschesen responded for Kamloops before the end of the period.

The two teams traded goals again in the middle frame, but this time it was the Blazers taking the lead courtesy of Nathan Behm’s 21st before Hiroki Gojsic knotted things up at two with his 12th.

Overtime solved nothing and the first three shooters for each side didn’t either, as Behm scored for Kamloops and Shane Smith replied for Kelowna. Evaschesen won it for the Blazers in the fourth round.

Logan Edmonstone made 41 saves for the Blazers in the victory, while Josh Banini turned aside 38 at the other end for the Rockets.

These two teams play again tonight at Sandman Centre in the back half of a home-and-home weekend series to kick off 2026.