The Kelowna Rockets and West Kelowna Warriors have a big weekend ahead of them.
Kelowna Rockets
It’s a home and road split for the Kelowna Rockets as they head into a weekend that’s going to feature a lot of teddy bears.
After seeing no game action for the last five days, the Rockets welcome the Victoria Royals on Friday night for the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss night. When the Rockets score their first goal of the game, the fans at Prospera Place will be throwing teddy bears onto the ice. Forward Andrew Cristall scored the teddy bear toss goal for the Rockets last season.
.@AndrewCristall x @Reganrant pic.twitter.com/OxgOqlsj1v
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) December 19, 2021
The Rockets are coming off of a 5-2 win again Everett last Sunday and currently sit eighth in the Western Conference with a 10-12-2-0 record.
This season has been tough for Victoria. Despite the fact they’re coming off a win, the Royals are last (10th) in the conference with a record of 4-21-3-0.
In three games this year, the Rockets lead the season series 2-1.
Puck drop on Friday night is 7:05 p.m. at Prospera Place.
On Saturday, the Rockets travel down to the Lower Mainland to take on the Vancouver Giants for the first time this season.
Puck drop on Saturday night is 7 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre as they Giants are also hosting their Teddy Bear toss. The Rockets are obviously trying to make sure no teddies get thrown onto the ice.
Going into the weekend, Cristall is still second in WHL scoring with 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists). The Rockets will be without their captain Colton Dach for the foreseeable future as he’s off to Hockey Canada’s World Junior camp. Forwards Adam Kydd and Turner McMillen are both day-to-day with injuries while defense Jackson Romeril is out for two weeks after undergoing a tonsillectomy.
West Kelowna Warriors
A busy weekend is on the horizon for the West Kelowna Warriors as they’re playing three road games in three days.
It begins on Friday night when the Warriors take on the Cranbrook Bucks at Western Financial Place. The matchup is one of the best around the BCHL on Friday as West Kelowna and Cranbrook sit second and third in the Interior Conference respectively. The Warriors are 15-6-3-0 (33 points) while the Bucks are 15-8-1-0.
Earlier this season, the Bucks won the only game between these two this season and last year, the Bucks took the season series 4-2. Friday’s puck drop is at 7 p.m.
After that game, the Warriors will travel to Trail as they take on the Smoke Eaters on Saturday night.
The Smoke Eaters are seventh in the conference with a 10-11-1-2 record. They also won the only game between these two teams earlier this year.
Saturday’s puck drop is at 7 p.m. at Cominco Arena.
The Warriors will then be travelling south of the border to take on the Wenatchee Wild on Sunday night. West Kelowna has dominated the season series, winning three of four and outscoring the wild 19-14. This is already the last matchup between these two teams this season.
Puck drop on Sunday is at 6:05 p.m. at Town Toyota Center.
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@cunninghamjordy
jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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