KELOWNA 4
VICTORIA 2
It is the question everyone is asking about the Kelowna Rockets. “It will be interesting to see what they look like without Tij Iginla,” said Victoria Royals head coach James Patrick, ahead of Saturday night’s game at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The Rockets (12-11-3) began answering that question as they defeated the Royals 4-2 in their second game without Iginla, following a 4-1 loss Friday night in Everett, to the Western Hockey League-leading Silvertips.
Iginla is the son of Calgary Flames great and 2010 Vancouver Olympics gold medallist Jarome Iginla. The Utah HC prospect, the sixth overall selection in the 2024 NHL draft, had 14 goals and 32 points in 21 games but is out for the season, after having hip surgery Wednesday, to potentially alter the Rockets’ trajectory.
It’s not as if Kelowna is hurting without him as the Rockets also feature four players headed to their respective nations’ selection camps for the 2025 world junior championship tournament beginning Boxing Day in Ottawa — third-round Seattle Kraken draft-pick Caden Price and second-round Washington Capitals selection Andrew Cristall for sa国际传媒, and St. Louis Blues draft-pick Jakub Stancl and defenceman Marek Rocak for Czechia.
But it was goaltender Rhett Stoesser who was the hero of the piece for Kelowna on Saturday with a towering 49-save performance that left Royals shooters shaking their heads in frustration as Victoria outshot the Rockets 51-34. The six-foot-two WHL veteran Stoesser was acquired last month by Kelowna in a trade with the Red Deer Rebels.
Special teams were also crucial in the outcome as Kelowna went 2-4 on the power play and also got a short-handed goal. The Royals were unable to take advantage of their power-plays advantages, thanks mainly to Stoesser, and went 1-7.
Cristall, short-handed for his 19th goal of the season, and 2021 Royals second-round WHL prospects draft pick Hiroki Gojsic, on an assist from Rocak, scored on the power play to give Kelowna a 2-0 lead in the opening period.
Victoria defenceman Cosmo Wilson answered with a power-play goal with three seconds remaining in the first period.
Goals late in periods sometimes affect goalies in negative ways in the following period. Not so for Stoesser, who held Victoria momentum at bay in the second period, until Kelowna re-established its two-tally advantage through a goal by Stancl at 15:54.
Cristall provided a further cushion with a goal into an empty net with 53 seconds remaining in the third period and Royals goaltender Jayden Kraus pulled for an extra attacker. Escalus Burlock scored a meaningless goal for Victoria with 33 seconds remaining.
Victoria (15-9-5) leads the season series against Kelowna 2-1.
“Every time we have played them, it’s been extremely competitive, down-to-the-wire type games,” Royals bench boss Patrick said about the sa国际传媒 Division rival Rockets
The Royals and Rockets meet again this afternoon at 3 p.m. with a big crowd expected for the annual Teddy Bear Toss game for charity, in which a flurry of fur toys will fly over the glass when Victoria scores its first goal of the game.
“Some of the guys bug each other saying they are going to be the one getting it,” said Royals star forward Cole Reschny.
“We’ve just got to play our game, can’t be selfish, and whoever scores it, good for them. In the end, it’s just another goal.”
But one that is an interesting career sidebar note for any player.
