Junior hockey: Kelowna Rockets to open playoffs in Seattle against Thunderbirds

A brief roundup of playoff previews involving junior hockey teams from the Okanagan and area.

The second season starts Friday night for the Kelowna Rockets.

It also begins in Seattle, against the Thunderbirds, one of the top teams in the nation and a squad that also set franchise records for wins (54) and regular-season points (111).

Meanwhile, the Rockets had a rough 2022-23, earning just 27 wins – half of Seattle’s total – and 58 points.

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Kelowna also went 0-4 against Seattle this season, getting outscored 15-7 in the process. The two clubs also met in the first round of the playoffs last year, with Seattle winning 4-1.

This year, the best-of-seven, first-round series will see Games 1 and 2 in Kent, Wash., this Friday and Saturday, with Kelowna hosting Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In WHL standings, Seattle finished first overall in the Western Conference, and second overall league-wise, four points behind the Winnipeg Ice (57 wins, 115 points).

Kelowna placed eighth in Western Conference standings and 19th overall.

Notably, the T-Birds have 10 players who have been drafted by NHL teams – most in the CHL – a stat that includes former Kelowna Rockets captain Colton Dach. Seattle also finished fourth in the CHL’s last top-10 rankings of the season.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference, No. 2 Kamloops will face No. 7 Vancouver, No. 3 Portland will play No. 6 Everett and No. 4 Prince George will take on No. 5 Tri-City.

Kamloops — which will host the Memorial Cup this spring — was 6-1 against Vancouver this season while Portland was 6-1-1 against Everett. Tri-City also won its season series against Prince George at 3-1.

Like the WHL, the BCHL’s playoffs start this weekend.

And, like last season, the Penticton Vees are heavily favoured to win their second straight league title.

In 2021-22, the Vees led the BCHL in wins (43) and points (89) during the regular season before going an astounding 16-1 in the playoffs en route to winning the Fred Page Cup.

For the 2022-23 regular season, the Vees again led the league in wins and points. This time, though, Penticton’s numbers were stunning, with 50 wins in 54 games and 101 points out of a possible 108.

The next closest team: the Nanaimo Clippers, with 37 wins and 77 points.

For the playoffs, Penticton (50-3-0-1) will open at home against the eighth-place Trail Smoke Eaters (20-27-3-4, 47 points).

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The Vees will host Games 1 and 2 at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Friday and Saturday, with Trail hosting Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the Interior Conference, No. 2 Cranbrook will play No. 7 Wenatchee, No. 3 West Kelowna will battle No. 6 Vernon and No. 4 Salmon Arm faces No. 5 Prince George.

While Trail faces a monumental battle in playing Penticton, the series between West Kelowna and Vernon should be quite close.

Just two points separated third-place West Kelowna (28-20-6-0, 62 points) and sixth-place Vernon (27-21-2-4, 60 points).

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And in their five regular-season meetings, four games were decided by one goal, with two of those going to overtime.

West Kelowna won four of the games (4-3, 4-3 shootout, 4-3 shootout, 5-1) with Vernon prevailing in their last meeting (4-3) on Feb. 11.

Lastly, Salmon Arm (27-20-4-3) and Prince George (27-20-6-1) both finished with 61 points.

During the regular season, the teams met seven times, with Salmon Arm edging Prince George 4-3.

In the KIJHL, it’s down to the final two teams, as the Princeton Posse will battle the Kimberley Dynamiters for the Teck Cup.

Princeton advanced to the league final by downing Revelstoke 4-2 in the Okanagan-Shuswap Conference final, while Kimberley swept Beaver Valley 4-0 in the Kootenay Conference final.

The best-of-seven series between the Posse and Dynamiters begins Friday night in Princeton.