PHOTO CREDIT CINDY ROGERS
The Kelowna Rockets will wrap up their three-game home stand against the number-one-ranked team in the country, the Winnipeg ICE on Friday night at Prospera Place.
It will also be the Rockets 26th annual Halloween Candy Scramble game sponsored by Hershey, both adults and children are encouraged to dress up in their costumes.
During the second intermission children 11 and under can go on the ice for the candy scramble to grab their share of Hershey’s candy.
It will be the ICE's first visit to Kelowna since relocating to Winnipeg for the 2019-20 season, previously they were the Kootenay Ice from 1998 to 2019. Kootenay last visited Prospera Place on December 2, 2017.
Winnipeg remained atop the Kia CHL Top Ten Rankings for this week, making that four weeks in a row that they've been on top.
Even more impressive is that the ICE are 9-1-0-0 entering Friday morning, having not played a single game at home yet this season. Wayne Fleming Arena has been undergoing upgrades, resulting in the ICE being on the road for their first 13 games of the season.
"We knew this week coming up at home was going to be a challenge for us with two eastern teams that are both strong," said head coach Kris Mallette in his postgame interview on Wednesday.
"Obviously, Winnipeg coming in ranked number one in the CHL, having the success they had last year. We'll prepare our players to the best of our abilities as coaches, but at the end of the day we can't put the skates on and get them to play with that courage and that urgency that we need to. Because I think if we compete and play the type of game we need to play, not many teams want to play with us, hopefully that comes out on Saturday."
The Rockets are looking to snap a two-game skid. They were last in action on Wednesday against the Brandon Wheat Kings, where they were shutout 3-0.
Meanwhile, the high-flying ICE will be in action in Kamloops on Friday night before facing the Rockets on Saturday. As of Friday morning, they're riding a four-game win streak, picking up wins against Lethbridge, Prince George and Victoria. Their only loss this season has come against the Moose Jaw Warriors, falling 4-1 on October 8th.
Roster Updates
Colton Dach remains sidelined, he's listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
The Rockets roster currently sits at fourteen forwards, seven defencemen and three goaltenders.
Players to watch
Kelowna
Winnipeg