Kelowna Rockets 4, Portland Winterhawks 2
Winterhawks-Rockets Saturday preview: Halloween matinee
Kelowna Rockets at Portland Winterhawks: Gameday, October 31, 2026
box score link
1st 5:35 KEL Nate Corbet (Tripping) 2min PP
1st 10:10 KEL William Matte (Major-Fighting) 5min
1st 10:10 POR Jordin St. Louis (Major-Fighting) 5min
2nd 3:08 POR Sam Auld (Will McLaughlin, David Hoy) 1-0
2nd 8:56 KEL Dawson Gerwing (William Matte, Von Lakovic) 1-1
2nd 9:17 POR Luke Christopherson (Holding) 2min PP
2nd 12:44 POR Kyle McDonough (Roughing) 2min PP
2nd 14:25 KEL (PP) Peyton Kettles (Dane Sorensen, Ryan Oothoudt) 1-2
2nd 15:50 KEL Dawson Gerwing (High Sticking) 2min PP
2nd 18:55 KEL Tomas Poletin (Roughing) 2min PP
2nd 19:04 KEL (SH) Nate Corbet (Owen Folstrom) 1-3
3rd 7:56 KEL Peyton Kettles (Boarding) 2min
3rd 7:56 KEL Peyton Kettles (Major-Fighting) 5min
3rd 7:56 POR Avery Laliberte (Unsportsmanlike Cnd.) 2min
3rd 7:56 POR Avery Laliberte (Major-Fighting) 5min
3rd 9:23 POR Reed Brown (Trevor Toyne, Easton Dozark) 2-3
3rd 12:09 KEL Owen Folstrom (Cross Checking) 2min PP
3rd 17:26 POR Luke Wilfley (Tripping) 2min PP
3rd 18:39 KEL (EN.PP) Ryan Oothoudt (Dawson Gerwing, Nate Corbet) 2-4
Harrison Boettiger KEL 35 saves-37 shots
Cruz Chase POR 28 saves-31 shots
Talking points
The Kelowna Rockets took over the second half of the game. The Rockets came into the game the best in the WHL at preventing opponents’ shots, at 26.0 per game. The Winterhawks, 5 minutes into the 2nd period, had 24, so it looked like they were going to blow by that as they took a 1-0 lead on Sam Auld’s first WHL goal. But from there, the Rockets only allowed 13 shots in the last 35 minutes, while they scored a decisive three goals in the rest of the 2nd period. The Rockets’ veterans, Nate Corbet, Dawson Gerwing, Peyton Kettles, and Owen Folstrom, stepped up. Although the turnaround started with a backdoor pass from 17-year-old William Matte to Gerwing.
The Winterhawks’ special teams lost, going -3. The power play, still a problem, went 0 for 4 and gave up a killer shorthanded goal on a 2 on 0 to Nate Corbet to close out the 2nd. The penalty kill, a strength, only went 1 for 3 although one of those was an empty-netter 5 on 5. The Rockets’ special teams hadn’t been great so so this was particularly painful.
Harrison Boettiger, coming into the game with a .879 save percentage, probably had his best game of the season. And Portland’s shooting percentage drops to 3rd-worst in the league.
Portland’s two best players in the lineup, Will McLaughlin and Jordan Duguay, while being decent most of the time, made key mistakes that led to Kelowna goals, the Rockets’ first goal and the shorthanded goal, where they combined for the turnover that gave the Rockets the 2 on 0. Duguay was a good playmaker much of the game, but the Winterhawks didn’t convert any of his setups.
Cruz Chase got the start in goal and played well. He had no chance on two of the goals, and he was screened on the power play goal. The Winterhawks’ team save percentage is .923, as far about average as their shooting percentage is below average.
Best
1 Nate Corbet KEL 1 goal, 1 assist
2 Dawson Gerwing KEL 1 goal, 1 assist
3 Peyton Kettles KEL 1 goal
4 Harrison Boettiger KEL 35 saves-37 shots
5 Owen Folstrom KEL 1 assist
6 Cruz Chase POR 28 saves-31 shots
7 William Matte KEL 1 assist
8 Sam Auld POR 1 goal
9 Stevie Grumley POR
10 Reed Brown POR 1 goal
Corbet was physical and did the most to create the shorthanded goal. Gerwing with a great tip on the goal that started the turnaround. Kettles scored a power play goal and directed the defense. Folstrom was the other man on the 2 on 0 goal. Grumley was another player for Portland who set up plays that his teammates didn’t convert.
Portland pregame lines
Nathan Brown-Luke Wilfley-Jake Gustafson
Reed Brown-Jordin St. Louis-Kyle McDonough
Trevor Toyne-Sam Spehar-Jordan Duguay
David Hoy-Sam Auld-Alessandro Domenichelli
Avery Laliberte-Easton Dozark
Stevie Grumley-Will McLaughlin
Liam Reed-Luke Christopherson
Kelowna pregame lines
Eli Barrett-Tomas Poletin-Jakub Frolo
Dawson Gerwing-Owen Folstrom-Von Lakovic
Ryan Oothoudt-Colton Lien-Cole Braunshausen
Gabriel O'Brien-William Matte-Drew Larioza
Dane Sorensen-Peyton Kettles
Nate Corbet-Jacob Henderson
Will Kelts-Remy Koch
Shots
Kelowna 32
5: J Henderson
4: T Poletin, R Oothoudt
3: E Barrett, D Gerwing, N Corbet
2: J Frolo, C Braunshausen, O Folstrom
1: W Kelts, P Kettles, R Koch, G O'Brien
0: D Sorensen, W Matte, D Larioza, C Lien, V Lakovic
Portland 37
5: S Spehar, J Duguay, K McDonough
3: A Laliberte, T Toyne
2: J St. Louis, N Brown, D Hoy, L Wilfley
1: S Auld, E Dozark, L Reed, L Christopherson, W McLaughlin, J Gustafson, R Brown, A Domenichelli
0: S Grumley
Plus-minus
1-0: D Gerwing, P Kettles, O Folstrom, D Sorensen, W Matte, V Lakovic
0-0: J Henderson, R Koch, G O'Brien, D Larioza
1-1: C Braunshausen
0-1: R Oothoudt, T Poletin, E Barrett, J Frolo, C Lien
2-2: N Corbet
0-2: W Kelts
2-0: D Hoy
1-0: S Auld, R Brown, E Dozark, A Domenichelli
0-0: K McDonough, A Laliberte, J St. Louis, L Wilfley, L Reed, L Christopherson, J Gustafson
2-1: W McLaughlin
0-1: N Brown
1-2: T Toyne, S Grumley
0-2: S Spehar, J Duguay
Gerwing and Toyne have 3-game point streaks. Reed Brown broke a 6-game scoreless streak.
Auld had his first WHL goal.
Portland can at least take consolation in knocking the Rockets off the top of the league perch in shots allowed and shot difference.
