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K-town rivalry kicks off WHL playoffs

Hockey player shoots toward an opposing goalie.
The Kelowna Rockets will host the Kamloops Blazers in their first game of the 2026 WHL Playoffs on March 27, 2026. X/Kelowna Rockets

WHL playoff hockey is kicking off with a rivalry as Kelowna and Kamloops face each other in the first round.

The last time the two teams faced each other in Western Hockey League postseason action was 2017. They now get the chance to test their division rivalry again.

With the puck dropping Friday evening, March 27, the Kelowna Rockets are heading into the series with more than just home ice advantage. They’ve recorded four wins out of six games against the Kamloops Blazers this season and out scored them 19-13.

Kelowna, which is set to host the 2026 Memorial Cup, is in for high-intensity hockey as the Rockets and Blazers now get a chance to face each other after their first round meeting in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Blazers finished off this season in fifth place in the western conference, trailing 10 points behind the Rockets’ fourth place finish. While Kamloops finished off the season with a pair of victories against Vancouver, Kelowna closed out with back-to-back losses against the Penticton Vees.

The dominant South Okanagan squad is heading into their first-ever WHL postseason with 44 wins in 68 games, claiming a BC Division title and second in the western conference.

They’ll face the seventh place Seattle Thunderbirds at home on Friday, March 27.

The Vees’ record-breaking season saw the team tallying the most ever wins for a CHL expansion team and finished the year with a 5-0 victory over the Rockets.

The pucks drop at both Okanagan playoff games at 7:05 p.m., March 27.

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Levi Landry

Levi is a recent graduate of the Communications, Culture, & Journalism program at Okanagan College and is now based in Kamloops. After living in the BC for over four years, he finds the blue collar and neighbourly environment in the Thompson reminds him of home in Saskatchewan. Levi, who has previously been published in Kelowna’s Daily Courier, is passionate about stories focussed on both social issues and peoples’ experiences in their local community. If you have a story or tips to share, you can reach Levi at 250 819 3723 or email LLandry@infonews.ca.

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