Photo: Marissa Baecker / Kelowna Rockets
It has been 381 days since the Kelowna Rockets and Victoria Royals stepped on the ice at Prospera Place.
The two teams met on March 11, 2020 in the last game both teams played before ice hockey, and sports around the world have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a year of uncertainty, the two teams will finally be on the ice tonight.
The Rockets and Royals will play against each other in a shortened 24-game season with a limited number of participants and without fans.
For security reasons and to reduce travel costs, the five BC-based teams have come together in two hubs, Kelowna and Kamloops.
The Royals and Rockets call Prospera Place at home while the Blazers, Vancouver Giants and Prince George Cougars start operations from Kamloops.
As the fans are kept out, the league has started WHL Live on CHL TV, which means that all games for the next five weeks will be available.
All games through Sunday are provided free of charge.
Kelowna and Victoria met nine times last season. The missiles were 3-4-0-2 over those nine games.
Sunday the Rockets travel to Kamloops to face the Vancouver Giants.
Kelowna beat Vancouver 2-4 in six games last season.
Although fans cannot participate, there is still an option to use the team’s online 50/50.
Fans in the province can only buy 50/50 tickets online from 9 a.m. on home match days.
The funds raised will support Kelowna Minor Hockey and the Rocket Education Fund.
Click here for the full missile map.
