On Tuesday night, Andrew Cristall walked through the doors of Prospera Place for the first time as a member of the Spokane Chiefs.
The WHL All-Star and Washington Capitals prospect is prepared for a wave of emotion- and a tough match- as he makes his return to face the team that drafted him for the first time since being dealt in a blockbuster trade on January 8.
“I’m definitely expecting a physical game, definitely gonna expect them to be on me all night,” Cristall said with a smile. “So we’re gonna try and break through that. I’ve got a lot of good buddies on that team, but they’re not going to, you know, want me to do well, and I hope they don’t do well either. But, you know, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun and just kind of glad to be back in the rink.”
Cristall’s legacy is set in Kelowna as the franchise’s second all-time scorer with a staggering 340 points (135G-205A) in 219 regular season games over parts of five seasons.
He’s also off to a roaring start with his new club.
The 5-foot-10, 183-pound forward was named Tempo WHL Player of the Week on Monday after netting a hat trick and four assists in his second game with Spokane.
https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/1878902597123252567
Cristall, Chiefs Captain Berkly Catton, and current WHL goals leader Shea Van Olm combined for seven goals and 12 assists in the 12-2 demolition of Wenatchee and look to fill the net again against Kelowna.
But while the Rockets may have been sellers at the WHL trade deadline in anticipation of stocking up to host the 2026 Memorial Cup, there’s still a wealth of talent on the Kelowna roster.
St. Louis Blues prospect Jakub Stancl leads the team with 38 points (15G-23A) in 28 games in his first WHL season.
The 19-year-old is coming off a second-straight bronze medal win with Czechia at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he led all skaters in goals with seven, and has four goals (including a hat trick) and two assists in his first two WHL games post-tournament.
https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/1878151172814434309
In fact, Stancl’s first WHL hat trick came against the Chiefs back on October 10.
Rockets Captain and New Jersey Devils prospect Max Graham is also averaging more than a point per game with 35 (13G-22A) this season, and 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Hayden Paupanekis, who was acquired as part of the Cristall trade, already netting two assists in his Rockets debut.
Between the pipes, Spokane’s Dawson Cowan has been among the class of the WHL.
The veteran is fresh off of recording his 50th career win, leads the league with three shutouts and is tied with a league-leading 20 wins under his belt- while facing the fifth-most shots of any goaltender.
At the other end of the ice, Jake Pilon and Rhett Stoesser have held down the fort for Kelowna.
Pilon was ranked 23rd among all North American goaltenders in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings on Tuesday and recently made 32 saves as the Rockets downed the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars on January 10.
The Chiefs have won all three prior meetings against the Rockets this season, but every game has been tight, with two matches decided by a single goal, including an overtime win on November 9.
Spokane (27-14-0-0) sits second in the U.S. Division and third in the Western Conference, while Kelowna (15-19-2-1) is fourth in the B.C. Division with a chance to jump into a playoff position with a win tonight.
The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. PST.
All Wednesday Night in the Dub featured games will be free to stream on WHL Live and the WHL’s YouTube Channel.
STAT PACK
| Spokane Chiefs | Kelowna Rockets | |
| Record | 27-14-0-0 (2nd U.S.) | 15-19-2-1 (4th B.C.) |
| Leading Scorers | Andrew Cristall (29G, 38A, 67PTS)
Shea Van Olm (31G, 25A, 56PTS) Berkly Catton (15G, 39A, 54PTS) |
Jakub Stancl (15G, 23A, 38PTS)
Max Graham (13G, 22A, 35PTS) Will Sharpe (4G, 27A, 31PTS) |
| Leading Goaltender | Dawson Cowan (20-10-0-0, 2.80 GAA, .907 save percentage, three shutouts | Jake Pilon (8-6-1-1, 3.58 GAA, .890 save percentage, one shutout) |
| Powerplay | 30.1% (1st) | 20% (18th) |
| Penalty Kill | 82.1% (2nd) | 69% (22nd) |
NHL PROSPECTS
Spokane Chiefs
F- Berkly Catton (Seattle Kraken)
F- Andrew Cristall (Washington Capitals)
D- Nathan Mayes (Toronto Maple Leafs)
D- Will McIsaac (St. Louis Blues)
D- Saige Weinstein (Colorado Avalanche)
Kelowna Rockets
F- Hiroki Gojsic (Nashville Predators)
F- Max Graham (New Jersey Devils)
F- Tij Iginla (Utah Hockey Club)*
F- Jakub Stancl (St. Louis Blues)
*Injured
Top 2025 NHL Draft Eligibles (per NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings of North American Skaters)
Spokane Chiefs
F- Owen Martin (69)
F- Asanali Sarkenov (125)
D- Owen Schoettler (131)
Kelowna Rockets
F- Hayden Paupanekis (48)
D- Will Sharpe (65)
F- Dawson Gerwing (135)
D- Nate Corbet (223)
G- Jake Pilon (23)
Sound Off
Andrew Cristall
On reflecting on his time in Kelowna:
I basically grew up in Kelowna. I had so much time there and my billet family took me in at such a young age, and just kind of matured as a kid and as a player and as a person. So I have a lot of really good memories here in Kelowna. I am super excited to be a Chief and be in Spokane, but, you know, those are memories I have for a lifetime.
On playing with Berkly Catton and Shea Van Olm:
Those two guys, they’ve been playing with each other for a while, and just me kind of hopping in there, they’ve made it super easy on me. They’re both unbelievable talents. Berk just sees the ice so well and skates so well, and it seems like Shea is always in the right spot to get a goal and put the puck in the net. So I think it’s gone well so far. We’ve just got to kind of keep going and building that chemistry.
On what he hopes to prove in the WHL:
Everything. Just kind of getting better every day. Obviously, improving my two-way game, and just keep producing at the rate I am is kind of what you want to be consistent. But I think the main goal now is just to win and be a winner and try and go for it all this year.
On Jakub Stancl’s impact on the Rockets:
He’s been so phenomenal on that team. I think he brings everything to the table. He’s got an awesome shot, super good two-way, really good stick and really smart. When I was playing with him this year, it was a lot of fun and I think we gelled together pretty well. I think he’s adjusted the league pretty phenomenally.
Jakub Stancl
On the adjustment to the North American game:
I think I got used to the game a little bit more during the year. It’s been kind of tough from the start, I would say. Everything’s a little bit faster and more physicality also. So it was kind of tough from the start. But now, I think I’m good.
On leading all World Juniors skaters in goals and winning a second consecutive bronze for Czechia:
(It) means a lot. To win two medals for my country is kind of been one of my dreams. It’s been a lot of fun.
On Kelowna’s new look after the 2025 WHL Trade Deadline:
We got little taller and stronger with all the trades, I would say. I think we have a lot of potential here. I think the group is looking pretty good now, and hopefully we’re going to get some wins.
On what makes Andrew Cristall dangerous on the ice:
I think just how he sees the game and his hockey sense and ability to make plays. I haven’t seen many guys do that how he does it… He’s an unreal player, one of the best players that I’ve ever played with. So it’s going to be a lot of fun to play against him, but also pretty tough.
