
A couple of former Kelowna Rockets came back to haunt their former teammates Wednesday night.
Trae Johnson had a goal, two assists and tangled with Andrew Petruk in a first period bout, while Caden Price scored once including the game winner and added an assist to lead Lethbridge to a 7-4 win over the visiting Rockets.
The loss officially eliminated the Rockets from post season contention.
The Rockets moved Johnson to the Hurricanes in the offseason for a sixth round bantam draft choice in 2026 while Price was dealt in a deadline blockbuster for defenceman Will Sharpe, the rights to 17-year-old goaltender Harrison Boettiger and five draft choices.
As has been the case in a number of games the past several weeks, the Rockets were good over the first 40 minutes but couldn’t close it out in the third.
The Hurricanes scored four times in the third including a pair of empty net goals to break open a 3-3 tie through two periods.
The Rockets actually led this one 2-0 early getting goals from Levi Benson and Hayden Paupanekis before the game was 10 minutes old.
Benson deflected a point shot from Jackson Gillespie to get Kelowna on the board before Paupanekis jumped on a juicy rebound for his 22nd of the season.
The Hurricanes responded with a goal from Brayden Yager on the power play before the period was out then markers from Tristen Doyle and Kash Anderson on another power play to take their first lead of the game.
Benson notched his second of the night before the period was over, grabbing a loose puck at the top of the left circle and in one motion, turning a firing a shot bar down.
It was his ninth of the season.
Johnson and Price before the midway mark of the third put the Hurricanes up for good.
Owen Folstrom got one back before a pair of empty net goals sealed the deal.
The Rockets have now dropped six straight including all four on their five-game Alberta road trip.
They close out the trip Friday night in Edmonton before finally making their way home.
The Rockets are at the tail end of an eight game road trip, made necessary after the Brier took over Prospera Place.
Upon returning home, the Rockets will get ready to host Kamloops Friday, March 14.