Home Opener

It will have been 571 days since the White Rock Whalers last played a competitive game at Centennial Arena.

Fans last saw The Pod fall in Overtime of Game 4 of White Rock’s first playoff series back in February 2020. Now, just days away from Saturday’s home opener, Coach Jason Rogers and the rest of the team are gearing up for a special night at their true home.

The Pod welcomes the Grandview Steelers to town Saturday night, with puck drop set for 7:30pm. With reduced capacity, tickets are limited, so be sure to arrive early enough to grab a seat and enjoy the pre-game festivities. Sitting at 2-1 all time in their home openers, fans can be sure to expect a show this weekend, according to Head Coach Jason Rogers.

“The team is showing great energy, lots of enthusiasm. For some of the new guys it will be a great experience that first game. We’re expecting a big crowd because it has been so long. We know what we need to work on after Tuesday and will focus on playing the standard that we always do. ” – Jason Rogers, Head Coach

 

A shortened and interrupted 2020/21 season had the Whalers playing out of Richmond’s Minoru Arena, where they managed to play just one game before the season was suspended. Whalers’ president Ronnie Paterson has been eager for some time to see his team play back at Centennial.

“It’s exciting to have Whaler hockey back in the community. Despite only having 50% capacity, it is invigorating to know that we will have our loyal fans back at Centennial!” – Ronnie Paterson, Whalers President

“Tuesday was a good first game for us but we have a lot more in us. We had ups and downs throughout the night but in the end we showed up when we needed to and got the 2 points. We’re a hard working team and we showed that last night.” – Tyler Price, Captain

A minute of silence will be held prior to puck drop in memory of former PJHL commissioner Ray Stonehouse. Stonehouse, who is part of the BC Hockey Hall of Fame, passed away August 17th.

Former Edmonton Oiler and Six-time Stanley Cup Champion and Hockey Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson will be dropping the puck, with local talent, Emma Rose singing the national anthem.