The Justin Keller story
Guitars, goals and glory!
Being a 17-year-old rookie during a Memorial Cup season on home ice is enough pressure to make anyone tighten up. But for Justin Keller, music was the outlet that helped him breathe. "Mike Card and I would fool around a bit on the guitar," Keller said. "I had an acoustic guitar, and so did he. We would b...
Jul 30, 2025
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The Simon Ferguson story
From wake-up call to Memorial Cup champion
Simon Ferguson got a reality check when he joined the Kelowna Rockets in the winter of 2003. Spoiler alert: it wasn't a gentle one. The 19-year-old forward, recently traded from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, walked into the gym and was immediately thrown into a different world. One where the standard was higher, the pace ...
Jul 25, 2025
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RocketFAN
The lost art of true sports storytelling
Why athlete stories should never fade
There was a time when getting into sports journalism was not about going viral, or chasing clout with hot takes. It was about telling stories. Not just the scores and stats, but the human side of the athletes we cover. What drives them? What shaped them? What failures and doubts have they carried, and what moments stil...
Jul 22, 2025
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One call, one commitment
Luke Schenn's call, Mazden Leslie's answer
Sometimes, all it takes is one phone call. That call came earlier this week, from NHL defenceman and Kelowna Rockets alumnus Luke Schenn to 20-year-old blueliner Mazden Leslie, a player caught between two very different hockey paths. Leslie had recently been acquired by the Kelowna Rockets in a trade with the Vancouver...
Jul 19, 2025
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Calculated trade with rival pays off
Mazden Leslie reconsiders and joins Rockets
Mazden Leslie probably found himself at a bit of a crossroads this offseason. After four years and 280 regular season games with the Vancouver Giants that showed steady growth on the back end, the 20-year-old had a decision to make. NCAA hockey was on the table. So was turning pro. But in the end, Leslie chose one more...
Jul 15, 2025
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