Photo credit: Contributed

By Regan Bartel

Max Graham earning helicopter license

Up, Up and Away!

Jun 12, 2024 | 8:00 AM

The skies the limit for Kelowna Rockets forward Max Graham – literally. 

The 20-year-old continues to pursue his passion for playing hockey while earning his commercial helicopter license. 

“That is where the best flight school [JoinAIR] and the best instructor is,” Graham told RocketFAN about spending time in Chilliwack under the watchful eye of Craig Joiner, the same instructor who taught Graham’s father, John, to fly more than 20 years ago. “It depends on who you asked, but he [Joiner] is one if not the best instructors in all of North America. He has almost 30,000 hours as a pilot.” 

Graham needs 100 hours in the cockpit to earn his license, and is halfway there, which includes solo flights in his Schweitzer 300. 

“It is just like hockey [flying]. The more reps you get the better you are,” he added. “The more you do it, the more muscle memory you get. It has gotten a lot easier, and I have become a lot more comfortable with it, but it is something where you never stop getting better at it. My dad still tells me he is working on it, and he has 20,000 hours and he is perfecting things.” 

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Graham is no stranger to the aviation industry, helping his dad last summer fight forest fires. Check out RocketFAN’s article from then:  https://rocketfan.ca/2023/08/24/max-graham-is-fighting-the-good-fight/  

His role was limited, unlike now where he literally has his hands on the controls of the aircraft.  

“I have been around helicopters pretty much my entire life,” he added. “I am more familiar than some of the students, so I feel like I am quite ahead of them. I am a student, so there are tons of things to work on. When he [Joiner] demonstrates something, it doesn’t take me too long to catch on.” 

Clearly not scared of heights, with his helicopter easily reaching 1000 feet, Graham says the part about flying helicopters that he enjoys so much is its ability to go lower and slower. 

“I have always been interested in anything with an engine,” he confessed. “Whether it is a fast car or boat, or dirt bike. I like operating machinery. I still like hockey more, but it is a close second.” 

All of Graham’s solo flights have been in Chilliwack, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the view of Kelowna while being a passenger with his dad at the controls. 

“When you cruise along the shoreline of Okanagan Lake or over City Park, it’s a nice city,” he said. “It is a lot nicer than where I am flying in Chilliwack, but some of my flights that I have done around Harrison Lake is pretty nice, but nothing beats the Okanagan.” 

While determined to earn his wings, that hasn’t stopped Graham from fine tuning his craft as a hockey player. It’s involved skating with teammate Horoki Gojsic, getting an invite to the Calgary Flames development camp next month before attending Boston Bruins rookie camp this fall. 

“Ice has been hard to find in Chilliwack in June, so I have been going out to Langley when I am down in the Lower Mainland.” 

Skating this week in Kelowna, while the helicopter he trains in is down for maintenance, Graham is joined on the ice by Prince George Cougars forward Hunter Lang, and ex-teammate Jackson DeSouza under the watchful eye of Kelowna Rockets skills coach Glen Carnagie. 

“I thought I had an average season,” he said about the career high 20 goals and 42 points he earned in 2023-2024 playing primarily on a line with Andrew Cristall and Gabriel Szturc. “In March and April, everything clicked. I wish the whole season would have been like that. I can’t worry about that now; I just have to continue where I left off.” 

Returning as an overage player this fall for his fourth season, Graham is almost guaranteed to earn one of three of those coveted spots. 

“Obviously I would love a pro deal,” he said honestly. “I think playing in the WHL is the most realistic step, and hopefully that is in Kelowna.  

“It is tough knowing there are too many people for so few spots. The good news is most of the time, a player that doesn’t have a spot on one team can always find a spot on another.”