Photo credit: RocketFAN

By Regan Bartel

A surprising rise to the WHL

Rhett Stoesser’s unlikely journey: Undrafted to Rockets goalie

Nov 24, 2024 | 7:00 AM

At just 19 years old, Rhett Stoesser’s journey to the Western Hockey League is one of resilience, hard work, and an undeniable will to prove himself. 

Acquired by the Kelowna Rockets in a trade with the Red Deer Rebels on Thursday, Stoesser’s story is anything but conventional. 

“It’s exciting to be traded to Kelowna and a new opportunity,” he told RocketFAN before backing up Jake Pilon in an 8-3-win Friday night over the visiting Vancouver Giants. “It’s warm here,” he added with a chuckle. “My agent said this would be a possible place [to be traded], and then it ended up being that way.” 

Unlike many of his WHL peers, Stoesser was never drafted by a major junior team. His hockey career didn’t begin at the highest levels, and his journey through the ranks wasn’t filled with the spotlight or early recruitment. He didn’t even catch the attention of major junior scouts until the fall of 2022 when Rebels GM Brent Sutter gave him a shot with a tryout. 

“I really got into goaltending because of the gear,” he said honestly. “I had new gear on the way for this season, but they held it back once they traded me. I need to change up my colours, so I will have to re-customize my new gear. There are better colours to work with here too.” 

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Stoesser was so good as a walk-on in his rookie season, he won his opening five starts and posted 19 wins in 25 games before being named a Central Division Goaltender of the Year. With a 2.35 goals against average and a save percentage of .910, the world was his oyster until he suffered a freak knee injury where he tore his ACL and needed season-ending surgery. 

“I got run over at practice,” he recalled about the first of two injuries he has suffered over the last two seasons. “Last year, come playoff time, I dove and a puck hit my finger and fractured it.” 

Two surgeries later, and full of optimism, the pride of Cremona, Alberta says he is 100 percent healthy. 

“After my first surgery, I was out seven months,” he said. “I am good to go. It has been good [his health] since, so hopefully it stays that way.” 

Now, as he joins the Kelowna Rockets, Stoesser finds himself in a key position to help stabilize the team’s goaltending following the demotion of Jari Kykkanen, the Rockets’ 20-year-old netminder. This move is a significant opportunity for Stoesser, who will be eager to prove that his success with the Rebels was no fluke. 

“Obviously everyone would like to play like NHL goalie Sergei Bobrovsky,” he said with a chuckle. I am not saying I do, but that’s the goal.” 

His rise from a tryout player to a key acquisition by a team with championship aspirations is inspiring, and his story is one of perseverance—a reminder that, in hockey, talent and hard work can pave the way for unexpected breakthroughs. 

“I would say I am pretty calm in goal,” Stoesser added while admitting to being a Calgary Flames fan. “I think compete is the main thing. The harder you work, the more successful you will be.” 

Whether he starts this afternoon ( 104-7 The Lizard pre-game show starts at 3:40 pm) against the top team in the WHL – the Everett Silvertips – who make a visit to Prospera Place, or on the road in Portland this week with back-to-back games, Stoesser is up for the challenge. 

“Being here in Kelowna is like a re-set button,” he said. 

“My dad, who drove me out here is excited, and I am equally excited to be here.”