Photo credit: RocketFAN
Roster changes and renovations
Things that make me go hmm…
Apr 1, 2025 | 11:00 AM
- The Kelowna Rockets are missing out on playing meaningful games this spring. While they fought for the eighth and final playoff spot late in the season, there’s a big difference between those “do or die” games and the actual intensity of playoff hockey. The pressure is higher, and the stakes are much greater. It’s impossible to replicate the energy of postseason hockey. Any suggestion that players benefit from playing beyond the opening round is worth considering, as the experience can be crucial for development.
- Reflecting on the 2024-2025 season, it was marked by a lot of player movement. Some would argue there was too much, making it difficult to establish team chemistry with constant lineup changes. Nate Corbet, who was named the Kelowna Rockets’ defenseman of the year, agrees. “After we won the Memorial Cup, we had to move some big pieces to build for next year,” Corbet explained to RocketFAN. “That feeling of uncertainty lingered after we secured it. With so many new faces, it’s challenging to maintain consistent team dynamics when players keep coming and going.”
- Considering Corbet’s thoughts and the way the season ended—two wins in the final 28 games—it’s clear the Rockets need to hit the ground running next September. The team needs to resemble the one that will eventually host the 2026 Memorial Cup at Prospera Place. While upgrading the roster is essential, building team chemistry is just as crucial. The core group needs time to gel, and while trades may come at the deadline to address specific needs, the primary focus should be on assembling a cohesive squad for the fall.
- General Manager Bruce Hamilton has stated the Rockets will look to trade for 19-year-olds to strengthen their roster for the 2025-2026 season. The team will focus on players born in 2006, one of whom impressed in game two of a playoff series between the Portland Winterhawks and Prince George Cougars. Portland’s Diego Buttazzoni, a 38-goal scorer, wowed with a third-period goal to give his team a 5-3 lead. The Rockets have a target list for the offseason, but the big question remains: will these players be available for trade, and what will the asking price be?
- My biggest concern is the Rockets making impulsive trades now that could hurt the team in the long term. This happened to the Kamloops Blazers, the 2023 Memorial Cup hosts. Not only did they give up a lot of first-round WHL draft picks—four to be exact—but one was used to acquire marquee defenseman Landon Dupont. While the Blazers did bring in players like Owen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer, they didn’t win anything with those additions. The Rockets, on the other hand, have a rich history of winning league titles (2003, 2005, 2009, 2015) or Memorial Cups (2004). It’s tough to swallow that the Blazers ended up with nothing to show for their efforts, though they did win the BC Division title in 2023.
- The Kelowna Rockets are clearly focused on adding more high-end talent this summer, with that being a top priority. Another key task is hiring a new head coach. What kind of coach will they be looking for? GM Bruce Hamilton has expressed a desire for someone with “more bite”—an old-school coach who isn’t afraid to hold players accountable. But are coaches like that still out there? They’re becoming increasingly rare, especially as players now wield more power than ever before. If a coach is too tough and resorts to verbal discipline or reduces ice time, there’s always the risk a player could shut down or even quit. In the past, players would simply take the hard lessons, keep their heads down, and push through. But today, even the toughest coaches have to adjust their approach and soften their style when dealing with players.
- The ice is gone, and renovations are officially underway at Prospera Place. With the 2026 Memorial Cup just 14 months away, one of the first updates to the venue will be a new score clock. Expected to arrive around mid-May, the old clock, which has been in place since the facility opened in 1999, will be removed and essentially dismantled, with only scrap metal being salvaged. From what I understand, the new score clock will arrive in pieces and will need to be assembled on-site before being installed in the rafters.
- Suspensions during the playoffs are rare, but Andrew Cristall, now with the Spokane Chiefs, has found himself in that situation after receiving a major cross-checking penalty against the Vancouver Giants in game two. Cristall will miss game three, watching as his team competes in the next three games at Spokane’s Memorial Arena. The last Kelowna Rockets player to be suspended during the playoffs was Luke Schelter in the 2024 opening round against the Wenatchee Wild, where he took out Kenta Isogia (now with the Victoria Royals) with a kneeing penalty, earning a three-game suspension. The most recent Rockets coach to be fined in the postseason was Josh MacNevin, who was hit with a $500 fine during a second-round series with the Prince George Cougars in 2024.
- Two players, with ties to the Kelowna Rockets, are heading to the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals, the farm team for the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Hiroki Gojsic, who scored 20 goals with the Rockets this past season, will be joined by Kalan Lind, who played for the Red Deer Rebels. Lind is the younger brother of former Rockets forward Kole Lind. Both players are signed by the Predators, with Lind being a year older, which could see him getting some game time. Gojsic, on the other hand, will practice with the team to gauge how close he is to playing professionally.
- I won’t lie; I’m rooting for the Calgary Flames. It might take a modern-day miracle, but their playoff chances are still alive under coach Ryan Huska. The fanbase turned on them after an overtime loss to Edmonton over the weekend, but optimism returned following a thrilling comeback win over Colorado. The drama of it all is what makes it exciting. Why do more fanbases not just enjoy the unpredictable ride of the season, rather than constantly hopping on and off the bandwagon?
- It isn’t an April Fool’s joke. The controversial carbon tax was officially eliminated, as promised, after a massive push by the Conservative’s and the Liberals finally cowering to the backlash. I noticed it at the gas pumps today, filling up for 141.9 cents a litre. That is a drop from 1.58.9 cents a litre just a day ago. Let’s see if it lasts.
- At just over 1200 words, it is time to close the barn door shut for another week. If you haven’t checked out the new WHL streaming service, Victory +, to watch playoff games for free, I would advise you to do it. The platform is great and the action on the ice is intense. What a wonderful time to enjoy playoff hockey.
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