Kelowna snags forward Carson Wetsch

A player of Wetsch’s caliber doesn’t come cheap. The Rockets gave up a first-round pick in 2027, a second and fourth-rounder, and the rights to forward Ben MacBeath to make the deal happen.

“I have never been traded,” Wetsch said, reflecting on his journey after being selected in the first round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft by Calgary. “This was my first time,” he added with a smile in his voice. “I am excited about the opportunity. This team [Rockets] really wants me. They think I am going to really make a difference, so they have that faith and belief in me, so I am going to do all I can to follow through with that.”

Wetsch is coming off a breakout campaign that saw him net 33 goals. He finished fourth in team scoring for Calgary last season, and his 124 career points rank 13th among 2006-born WHL players.

“I think I am a super physical guy,” Wetsch said when asked what Rockets fans can expect. “I can put the puck in the back of the net. I like to fight. I like to throw hits.” That all-around game caught the attention of the San Jose Sharks, who selected him 82nd overall in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

“I like to bring a strong work ethic,” he added. “I try to be the same player every night, with those little details and trying to exceed those.”

The North Vancouver native, who just turned 19 on Saturday, fits the mold of a self-driven competitor — a trait frequently emphasized by Rockets interim head coach Derrick Martin. Wetsch has his eyes on a strong showing at NHL training camp and hopes to represent Canada on the international stage.

“I am going into the gym, working on my acceleration, and putting in as much work there,” he said. “I just need to work on my strength and weaknesses on the ice, and improving my game every day.”

Last season, he earned an invite to Canada’s summer evaluation camp as a world junior hopeful.

“I hope I get a world junior showcase invite,” he said honestly. “You always watch that tournament growing up, and I had some experience with Hockey Canada already at the U17s and U18s, so if I get the invite and see what happens from there.”

At 6’2″ and 190 pounds, Wetsch was one of just seven Hitmen to suit up for all 68 games last season — a testament to his durability.

“I think you can grow in every aspect of your game,” he said, not content to rest on his achievements. “I have to take in what the new coach of the Rockets has to say, listen to them, take that onto the ice and improve.”

Off the ice, Carson Wetsch has a few personal goals for the summer — and not all of them involve hockey.

“I am really trying to improve my game,” he said, referring to his time on the golf course. “I live pretty close to the water, so I try to get out and do some hiking, and when I can I go out on the boat to a place called ‘The Arm,’ where I swim or take the paddleboard out.”

With that kind of lifestyle, it sounds like playing back in British Columbia this winter will suit him just fine.

“It is a huge deal coming back here,” Wetsch said. “Being 12 hours away from home to being only four hours away is nice.”

As it turns out, this move to Kelowna may have been written in the stars all along.

“There is this crazy photo out there where I am wearing a Kelowna Rockets jacket”, he revealed. “I was around 10 or 11 years old, and the caption on the photo is ‘maybe a Kelowna Rocket in the making.’

“That photo was taken January 28, 2017, and now eight years later I am on the team.”

by Regan Bartel

Kelowna snags forward Carson Wetsch

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