Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

New Import star brings energy

Tomas Poletin: Kelowna’s new offensive weapon

Oct 1, 2025 | 6:00 AM

The Kelowna Rockets couldn’t have asked for a better start from Tomas Poletin. The 18-year-old Czech forward, taken first overall in the CHL Import Draft, made his WHL debut last Friday in Penticton and scored twice, including an eye-popping individual effort in a 5–4 win over the expansion Vees.

Saturday night at Prospera Place, Poletin picked up where he left off. In his home debut, he scored again, added an assist, and buried the only goal of the shootout in a 3–2 victory. Two games in, he already leads the Rockets in scoring with four points.

It has been quite a stretch for Poletin, who was drafted twice in the same week this summer. The New York Islanders took him in the fourth round of the NHL Draft, and then Kelowna made him the top pick in the Import Draft.

“Yeah, it was a great feeling, obviously, and especially like being drafted twice in one week, first to the NHL and then here. It was a super exciting week for me. And yeah, it’s a pleasure,” Poletin said.

Back home in Czechia, his NHL Draft day turned into a celebration.

The lost art of true sports storytelling

Why athlete stories should never fade

Jul 22, 2025

One call, one commitment

Luke Schenn's call, Mazden Leslie's answer

Jul 19, 2025

Is the NCAA grass really greener?

WHL's grit and grind is unmatched

Jul 10, 2025

“I was in Czech back home with my family, friends, we had quite a lot of people at our house, and we watched it on the TV. And then I got a call from my agent and then from Islanders. And it was an amazing feeling, like being drafted is something you’ve been dreaming about since you were a kid, so yeah, it was amazing.”

Poletin, pronounced Pole-a-teen, comes to Kelowna off Islanders training camp, and his focus is simple: keep growing until he’s ready for the elite level.

“I don’t think that’s the question for me, but I will do my best for sure. I just came back from the training camp, which was again like great experience and I super enjoyed it. And you know, playing the first preseason game there was unbelievable. And yeah, so I will do my best to get there.”

Kelowna fans are already seeing the type of player he wants to be.

“I try to play, try to play physical, try to play hard, be in the areas around the net and just put the puck in the net and be there for the guys, be a good leader and play responsible for the team and be ready for every situation on the ice.”

Poletin doesn’t paint himself as a pure sniper.

“Yeah, definitely that’s what I like to do [score goals], but I’m not really a goal scorer. I’m more of a two-way player, making the opportunities for my teammates, but otherwise I can score a goal.”

Part of the decision to come to Kelowna was about adapting to the North American game.

“Yeah, for sure, like that’s also a reason why I came here, to get used to the North American style of hockey. Every time when we were here with the national team, I really like to play on the smaller ice. It kind of suits my game, so I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I’m super excited for that actually.”

His hockey story started almost as soon as he could walk.

“I think the biggest part was family for sure. My dad used to be a part of this club in Prague, and my older brother played there actually at the time. So I think when I was 3 or 4 I was already on the ice, so there was actually no other way to play hockey. So I was at the rink since I was really, really small.”

This season, wearing his country’s colors at the World Juniors is a major goal.

“As I said before, I will do my best to also get here or there. It’s the biggest goal for me and I’ve got to have a good start of the season here in Kelowna and hopefully I will get there.”

There’s also the thought of eventually lining up with Tij Iginla once he returns from Utah Mammoth camp.

“Oh, definitely, obviously this is a great player, you know, first round pick, that says everything, I am super excited when he comes back and that we can play together.”

His English is another asset.

“I would say it started with my mother. She speaks really good English and she always talked with me and my brother [in English]. And then when I moved to Finland, I was two years there, so I had to speak English. So I think that was the biggest game changer for me.”

The WHL schedule is long and unforgiving, but Poletin isn’t shying away from it.

“I think I will get used to it pretty fast since I was with the Islanders now. So that was really fast and tough. But yeah, I’ve heard like this league is really, really hard and the guys are tough here, but I like that style of hockey, so I think that’s not going to be a problem for me.”

Talking to Poletin, you get Leon Draisaitl vibes. Confident, but calm. Serious about his game, but never sounding bigger than the moment.

For Rockets fans, it’s only been two games, but Poletin has already delivered a glimpse of the impact player he could become, a two-way forward with NHL pedigree who’s as comfortable driving the net as he is speaking in front of a microphone.